An eminent writer of Garhwali stories has breathed his ladt at the age of ninety sending shock waves in entire Uttarakhand especially in the fraternity of writers n intellectuals. Eminent writer, literateur n thinker BHISH KUKRETI HAS GIVEN THE DETAILED ACCOUNT OF THIS GREAT WRITTER’S WORK ACCOUNT as a mark of tributes to this great icon of Uttarakhand.
The contribution of Mohan Lal Negi is tremendous in development of modern Garhwali stories. After twenty years of professor Bhagwati Prasad Panthari (Panch Phool-1942), Mohan Lal Negi (Village Belgram, Patti- Athur, Tihri Garhwal, India born in 1930) came out with fresh technique and new subjects in Garhwali stories .
Subject wise, there is variation in each story of Mohan Lal Negi. Negi has been successful in bringing out sensitivity from the subject of story. The atmosphere, feeling, central theme of story subject, narration and symbols are amalgamated with perfection by Negi. In ‘Joni par Chhap Kilai’(1967) and ‘Banj ki Peed’ (1987) story collections, Negi tries the different tale telling style in each story. The experiencing of Mohan Lal Negi is visible in his stories especially the experiencing of his childhood are more explicable than his experiences in his older age.
The story collection ‘Joni par Chhap Kilai’(1967) are more of portraying of geographical beauty. The geographical happenings create various emotions in the stories. While, the stories of ‘Banj ki Peed’ (1987) are bent more towards realism. This difference between two story collections is also seen in the development of Hindi story world. In the stories of ‘Joni par Chhap Kilai’(1967), we find more of sensitivity towards geography, animals or towards nature. The nature becomes as unbreakable part of story. Mohan Lal Negi is an artist and sculpture artist too. Negi being a drawing and sculpture artist is clearly visible in the stories of Mohan Lal Negi.
The characters of ‘Joni par Chhap Kilai’(1967) are ideal characters and the characters of ‘Banj ki Peed’ (1987) are more realistic. The villains in ‘Joni par Chhap Kilai’(1967) are just to support the main character and not for any big malpractices. Negi admires his villains too as they are solid parts of society.
There are conflicts and tension among characters for making the story interesting. Negi avoids unnecessary suspense in the stories and does not try unnecessarily shocking the readers by twist in the tale by unheard characters or incidents.
Phrases, symbols, proverbs are the main properties of Negi’s stories. The story flows in the stories are because of proverbs, symbols and words play capabilities of Negi. He is master of words. Mohan Lal seems be knowledgeable personality of proverbs and sayings and then using them properly.
Definitely, Negi works hard to bring styles in his stories for modernizing Garhwali stories.
Philosophy, spirituality and humanity are prime aim of Negi but he does not use long speeches to make readers uninterested in the story.
Negi is capable in bring excitement, emotional involvement imaging the narrated material among his readers with ease.
The dialogues and characterization of human characters, animal or plant characters are from the real world. Therefore, the readers do not feel outsiders while reading the stories.
The tale teller Mohan Lal Negi has knowledge of psychology and he has been on his prime about narrating the psychology of children.
Dr. Anil Dabral states positioned half of the stories of Negi as the best stories among modern Garhwali stories published so before 1990.
Bhishma kukreti’s account
