RAJIVA SHANKER SHRESTA
Many may still be unaware that Sharad Chhetri – a prolific writer of the Nepali literary world is no more amidst us. Even I could not believe my ears when another eminent writer friend of mine, Gupta Pradhan of Darjeeling, broke the tragic news to me on the morning of 05 July. That day, busy with writing, I had not checked the e-mail or read the Himalaya Darpan’s e-paper, otherwise I would have learnt of this sad news earlier. Gupta informed that Sharad had been admitted in the ICU of the Mitra's Nursing Home in Siliguri where he had breathed his last the previous morning itself and the news came as a shock to me. I soon sent a SMS to his brother Subhash with a condolence message to the bereaved family and posted the news on Facebook.
Sharad Chhetri (1947-2012), an eminent writer better known for his short stories that earned him the sobriquet, KathakaKamdhenu (goldmine of stories), was also a poet, essayist, dramatist and critic. He has 32 books to his credit. He was awarded the Bhanubhakta Puraskar (West Bengal 1986), Sahitya Akademi Award (New Delhi 1986) and Ratnashree Gold Medal (Kathmandu 1988) for his stories in the Chakrvyuha (1985). He has been felicitated and interviewed often. His works appear in newspapers and periodicals regularly and many have been translated into Hindi, Bangla, Assamese, Telegu, Oriya besides English.
We have seen instances where such recognition early in one's life often turns a writer away from the love of writing, but for Sharad Chhetri it served as an incentive and he dedicated himself to the cause of Nepali literature and worked devotedly till the very end despite his ill health. So diligent was he that he took time out to collect all his published and unpublished works from various newspapers and periodicals including the interviews he gave to a veteran literary critic like Guman Singh Chamling in the Hindaiharu: Aalapharu (2009) and published them as books enriching the Nepali literary world. Simple and modest, when I met him last on 29 April at his residence in Darjeeling I asked him if he was still contributing articles as I had seen his writings in periodicals like Hamro Dhwani from Guwahati and he said that they were all his earlier writings. Not only did he contribute one such work for the Udaichand Pradhanprati Shraddhanjali brought in the memory of my sister Sunita and her husband whom we lost together in a tragic road accident earlier that month, but also called to confirm whether we had received it or not. His gesture towards use was exceptionally kind and humane.
His greatness is evident in the tribute he paid to the honour we bestowed on him for his contributions to literature in the Karuna Smarak Samman as well as on every opportune moment in his books and life-sketch that we felicitated him with during the Rachna Silver Jubilee Celebrations in 2005. We were preparing for a bigger felicitation but since the family was in mourning he wanted us to wait till the year got over – so magnanimous was he in this consideration he had for our family!
He is survived by his wife Shobha, son Vivek, daughter Shailika and son-in-law Sachin Thapa.
A perfect gentleman with a pleasing personality, I always found him in robust health ever since we met during our Darjeeling Government College days in 1964. When we met last, he shared with me that during his entire life serving the State Bank of India there was not a single occasion when he had to take sick leave even for a day nor did he get even a rupee in the name of the medical reimbursement. Things however changed, soon after his retirement. The story he narrated in his Bhranti ra Vastaviktako Dwandwama was about the first attack and thereafter he had another bout that took him to the nursing home. He was able to pull on and accomplish more things in between.
Many may still be unaware that Sharad Chhetri – a prolific writer of the Nepali literary world is no more amidst us. Even I could not believe my ears when another eminent writer friend of mine, Gupta Pradhan of Darjeeling, broke the tragic news to me on the morning of 05 July. That day, busy with writing, I had not checked the e-mail or read the Himalaya Darpan’s e-paper, otherwise I would have learnt of this sad news earlier. Gupta informed that Sharad had been admitted in the ICU of the Mitra's Nursing Home in Siliguri where he had breathed his last the previous morning itself and the news came as a shock to me. I soon sent a SMS to his brother Subhash with a condolence message to the bereaved family and posted the news on Facebook.
Sharad Chhetri (1947-2012), an eminent writer better known for his short stories that earned him the sobriquet, KathakaKamdhenu (goldmine of stories), was also a poet, essayist, dramatist and critic. He has 32 books to his credit. He was awarded the Bhanubhakta Puraskar (West Bengal 1986), Sahitya Akademi Award (New Delhi 1986) and Ratnashree Gold Medal (Kathmandu 1988) for his stories in the Chakrvyuha (1985). He has been felicitated and interviewed often. His works appear in newspapers and periodicals regularly and many have been translated into Hindi, Bangla, Assamese, Telegu, Oriya besides English.
We have seen instances where such recognition early in one's life often turns a writer away from the love of writing, but for Sharad Chhetri it served as an incentive and he dedicated himself to the cause of Nepali literature and worked devotedly till the very end despite his ill health. So diligent was he that he took time out to collect all his published and unpublished works from various newspapers and periodicals including the interviews he gave to a veteran literary critic like Guman Singh Chamling in the Hindaiharu: Aalapharu (2009) and published them as books enriching the Nepali literary world. Simple and modest, when I met him last on 29 April at his residence in Darjeeling I asked him if he was still contributing articles as I had seen his writings in periodicals like Hamro Dhwani from Guwahati and he said that they were all his earlier writings. Not only did he contribute one such work for the Udaichand Pradhanprati Shraddhanjali brought in the memory of my sister Sunita and her husband whom we lost together in a tragic road accident earlier that month, but also called to confirm whether we had received it or not. His gesture towards use was exceptionally kind and humane.
His greatness is evident in the tribute he paid to the honour we bestowed on him for his contributions to literature in the Karuna Smarak Samman as well as on every opportune moment in his books and life-sketch that we felicitated him with during the Rachna Silver Jubilee Celebrations in 2005. We were preparing for a bigger felicitation but since the family was in mourning he wanted us to wait till the year got over – so magnanimous was he in this consideration he had for our family!
He is survived by his wife Shobha, son Vivek, daughter Shailika and son-in-law Sachin Thapa.
A perfect gentleman with a pleasing personality, I always found him in robust health ever since we met during our Darjeeling Government College days in 1964. When we met last, he shared with me that during his entire life serving the State Bank of India there was not a single occasion when he had to take sick leave even for a day nor did he get even a rupee in the name of the medical reimbursement. Things however changed, soon after his retirement. The story he narrated in his Bhranti ra Vastaviktako Dwandwama was about the first attack and thereafter he had another bout that took him to the nursing home. He was able to pull on and accomplish more things in between.
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