One of the most notable Hindi writers in India Namwar Singh died on Tuesday after a prolonged illness at the age of 92. For decades Singh remained a prominent figure in Hindi literature. Winner of the Sahitya Akademi Award and author of Kavita Ke Naye Pratiman, a seminal book of critical writing on poetry, Singh was known for his communist views, reinventing Hindi literature through his contemporary writing and his literary critique. There are very few literary figures in free India who lived and died for their ideology, and Singh suffered because of his principles and commitments. One of the best-known leftists of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) during his student days, Singh was a much-admired student of literature. He was appointed as a lecturer in BHU despite opposition from socialist groups due to his political views.
Eventually, Singh had to leave the university when he contested in the parliamentary election on a Communist Party of India ticket. Later he joined Sagar University, followed by Jodhpur University and Jawaharlal Nehru University, where he started the Centre of Indian Languages. It was the first common department for Hindi and Urdu in any university.
Known for his bravery and boldness he is widely remembered for being criticised for an article Basi Bhat Khuda Ka Sajh published in the monthly magazine Hans ,where he criticized the government in Kashmir for making Urdu the second language , he remained unperturbed and felt it was important to teach Urdu at primary and junior level in north India. He is known for his book Ghar Ka Jogi Jogda, author Kashinath (his brother) shares many untold stories of his childhood. He writes that Singh gave his piece of land to his relatives to avoid any disharmony, though he was also in need of money. He is one of the only Hindi writers who is known to bridge the gap between Urdu and Hindi. His Legacy forever will be remembered for years to come as the Peoples Author
