A Journal of Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya

characteristics of the age in which it was
born. In other words Sapreji has found
no features of the novel in any of these
works. When Madhav Rao Sapre was trying
to give a definite shape to Hindi Literary
Criticism, it was in its embryonic stage.
Although, Hindi Literary Criticism
commenced in the Bhardendu Age under
the efforts of ‘Balkrishna Bhatt’, and
Chaudhary Badrinarayan Premghan, it was
due to Sapreji’s efforts that it developed
and its influence increased.It is really
shocking that despite his immense
contribution to the art of Literary Criticism,
there is no evaluation of his critical works
any where, neither in the history of Hindi
literature; not in the history of Hindi
Literatry Criticism. His name finds no
mention any where. Is the negligence
intentional or unintentional? Is this, what
G.N. Devi calls cultural oblivion? Whatever
it is, with reference to Madhav Rao Sapre,
history of Hindi literature and history of
Hindi literary criticism are guilty of
negligence. Despite being an accomplished
critic, Sapreji remained a name known
only to the interested few.
Courtesy : ‘Tadbhav’
edited by Akhilesh
Manager Pandey born 1941, is a very well known critic and scholar
of Hindi. To name some of the numerous books penned by him—shabd
aur karm; sahitya aur itihas drishti; sahitya ke samajshastra ki bhumika;
bhakti andolan aur surdas ki bhumika; anbhay sancha, alochna ki
samajikta etc. He retired recently from J.N.U. as professor in the deptt.
of Indian Languages. He lives in New Delhi.
January-March 2012 :: 27