NEED FOR FRESH RESEARCH ON BHIKHARI THAKUR WORKS: Dr. M K PANDEY

NEED FOR FRESH RESEARCH ON BHIKHARI THAKUR WORKS: Dr. M K PANDEY

26-AUG-ENG 25

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA----------------------The Mahendra Mishra Library was inaugurated and the digital library service launched at the Postgraduate Department of Bhojpuri, Veer Kunwar Singh University, with the support of the Akhar Trust. The library and digital facilities were jointly inaugurated through a ribbon-cutting ceremony by Sanjay Singh, Naveen Kumar, and Mohan Srivastava of the Akhar organization; Dr. M.K. Pandey, a professor at Delhi University; and the Head of the Department, Prof. Diwakar Pandey. On this occasion, a special lecture titled "Some Thoughts and Discourses on Bhikhari Thakur’s Works: In the Context of the Times" was organized in the department's auditorium. The keynote speaker, Dr. Munna Kumar Pandey—a professor in the Hindi Department at Satyawati College, Delhi University—stated that Bhikhari Thakur serves as a pivotal starting point for Bhojpuri literature and culture. He remarked that evaluating Thakur's works within a single rigid framework or through a narrow caste-based perspective would fail to do justice to his immense literary stature.

Citing renowned plays like *Bidesiya* and *Gabarghichor*, he noted that the works of Bhikhari Thakur clearly reflect contemporary post-modern discourse. He also discussed at length the feminist perspective present in Thakur's literature. Dr. Pandey described Bhikhari Thakur as an artist who embodied the spirit of his era, noting that a true artist rises above caste, religion, and social constraints to guide society through their creative consciousness. He emphasized the need for fresh research on Bhikhari Thakur’s works within contemporary contexts.

During the event, Sanjay Singh, Mohan Srivastava, and Naveen Kumar of the Akhar Trust announced plans to organize the "Akhar Prose Writing Competition" and to launch a digital magazine for the Bhojpuri Department in collaboration with Akhar. They also encouraged students to engage in original writing in Bhojpuri. It is noteworthy that the Akhar Trust has provided several useful facilities for students and researchers at the newly constructed Mahendra Mishra Library within the department. This initiative is expected to make access to study, research, and reference materials related to Bhojpuri literature much easier for students.

Following the event, the PhD viva-voce of researcher Ravi Prakash Suraj was conducted in the presence of guests, university faculty, students, and Bhojpuri literary figures. His research focuses on the topic "A Social and Cultural Study of Bhojpuri and Chhattisgarhi Folk Ballads." The research work was completed under the supervision of the Head of Department, Prof. Diwakar Pandey, while Prof. M.K. Pandey from Delhi University served as the external examiner.

Researcher Ravi Prakash Suraj remarked that the Bhojpuri folk ballad is one of the rapidly vanishing genres of Bhojpuri oral tradition. This research could play a significant role in understanding the social and cultural importance of these folk ballads, as well as in their preservation and promotion. The event was attended by a large number of faculty members, researchers, and students, including Neeraj Verma (Department of Economics); Navneet Rai and Mukesh Kumar (Department of Hindi); Anand Bhushan Pandey (Department of English); Bhojpuri literary enthusiasts Jitendra Kumar and Krishna Kumar; journalists Narendra Singh and Dinesh Tripathi; and researchers Dr. Rajesh Kumar, Dr. Sanjay Kumar, Dr. Yashwant Kumar Singh, Sohit Sinha, and Dhunmun Singh. Non-teaching staff members Manoj Kumar, Uttam Tiwari, Neelam Kumari, and Babita Devi made notable contributions to the success of the event.