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| The Enduring Legacy of Yashwant Mehta’s Gujarati Literature | | | Vinod Chandrashekhar Dixit
It is rightly said that “Literature gives order to human experience as it explores cultural values. One such well-known Gujarati author Yashwant Mehta has contributed immensely to Gujarati children’s literature. He has ploughed in all forms of children’s literature. That ploughing has been such a ploughing that the crop has grown well and its fruits have reached crores of children of Gujarat. No literary institution of Gujarat took children’s literature seriously, so Yashwant Mehta along with his friends has established the Children’s Literature Academy on 30th April, 1994. This Children’s Literature Academy is doing very beautiful, effective, exemplary and purposeful work. Any institution can be run with the money of the government or society, but doing continuous and valuable work for more than 25 years in a neglected field like children’s literature is no small matter.
This renowned novelist and children’s writer was the first Gujarati author to receive the Children’s Literature Award from Delhi Sahitya Akademi. Being the first Gujarati author to receive the Children’s Literature Award from Delhi Sahitya Akademi is a remarkable honour, highlighting his pioneering work in Gujarati children’s literature and his national recognition.
Author of more than 500 books, a warrior who did remarkable work as a soloist in addition to writing in children’s literature, a writer who consistently wrote with social relevance, a beloved teacher of many journalism students, a scholar with vast knowledge in many subjects, a simple and straightforward man. After winning the state award for his first book in 1964, he has received the maximum five state awards, three awards from the Sahitya Parishad, as well as special service awards from institutions such as Sanskar Parivar, Premanand Sahitya Sabha, Rupayatan-Amreli, National Council of Child Education, Gujarat Newspaper Association, Gujarat Journalists Association, etc. He is perhaps the only Gujarati writer to have received three national awards from the National Council for Education Research and Training (NCERT) for Education and Literature. His achievement of receiving three national awards from NCERT for Education and Literature is a testament to his outstanding contributions to Gujarati literature, particularly in the realm of children’s literature and education.
Yashwant Dada has the preparation and experience of children’s literature. He held the post of editor of ‘Jagmag’ weekly from 1963 to 1974, and since August 1999, he has been running the ‘Sahaj Balanand’ magazine alone.
The work that Yashwant Dada has done in the field of children’s literature in Gujarati language is unparalleled. If he had relaxed his values and principles a little, he would have received many awards including Ranjit Ram for his work in various fields, he would have also received Padma Shri and especially he would have been able to easily reach the presidency of top institutions, there is a lot of merit in that. He always says that facilitating a welcoming and rewarding culture to writers is necessary and plays an important role in developing the nation through cultivating a habit of reading.
Yashwant Dada’s legacy as a Gujarati writer and his contributions to children’s literature serve as a great inspiration to many. His dedication to his craft and his ability to connect with young readers have made a lasting impact. He is indeed an inspiration to aspiring writers, educators, and anyone passionate about literature. His humility and simplicity are admirable traits that likely endeared him to many. Despite his numerous achievements and contributions to Gujarati literature, he remained grounded and unassuming, making him a relatable and endearing figure to readers and fellow writers alike. |
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