Rajendra Bimal, literary scholar who sought common ground across Nepal’s divides, dies at 80
Summary
Rajendra Bimal, the Janakpur-based writer, scholar and linguist who championed common ground across Nepal’s linguistic and regional divides, has died at 80. He was remembered for his work in Nepali, Maithili, Hindi and English, and for promoting multilingual literary dialogue.
Key Points
- Rajendra Bimal died in Janakpur on Tuesday morning at the age of 80 after his oxygen level and pulse dropped suddenly on Monday night.
- He wrote and taught across Nepali, Maithili, Hindi and English, and was widely seen as a bridge between Nepal’s literary and linguistic worlds.
- As founding chairman of the Maithili Development Fund, he worked to preserve Maithili while maintaining ties with the wider Nepali literary establishment.
- He received the Jagadamba Shree Award in 2010 and the Madhupark Honour in 2019 for his contributions to language and literature.
