SHUBHANGI SHIFA
Ranchi, Jan 27: Saraswati Gonjhu, wife of eminent educationist and litterateur Dr. Girdhari Ram Gonjhu ‘Giriraj’, on Thursday said, “We are very happy and proud that he has been given the Padma Shri award. Had he been here, we would have rejoiced more. However, this award shows his work. It is because of the work done by him and his dedication to it that he has been honoured in such a manner.”
She further added, ‘Had he been here, he would say that the youth are the pillars of society and it is their responsibility to carry forward this flame that he lit, in the form of his love and dedication for the regional languages.’
She was talking to Lagatar English after Dr Gonjhu was awarded with Padma Shri posthumously for his work in the field of Nagpuri. The central government on Tuesday last announced the names of Padma awardees for this year.
Dr. Gonjhu has been honoured with many other awards including Jharkhand Ratna. He was one of the prominent composers of Jharkhand. He would distinctly work in Hindi and Nagpuri languages. His creations would showcase the day-to-day lives and times of Jharkhand and its residents.
Dr Gonjhu had passed away on April 15, 2021 amid lack of a hospital bed and oxygen. Notably, he was having trouble breathing, upon which his children took him to hospitals for admission.
Even after visiting not one but nine hospitals in Ranchi, he was not admitted and died due to a low oxygen level. The then Governor Draupadi Murmu had expressed anguish over the negligence of the hospital management at the time.
Dr Gonjhu’s daughter-in-law said, “He would give importance to his mother tongue. He would talk to all in Nagpuri. Such was his love for Nagpuri.”
Padma Shri Mukund Nayak and a close friend of Dr. Gonjhu said, “The Central Government has honoured the pride of the state by giving Padma Shri to such a strong pillar of Jharkhand’s culture. This award is a big achievement for all the people of Jharkhand. Dr. Gonjhu played the role as a big thinker during the Jharkhand movement. He did a lot of research on regional culture and language.”
Born on December 5, 1949 in Belvadag village of Khunti, Dr Gonjhu after initial education in Khunti studied MA, BEd, LLB and PhD. He started his teaching career at Paramveer Albert Ekka Memorial College, Chainpur, and Gumla in 1975 and was a part of the faculty there till 1978.
After this, he taught at several colleges including Gossner College, Ranchi College Ranchi and Ranchi University Post Graduate Tribal and Regional Language, Department of Ranchi from where he retired as chairman in December 2011.
Dr. Gonjhu was an accomplished writer. He published more than 25 books. Apart from this, he also wrote several plays and poems in Nagpuri.
His published works have been published in several magazines including Kori Bhair Pazhra, Nagpuri Gad Tairangan, Khukdi-Rugda. The ‘Akhara Nidaya Gaelak’ drama composition was based on the problem of migration of Jharkhand.
