KRISHNA Sobti (93), eminent Hindi fiction writer, passed away on January 25, at a hospital in New Delhi. She was ill for a long time but she was mentally active and creative.

She authored novels, such as Zindaginama,  Dilo-Daanish, Daar se Bichhudi, Samay Sargam and famous  short stories such as ‘Mitro Marjaani,’ ‘Baadlon ke Ghere’, and a collection of memoirs in three volumes under the title, Hum Hashmat. Krishna Sobti gained high reputation in Hindi fiction and her creative writings were translated in many Indian and foreign languages.  She was honoured with a number of prestigious awards such as Sahitya Akademi award, Gyanpeeth award,  Delhi Hindi Academy’s Shalaaka Samman. She continued writing till the end of her life and always expressed her progressive and rational point of views on various socio-political issues.

She was critical of the BJP-RSS regime because of their acts of communal violence and lynching of people of minority community. When writers organised protest programmes against the atmosphere of intolerance and threat to right to expression, she attended those programmes even though she sat on her wheel-chair and addressed the audience. After the assassination of Professor M M Kalburgi by the Hindutva forces, Janwadi Lekhak Sangh along with other organisations  and writers demanded of Sahitya Akademi to condemn the killing and organise a condolence meeting. The Akademi administration did not agree to the demand of the writers, and, in protest, Krishna Sobti resigned from the life-membership of Akademi’s executive body.

Janwadi Lekhak Sangh pays its high tribute to Krishna Sobti, who has been an inspiration to all writers who cherish democratic values and creative freedom.