Rambriksh Benipuri

He was born in a small village named Benipur in Muzaffarpur district in a Bhumihar Brahmin family in the Indian state of Bihar.

[3] He was also a journalist of Hindi Literature and started several newspapers like Yuvak in 1929 and regularly contributed in various others to spread the idea of nationalism and freedom from British rule.

[7] Later on he wrote a series of one-act plays and radio-dramas, more notable being: the Netra-dan, Tathagat, Sanghamitra, Singhal Vijay and Vijeta.

[7] In most of Ramvriksha Benipuri's short stories pictures of rural life of north Bihar, specially that of Muzaffarpur district have been vividly presented.

[7] His Mati ki Mooraten, though not a story book in strict sense of the term, actually presents persons of flesh and blood, each throbbing with life, on a rural canvas.

Likewise Netradaan (that is, Gift of Eyes), another drama, is based on a historical legend involving Ashoka and his son Kunal.

[1] A stanza from one of his famous poems, "Shahido – tumhari yaad me" goes like this: "Hey, the Martyrs of August Revolution, We shall forever keep the flag high For which thy hath given the lives; We shall always esteem the path of martyrdom

"[8] The eminent Hindi writer, poet, play-wright, journalist and nationalist Rambriksh Benipuri, who spent more than eight years in prison fighting for India's independence writes of Non-co-operation movement as:[9] When I recall Non-Cooperation era of 1921, the image of a storm confronts my eyes.

from the most humble huts to the high places, from villages to cities, everywhere there was a ferment, a loud echo.Benipuri was a close associate of Jayaprakash Narayan and a leading light of the Congress Socialist Party.

[6] In Hazaribagh Central Jail, he initiated a campaign " Janaeu Todo Abhiyaan" (Breaking of the Upanayana threads) against Casteism.

[11] Prabhash Joshi ranked Benipuri with Makhanlal Chaturvedi and Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi, who were both contemporary writers and journalists as well.

[5] This composition also brought much laurels and fame to Benipuri and was welcomed in the Hindi world like the former two titles, "Lal Tara" and "Mati ki Murten".

Benipuri (right) at Kisan Sabha CSP Patna rally, August 1936
Benipuri on a 1999 stamp of India