Ajay Kumar at 18:51, 28 August 2023

2023-08-28T18:51:27Z

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{{Short description|Punjabi writer and journalist}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = Des Raj Kali
| image = Des Raj Kali, Punjabi language writer.jpg
| caption = Des Raj Kali
| birth_date = 1971
| birth_place = Mithapur, [[Jalandhar district]], [[Punjab, India|Punjab]], India
| death_date = {{death date and given age|2023|8|27|52|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Chandigarh]], India
| occupation = writer, journalist
}}

'''Des Raj Kali''' (1971 – 27 August 2023) was a Punjabi writer and journalist. He is known for celebrating his Dalit identity through his works.

== Early life ==
He was born in Mithapur village in Jalandhar district. His father Niranjan Das worked at moulding factory.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=20 June 2016 |title=Dalit writings are victims of state’s intellectual mafia: Des Raj Kali |work=[[The Tribune]] |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/jalandhar/dalit-writings-are-victims-of-states-intellectual-mafia-des-raj-kali-254319}}</ref> As a child, he was influenced by the Indian epics of [[Mahabharata]] and [[Ramayana]] along with the [[Punjabi Qisse|Punjabi Qissa]] poetry.<ref>{{Cite news |date=19 February 2020 |title=Des Raj Kali throws light on early influences of his life |work=[[The Tribune]] |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/amritsar/des-raj-kali-throws-light-on-early-influences-of-his-life-43839}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

== Literary career ==
His writing career started when his short-story Chanan Di Leek got published in [[Nagmani (magazine)|Nagmani]].<ref name=":0" /> He started getting recognition as a young short-story writer foregrounding the Dalit experience along with [[Bhagwant Rasulpuri]] and [[Jinder (Punjabi writer)|Jinder]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lāla |first=Camana |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q8FjAAAAMAAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&dq=%22Des+Raj+Kali%22&q=%22Des+Raj+Kali%22&hl=en |title=The Punjabi and Dalit Images in Indian Literature: Occasional Essays and Papers |date=1998 |publisher=Anmol Publications |isbn=978-81-7488-917-1 |language=en}}</ref>

In 1996, his first collection of short-stories ''Kath Kali'' was published.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Misrahi-Barak |first=Judith |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Dalit_Text/ah-eDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Des+Raj+Kali%22&printsec=frontcover |title=Dalit Text: Aesthetics and Politics Re-imagined |last2=Satyanarayana |first2=K. |last3=Thiara |first3=Nicole |date=2019-06-18 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-000-00696-4 |language=en}}</ref> His second short-story collection titled ''Fakiri'' was published in 2006. His 2015 short-story collection ''Yahan Chai Achhi Nahi Banti'' is believed to have established him as an experimental writer.<ref name=":2" />

In 2010, he was one of the six Dalit writers to be featured at the [[Jaipur Literature Festival]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-01-21 |title=Des Raj Kali,a Dalit writer,to feature at Jaipur literature fest |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ludhiana/des-raj-kali-a-dalit-writer-to-feature-at-jaipur-literature-fest/ |access-date=2023-08-27 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref> He has also been a part of special sessions in [[Nottingham Trent University]], [[University of Montpellier]], and [[Monash University]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Banerji |first=Aparna |date=27 August 2023 |title=Eminent Punjabi Dalit icon Des Raj Kali passes away |work=[[The Tribune]] |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/eminent-punjabi-dalit-icon-des-raj-kali-passes-away-538840}}</ref>

He was a part of the Punjabi jury for [[Sahitya Akademi]]'s [[Bal Sahitya Puraskar]] award for 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-06-14 |title=22 writers Selected for Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2019 {{!}} The Indian Awaaz |url=https://theindianawaaz.com/22-writers-selected-for-bal-sahitya-puraskar-2019/ |access-date=2023-08-27 |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Press Release - Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2019 |url=https://www.indiaculture.gov.in/sites/default/files/press_release/BSP_Pressrelease_19_14_06_2019.pdf}}</ref> His books have been translated into Hindi, Urdu, English, Bengali, Tamil, Kashmiri, Gujarati and Rajasthani.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Des Raj Kali |url=https://gatewaylitfest.com/des-raj-kali/}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
He was suffering from a liver ailment and died at [[Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research|PGIMER, Chandigarh]] on 27 August 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-27 |title=Punjabi writer and journalist Des Raj Kali passes away |url=https://www.ptcnews.tv/punjab-2/punjabi-writer-and-journalist-des-raj-kali-passes-away-730136 |access-date=2023-08-27 |website=PTC News |language=en}}</ref> He is survived by his wife, and three children.<ref name=":1" />

== Works ==

=== Short-story collections ===

* ''Kath Kali (Stories of Kali) - 1996''
* ''Fakiri'' (''Mendicancy'') - 2006
* ''Yahan Chai Achhi Nahi Banti'' (''Good Tea is Not Served Here) - 2015''

=== Novels ===

* ''Antheen'' (''Eternal'')
* ''Pratham Pauran'' (''First Puran'')
* ''Shanti Parav (''English translation: ''Treatise on Peace)''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Orient BlackSwan |url=https://www.orientblackswan.com/details?id=9789352879281 |access-date=2023-08-27 |website=www.orientblackswan.com}}</ref>
* ''Shehar Vich Sahn Honn da Matlab'' (''What It Means to be a Bull in the Town'')<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-09-17 |title=Desraj Kali - Jaipur Literature Festival |url=https://jaipurliteraturefestival.org/speaker/desraj-kali |access-date=2023-08-27 |website=https://jaipurliteraturefestival.org/ |language=en}}</ref>

== Awards ==

* Shah Chaman Yadgari award (2018)<ref>{{Cite news |date=12 April 2018 |title=Kali gets Shah Chaman Yadgari award |work=[[The Tribune]] |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/ludhiana/kali-gets-shah-chaman-yadgari-award-572665}}</ref>
* Harnam Das Sehrai award (2022)<ref>{{Cite web |title=ਦੇਸ ਰਾਜ ਕਾਲੀ ਨੂੰ ਸਹਿਰਾਈ ਐਵਾਰਡ |url=https://www.punjabijagran.com/punjab/jalandhar-des-raj-kali-honored-with-award-punjabijagran-9067050.html |access-date=2023-08-27 |website=Punjabi Jagran News |language=pa}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kali, Des Raj}}
[[Category:1971 births]]
[[Category:2023 deaths]]
[[Category:Writers from Punjab, India]]
[[Category:Punjabi-language writers]]
[[Category:Journalists from Punjab, India]]

Des Raj Kali - Revision history

Ajay Kumar at 18:51, 28 August 2023