Ajay Navaria

Last updated

Ajay Navaria (born 1972, Delhi) is an Indian writer and scholar, born in Dausa, Rajasthan, India. [1] Navaria's work is specifically in the genre of short stories and novels. He currently holds the position of Associate Professor of Hindi Literature at Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi. [2]

Contents

Ajay Navaria
Born1972
OccupationShort story author
Period1975 - 2013
SubjectDalit experiences
Notable works
  • Patkatha aur Anya Kahaniya (2006)
  • Yes Sir (2012)
  • Udhar ke Log (2008)
  • Unclaimed Terrain (2013) - English translation of selected stories

Education and Early Career

Navaria commenced his academic career by teaching Hindu religious scripture and ethics. He later pursued higher education at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), where he completed his M.Phil. and Ph.D. His literary journey began with the publication of his first story, "Kohra" (Fog), in 1995.

Literary Works

Ajay Navaria has authored two collections of Hindi short stories: "Patkatha aur Anya Kahaniya" (2006) and "Yes Sir" (2012). Additionally, he has penned a novel titled "Udhar ke Log" (2009). Navaria gained international acclaim with the release of "Unclaimed Terrain" in 2013, an anthology of his stories translated into English by Laura Brueck. [2] [3] He has been associated with the premier Hindi literary journal, Hans [4] [5]

One of Navaria's widely discussed stories is "New Custom," based on a real incident involving his father. The narrative addresses the practice of untouchability, specifically the expectation for Dalits to wash their own cups at roadside stalls. Another well-known story, "Yes Sir," explores the dynamics between a Dalit civil servant and a Brahmin peon, delving into imagined scenarios to examine caste relations. [1]

Notable Works

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agyeya</span> Indian poet and writer

Sachchidananda Hirananda Vatsyayan, popularly known by his pen name Agyeya, was an Indian writer, poet, novelist, literary critic, journalist, translator and revolutionary in Hindi language. He pioneered modern trends in Hindi poetry, as well as in fiction, criticism and journalism. He is regarded as the pioneer of the Prayogavaad (experimentalism) movement in modern Hindi literature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramdhari Singh Dinkar</span> Indian poet

Ramdhari Singh, known by his pen name Dinkar, was an Indian Hindi language poet, essayist, freedom fighter, patriot and academic. He emerged as a poet of rebellion as a consequence of his nationalist poetry written in the days before Indian independence. His poetry exuded Veer Rasa, and he has been hailed as a Rashtrakavi and Yuga-Chāraṇa on account of his inspiring patriotic compositions. He was a regular poet of Hindi Kavi Sammelan and is hailed to be as popular and connected to poetry lovers for Hindi speakers as Pushkin for Russians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vishnu Prabhakar</span> Indian writer

Vishnu Prabhakar was a Hindi writer. He had several short stories, novels, plays and travelogues to his credit. Prabhakar's works have elements of patriotism, nationalism and messages of social upliftment. He was the First Sahitya Academy Award winner from Haryana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nirmal Verma</span> Renowned Indian Novelist

Nirmal Verma was a Hindi writer, novelist, activist and translator. He is credited as being one of the pioneers of the Nai Kahani literary movement of Hindi literature, wherein his first collection of stories, Parinde (Birds) is considered its first signature.

Harishankar Parsai was an Indian writer who wrote in Hindi. He was a noted satirist and humorist of modern Hindi literature and is known for his simple and direct style. He wrote vyangya (satire), which described human values and nature. They reflected his critical thinking and humorous way of describing simple things with huge meanings. Parsai won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1982, for his satire, Viklaang Shraddha ka daur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mannu Bhandari</span> Indian writer (1931–2021)

Mannu Bhandari Yadav was an Indian author, screenplay writer, teacher, and playwright. Primarily known for her two Hindi novels, Aap Ka Bunty and Mahabhoj (Feast), Bhandari also wrote over 150 short stories, several other novels, screenplays for television and film, and adaptations for theater. She was a pioneer of the Nayi Kahani movement in Hindi literature, which focused on the aspirations of the emerging Indian middle class, and her own work is notable for its depiction of the inner lives of middle class working and educated women. Her work tackles themes of family, relationships, gender equality, and caste discrimination in India.

Harcharan Dass Chawla was an Urdu writer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gajanan Madhav Muktibodh</span>

Gajanan Madhav Muktibodh was one of the most prominent Hindi poets, essayists, literary and political critics, and fiction writers of the 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shailesh Matiyani</span> Hindi writer and poet (1931–2001)

Ramesh Singh Matiyani 'Shailesh', popularly known as Shailesh Matiyani, was a Hindi writer, poet, essayist from Uttarakhand, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rajesh Joshi</span>

Rajesh Joshi is a Hindi writer, poet, journalist and a playwright, who was the recipient of 2002 Sahitya Akademi Award in Hindi for his anthology of poems - 'Do Panktiyon Ke Beech', given by Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters. He presently resides in Bhopal and continues to work as a freelance writer. His poems have been translated into English, German, Russian, Urdu and into many other Indian languages. Recipient of Muktibodh Puraskar, Makhan Lal Chaturvedi Puraskar, Srikant Verma Smriti Samman, Shikhar Samman and others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kala Nath Shastry</span> Indian literatteur (born 1936)

Devarshi Kala Nath Shastry was born on 15 July 1936. He is a Sanskrit scholar and was honoured by the President of India in 1988. He is an Indologist and a prolific writer in Sanskrit, Hindi and English, and a well-known linguist, who has contributed to the campaign of evolving technical terminology in Indian languages and ensuring a respectable status for Hindi, the official language of his state and the Indian union.

Mohan Chopra was a Hindi intellectual and author.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ganga Prasad Vimal</span> Indian writer (1939–2019)

Ganga Prasad Vimal was an Indian writer. He was a poet, story writer, novelist and translator.

Jayant Parmar is an Indian Urdu language poet known for raising Dalit issues in his poetry. Parmar was born in a poor family. At a young age, he began to paint miniature paintings for a frame maker. Parmar realized that the frame maker had a separate pot for him because he was Dalit. This saddened Parmar and he quit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ram Dayal Munda</span> Indian scholar and politician

Ram Dayal Munda, known as R. D. Munda, was an Indian scholar and regional music exponent. He was awarded the Padma Shri of the year 2010 for his contribution to the field of art.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mohan Rakesh</span> Indian writer (1925–1972)

Mohan Rakesh was one of the pioneers of the Nai Kahani literary movement of the Hindi literature in India in the 1950s. He wrote the first modern Hindi play, Ashadh Ka Ek Din (1958), which won a competition organised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi. He made significant contributions to the novel, the short story, travelogue, criticism, memoir and drama. Mohan Rakesh's Aadhe-adhure is one of the most significant plays about urbanmiddle class family and poignantly projects the transition of values in the changing urban scenario in India. He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1968.

Parichay Das, is an Indian writer, essayist, poet and editor of contemporary Bhojpuri poetry. He is Professor and Head, Department of Hindi, Nava Nalanda Mahavihara Deemed University. He writes in Bhojpuri and Hindi. He earned his Ph.D. from Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur. He is former Secretary, Maithili-Bhojpuri Academy and ex-Secretary, Hindi Academy under Delhi Government. He has written/ edited/ text edited more than 30 books. He received Dwi-Vaageesh Samman award for "Srijan Evam Anuvaad" [Creative Writing and Translation] by the Bhartiya Anuvad Parishad [Translator's Association of India] in 2012. He received Bhojpuri Keerti Sammaan, Bharteey Dalit Sahitya Sammaan, Shyam Narayan Pandey Sammaan, Editor's Choice Award and Damodar Das Chaturvedi Bhasha-Sahitya Sammaan. He delivered a lecture on Bhojpuri in Kathmandu as representative of Kendriy Sahitya Akademi in 2012. He recited his poems in 'SAARC Literary Summit ' in Delhi in 2011. He is considered a unique personal essay writer in Indian Languages and path breaker poet in Bhojpuri.

Subhash Chandra, better known by his pen name, Mudrarakshas the eminent writer was a Hindi playwright, journalist, activist, thinker and cultural personality and critic from Lucknow, India. He was born in Lucknow on 21 June 1933 and died in the city on 13 June 2016, after illnesses due to old age.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheoraj Singh Bechain</span> Indian writer

Sheoraj Singh Bechain is an Indian poet, short story writer, and essayist. When he started writing and progressing academically, he adopted the pen name "Bechain". He was appointed Professor on an unreserved position in the Department of Hindi at the University of Delhi in 2010 and became the first Dalit Professor in the department. He is currently serving as the Head of the Hindi Department at the University.

S.R. Harnot is a creative writer from Himachal Pradesh, India. He is noted for his numerous poems, short stories, and novels in Hindi and Pahadi. He has received multiple awards on the state, national, and international levels. His is work has inspired both a considerable body of scholarship and a number of adaptations in various artistic forms by others. Harnot writes mostly about societal issues such as socio-cultural change, casteism, environmental degradation, corporate greed, and official corruption in the everyday life of contemporary rural western Himalayas.

References

  1. 1 2 Sampath, G. (2 November 2018). "We are not Dalits 24 hours a day: writer-scholar Ajay Navaria". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  2. 1 2 "Ajay Navaria". news.northwestern.edu. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  3. Satyanarayana and Tharu (2013). The Exercise of Freedom: An Introduction to Dalit Writing. New Delhi: Navayana. p. 129. ISBN   9788189059613.
  4. "Pratilipi » अजय नावरिया / Ajay Navaria" . Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  5. "Unclaimed Terrain". Giramondo Publishing. Retrieved 27 January 2024.