Om Prakash Valmiki

Omprakash Valmiki
BornOmprakash singh
(1950-06-30)30 June 1950
Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, India
Died17 November 2013(2013-11-17) (aged 63)
Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
OccupationWriter and a famous poet
Genreautobiography
SpouseChanda Khairwal

Omprakash Valmiki (30 June 1950 – 17 November 2013) was an Indian writer and poet.[1] Well known for his autobiography, Jootan, considered a milestone in Dalit literature.[2] He was born at the village of Barla in the Muzzafarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh. After retirement from Government Ordnance Factory he lived in Dehradun where he died of complications arising out of stomach cancer on 17 November 2013.[3]

Besides Jootan(his biography) (1997) Valmiki published three collections of poetry: Sadiyon Ka Santaap (1989), Bas! Bahut Ho Chuka (1997), and Ab Aur Nahin (2009). He also wrote two collections of short stories, Salaam (2000), and Ghuspethiye (2004). In addition, he wrote Dalit Sahitya Ka Saundaryshaastra (2001) and a history of the Valmiki community, Safai Devata (2009), Do Chera' (a play).[4] His 15 short stories have been translated into English by Naresh K. Jain for the collection Amma and Other Stories in 2008.

  1. ^ Indian Literature : An Introduction. University of Delhi. 78Education India. September 2005. p. 322. ISBN 978-81-317-0520-9. Retrieved 30 August 2011.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  2. ^ Nelavala, Surekha; University, Drew (2008). Liberation beyond borders: Dalit feminist hermeneutics and four gospel women. p. 45. ISBN 978-0-549-68988-1. Retrieved 30 August 2011.
  3. ^ "ओमप्रकाश वाल्मीकि नहीं रहे - BBC Hindi - भारत". BBC.co.uk. 17 November 2013. Retrieved 2013-11-20.
  4. ^ "Dalit writer Omprakash Valmiki no more". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 2013-11-21. Retrieved 2013-11-20.