About

Pramod Ranjan, a Hindi writer, critic and socio-political activist, is among those who have challenged the traditional way of looking at the culture, literature and politics of the downtrodden and the deprived people. His writings afford a fresh perspective on high-end science & technology and the power games related to it. Bahujan Sahitya Ki Prastavna (The case for Bahujan literature) and Bahujan Sahityetihas (Bahujan aspect of history of literature) – two books published under his editorship – supply a theoretical basis to the concept of Bahujan Literature.

Mahishasur: Ek Jannayak (Mahishasur: A people’s hero)  and Mahishasur: Mithak Va Paramparayein (Mahishasur: myths and traditions)  – also published under his editorship – made an alternative cultural vision the part of the wider discourse. Besides, he has edited three books in Hindi centred on EV Ramasamy Periyar – Jati Vyavastha Aur Pitrasatta (Caste system and patriarchy), Dharma Aur Vishwa Drishti (Religion and worldview) and Sacchi Ramayan (True Ramayana). The three books have gone a long way in introducing the Hindi reader to Periyar and his revolutionary ideas and movements. Ranjan’s memoirs have been published under the title Shimla Diary.

His articles have been translated into German and Swedish, besides Marathi, Punjabi and other Indian languages. The English translations of some of his books have also been published. They include The Case for Bahujan Literature, Mahishasur: A People’s Hero, and Ambedkar and Ambedkarism: Foundation, Building Blocks and Relevance.

Ranjan has had a long career in journalism. Besides ground reporting, he also edited many weekly newspapers and socio-political and literary magazines, which were quite popular and widely read at the time.

He holds a doctorate from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi on “Question of liberation from caste in novels of non-Dwij Hindi litterateurs”. Currently, he teaches Hindi at the Rabindranath Tagore School of Language and Cultural Studies of Assam Central University.

Pramod Ranjan can be contacted at: pramod@janvikalp.org