Manglesh Dabral
Manglesh Dabral (16 May 1948 – 9 December 2020)
was an Indian Hindi poet and journalist. He was Manglesh Dabral
associated with Hindi-language newspapers including
Jansatta, Hindi Patriot, and Purvagrah. Some of his
popular works include Pahar Par Lalten (transl. lamp
on the hills), Ghar Ka Rasta (transl. the way home),
and Kavi Ka Akelapan (transl. loneliness of a poet). He
was a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2000
for his anthology Ham Jo Dekhte Hain (transl. what we
see). Dabral in December 1993
Born 16 May 1948
Kaphalpani, Princely State of
Early life Tehri Garhwal, Dominion of
India (present-day Uttarakhand,
Dabral was born on 16 May 1948, in the village of India)
Kaphalpani, Princely State of Tehri Garhwal (now in Died 9 December 2020 (aged 72)
the Indian state of Uttarakhand).[1] He completed his New Delhi, India
education in Dehradun.[1]
Occupations Hindi poet · journalist
Notable work Ham Jo Dekhte Hain
Career (anthology)
Awards Sahitya Akademi Award (2000)
Moving to Delhi in the late 1960s, Dabral worked at
the vernacular newspapers Hindi Patriot, Pratipaksh and Aaspaas.[2] He then moved to Bhopal, in the
Indian state of Madhya Pradesh to work as an editor for Bharat Bhavan's Purvagrah. He went on to work
for Amrit Prabhat published from Allahabad and Lucknow before going on to being the editor of Jansatta
and later at Sahara Samay. He also worked with the National Book Trust as an editorial consultant, and
with the Hindi monthly magazine Public Agenda as its editor.[2] He was noted as the editor of Jansatta's
Sunday magazine, Ravivari where he mentored a generation of Hindi writers.[2] In his roles he was
described as a key link between literature and journalism.[2]
He published five collections of poetry, Pahar Par Lalten, Ghar Ka Rasta, Ham Jo Dekhte Hain, Awaz
Bhi Ek Jagah Hai and Naye Yug Men Shatru, two collections of prose Lekhak Ki Roti and Kavi Ka
Akelapan, and a travel diary Ek Bar Iowa.[2] He translated Booker Prize winning author Arundhati Roy's
The Ministry of Utmost Happiness to Hindi as Apar Khushi Ka Gharana.[2]
He received the Sahitya Akademi Award given by Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters,
in 2000 for his poetry collection Ham Jo Dekhte Hain. Dabral's poetry has been translated in all major
Indian languages, and a number of foreign languages, including English, Russian, German, Dutch,
Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, Polish and Bulgarian.[2] He was the recipient of the World Writers
Program fellowship at the University of Iowa, in the United States.[3]
He was a vocal critic of the Indian government, and his works reflected dissent. He returned his Sahitya
Akademi Award in 2015 in a protest that saw many Indian writers returning their awards.[2] His final
work, Naye Yug Men Shatru (transl. foes in the modern world), was considered a poetic commentary on
the nation's current affairs.[4]
Dabral was considered among the foremost contemporary Hindi language poets.[5] He was credited to
having brought in a new sensibility to contemporary Hindi poetry, with the use of low key and precise
language. Hindi poet Asad Zaidi noted that "he was not a showy poet, but in his understated fashion, he
brought magic to Hindi poetry."[2] His poetry described his longing for the hills, the idea of home and
displacement, representing the places that he came from. Some of his works speak to the sensitivity and
helplessness of a man trapped in the nowhere land between the city and his home, longing to go back to
his home in the hills.[4] His journalistic works gave a voice to the marginalised.[4] Journalist Mrinal
Pande said, "He was one of the most incisive minds in Hindi."[2]
Personal life and death
Dabral was married and had a daughter and a son. He died from COVID-19 complications at AIIMS New
Delhi on 9 December 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in India. He was 72. Dabral was undergoing
treatment in a private hospital in Ghaziabad for the few days before being admitted to AIIMS, where his
condition deteriorated, suffering a cardiac arrest.[1][6]
Works
Source(s):[2][4]
Poetry
Pahar Par Lalten
Ghar Ka Rasta
Ham Jo Dekhte Hain
Awaz Bhi Ek Jagah Hai
Naye Yug Men Shatru
Prose
Lekhak Ki Roti
Kavi Ka Akelapan
Ek Bar Iowa
References
1. "प्रसिद्ध लेखक और कवि मंगलेश डबराल का कार्डियक अरेस्ट की वजह से निधन" (https://hindi.news18.com/
news/nation/famous-writer-and-poet-manglesh-dabral-dies-3370539.html). News18 India (in
Hindi). 9 December 2020. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20201210075916/https://hi
ndi.news18.com/news/nation/famous-writer-and-poet-manglesh-dabral-dies-3370539.html)
from the original on 10 December 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
2. "Hindi poet-journalist Manglesh Dabral dies" (https://indianexpress.com/article/books-and-lit
erature/famous-hindi-poet-manglesh-dabral-passes-away-7098627/). The Indian Express.
10 December 2020. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20201210075902/https://indianex
press.com/article/books-and-literature/famous-hindi-poet-manglesh-dabral-passes-away-70
98627/) from the original on 10 December 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
3. "MANGLESH DABRAL" (https://web.archive.org/web/20140812205801/http://www.foundatio
nsaarcwriters.com/literature/saarc-writers-intellectual/poets/india/139-manglesh-dabral-indi
a). 12 August 2014. Archived from the original (http://www.foundationsaarcwriters.com/literat
ure/saarc-writers-intellectual/poets/india/139-manglesh-dabral-india) on 12 August 2014.
Retrieved 10 December 2020.
4. Ghosh, Avijit (10 December 2020). "Noted Hindi poet Manglesh Dabral no more" (https://tim
esofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/noted-hindi-poet-manglesh-dabral-no-more/articleshow/7
9655852.cms). The Times of India. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20201210075903/
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/noted-hindi-poet-manglesh-dabral-no-more/arti
cleshow/79655852.cms) from the original on 10 December 2020. Retrieved 10 December
2020.
5. "Technology is erasing history. Only literature can counter that" (https://indianexpress.com/ar
ticle/lifestyle/books/hindi-poet-manglesh-dabral-on-aggressive-nationalism-returning-the-sah
itya-akademi-award-4409218/). The Indian Express. 4 December 2016. Archived (https://we
b.archive.org/web/20200111201408/https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/books/hindi-p
oet-manglesh-dabral-on-aggressive-nationalism-returning-the-sahitya-akademi-award-4409
218/) from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
6. "Famous Hindi poet Manglesh Dabral dead" (https://www.zeebiz.com/india/news-famous-hin
di-poet-manglesh-dabral-dead-143378). Zee Business. 9 December 2020. Archived (https://
web.archive.org/web/20201210075904/https://www.zeebiz.com/india/news-famous-hindi-po
et-manglesh-dabral-dead-143378) from the original on 10 December 2020. Retrieved
9 December 2020.
Sources
"मंगलेश डबराल" (https://web.archive.org/web/20140805173012/http://www.kavitakosh.org/k
k/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B6_%E
0%A4%A1%E0%A4%AC%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B2#.UhPcI9KceQ0).
कविता कोश. Archived from the original (http://www.kavitakosh.org/kk/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A
4%82%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B6_%E0%A4%A1%E0%A4%A
C%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B2#.UhPcI9KceQ0) on 5 August 2014. Retrieved
20 August 2013.
"Manglesh Dabral" (https://web.archive.org/web/20140812205801/http://www.foundationsaa
rcwriters.com/literature/saarc-writers-intellectual/poets/india/139-manglesh-dabral-india).
Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature. Archived from the original (http://www.foundati
onsaarcwriters.com/literature/saarc-writers-intellectual/poets/india/139-manglesh-dabral-indi
a) on 12 August 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
"Vikram Seth, Mahasweta Devi and Manglesh Dabral are popular in Pak: Fahmida Riaz" (htt
ps://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Vikram-Seth-Mahasweta-Devi-and-Manglesh-Dabral-
are-popular-in-Pak-Fahmida-Riaz/articleshow/19169502.cms). The Times of India. 24
March 2013. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20130327082537/http://articles.timesofin
dia.indiatimes.com/2013-03-24/india/37980848_1_mahasweta-devi-vikram-seth-indian-write
rs) from the original on 27 March 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Manglesh_Dabral&oldid=1261125804"
