Srilal Shukla (English: Srilal Sukla, born: December 31, 1925; death: October 28, 2011) was considered a famous writer for writing purposeful satire in the contemporary fiction of Lucknow district. He passed his graduation examination from Allahabad University in 1947. Started job in State Civil Service in 1949. Retired from Indian Administrative Service in 1983. His formal writings begin from 1954 and with this a glorious chapter of Hindi prose begins to take shape.
Shrilal Shukla’s personality was his own example. Intuitive but cautious, humorous but erudite, disciplined but anarchic. Shrilal Shukla was a scholar of English, Urdu, Sanskrit and Hindi languages. Shrilal Shukla was adept at both classical and light aspects of music. He was the chairman of ‘Kathakram’ function committee. Shrilal Shukla ji suffered poverty and struggled, but did not fill his writings with his lamentations. The new generation also reads him the most. He was one of the senior writers who understood and read the new generation the most. People make theories about not being able to read and write. Shrilal ji’s writing and reading stopped due to serious health reasons. Shrilal Shukla’s personality was very easy going. He always welcomed everyone with a smile. But he used to express his views without hesitation. Due to this quality of personality, despite being in government service, he gave a composition like Raag Darbari to Hindi literature which was a severe attack on the system.
‘Vishwanath Tripathi’ has called Harishankar Parsai’s writings as the ‘voice of independent India’. If we add Shrilal Shukla’s voice then this voice becomes more intense and strong. Although he was from all over India, he was the special pride of Lucknow. If Lucknow continues to shine on the creative map after Yashpal – Bhagwati Charan Verma – Amritlal Nagar, major credit for this will be given to Shrilal Shukla.
10 novels, 4 story collections, 9 satire collections, 2 monographs, 1 criticism book etc. will maintain his fame. His first novel Suni Ghati Ka Suraj was published in 1957. His most popular novel ‘Raag Darbari’ was published in 1968. Apart from fifteen Indian languages, the translation of Raga Darbari was also published in English. Raag Virag was the last novel of Shrilal Shukla. He contributed a total of 25 works to Hindi literature. Among these, the main ones are the house, the first stop, the unknown residence and the saint of Vishrampur.
The condition of many public schools in the country is pathetic. They don’t even have a good building. At some places, classes are conducted in tents, which means even minimum facilities are lacking. Commenting on this, Shrilal Shukla says that –
“Same is the case with Chhangamal Vidyalaya Intermediate College of ‘Raag Darbari’, from where the boys who have passed Intermediate can say just on the basis of the building, which bird’s name is sanitary fitting. We have got Vilayati Talim in the native tradition and That’s why look at us, we are still the same nature, even after we have studied so much, our urine comes only on the trunk of the tree.”
The irony is that nowadays teachers also do everything except teaching. Like Master Motiram of ‘Raag Darbari’, he teaches less in the classroom and devotes more time to his flour mill. Most of the teachers are Motiram, whatever the name. They take tuition, run shops and do various types of personal businesses. What time do they have left to give to students?
satire on current situations
Shrilal Shukla has dealt a severe blow to contemporary situations through his literature. they say that –
‘Today human society itself is responsible for its own decline. Today he cannot laugh openly. To laugh also one has to take the help of ‘Laughing Club’. To get pure air one has to go to the oxygen parlor. One has to drink water from closed bottles. Have to eat instant food. There is a shortage of time to play and even talk to each other.
Overall, it can be said that Shrilal Shukla’s literature contains the struggle of life and his literature is related to social concerns.
In 1969, Shrilal Shukla received the Sahitya Akademi Award. But after this one had to wait for 42 years for Gyanpeeth. Meanwhile, he also received Birla Foundation’s Vyas Samman, Yash Bharti and Padma Bhushan awards. Shukla, who was ill for a long time, was relieved on October 18 by Uttar Pradesh Governor B. l. Joshi was honored with the Jnanpith Award in the hospital itself. In the year 2008, Shukla was awarded the Padma Bhushan award. He was also the Director of Bharatendu Natya Academy, Lucknow and Honorary Fellowship of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.
As a writer, Shrilal Shukla represented India by traveling to countries like Britain, Germany, Poland, Suriname, China, Yugoslavia.
Famous satirist Shrilal Shukla, who was awarded the Jnanpith Award and Padma Bhushan and wrote timeless satirical novels like ‘Raag Darbari’, was admitted to the hospital on October 16 due to Parkinson’s disease. Shrilal Shukla died at Sahara Hospital at 11.30 am on Friday, October 28, 2011. He was 86 years old. There was a wave of mourning in the literary world of Lucknow on his death.