Thaindian News

Kolkata, Feb 22 (IANS) Admiring the versatility of eminent poet and novelist Sachidananda Vatsayan Ajneya, Vice President Hamid Ansari Wednesday said his creative output made him a literary figure similar to poet Rabindranath Tagore.

“The range of his interests and the deep philosophical underpinnings of his literary output, which at a certain level resonates with Vedantic thought, have established him as a literary figure in the footsteps of Vishwa Kavi Rabindranath Tagore,” said Ansari.

Ansari was in the city to participate at a three-day event to mark the birth centenary of the Hindi litterateur popularly known as Ajneya (the incomprehensible).

Ansari said Ajneya had the ability to blend perfectly poetry with politics.

“He believed that poetry on politics was the best use of poetry. Yet, he was careful to draw the distinction and warn that patriotic poetry should not lead to an overemphasis on a religious-spiritual ethic or even religious nationalism. On the other hand, being completely anti-political too was not a solution,” he said.

The Jnanpith awardee, as a pioneer of modern Hindi literature, initiated new and experimental trends in several genres of literary writings including poetry, short stories, criticism, novels, travelogues, essays and drama.

Describing him as a great writer and an inspiration for the youth, Ansari said the centenary celebrations offered an occasion for all to ‘think about the realm of individual possibility, depth of mental capacity and the complexity of linguistic intricacy’.

Born Mar 7, 1911, in Uttar Pradesh’s Deoria district, Ajneya went on to become one the most celebrated writers in Hindi winning the Jnanpith in 1978 followed by the Golden Wreath Award for poetry in 1983.

West Bengal Governor M.K. Narayanan and Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim were also present in the function organised by the Prabha Khaitan Foundation, Sahitya Akademi and the Raza Foundation.