Poet Alokeranjan Dasgupta passes away
He had been suffering from various health problems due to old age
Renowned West Bengal poet Alokeranjan Dasgupta breathed his last at his residence in Heidelberg, Germany on Tuesday at the age of 87.
The poet had been suffering from various health problems due to old age for several years, reports Hindustan Times citing his wife Elizabeth.
Alokeranjan Dasgupta was known for his distinguished style of poetry that was hailed by many as a breath of fresh air in Bangla literature that was then heavily influenced by Tagore, especially in the 1950s.
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More than 20 books written by the poet have been published so far, and he has also written essays on poetic thought. Alokeranjan translated Bangla and Santali poems and plays into German and English.
In 1992, he received the Sahitya Akademi Award for his book 'Moromi Karat'. He has also received the Rabindra Award and Ananda Award.
Born on 6 October 1933 in Kolkata, Alokaranjan Dasgupta completed his higher studies in literature from St. Xavier's College in Kolkata. He later obtained his post-graduate degree from Calcutta University.
He started his career in Comparative Literature at Jadavpur University in 1957.
Alokeranjan Dasgupta then went on to teach at the University of Heidelberg, Germany in 1971.
He translated many German poems into Bangla and vice-versa. His contribution to the fusion of Bengali-German literature earned him the Goethe Prize by the German government.
