By Prof. O.P. Budholia
It is with profound sadness and a heavy heart that I share the news of the passing of my dear friend, Prof. Amar Nath Dwivedi, who departed this mortal world on October 29, 2024. Born on January 3, 1943, in the small village of Kothiyahi in Pratapgarh district, Uttar Pradesh, India, he led a life marked by intellectual achievement and dedication.
Prof. Dwivedi pursued his higher education at the University of Allahabad (now Prayagraj). After completing his postgraduate studies, he earned a PhD in English from Meerut University. Following his doctoral work, he taught in Rajasthan and later at Gurukul Kangri University in Haridwar.
Prof. Dwivedi then joined the Department of English at the University of Allahabad, where he taught for over three decades and retired as a senior professor. Later, he served as a Senior Consultant in English at UP Rajarshi Tandon Open University in Prayagraj and also undertook an official assignment in Yemen as Professor and Chairman of the Department of English at Taiz University.
As a teacher, Prof. Dwivedi left a lasting impression on his students. He was widely respected as a literary critic, essayist, and poet of English, garnering recognition from students and scholars in India and abroad.
An author of more than two dozen books and over a hundred research articles, Prof. Dwivedi made commendable contributions to Indian Writing in English and literary theory. His journey, from a rural village to significant academic achievements, reflects his resilience and determination.
Prof. Dwivedi found immense joy in writing poetry, a passion that kept him creatively engaged well into his later years. His poetry collections are the subject of ongoing PhD research, and his work earned admiration from celebrated authors such as Kamala Das, Keki N. Daruwalla, and Tabish Khair.
Poetry, for him, became a bridge between life and death, as he completed and submitted his final poetry collection to the publisher just three hours before his passing. In 2016, he served as a jury member for the Sahitya Akademi Award in English.
Prof. Dwivedi was a steadfast adherent of human values, embodying qualities of humility, simplicity, and sincerity. As his colleague, I was deeply influenced by his gentle and unassuming nature, which reflected the spiritual and human values that defined his character. His passing is an irreplaceable loss to the academic community.
I pray that his soul finds union with the Divine, the Light of lights (“Jyotisaam Jyoti”).
Contributing Author: Prof. O.P. Budholia is a retired Professor of English from Sanchi University of Buddhist-Indic Studies, Madhya Pradesh, India.
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