BaileyMetzler at 11:03, 29 October 2025

2025-10-29T11:03:27Z

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{{Short description|Indian writer}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{COI|date=April 2022}}
{{Orphan|date=April 2022}}
}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = Sheoraj Singh Bechain
| image = Sheoraj Singh Bechain.jpg
| caption =
| pseudonym =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1960|01|05|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Budaun]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], India
| occupation = Writer and Professor
| nationality = [[Indian people|Indian]]
| citizenship =
| education = [[Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Rohilkhand University]]
| genre = [[Fiction]]
| subject = Literature
| spouse =
}}

'''Sheoraj Singh Bechain''' is an Indian poet, short story writer, and essayist.<ref name=faculty>{{cite web |url=http://du.ac.in/du/uploads/Faculty%20Profiles/2016/Hindi/nov2016_Hindi_Sheoraj.pdf |title=Faculty Profile |access-date=22 March 2022 |work=University of Delhi}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.du.ac.in/index.php?page=department-of-hindi |title=Department of Hindi, University of Delhi |access-date=22 March 2022 |work=University of Delhi}}</ref><ref name=TOI1>{{cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/speakers/dr-sheoraj-singh-bechain/articleshow/66863360.cms |title=Dr. Sheoraj Singh Bechain |access-date=22 March 2022 |work=Times of India|date=29 November 2018 }}</ref> When he started writing and progressing academically, he adopted the pen name "Bechain".<ref name=jaipur>{{cite web |url=https://jaipurliteraturefestival.org/archive/2019/speaker/sheoraj-singh-bechain |title=Sheoraj Singh Bechain |access-date=22 March 2022 |work=Jaipur Literature Festival|date=17 September 2013 }}</ref><ref name=long>{{cite news |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/magazine/what-a-long-long-way/article7089062.ece |title=What a Long Way |access-date=22 March 2022 |work=The Hindu|date=11 April 2015 |last1=Basu |first1=Prof Tapan }}</ref>
He was appointed Professor on an unreserved position in the Department of Hindi at the [[University of Delhi]] in 2010 and became the first Dalit Professor in the department. He is currently serving as the Head of the Hindi Department at the University.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/education/no-hod-for-hindi-department-in-du-students-teacher-protest-for-appointment/story-1ifkEgYLhoaJZNIbQLKr5J.html |title=No HoD for Hindi department in DU; students, teacher protest for appointment |access-date=22 March 2022 |work=Hindustan Times|date=19 October 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.du.ac.in/index.php?page=department-of-hindi |title=Department of Hindi, University of Delhi |access-date=22 March 2022 |work=University of Delhi}}</ref>

Bechain has written more than two dozen books in [[Hindi]]. The most well-known of his writings is his autobiography ''Mera Bachpan Mere Kandhon Par'', published by [[Vani Prakashan]] in 2009.<ref name=reality>{{cite web |url=https://thewire.in/books/my-childhood-on-my-shoulders-sheoraj-singh-bechain-review |title=Dalit Literature That Reflects a Grotesque Reality Surviving in India |access-date=22 March 2022 |work=The Wire}}</ref>

His career includes teaching, researching and writing. He is a regular contributor of articles to national newspapers and magazines. His [[Ph.D. thesis]] ''Hindi Dalit Patrakarita Par Patrakar Ambedkar Ka Prabhav'',which was published as a book, was mentioned in the ''[[Limca Book of Records]]'' in 1999.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}} His other notable works include ''Kronch Hoon Main'', ''Bhor Ke Andhere Me'', ''Nai Fasal'', ''Meri Priya Kahaniyaan'', ''Haath to Ug hi Aate Hain'', ''Mook Nayak Ke Sau Saal Aur Asmita Sangharsh Ke Sawal'' and ''Hindi Dalit Patrakarita Par Patrakar Ambedkar Ka Prabhav''.{{fact|date=January 2023}}

==Early life==
He was born into an extremely poor family of [[Chamar]] caste on 5 January 1960 in the village of Nadroli in [[Budaun district]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], India.<ref name=reality/>

His father died when he was around 5 to 6 years old. As leather workers and landless agricultural laborers where no one was literate before his generation, the members of his family had no source of income after the death of his father, who had been its sole wage-earner and suffered from acute financial distress. Bechain had to travel to several places in North India and worked as a child labourer at different times for his survival. He along with his mother, brother and sister worked on agricultural farms in [[Bajpur]]. When he went to [[Delhi]], he again took up several small jobs to sustain himself in the big city.<ref name=reality/><ref name=common>{{cite web |url=https://www.dailyo.in/arts/life-writing-stories-book-publishing-laxman-rao-sheoraj-singh-bechain-basu-rai-kailash-satyarthi-maniyan-pillai-surayya-banu-mrinalkanti-dutta/story/1/5935.html |title=What's common among a tea seller, sex worker, thief and more? |access-date=22 March 2022 |work=Daily O}}</ref> He kept up with his studies. His experiences as a [[Child labour in India|child labourer]] are recorded in his autobiography, ''Mera Bachpan Mere Kandhon Par'' ("My Childhood on My Shoulders").<ref name=TOI1/>

==Education==
Bechain has a postgraduate degree (M.A.) in [[Hindi literature]], and a B.Ed. from [[Rohilkhand University]]. He passed the [[UGC NET]] test in 1992. He was awarded a Ph.D degree on his work "Hindi ki Dalit Patrkarita Par Patrkar Ambedkar ka Prabhav" in 1995. He was awarded a D.Litt. on 'Non Dalit Hindi Novels' in 2007.<ref name=faculty/>

==My Childhood On My Shoulders==
His autobiography 'Mera Bachpan Mere Kandhon Par' was translated into English titled ''My Childhood on My Shoulders'' and published by [[Oxford University Press]] in 2018.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/books/weapon-of-choice-my-childhood-on-my-shoulders-5268431/ |title=Weapon of Choice |access-date=22 March 2022 |work=The Indian Express|date=21 July 2018 }}</ref><ref name=long/>

The book narrates a tale of a Dalit's life and describes different aspects of social humiliation in the [[Indian caste system]].<ref name=common/><ref name=childhood>{{cite journal |url=https://www.epw.in/journal/2013/43/book-review/dalit-childhood.html |title=A Dalit Childhood|access-date=22 March 2022 |journal=Economic and Political Weekly|date=5 June 2015 |volume=48 |issue=43 |pages=7–8 }}</ref><ref name=long/>
As a story of a child labourer, it gained wide attention from Indian media.<ref name=childhood/> It was debated at the [[Jaipur Literature Festival]] in 2013.<ref name=jaipur/>

The second part of the book is yet to be released. {{fact|date=January 2023}}

==Editorship==
Sheoraj Singh 'Bechain' was the Chief Editor of the magazine ''Bahur Nahi Awana''. He was guest editor of a special Dalit Issue of [[Hans (magazine)|''Hans'']] magazine in August 2004,{{citation needed|date=June 2022}} and was the editor of 'Dalit Prakriya' monthly and 'Samay Sarokar' magazine.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.jagran.com/news/national-interview-with-sheoraj-singh-bechain-jagran-special-20413820.html |title=बार-बार पकाएं रचना को: श्यौराज सिंह बेचैन |access-date=22 March 2022 |work=Dainik Jagran}}</ref>

==Journalism==
Bechain is a regular contributor for ''[[Amar Ujala]]'', ''[[Dainik Hindustan]]'', ''[[Jansatta]]'', and ''[[Rashtriya Sahara]]''. He started his writing career as a columnist with ''Amar Ujala'' in 1987.<ref name=faculty/><ref name=reality/>

==Adaptations==
His story 'Ashthiyon Ke Akshar' was adapted into a play by the [[National School of Drama]] in [[New Delhi]]. The play was staged in 2004 in the NSD where the writer was invited to deliver a speech.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

==Awards==
Bechain has received the following awards:<ref name=faculty/>
* International Literary Award, Paris, France in 2014.
* 'Subramanian Bharti National Literary Award' by President of India, Pranab Mukherjee in 2016
* 'Sahitya Bhushan Samman' from Hindi Sansthan, Lucknow in 2007
* 'National Baba Saheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar Smriti Samman' from Mhow (Madhya Pradesh) in 2002
* 'National Rashtra Bhasha Gaurav Samman' in 2014
* 'Dr. Ambedkar National Award' in 2014
*'National Kabir Sewa Samman' in 1997
* 'National Bhim Ratan Award' in 2008
* ‘Gadya Vidya Samman' of Hindi Academy, Delhi, 2019
* 'Guru Ghasidas Samman' in 2018
*Nai Dhara Rachna Samman in 2019
* Sant Ram B.A. Samman - 2019

==Notable works==
* 'Meri Priya Kahaniyaan', Rajpal and Sons, New Delhi, Edition - 2019, {{ISBN|9789389373059}}.<ref name=faculty/>
* 'Media Me Samajik Loktantra Ki Talash', Anamika Publishers and Distributors, New Delhi, Edition - 2022<ref name=faculty/>
*'Muknayak Ke 100 Saal Aur Asmita Sangharsh Ke Sawal', MUC Publications, Soniya Vihar, Delhi, Edition - 2022, {{ISBN|9789391798567}}
*'Hath To Ug Hi Aate Hain', Vani Prakashan, New Delhi, Edition - 2020
*'Chamar Ki Chai', Vani Prakashan, New Delhi, Edition - 2017, {{ISBN|9789352296064}}
*'Bhor Ke Andhere Me', Vani Prakashan, New Delhi, Edition - 2018, {{ISBN|9789387648906}}
*'Dalit Sahitya Aur Samajik Nyay' (Edited), IIAS, Shimla, Edition - 2014
*'Mera Bachpan Mere Kandhon Par', Vani Prakashan, New Delhi, Edition - 2009
*'My Childhood on My Shoulders', Oxford University Press, Edition - 2018
*'Samkalin Hindi Patrakarita Me Dalit Uvach', Anamika Publishers and Distributors, New Delhi, {{ISBN|8179751570}}
*'Ambedkar, Gandhi Aur Dalit Patrakarita', Anamika Publishers and Distributors, New Delhi, 2010<ref name=faculty/>
*'Nai Fasal Aur Anya Kavitayen', Vani Prakashan, New Delhi, Edition - 1989.
* 'Bharose Ki Bahan', Vani Prakashan, New Delhi, Edition - 2010<ref name=faculty/>
* 'Dalit Kranti Ka Sahitya', Samta Prakashan, Shahdara, Delhi-32, Edition - 2019
*'Hindi Dalit Patrakarita Par Patrakar Ambedkar Ka Prabhav', Samta Prakashan, Shahdara, New Delhi, Edition - 1998
*'Jindagi ko dhundte hue',Vani prakashan, Dariyaganj, Delhi,2024

==Personal life==
Bechain is married with two children.<ref name=long/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bechain, Sheoraj Singh}}
[[Category:1960 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian writers]]
[[Category:Academic staff of Delhi University]]
[[Category:People from Budaun district]]

Sheoraj Singh Bechain - Revision history

BaileyMetzler at 11:03, 29 October 2025