Rrajani at 06:06, 22 October 2025

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{{Short description|Indian literary critic (born 1950)}}
{{BLP sources|date=March 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2016}}
{{Infobox writer 
| name = Ganesh Narayandas Devy
| image = G. N. Devy.jpg
| caption = Devy in 2025
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1950|08|01|df=yes}}
| death_date =
| birth_place = [[Bhor]], [[Pune District]],<br/>[[Bombay State]] (now [[Maharashtra]]), [[India]]
| death_place =
| occupation = Critic, thinker, editor, educator, cultural activist
| nationality = Indian
| period =
| awards = {{plainlist|
* [[Padma Shri]] (2014)
* [[Linguapax Prize]] (2011)
* [[Prince Claus Awards|Prince Claus Award]] (2003)
* [[SAARC Literary Award]] (2001)
* [[List of Sahitya Akademi Award winners for English|Sahitya Akademi Award]] (1993)
}}
| genre = [[Literary Criticism]]
| influences =
| influenced =
| website =
| honorific_prefix = [[Padma Shri]]
}}

'''Ganesh Narayandas Devy''' (born 1 August 1950)<ref>{{cite web |title=Sahitya Akademi : Who's Who of Indian Writers |url=http://sahitya-akademi.gov.in/sahitya-akademi/SASearchSystem/sauser/writerinfo.jsp?wrids=3950 |website=Sahitya Akademi|access-date=24 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208093136/http://sahitya-akademi.gov.in/sahitya-akademi/SASearchSystem/sauser/writerinfo.jsp?wrids=3950 |archive-date=8 December 2015 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all}}</ref> is an Indian cultural activist, literary critic and former professor of English. He is known for the ''[[People's Linguistic Survey of India]]''<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rana |first1=Ratika |title=Settling The Language Debate: Here's How Hindi Is Far From Becoming India's National Language |url=https://thelogicalindian.com/trending/national-language-hindi-35258 |work=thelogicalindian.com |date=28 April 2022 |language=en }}{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and the Adivasi Academy created by him.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://caravanmagazine.in/literature/gn-devy-challenges-concept-knowledge|title=How GN Devy challenges our concept of knowledge|last=Kaushik|first=Martand|date=1 July 2018|website=The Caravan|language=en|url-access=subscription|access-date=2019-12-07}}</ref> He is credited with starting the Bhaashaa research and Publication Centre.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baroda.com/bhasharesearch&publicationcentre.php|title=Baroda NGO - Bhasha Research and Publication Centre|website=www.baroda.com|access-date=2019-04-16}}</ref> He writes in three languages—Marathi, Gujarati and English. His first full-length book in English is ''After Amnesia'' (1992).<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KfVjAAAAMAAJ|title=After Amnesia|date=1992-01-01|isbn=9780863112676|last1=Devy|first1=G. N.|publisher=Orient Longman }}</ref> He has written and edited close to ninety books in areas including Literary Criticism, Anthropology, Education, Linguistics and Philosophy.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Centre Cannot Hold : How G. N. Devy Challenges Our Concept of Knowledge|url=https://vikalpsangam.org/article/the-centre-cannot-hold-how-gn-devy-challenges-our-concept-of-knowledge/|access-date=26 February 2021|website=vikalpsangam.org|date=23 July 2018}}</ref>

==Biography==
G. N. Devy was educated at [[Shivaji University]], [[Kolhapur]] and the [[University of Leeds]], [[UK]]. Among his many academic assignments, he held fellowships at [[Leeds University]] and [[Yale University]] and has been THB Symons Fellow (1991–92) and [[Jawaharlal Nehru Fellow]] (1994–96). He was a Professor of English at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda from 1980 to 96. In 1996, he gave up his academic career in order to initiate work with the Denotified and Nomadic Tribes (DNT) and Adivasis. During this work, he created the Bhasha Research and Publication Centre at Baroda, the Adivasis Academy at Tejgadh, the DNT-Rights Action Group and several other initiatives. Later he initiated the largest-ever survey of languages in history, carried out with the help of nearly 3000 volunteers and published in 50 multilingual volumes. Devy has continued to combine his academic work with his work for the marginalised communities and cultures. After creating the Adivasi Academy, Devy worked as Professor of Humanities at the Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information Technology (2003-2014), Gandhinagar, Honorary Professor at the Centre for Multidisciplinary Development Research, Dharwad( 2015-18), Obaid Siddiqi Chair Professor at the National Centre for Biological Sciences—TIFR, Bangalore (2022-23) and is currently Professor of Eminence and Director, school of Civilisation at the Somaiya Vidyavihar University, Bombay.

== Dakshinayan ==
In response to the growing intolerance and murders of several intellectuals in India, he launched the Dakshinayan (Southward) movement of artists, writers, and intellectuals. In order to lead this movement, he moved to [[Dharwad]] in 2016. The Dakshinayan movement follows the ideas of [[Mahatma Gandhi]] and Dr. [[B. R. Ambedkar|Babasaheb Ambedkar]].

==Awards==
G. N. Devy has received several Lifetime Achievement Awards. He was awarded [[Padma Shri]] on 26 January 2014 in recognition of his work with denotified and [[nomadic tribes]] and endangered languages.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=102735|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222101141/http://www.pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=102735|url-status=dead|archive-date=2014-02-22|title=Print Release|date=2014-02-22|access-date=2018-12-30}}</ref> He was awarded the [[Sahitya Akademi Award]] (1993) for ''After Amnesia'', and the [[SAARC]] Writers’ Foundation Award (2001) for his work with denotified tribals. He was given the reputed [[Prince Claus Awards|Prince Claus Award]] (2003) for his work for the conservation of tribal arts and craft. His Marathi book ''Vanaprasth'' received eight awards including the [[Durga Bhagwat]] Memorial Award and the Maharashtra Foundation Award. Along with [[Laxman Gaikwad]] and [[Mahashweta Devi]], he was one of the founders of The Denotified and Nomadic Tribes Rights Action Group (DNT-RAG). He won the 2011 [[Linguapax Prize]] for his work for the preservation of linguistic diversity.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vadodara/Devy-gets-Linguapax-Award/articleshow/8753590.cms|title=Devy gets Linguapax Award - Times of India|website=The Times of India|date=7 June 2011 |access-date=2018-12-30}}</ref>

==Works==
* ''Critical Thought'' (1987)
* ''After Amnesia'' (1992)<ref>{{cite journal |title=Review: THE CASE FOR NATIVISM |journal=Indian Literature |volume=36 |issue=4 (156) |pages=188–191 |jstor=44295534 |last1=Rayan |first1=Krishna |year=1993 }}</ref>
* ''Of Many Heroes'' (1997)<ref>{{cite journal |title=Reviewed Work: Of Many Heroes : An Indian Essay in Literary Historiography by G.N. Devy |journal=Indian Literature |volume=46 |issue=1 (207) |pages=188–191 |jstor=23344554 |last1=Mund |first1=Subhendu |year=2002 }}</ref>
* ''India Between Tradition and Modernity'' (co-edited, 1997)
* ''In Another Tongue'' (1992)
* ''Indian Literary Criticism: Theory & Interpretation'' (2002).<ref>{{cite journal |title=Reviewed Work: Indian Literary Criticism: Theory and Interpretation by G. N. Devy |journal=World Literature Today |volume=77 |issue=1 |pages=95–96 |jstor=40157830 |last1=Perry |first1=John Oliver |last2=Devy |first2=G. N. |year=2003 |doi=10.2307/40157830 }}</ref>
* ''Painted Words: An Anthology of Tribal Literature'' (editor, 2002).
* ''A Nomad Called Thief'' (2006)<ref>{{cite journal |title=Review: Redeeming the Silence |journal=Economic and Political Weekly |volume=41 |issue=42 |pages=4437–4438 |jstor=4418832 |last1=Heredia |first1=Rudolf C. |year=2006 }}</ref>
* ''Keywords: Truth'' (contributor, date unknown)
* ''Vaanprastha'' (in Marathi, date unknown)
* ''Adivasi Jane Che'' ( ''Tribal People Knows'', in Gujarati, date unknown).
* ''The G. N. Devy Reader'' (2009)<ref>{{Cite book |last=Devy |first=G. N. |title=The G N Devy Reader |publisher=Orient Blackswan |year=2009 |isbn=9788125036937}}</ref>
*''The Being of Bhasha (2014)''
*''Samvad ( in Gujarati, 2016)''
*''The Crisis Within: On Knowledge and Education in India (2017)''<ref>{{Cite book |last=Devy |first=G. N. |title=The Crisis Within: On Knowledge and Education in India |publisher=Aleph Book Company |year=2017 |isbn=9789383064106}}</ref>
*''Trijyaa (in Marathi, 2018)''
*''The question of Silence (2019)''
*''Countering Violence (2019)''
*''Being Adivasi: Existence, Entitlements, Exclusion (co-edited; 2022)'' <ref>{{Cite book |title=Being Adivasi: Existence, Entitlements, Exclusion |publisher=Penguin Random House |year=2022 |isbn=9780670093007}}</ref>
*''Mahabharata: The Epic and the Nation (2022)''<ref>{{Cite book |last=Devy |first=G. N. |title=Mahabharata: The Epic and the Nation |publisher=RUPA |year=2022 |isbn=9789390652907}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Biography|India}}
*[[Indian literature]]
*[[Indian English Literature]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
* {{Official website}}
* {{Gujarati Vishwakosh}}
* {{YouTube|vc76V7rXDqg|Devy talks about life and death of languages on TED}}

{{Sahitya Akademi Award for English}}
{{SAARC Literary Award}}
{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Literature & Education}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Devy, G. N.}}
[[Category:1950 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Dalit activists]]
[[Category:Indian literary critics]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in English]]
[[Category:Writers from Gujarat]]
[[Category:Indian magazine editors]]
[[Category:Academic staff of Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Leeds]]
[[Category:Shivaji University alumni]]
[[Category:English-language Indian writers]]
[[Category:Indian political writers]]
[[Category:Indian folklorists]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:Indian male writers]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in literature and education]]

G. N. Devy - Revision history

Rrajani at 06:06, 22 October 2025