Mail News Service
Jamshedpur, Jan 31: Rarely has the comparatively huge Rabindra Bhawan Auditorium seen such a packed hall as was witnessed on Tuesday, January 31 during the National Shrilal Shukla Smriti-IFFCO Sahitya Samman Honour for 2022 was presented to popular writer of the city, Jainandan.
Chief guest and prolific writer Manmohan Pathak observed, “I have known Jainandan fo a long time and have seen him develop as a writer since a long time. He has won several national awards and today he received the Shrilal Shukla Smriti-IFFCO Samman national award for his sensitive portrayal of life and living in a manner that has made Jainandan a writer who relates unknown facets to modern times.”
Literary critic Ravi Bhushan opined, “Unless there is the flavour of earth, especially of the rural segment, the depiction of life, culture and tradition can never be complete. Unfortunately, this genre of authors have reduced the baton being taken by new-age authors are creating different thumb rules. Of course, I am not berating them because they too are giving impactful stories and essays which too receive appreciative readership and creating literary following. But the pull of the earth’s aroma can never fade. That is why, Jainandan’s literary work never ceases to grow.”
In his speech, Jainandan stated that he had a rural background. “I used to work in the fields and ploughed our fields, sowed and reaped. I carried our agricultural products to the markets to sell them. I used to harbor dreams of a bigger world but at that point of time, such dreams seemed fanciful that could never transform into reality. At the age of 10 years, I stepped into another world, an urban world, Jamshedpur where my cousin lived. He had called me to land me a job and there I was and his first impression can be gauged as he saw me in Hawaii slippers, a pajama and a rope-tied shirt.”
Jai said that he was somehow made to sit for a selection test in which he passed. For the interview, his cousin managed to borrow a pair of shoes, trousers and shirt that surprisingly fit him. He was successful in the interview and got a job in TISCO (now Tata Steel).
But his pent-up writing steam could not find any release. His penchant for the written word made him an important member of the company’s union but the union hierarchy then did not find cause enough to support Jainandan’s desire. Finally, he found support and was posted at Tata Steel’s corporate services. “Well, I got a start. I was given the responsibility of editing several company magazines with my name mentioned in the edit panel. For 18 years, I worked in Corporate Services of Tata Steel and during this tenure, my articles and short stories in our Company’s magazines, popular newspapers and other public publications.”
He said, “The world should realize the life of a farmer who produces crops for people but himself remains hungry. It is not always true that a farmed reaps as he sows. Instead, it is the other way around. A farmer sows but the rich reap.”
All publications of Jainandan cannot be recollected but among his most critically acclaimed and national award- winning including the Sahitya Academy Award, are Shramayev Jayate, Aisi Nagariya Mein Kehi Vidhi Rahna, Sannata Bhang, Vishwa Bazaar Ka Oont among others.
Noted theatre team, PATH, presented two plays: Kahani Shivpalganj Ki and another presentation by dramatist Jainandan in his honour. (w/gsd)
