“Pen is mightier than the sword.” Many authors and poets throughout history have proven this statement. The inspiring words and captivating stories that a writer nurtures and creates, often become a source of motivation and guidance for readers. Ramdhari Singh Dinkar was one such writer whose words have continued to inspire many generations.
Born on September 23, 1908, Dinkar was an Hindi poet, essayist, patriot, and academic, who is regarded as one of the most prominent modern Indian poets. Dinkar was also elected three times to the Rajya Sabha and was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1959. Elected three times to the Rajya Sabha, he was a member of this house from 3 April 1952 to 26 January 1964. He also served as the Vice-Chancellor of Bhagalpur University (Bhagalpur, Bihar) in the early 1960s.
Recently, on his visit to Leh-Ladakh during India-China tensions at the border, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also chose to recite lines from Dinkar’s poem, “Kalam Aaj Unaki Jay Bol.” Notably, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Sushma Swaraj, and Rajnath Singh have also used Dinkar’s verses to put forth their political ideas.
Dinkar initially supported the revolutionary movement during the Indian independence struggle, but later became a Gandhian. He was close to prominent nationalists of the time, such as Rajendra Prasad, Anugrah Narayan Sinha, Sri Krishna Sinha, Rambriksh Benipuri, and Braj Kishore Prasad.