Shri Suresh Dalal was lastly in Ahmedabad to launch poet Ankit Trivedi’s book

Ahmedabad, 10 August 2012

Mumbai based legendary Gujarati poet Shri Suresh Dalal is no more.

He passed away on Friday evening due to heart attack.

Sureshbhai is survived by his wife Sushila Dalal and two daughter Niyati and Mitali.

A day before his death he had visited Image publications office to complete his three columns. On Janmashtami evening, when Sureshbhai was taking pills just after the dinner at his home in Cuff Parade area of Mumbai, he suddenly faced heart attack and died.

Sureshbhai was lastly compiling poet Hiten Anandpara’s book ‘Maari Karkirdi no surya’. He was also working on a bulky volume of ‘Mulakat vishwa’.

Gujarat Chief Minister in his tribute to late poet said, “demise of legendary Gujarati litterateur Shri Suresh Dalal is very unfortunate. Today every single word of the Gujarati language is in tears.”

In his tribute, Gujarat Congress President Arjun Modhwadia said, “today Gujarati literature lost its one of the foremost contributors whose words and couplets will guide us always.RIP.”

National Vice President and Rajya Sabha MP Shri Parshottam Rupala said, “ગુજરાતી ભાષાએ શબ્દોનો મહેકતો મોરલો ખોયો છે. દેશની આર્થિક રાજધાનીમાં રહીને શબ્દોની ઉપાસના કરનારો ગુજરાતી સાધક આપણે ગુમાવ્યો છે.”

In his message, former MP and veteran BJP leader Shri Surendra Patel said, “કૃષ્ણરૂપી શબ્દોને રાધા ભાવે ભજતો ગુજરાતી કવિ આપણે ગુમાવ્યો છે.”

Film critic Bhawna Somaaya said on Twitter, “Suresh Dalal wrote like a machine, read like a computer. When eyesight failed he urged others to read to him. He stayed connected to books till the end. Book releases and Image events at Bhaidas will never be the same without the glorious presence of Sureshbhai. Never met an orator like him.”

Born on December 11, 1932 in Thane, Mumbai Shri Dalal was 80 years old. He won Sahitya Akademy Award for Gujarati language for his poet Akhand Zalar Vage in 2005. Dalal did his B.A. in Gujarati in 1953, M.A. in 1955 and Ph.D. in 1969. As a academic, he has served as the Head of the Gujarati Department at SNDT Women’s University; Vice-chancellor at Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda; and a “National Lecturer” for the UGC. He has also been a member of the Advisory Board of Gujarati Sahitya Academy from 1983 to 1987.

Sureshbhai was one of the best contemporary orators in Gujarat. Through Image publication he took Gujarati publication world to a new level with excellent printing and skillfull editing.

Shyamal Saumil Munshi had dedicated one volume of ‘Hastakshar’ series to Suresh Dalal’s songs.

Sureshbhai was founder editor of ‘Kavita’ magazine since 1967. Through his columns in newspaper and magazine he brought the poetry of the world and the world of poetry to readers. He had translated poetry to Gujarati from 63 languages of world.

Suresh Dalal’s most famous song was ‘Radha nu nam’. His other famous songs were ‘Vruksh vruksh ni dal dal’, ‘tame vato karo to’, ‘hu ek anami nadi’, ‘prem amare karvo,’ and others.

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