Ramesh Chandra Jha(8 May 1928 – 7 April 1994) was an Indian

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living wage, living writing novels and other fiction, while other ...

and

freedom fighter A freedom fighter is a person engaged in a struggle to achieve political freedom, particularly against an established government. The term is typically reserved for those who are actively involved in armed or otherwise violent rebellion. Termi ...

. Son of a senior

Gandhian The followers of Mahatma Gandhi,one of the prominent figure of the Indian independence movement, are called Gandhians. Gandhi's legacy includes a wide range of ideas ranging from his dream of ideal India (or ''Rama Rajya)'', economics, environ ...

and freedom fighter Lakshmi Narayan Jha, who also contributed in

Indian Freedom Struggle The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events in South Asia with the ultimate aim of ending British Raj, British colonial rule. It lasted until 1947, when the Indian Independence Act 1947 was passed. The first nationalistic ...

from

Bihar Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...

. His maternal grandson

Sanjeev K Jha Sanjeev K Jha (born 1988) is an Indian screenwriter based in Mumbai. In the 68th National Film Awards Sanjeev's feature film Sumi (film), Sumi bag national awards in two categories, National Film Award for Best Children's Film and National Film ...

is a well-known

screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

who is working in

Indian film industry The cinema of India, consisting of Film, motion pictures made by the Indian film industry, has had a large effect on world cinema since the second half of the 20th century. Indian cinema is made up of various #Cinema by language, film indus ...

. Ramesh Chandra Jha's poems,

ghazal ''Ghazal'' is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry that often deals with topics of spiritual and romantic love. It may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss, or separation from the beloved, and t ...

s and stories evoke

patriotism Patriotism is the feeling of love, devotion, and a sense of attachment to one's country or state. This attachment can be a combination of different feelings for things such as the language of one's homeland, and its ethnic, cultural, politic ...

and human values. Romanticism and struggle of life are also important aspects of his writing. His poetry expresses concerns of people's life struggle, their dreams and hopes. His research based books including ''Champaran Ki Sahitya Sadhana'' (चम्पारन की साहित्य साधना) (1958), ''Champaran: Literature & Literary Writers'' (चम्पारन: साहित्य और साहित्यकार) (1967) and ''Apne Aur Sapne: A Literary Journey Of Champaran'' (अपने और सपने: चम्पारन की साहित्य यात्रा) (1988) meticulously document the rich literary heritage and history of

Champaran Champaran is a region in Bihar, India. It is now divided into two districts: East Champaran and West Champaran. History Champaran is identified with the ''Champāraṇya'' mentioned in the Bheraghat inscription as a place "devastated" b ...

. These seminal books continue to serve as foundational reference points for researchers, scholars, Ph.D. students, and journalists alike. Jha's exploration and preservation of Champaran's historical and literary legacy have solidified his place as a cornerstone in the field of literary research.

Life history

Ramesh Chandra Jha was born on 8 May 1928 in Fulwariya village of

Sugauli Sugauli is a city and a notified area in East Champaran district in the Indian state of Bihar. Best known for Treaty of Sagauli, 1816 between the British and Gurkhas and role played in the Satyagraha Movement of Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas ...

East Champaran district East Champaran or Purvi Champaran is an administrative district in the Tirhut division of the state of Bihar in India. The district headquarter is located at Motihari. Prior to 1971, there was a single Champaran District. On 1 December 1971, it ...

, known as

Motihari Motihari is a city and headquarters of East Champaran district in the Indian state of Bihar. It is located 80 kilometres west of Muzaffarpur and 152 kilometres northwest of the state capital Patna. In early days the land of Motihari was ruled b ...

. His father, Laxmi Narayan Jha, was a patriot and freedom fighter who fought against

British rule The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or dire ...

and was arrested many times, including on 15 April 1917 when

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalism, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethics, political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful Indian ...

visited Champaran for his Satyagrah movement. That incident inspired his son to become rebellious and he was convicted of robbery at the age of 14. Ramesh Jha created various chaos inside of the jail and become problematic for British officers.

Life as Freedom Fighter

Ramesh Chandra Jha went to jail many times during British rule because of his involvement in the Quit India Movement. At that time, he was a student of Hazarimal High School,

Raxaul Raxaul is a sub-divisional town in the East Champaran district of the Indian state of Bihar. It is situated at the India-Nepal border with Birgunj city (Nepal). Raxaul is a major railway junction. The other part of Raxaul is Mehsi where litchi ...

. He was entrapped into several cases of the robbery at police stations during freedom struggle. In his school days he led student protest and was later thrown out from the school. S. R. Bakshi and Ritu Chaturvedi in his research based book have said that Renowned

litterateur An intellectual is a person who engages in critical thinking, research, and reflection about the nature of reality, especially the nature of society and proposed solutions for its normative problems. Coming from the world of culture, either ...

Kanhiyalal Prabhakar Mishra writes about Ramesh Chandra Jha in the preface to a book, "The history of Ramesh Chandra Jha and his family is like laughing aloud in the face of ruin during the freedom struggle. He is among those who themselves put handcuffs to break the shackles of slavery. He also enjoyed the life of a dreaded absconder and is among those who did not get freedom but earned it." While serving his jail term, he was drawn to reading Indian and world literature. After coming out of prison, he became a poet and author instead of joining any political party.

Works and literature

Ramesh Chandra Jha excelled across various literary genres and forms. While his body of work is diverse, it predominantly reflects themes of patriotism, Chhayavad (Romanticism or Shadowism), and historical or period narratives. His poignant and evocative verses, particularly his poems and ghazals, resonate deeply with themes of the indomitable human spirit, love, peace, resilience, and pressing social issues. Jha's literary contributions stand as a testament to his profound understanding of human emotions and his unwavering commitment to societal betterment. The eminent poet and freedom fighter

Rambriksh Benipuri Ramavriksha Benipuri (, 23 December 1899 – 9 September 1968) was an independence activist, socialist leader, editor and Hindi writer. He was born in a small village named Benipur in Muzaffarpur district in a Bhumihar family in the Indian sta ...

, who were very close the Ramesh Jha once wrote:

Honours and awards

* 15 August 1972, on the 25th anniversary of Indian independence,

Indira Gandhi Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (Given name, ''née'' Nehru; 19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was an Indian politician and stateswoman who served as the Prime Minister of India, prime minister of India from 1966 to 1977 and again from 1980 un ...

awarded him with Tamra Patra for his participation in the Indian freedom struggle. * Awarded by Dr Uday Narayan Tiwari Award on 2 October 1993 at the National Bhojpuri Language Summit in

Raniganj Raniganj is a neighbourhood in Asansol of Paschim Bardhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is governed by Asansol Municipal Corporation. Geography Location Raniganj is located at . It has an average elevation of 91 me ...

West Bengal West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...

. * Ramesh Chandra Jha’s Bhojpuri poem has been included in the textbook of Bhojpuri by the Bihar government.

Ramesh Chandra Jha Memorial Award

2nd Ramesh Chandra Jha Smriti Samman to Laxmi Shankar Bajpai

On 04-5 March 2016 on the occasion of completing 200 years of

Treaty of Sugauli The Treaty of Sugauli (also spelled Sugowlee, Sagauli and Segqulee), the treaty that established the boundary line of Nepal, was signed on 4 March 1816 between the East India Company and Guru Gajraj Mishra following the Anglo-Nepalese War of ...

BHOR Organization had conducted Sugauli Sandhi Samaroh 2016. In this festival an important historical book about Sugauli and its past, ''Swadheenta Samar Mein Sugauli'', had been launched and the ''Ramesh Chandra Jha Smriti Samman'' for writer and journalist had been awarded. On 4 March 2016 the journalist Arvind Mohan, ex-DGP (

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...

) and the former Vice-Chancellor of

Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya is a central university located in Wardha, Maharashtra, India. History The university began through an Act of Parliament which received the assent of the President on 8 January 1997. The ...

, Vibhuti Narain Rai, along with many other special guests, launched Ramesh Chandra Jha's historical book titled ''Swadheenta Samar Mein Sugauli''. Bhor Charitable Trust conducted 2nd Bhor Literature Festival 2017 on the occasion of 100 Years of famous Gandhi's Champaran Satyagrah. This event was held at historical Phulwaria village (Birth Place of Ramesh Chandra Jha) of Champaran on 15–16 April 2017, during the festival 2nd Ramesh Chandra Jha Smriti Samman was given to Laxmi Shankar Bajpai. Bhor has Started ''Guruvar Dinesh Chandra Jha'' Bhor Rural olympiad. BRO for rural school children. In the year 2017 it has given to 12 students of Champaran region. ''Guruvar Dinesh Chandra Jha'' was the renowned teacher and younger brother of Ramesh Chandra Jha.

Major literary works

Poetry Collection (काव्य-संग्रह) *Murlika, (मुरलिका) *Priyamvada (प्रियंवदा-खण्ड काव्य), *Swagatika, (स्वगातिका) *Megh-geet, (मेघ-गीत) *Aag-phool, (आग-फूल) *Bharat Desh Humara, (भारत देश हमारा) *Jawaan Jagte Raho, (जवान जागते रहो) *Marichika, (मरीचिका) *Jai Bharat Jai Gandhi, (जय भारत जय गांधी) *Jai Bolo Hindustan Ki, (जय बोलो हिन्दुस्तान की) *Priyadarshni (प्रियदर्शनी-श्रद्धा काव्य) *Deep Jalta Raha, (दीप चलता रहा) *Challo-Dilli, (चलो-दिल्ली) *Neel Ke Daag (नील के दाग) Historical Novel (ऐतिहासिक उपन्यास) *Durg Ka Ghera (दुर्ग का घेरा) ��्र० व०- 1958,सुभाष पुस्तक मंडल, बनारस*Majaar Ka Diya, (मजार का दीया) ��्र० व०- 1962, चौधरी एंड संस, बनारस*Mitti Bol Uthi (मिट्टी बोल उठी) ��्र० व०- 1962, चौधरी एंड संस, बनारस*Rao-Hammir, (राव हम्मीर) ��्र० व०- 1963, सुभाष पुस्तक मंडल, बनारस*Vatsraj, *Kunvar Singh, (कुंवर सिंह) *Kaling Ka Lahu (कलिंग का लहू) Patriotic Work (राष्ट्रीय साहित्य) *Yah Desh Hai Veer Jawanon Ka (Poetry Collection) (यह देश है वीर जवानों का) *Swadheenta Samar Mein:Sugauli (Prose) (स्वाधीनता समर में:सुगौली) Social-Political Novel (सामाजिक-राजनीतिक उपन्यास) *Dharti Ki Dhool (धरती की धुल) *Jeevan-Daan (जीवन-दान) ��्र० व०- 1955, चौधरी एंड संस, कलकत्ता*Roop Ki Rakh (रूप की राख) *Paas Ki Duri (पास की दूरी) *Meera Nachi Re (मीरा नाची रे) *Kaante Aur Kaliyan (काँटे और कलियाँ) ��ुभाष पुस्तक मंडल, बनारस Children's Literature (बाल साहित्य) *Sone Ka Kangan (सोने का कंगन) *Chanda Ka Doot (चंदा का दूत) *Bandar Lala (बन्दर लाला) *Kehte Chalo Sunte Chalo (कहते चलो सुनते चलो) *Inse Sikho Inse Jano (इनसे सीखो इनसे जानो) *Kavita Bhari Kahaani (कविता भरी कहानी) *Naya Desh Nai Kahani (नया देश नई कहानी) *Gata Chal Bajata Chal (गाता चल बजाता चल) *Kaisi Rahi Kahaani (कैसी रही कहानी) *Aao Suno Kahaani (आओ सुनो कहानी) *Ek Samay Ki Baat(Novel) (एक समय की बात) *Aage Kadam Badhao (आगे कदम बढाओ) *Bachho Suno Kahaani (बच्चो सुनो कहानी) *Aao Padhte Jao (आओ पढ़ते जाओ) Autobiographical Novel (आत्मकथात्मक उपन्यास) *Vidyapati (विद्यापति) *Bharat Putri (भारत-पुत्री) Research Work (शोध कार्य) *Champaran Ki Sahitya Sadhana (चम्पारन की साहित्य साधना) (1958) *Apne Aur Sapne:A Literary Journey Of Champaran (अपने और सपने: चम्पारन की साहित्य यात्रा) (1988) *Champaran:Literature & Literary Writers (चम्पारन: साहित्य और साहित्यकार) (1967) Bhojpuri Novel (भोजपुरी उपन्यास) *Surma Sagun Bichare Na (भोजपुरी का पहला धारावाहिक उपन्यास)

References

External links

आउटलुक : हिंदी कवियों की नजर में रमेश चंद्र झा

आउटलुक : चंपारण के इतिहास में रमेशचंद्र झा का हिस्सा

ALL INDIA RADIO OFFICIAL

उन्नीस सौ बयालीस का बाग़ी : Short DocumentaryRamesh Chandra Jha Bhojpuri Ghazal on Kavita Kosh

Ministry of Information & Broadcasting : 'Saga Of Freedom Struggle: Remembering Freedom Fighter Ramesh Chandra Jha'

Apne Aur Sapne : A Literery Journey Of Champaran
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jha, Ramesh Chandra 1928 births 1994 deaths Indian male poets Poets from Bihar Writers from Bihar 20th-century Indian poets Bhojpuri-language writers Hindi-language writers Hindi-language poets Indian independence activists from Bihar 20th-century Indian novelists Hindi-language novelists Novelists from Bihar People from East Champaran district 20th-century Indian male writers