RAVINDER SINGH GILL (1938 – )

Ravinder Singh Gill or just Ravinder Ravi, did his M.A. in Punjabi from the Punjab University. He opted for the teaching profession and taught in India and Kenya. Presently, he is settled in New Ayaush, British Columbia. Although he has published his book criticism Prayogshil kavya darpan (Mirror of experimental poetry, 1964), and other books like a travelogue, Simritian de desh (Lands of memories, 1979), two verse plays, Bimar sadi (Sick century, 1974) and Dar dewaran (Door and walls, 1981), half a dozen collections of short stories, Chravi (Shepherdess, 1963), Juram de patar (Products of crime, 1968), Shahir vich jangal (Jungle in the city, 1969), Kon pratikon (Angle and anti-angle, 1971), Maili pustak (A dirty book, 1973), Jithe dewaran nahin (Where there are no walls, 1978), he is best known as a poet of modern sensibility and has published ten collections of poems during the last twenty years beginning from 1961.

These collections are: Dil darya samunderon dunge (Heart deeper than ocean, 1961), Bukal vich chor (The thief in the lap, 1963), Bindu (Point, 1965), Maun hadse (The quiet accidents, 1967), Dil transplant ton bad (The heart after the transplant, 1969), Shahir jangli hai (The city is wild, 1970), Mere mausam de vari (The turn of my season, 1972), Jal, bharamjal (Water and mirage, 1976), Chite kale dhabe (White and black smudges, 1978) and Sima te sakash (The horizon and the sky, 1980). Ravinder Ravi is one of the pioneers of the verse-play in Punjabi. His Bimar sadi is considered a landmark in this field. He has beautifully depicted the general disgust and disillusion of the modem man and is known as an experimentalist in modern Punjabi poetry.

References :

1. Keshav Malik, Indian Poetry Today, 2 Vols., Delhi, 1985.
2. Sekhon, S.S., A History of Punjabi Literature, Patiala, 1993.