FICTION WRITER AND EDITOR PASSED AWAY

FICTION WRITER AND EDITOR PASSED AWAY

7-APRIL-ENG 16

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA--------------------------Anant Kumar Singh—editor of *Janpath* magazine and a senior fiction writer—passed away today in his ancestral village, Bahera (Gaya), following a cardiac arrest after a prolonged illness. The news of his demise has sent a wave of grief through the literary world. Anant Kumar Singh remained creatively active within the literary and cultural circles of Arrah-Bhojpur for nearly four decades, carving out a distinct identity for himself. In this hour of sorrow, writers and cultural activists from Arrah and the surrounding regions organized a condolence meeting, observing a minute of silence and offering their heartfelt tributes.

The memorial gathering was jointly organized by the *Janvadi Lekhak Sangh* (JALES), *Pragatisheel Lekhak Sangh* (PRALES), and *Jan Sanskriti Manch* (JASAM)—Arrah chapters—along with the coordinating committee of *Janpath* and local writers. Recalling Anant-ji's contributions, the speakers described his passing as an irreparable loss. Fiction writer Neeraj Singh spoke at length about his creative struggles and his consciousness regarding the ethics of publishing. Poet-storyteller Jitendra Kumar and Om Prakash Mishra also paid tribute, recalling his commitment to public causes and his creative resilience, respectively. All those present significantly underscored the fact that he lived out the profound concerns of literature throughout his entire life.

The occasion was graced by the dignified presence of Prof. Ravindra Nath Rai, Prof. Diwakar Pandey, Prof. Ayodhya P. Upadhyay, Prof. Baliraj Pandey, Prof. Mrityunjay Singh, Prof. Navneet Rai, Suman Kumar Singh, Santosh Shreyansh, Jitendra Shukla, Janardan Mishra, Rajaram Priyadarshi, Om Prakash Mishra, Sunil Chaudhary, Shivdan Singh, Suryaprakash, Amit Mehta, Vikrant Kumar, Rakesh Ojha 'Guddu', Dr. Sheelbhadra, Aniruddha Kumar Singh, Krishna Kumar Singh, Kanhaiya-ji, Renu Mishra, Mamta Mishra, and others. Literary figures including Sudhir Suman, Balbhadra, Sunil Srivastava, Akhilesh, Arun Sheetansh, Shaukat Hayat, Sheshnath Pandey, Suresh Kantak, Rakesh Kumar Singh, Chandreshwar, and Hareram Singh also paid heartfelt tributes over the telephone. The program was anchored by Suman Kumar Singh, Secretary of JASM.