Bengali poet Shankha Ghosh dies battling Covid

Kolkata, April 21

Noted Bengali poet Shankha Ghosh died on Wednesday morning while he was in isolation at his residence after testing positive for Covid, his family said.

Ghosh, 89, was found to be Covid-positive on April 14. He was in home isolation on the advice of doctors, according to Health Department sources.

Ghosh, who suffered from several co-morbidities, was hospitalised a few months ago due to deterioration of his health.

Considered to be an authority on Rabindranath Tagore, Ghosh is known for 'Adim Lata - Gulmomay' and 'Murkha Baro Samajik Nay', among other books.

Ghosh, known for being vocal on various social and political issues, was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2011 and conferred the prestigious Jnanpith Award in 2016.

He received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1977 for his book 'Babarer Prarthana'.

His works have been translated into several languages, including English and Hindi.

Ghosh is survived by daughters Semanti and Srabanti, and wife Pratima.

Litterateur Subodh Sarkar said Covid snatched away Ghosh when he was needed the most.

"He was soft-spoken but his pen was razor-sharp, always speaking against intolerance. He used to be a participant in all conventions and movements for free and liberal thinking," Sarkar said.

Ghosh was born on February 6, 1932, at Chandpur in present-day Bangladesh. PTI