'Agyeya' belonged to an era where it was possible to be a master of many crafts: Vice President Ans

Kolkata, Feb 22 (ANI): Vice President M. Hamid Ansari said here on Wednesday that Sachidanand Vatsyayan 'Agyeya' belonged to an era where it was possible to be a master of many crafts.

While addressing the gathering at the birth centenary celebrations of Sachidananda Hiranand Vatsyayan 'Agyeya', Ansari said: "As a towering literary personality, he initiated new and experimental trends in almost all genres of literary writings, including poetry, short stories, criticism, novels, travelogues, essays and drama."

Ansari further said Agyeya took up the cause of the poor and the oppressed and was a patriot and a revolutionary freedom fighter on whom Chandrashekhar Azad left a deep impression.

Lauding the achievements of the versatile poet, Ansari said Vatsyayanji struggled to make Hindi a vibrant, volatile, alive and growing language - not a "standard, well regulated and universally accessible form" of Hindi which he felt would only be good for official notifications and regulations.

Sachchidananda Hirananda Vatsyayana 'Agyeya' was born on March 7, 1911 in Kushinagar village of Uttar Pradesh's Deoria District and was popularly known by his pen-name Agyeya (the unknowable).

He was one of the most prominent exponents of the Nayi Kavita (New Poetry) and Prayog (Experiments) in Modern Hindi literature, edited the 'Saptaks', a literary series, and started Hindi newsweekly, Dinaman.

Agyeya also translated some of his own works, as well as works of some other Indian authors to English. A few books of world literature he translated into Hindi also.

He was a polyglot, well versed in Hindi, English, Sanskrit and Persian and also had a stint in Indian Army. He took part in social movements for the benefit of the downtrodden. His interest also extended into academia, especially the teaching of Hindi. (ANI)