TELUGU
Progressive writer
SAROJINI PREMCHAND
PREMCHAND JEEVITHAM: Sivaranidevi in Hindi; Vasireddy Sithadevi — Tr. in Telugu; Visalandhra Publishing House,
4-1-435, Bank Street, Hyderabad-500001. Rs. 30.
HARBINGER OF a new and progressive era in Indian literature, Premchand wholly dedicated his writing to bring about a change in society, especially in the wretched lives of the poor and oppressed.
He was named Dhanpatrai and also Nawabrai when he was born [1880] in a village near Kasi but had to adopt a pen-name as he was in government service.
The present book is not a biography in the conventional sense but a sheaf of reminiscences penned by his wife Sivaranidevi. Nevertheless, readers get glimpses of his fun-loving nature, his affectionate relationship with family members and his kindness and supportive attitude towards those around him.
As a young boy he learned Urdu from a maulvi and he wrote only in Urdu till he heard Gandhiji advocating Hindustani as the lingua franca of the nation. Fragile health, lack of even basic comforts did not deter him from creating a prodigious number of novels, short stories and literary essays.
Sivaranidevi narrates the incidents in their lives year wise. At places she dawdles at length on her feelings and emotions. This Telugu translation has a long poem of tribute to Premchand by Bezwada Gopalareddy as a preamble.
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