Kailash Vajpeyi Biography
He began his career as a journalist and subsequently started teaching at Delhi University. In the ‘60s when Hindi poetry was trying to challenge itself and the establishment.
Dr. Vajpeyi moved to Mexico and later, Dallas in the US. When the family returned to India in the ‘80s, Ananya said his focus had shifted. “His poetry till ‘70s was all political. A number of his poems were banned. Poems like ‘Sankranta’, ‘Dehant se Hatkar (Away from Death)’, ‘Teesra Andhera (Third Darkness)’ created quite a stir.
One poem, famously called ‘Rajdhani’, was critical of Nehru. Another banned poem, ‘Ek Naya Rashtrageet (A new national anthem)’ was extremely political and openly adversarial,”
When he returned to India, his poetry took a very different turn. He started taking a keen interest in mysticism and spirituality. According to writer Prabhat Ranjan, who teaches Hindi at Zakir Hussain College, the crux of Vajpeyi’s poetry was spirituality that distanced itself from religion. “His poetry reflected his belief that life is meaningless. For example, he wrote: Aisa kuch bhi nahi zindagi mein, ke har jaane wali arthi par roya jaaye (There is nothing in life that needs to be mourned for when gone),” Ranjan told The Indian Express. Vajpeyi is also one of the few Hindi poets who were bilingual and he is often credited with bringing Hindi poetry to international platforms, Ranjan concluded.
Published: N/A
Updated: April 05, 2015