JANAKPURDHAM: Renowned Maithili writer, linguist and educationist Dr Rajendra Prasad Bimal has died at the age of 79.
Dr Bimal , who had been suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure for a long time, died at the Provincial Hospital in Janakpurdham last night.
His last rites will be performed today, according to family sources.
His death has been described by writers and literary figures as an irreparable loss to Maithili literature, the language movement and the cultural heritage of Mithila.
His body has been kept at his residence in Devichowk, Janakpurdham-4, for final tributes. Writers, educationists, students and well-wishers have gathered at the residence to pay their respects.
Dr Bimal was the founding chairperson of the Maithili Development Fund in Janakpurdham and played a significant role in the preservation and promotion of the Maithili language, literature and culture.
Born on July 26, 1947, in Khirkhiriya of Devdiha village in Dhanusha, Dr Bimal held postgraduate degrees in Nepali, Maithili and Hindi. He also obtained a PhD in linguistics.
He taught in the Nepali Department at Ramswarup Ramsagar Multiple Campus in Janakpurdham for several decades before retiring after nearly four decades in academia.
Dr Bimal was also a prominent figure in Maithili literature. His first story, Vipatiya, was published in the Maithili magazine Mithila Mihir on March 15, 1963.
He remained active in various literary and linguistic fields, including short stories, poetry, songs, ghazals, drama, novels, literary criticism, children’s literature, translation and linguistics.
Among his published works are Ee Hamre Katha Thik, Itihasak Ghao, Dr Bimalka Kathaharu, Sarbaria Gaunk o Katha and Phisti Rani. His writings were also published in prominent Nepali publications including Gorkhapatra, Madhupर्क and Garima.
A Maithili television film titled Hansa Chalal Pardesh, based on one of his stories, was also broadcast by Nepal Television.
According to Janakpurdham-based writer and journalist Nityanand Mandal, the television adaptation helped take Maithili literature to a wider audience through the audio-visual medium.
Dr Bimal received several awards and honours from governmental and non-governmental organisations for his contribution to literature and language.
He was the first recipient of the Nepal Vidyapati Language and Literature Award established by the Vidyapati Award Fund. He was also honoured with the Garima Samman, Jagdamba Samman, National Talent Award and Siddhi Shri Award, among others.
According to writer Mandal, Dr Bimal’s writings strongly reflected patriotism, Maithili identity, commitment to the mother tongue, the struggles of everyday life, love, separation, anger and rebellion.
His distinctive contribution, Mandal said, was his portrayal of the social realities of Mithila and the people of the region in an original literary style.
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