Namvar Singh
{{Short description|Indian literary critic, linguist and academic (1927–2019)}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = Namvar Singh
| image = bharat-s-tiwari-photography-IMG 2504 June 06, 2015.jpg
| caption = Namvar Singh speaking at the launch of 'Aalochana' vol 53-54 (published by Rajkamal Prakashan), at Rabindra Bhawan, Sahitya Akademi{{Cite web|url=https://aajtak.intoday.in/story/rajkamal-prakashan-bhartiya-jantantra-ka-jayja-discussion-sahitya-akademy-1-815739.html|title = एक परिचर्चाः भारतीय जनतंत्र का जायजा| date=4 June 2015 }}
| native_name = Namvar Singh
| native_name_lang =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1926|07|28}}
| birth_place = Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, British India
| death_date = {{death date and age|2019|02|19|1926|07|28|df=y}}
| death_place = Delhi, India
| language = Hindi
| alma_mater = Banaras Hindu University
| notableworks = Kavita Ke Naye Pratiman, Chhayavaad , Dusari Parampara Ki Khoj
| occupation = Writer, critic
| awards = 1971: Sahitya Akademi Award
1991: Shalaka Samman, Sahitya Bhushan Samman, Kuvempu Rashtreeya Puraskar
| relatives = Kashinath Singh (brother)
| nationality = Indian
}}
Namvar Singh (28 July 1926 – 19 February 2019) was an Indian literary critic, linguist, academician and theoretician.{{Cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Hindi-author-Namwar-Singh-bucks-the-trend-questions-writers-returning-Sahitya-Akademi-awards/articleshow/49429237.cms|title=Hindi author Namwar Singh bucks the trend|website=The Times of India }}{{Cite web|url=http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/politics/namvar-singh-what-will-marx-think|title=Namvar Singh: What Will Marx Think?|website=Open|date=4 August 2016 }} He received his doctorate degree from Banaras Hindu University where he also taught for some time. He served as a professor of Hindi literature in several other universities. He was the founder and first chairman of Jawaharlal Nehru University's Centre of Indian Languages and continued to remain as a professor emeritus after his retirement in 1992.
Early life
Singh was born on 28 July 1926 in Jiyanpur village in Varanasi (now under Chandauli) District of Uttar Pradesh, India. He received his early education there. He then moved to Varanasi to pursue his further studies and did his matriculation and higher secondary education at Udai Pratap Autonomous College, Varanasi. He enrolled in Banaras Hindu University (BHU) for higher studies, where he completed his bachelor's in 1949 and master's with gold medal in 1951. He got the Ph.D. under the supervision of Hazari Prasad Dwivedi.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rajkamalprakashan.com/default/jmproducts/filter/index/?author=112|title=Authors of Rajkamal Prakashan Group | Namvar Singh|website=www.rajkamalprakashan.com}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4kDLPwWxO48C&q=namvar+singh&pg=PA435|title=Namvar Singh: Aalochna Ke Dusre Arampara|first1=Namwar|last1=Singh|first2=Kamalā|last2=Prasāda|first3=Rājendra|last3=Śarmā|date=20 February 2002|publisher=Vāṇī Prakāśana|isbn=978-81-7055-145-4|via=Google Books}} His younger brother Kashinath Singh is also a writer.
Career
After completing his Ph.D., Singh started teaching at Banaras Hindu University. For a brief period he also taught at Sagar University. His association with the two universities ended due to his communist activities.{{Cite web|url=https://thewire.in/books/namwar-singh-and-the-perils-of-inconsistency|title=From Red to Saffron, the Literary Journey of Namvar Singh|website=The Wire}} He later became a professor of Hindi at Jodhpur University.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/anything-but-epic/article7309931.ece|title=Anything but epic|first=Kuldeep|last=Kumar|newspaper=The Hindu|date=12 June 2015|via=www.thehindu.com}} At Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), he created a new pattern of teaching and prepared the curriculum. He was the founder and first chairman of JNU's Centre of Indian Languages.{{cite web |title=नामवर सिंह संकलित निबंध – नामवर सिंह Namvar Singh Sankalit Nibandh – Hindi book by – Namvar Singh |url=https://pustak.org/index.php/books/bookdetails/7830 |website=pustak.org |access-date=20 February 2019}} He retired from JNU in the year 1992. After his retirement, he served as a professor emeritus at the Center of Indian Languages at JNU.{{cite news |title=मशहूर आलोचक डॉ नामवर सिंह को दी गई साहित्य अकादमी की महत्तर सदस्यता |url=https://khabar.ndtv.com/news/literature/litterateur-namvar-singh-honoured-by-sahitya-akademi-1674266 |access-date=20 February 2019 |work=NDTVIndia}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/prof-namvar-singh-to-be-conferred-kuvempu-rashtreeya-puraskar-114092200722_1.html|title=Prof. Namvar Singh to be conferred Kuvempu Rashtreeya Puraskar|newspaper=Business Standard India|date=22 September 2014|via=Business Standard}}{{cite web|url=http://www.jnu.ac.in/Administration/ProfessorEmeritus.asp|title=Professors Emeritus/Emerita, JNU|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151115201938/http://www.jnu.ac.in/Administration/ProfessorEmeritus.asp|archive-date=15 November 2015|df=dmy-all}}
In 1959, Singh unsuccessfully contested the general election as a Communist Party of India (CPI) candidate from the Chandauli constituency in Uttar Pradesh. He polled over 18,000 votes, finishing a distant third. 5b
Apart from his academic engagement, Singh worked as the editor of a weekly news magazine Janyuga, and Alochana, a Hindi magazine for literary criticism.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vjsHCwAAQBAJ&q=Namvar+singh+award&pg=PT322|title=Today's Pasts: A Memoir|first=Bhisham|last=Sahni|date=10 November 2015|publisher=Penguin UK|isbn=978-93-85890-19-2|via=Google Books}} Following his retirement from JNU he was appointed the Chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya, Wardha.{{Cite web|url=https://www.oneindia.com/2006/06/26/namwar-singh-appointed-chancellor-of-international-hindi-university-1151328010.html|title=Namwar Singh appointed Chancellor of International Hindi University|date=26 June 2006|website= Oneindia }} He also worked as the chairman of the Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IBB8drHUz7YC&q=Namvar+singh+RRMRLF&pg=PR10|title=National Policy on Library and Information Systems and Services for India: Perspectives and Projections|first=Brahmanda Pratap|last=Barua|date=20 February 1992|publisher=Popular Prakashan|isbn=978-81-7154-730-2|via=Google Books}} Singh also served as the chairman of the selection board for the Jnanpith Award.{{Cite web|url=http://www.jnanpith.net/awards/jnanpith-award|title=JNANPITH AWARD, Present Selection Board}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/books/books-authors/marathi-novelist-bhalchandra-nemade-chosen-for-jnanpith-award/article6865738.ece|title=Marathi novelist Bhalchandra Nemade chosen for Jnanpith award|first=Satish|last=Nandgaonkar|newspaper=The Hindu|date=6 February 2015|via=www.thehindu.com}}
Namvar Singh died on 19 February 2019 in Delhi at the age of 92.{{cite news |title=Acclaimed Hindi Author Namvar Singh Dies At 92 |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/acclaimed-hindi-author-namvar-singh-dies-at-92-1996217 |access-date=20 February 2019 |work=NDTV.com |date=20 February 2019}}
Selected works
Singh has authored more than a dozen books.{{Cite web|url=https://www.forwardpress.in/2016/06/namvars-kabir/|title=Namvar's Kabir|first=Kamlesh Verma कमलेश|last=वर्मा|date=15 June 2016|website=Forward Press}}{{cite web|url=http://www.newsbharati.com/Encyc/2016/7/28/Namvar-Singh-Contribution-Hindi-Literature|title=Namvar Singh gets felicitated}}{{Cite web|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=147932|title=Shri Rajnath Singh Felicitates Prof. Namvar Singh at 'First Cultural Dialogue Series' of IGNCA|website=pib.nic.in}} Some of his works are:{{Cite web|url=https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7107006.Namvar_Singh|title=Namvar Singh|website=www.goodreads.com}}
- Kavita Ke Naye Pratiman {{ISBN|978-8-1267-0744-7}}
- Chhayavaad {{ISBN|978-8-1267-0736-2}}
- Dusari Parampara Ki khoj {{ISBN|978-8-1267-1591-6}}
- Itihaas Aur Alochana {{ISBN|978-8-1267-0510-8}}
Awards and recognition
- Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award (1971) for his work Kavita Ke Naye Pratiman.{{Cite web|url=http://sahitya-akademi.gov.in/sahitya-akademi/awards/akademi%20samman_suchi.jsp|title=Akademi Award (1955–2016)|access-date=28 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304084937/http://sahitya-akademi.gov.in/sahitya-akademi/awards/akademi%20samman_suchi.jsp|archive-date=4 March 2016}}
- Shalaka Samman by Hindi Academy, Delhi{{Cite web|url=http://bharatdiscovery.org/india/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE_%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8|title=शलाका सम्मान - Bharatkosh|website=bharatdiscovery.org}}
- Sahitya Bhushan Samman by Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sansthan{{Cite web|url=http://www.prabhatkhabar.com/news/vishesh-aalekh/story/835855.html|title=90 के नामवर: साहित्यिक योगी का जीवन जीते रहे हैं नामवर सिंह|date=28 July 2016 }}
- Kuvempu Rashtriya Puraskar by Rashtrakavi Kuvempu Prathisthana
- Bharat Bharati Samman
- D.Litt. by University of Hyderabad
References
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{{Sahitya Akademi Award For Hindi}}
dr namvar singh founder of narayani sahitya academy
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Category:Writers from Varanasi
Category:Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Hindi