When the eccentric celluloid genius Kishore Kumar died in October 1987, the Editorial on Newspaper "The Times of India" came with a tribute about him - "The last of the originals". Today, 25 years later, I attribute the same, the last of the original Odia writer to Manoj Das on his 89th birthday.
I am not new to Manoj Das and his writing. Ever since as a 8 year old I read his book ALOKA O ANANDA RA KAHANI (Story of Light and Delight) published by National Book Trust (NBT) in 1977, I have never ever looked back. A writer at ease in both Odia, his mother tongue and English, he is an excellent story teller for a layman tyro like me, also a writer of philosophical stuff which can only be understood and appreciated by folks at an higher level of intellect (not me).
Manoj Das shifted to Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry in the early 1960s and it was a prudent decision on his part to leave Odisha, as the state is known as a graveyard for any kind of creative pursuits. I believe he would have been the proverbial "BANA MALLI BANA RE JHADI JAE" - "Jasmin flower in the forest falls off without its fragrance ever getting noticed". No sooner he left Odisha, than his talent was immediately visible and recognized, his writings were published by the widely circulating Newspaper "THE HINDU" and spread northwards beyond Vindyas when Delhi based The Hindustan Times started publishing his articles and short stories.
It didn't take very long for more adulation to follow, especially from two nations, whose success is often attributed for their penchant to appreciate and nurture talents - The United States of America, my adopted country and Singapore, my ever appreciated country.
The late Martha Foley annually listed the best short stories published in the United States for many years in 1970s. At least five short stories by Manoj Das were published in the year 1975 in some of the prestigious magazines and anthologies of the USA. To cite a few more examples Confrontation, a volume brought out by the Long Island University (1983) was an interesting anthology of the representative writings of Brooklyn, vis-à-vis the representative writings of the current world. The only story from Asia to find a place in the compilation was Manoj Das’s “Lakshmi’s Adventure”, a typical Indian short story worth a mystic touch. Similarly, the international Number of New Orleans Review (Loyala University, 1979) chose only one story from Asia and that was Manoj Das’s “A Bridge in the Moonlit Night”.
The government of Singapore invited him in 1980s to help them in their Moral and Ethical studies projects. Sri Das delivered lectures in Schools and Colleges of Singapore, wrote two textbooks for their school system, his work appreciated by non other than the Deputy PM of Singapore.
Manoj Das's short stories were serialized by Khushwant Singh when the Sardar (Sikh) edited "THE ILLUSTRATED WEEKLY OF INDIA", the most widely read and circulated magazine in 1970s. The writings styles of both the eminent writers were poles apart. The Sardar, a master of glut of smut, thrives on liberal dosage of crude humor, fart and sex in his writing, whereas Manoj Das's revolved on simple life philosophy and his subtle sense of humor hovering the mundane life episodes. The Sardar the salacious and the Manoj Das the sagacious formed a unique bond.
Yet both has tremendous respect for each other. Khushwant Singh recognized Manoj Das by publishing his stories in his magazine of repute at a time when authors of the day died to get their work published in the Illustrated Weekly of India which he edited. Manoj Das was one of the few whose writing made into the much coveted magazine on regular basis. Sri Das appreciated the witty Sardar as one NIRBHIKA LEKHAKA (fearless writer, proved by the fact that he dared to take head on the likes of Bal Thackarey and Sant Bhindranwale, at a time most other journos when they were expected to bend volunteered to crawl in front of them).
Manoj Das, in his tribute to Khushwant Singh after the his death has described how liquor used to flow during evenings at Sardar's party, when the invited odd man out Manoj Das would be sipping his endless glasses of Tomato juice. These two great writers formed a unity in diversity, of mutual trust and respect. The old Sardar still kept writing well into his 90s and may Sri Das, who passed away couple of years ago in his late 80s.
If I am allowed to vote for the greatest Odia achiever in my lifetime - it would go to this gentleman MANOJ DAS. He may be dead, not the immortal masterpieces from his pen. RIP Sir in heaven where you aptly belong.
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