Lucknow: A grand literary conference and felicitation ceremony was organised at the Hindi Sansthan auditorium under the joint aegis of Ekagrata International Foundation and Srikant Verma Trust to commemorate the death anniversary of eminent Hindi poet, writer, journalist, and politician Srikant Verma.
The event witnessed the participation of noted litterateurs, scholars, social thinkers, and distinguished citizens who gathered to pay tribute to one of Hindi literature’s most influential modern voices.
Chief guest Danish Azad Ansari described Srikant Verma as a leading figure of the Nayi Kavita movement in Hindi literature. He said Verma’s writings brilliantly blended historical myths with modern realities to expose the complexities of power, ambition, and contemporary politics.
State Information Commissioner Dilip Agnihotri noted that Verma’s poetry fearlessly highlighted the cruelty and ambition embedded within political systems. He remarked that Verma gave a powerful voice to poverty, deprivation, and human struggle through simple yet deeply meaningful language.
RSS Dharma Jagran head Abhay Ji reflected on the struggles Verma faced throughout his life despite achieving success in both literature and politics. Quoting from Verma’s final diary entries written during his illness in the United States, he said the writer’s deep desire to live reflected his emotional strength and human sensitivity.
Director of Ekagrata International Foundation Shakti Kumar Pandey spoke about Verma’s transition from journalism to active politics and his close association with former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, which eventually led to his appointment as Congress General Secretary.
National Coordinator Himanshu Pandey highlighted Verma’s literary journey from Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, where he was born in 1931, to becoming one of Hindi literature’s most respected poets, critics, and storytellers.
Swabhiman Manch national president Gargi Tiwari described Verma as one of the rare literary figures who successfully bridged the worlds of literature and politics. She recalled his acclaimed works including Mayadarpan, Jalsaghar, and Magadh, the latter earning him the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award.
Social worker Murlidhar Ahuja shed light on the economic struggles Verma endured in his early years despite belonging to a well-off family. He noted that Verma worked as a school teacher to support his household before establishing himself in literature.
Khadi Minister Rakesh Kumar Sachan recalled Verma’s association with legendary poet Gajanan Madhav Muktibodh, whose inspiration led him into literary editing and journalism through magazines such as Nayi Disha and Kriti.
Several eminent literary personalities were honoured during the ceremony for their contribution to literature and culture. Among those felicitated were Vidya Bindu Singh, Dr. Ramkathin Singh, Dr. D.S. Shukla, Dr. Surya Prasad Dixit, Dr. Amita Dubey, Naveen Shukla, Dr. Shobha Dixit ‘Bhavana’, Surya Kumar Pandey, Lokesh Tripathi, Manorama Lal, Dr. Mithilesh Dixit, Dr. Rashmi Sheel, Kamlesh Maurya ‘Mridul’, Surendra Agnihotri, Sanjeev Jaiswal ‘Sanjay’, Ashok Jain, Neeraj Arora, poet Kavita Tiwari, Dr. Jyotsna Singh, Vedvrat Bajpai, Manuvrat Bajpai, Vijay Tripathi, and Dr. Manju Shukla.
