Master storyteller Gurdev Singh Rupana dies at 85

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, December 6

A prolific Punjabi writer, Gurdev Singh Rupana, passed away on Sunday. He was 85.

The last rites were performed on Monday at his native village Rupana in the district. He was unwell for about a month. He is survived by wife and two sons.

The Sahitya Akademi Award 2020 was bestowed upon Rupana for his anthology of stories “Aam Khaas” in March this year. His body of work put Rupana village situated on the Muktsar-Malout highway on the literary map of the state.

Punjabi writer Ninder Ghugianvi, who represented the Punjab Arts Council, paid floral tributes to Rupana, who was known as a master storyteller. None from the district administration attended the cremation.

Rupana authored more than 70 anthologies of short stories and novels.

After having completed his master’s in Punjabi literature from Delhi University, he got the job of a teacher in the national capital. After his retirement, he returned to his native village.

He did his PhD on the life and poetry of the 19th-century Punjabi legend Kadaryaar.

Many of his short stories have been translated into other languages along with two novels into Hindi. He penned the stories on Dalits, labourers and slum-dwellers.

Early beginnings

Gurdev Singh Rupana had penned his first short story ‘Draupadi’ when he was in class X. He won the Sahitya Akademi Award-2020 for his anthology of stories ‘Aam Khaas’ in March this year

Another author passes away

Prof Gurnam Singh, an author-cum-orator of the Bahujan history, passed away at the PGIMER, Chandigarh, on Sunday. He was 74. A resident of Muktsar town, Prof Gurnam was battling cancer.

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