Sisir Kumar Das

Sisir Kumar Das (1936–2003) was a linguist, poet, playwright, translator, comparatist and a scholar of Indian literature. He is considered to be the "doyen of Indian literary historiographers." Das built an integrated history of Indian literature composed of many languages, a task multiple Indian literature scholars considered to be “a historian’s despair”. His three volumes (among proposed ten volumes) ''A History of Indian Literature'' (''Western Impact: Indian Response 1800–1910''; ''Struggle for Freedom: Triumph and Tragedy 1911–1956''; ''From Courtly to Popular 800–1399'') are credited for having devised previously absent methods for situating diverse Indian literary cultures in history. Das also edited the multi-volume ''English Writings of Rabindranath Tagore''.

Though his formal training was specifically in Bengali language and literature, Das helped shape the discipline of Comparative Literature in India. Das criticized the compartmentalization of literary education in India, remarking that "whether study of literature or reading of literature, call it whatever, [it] would remain incomplete if not approached comparatively. It is like that old saying: What does he know of English who only English knows. The literature departments have erected walls between literatures. New thoughts would start blowing only when these walls are shattered down."

Das was also a poet and playwright, writing mostly in Bengali Having spent most of his professional life in Delhi, away from the mainstream of Bengali cultural life, he remained largely unacknowledged within his lifetime. He was awarded the Rabindra Puraskar by the Government of West Bengal twice (for ''The Shadow of the Cross'' in 1976 and for ''The Artist in Chains'' in 1987.) His collection of poetry, entitled ''Abalupta Chaturtha Charan'' (''The Disappeared Fourth Line''), published in his own handwriting, remains a major work in 20th century Bengali poetry. Several of his plays have been performed by the theatre group Bahuroopi. Provided by Wikipedia