Punjabi Dalit writer Des Raj Kali dead

Aparna Banerji

Jalandhar, August 27

Eminent Punjabi Dalit writer Des Raj Kali is no more. He breathed his last at the PGI, Chandigarh, at 3 am today, after a two-month battle with liver disease.

Hailing from Mithapur in Jalandhar, he was best known as a Punjabi writer whose writings took the region’s Dalit ethos to the world. Des Raj Kali was 51 and is survived by his wife and three children, son Karan and daughters Shivalika and Zunish.

His literary works were celebrated on platforms ranging from the Jaipur Literature Festival (2010) to special sessions at Nottingham Trent University in England, Montpellier University, France and Monash University, Australia, among others.

Kali’s short story collections include “Kath-Kali”, “Phaqiri” and “Chup Kitey”, “Yahan Chai Achhi Nahi Banti” among others and his novels include “Parneshwari”, “Antheen”, “Paratham Pauran”, “Shanti Parv”, “Nar Natak”, Shehar Vich Sahn Honn da Matlab”, “Thumri”.

He also shared his insights on the Youtube channel Barqtan WebTv where he spoke on wide ranging issues – the status of state’s education, Punjab floods, Dalit consciousness and the political future of Punjab. His writing offered glimpses of Sufi and Nath traditions he grew up observing and sought inspiration from the poetry of Lal Singh Dil, Sant Gulabdas and Sant Wazeer Singh.

Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Committee member and historian Chiranjii Lal Kangniwal said, “Des Raj Kali’s demise is a huge loss to the Dalit community and to literature in the state. A robust and vocal Punjabi writer is lost.” Kali’s last rites will be conducted at Harnamdaspura in Jalandhar on Tuesday.