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Who wrote the Hindi novel 'Kitne Pakistan'?
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Answer: Option A — Kamleshwar
Detailed Solution
"Kitne Pakistan" ("How Many Pakistans?") is a Hindi novel by Kamleshwar, published in 2000. It won the Sahitya Akademi Award for Hindi in 2003.
About the novel:
It deals with the Partition of India and, more broadly, with the many divisions in human history caused by religion, race, politics and power.
It uses an unusual structure: an "adeeb" (writer) holds a court, in which historical figures from different ages, such as Babur, Mountbatten, Jinnah and Nehru, are called as witnesses to explain the causes of conflict and division.
The novel moves across time and places, from ancient history to modern events like the demolition of the Babri Masjid.
It asks why humanity keeps creating new "Pakistans" (new divisions) and argues for tolerance and humanity.
About Kamleshwar (1932-2007):
His full name was Kamleshwar Prasad Saxena. He was born in Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh.
Along with Mohan Rakesh and Rajendra Yadav, he was a leader of the "Nayi Kahani" (New Story) movement in Hindi literature in the 1950s, which focused on the realistic lives and struggles of the urban middle class.
He edited the famous Hindi story magazine "Sarika".
He worked in television as Additional Director General of Doordarshan, and wrote screenplays for Hindi films such as "Aandhi" and "Mausam" (both directed by Gulzar).
His other works include "Raja Nirbansiya", "Kasbe Ka Aadmi", "Dak Bungalow" and "Ek Sadak Sattavan Galiyan".
He received the Padma Bhushan in 2005.
Other "Nayi Kahani" writers:
- Mohan Rakesh: plays "Ashadh Ka Ek Din" and "Aadhe Adhure".
- Rajendra Yadav: "Sara Akash"; editor of the magazine "Hans".
- Nirmal Verma: "Ve Din", "Kavve Aur Kala Pani" (Sahitya Akademi); Jnanpith (1999).
Why not the other options?
- ✗Mohan Rakesh wrote "Ashadh Ka Ek Din".
- ✗Rajendra Yadav wrote "Sara Akash".
- ✗Nirmal Verma wrote "Ve Din".
Quick tip
Remember: "Kitne Pakistan" (2000; Sahitya Akademi 2003) = Kamleshwar ("Nayi Kahani" movement with Mohan Rakesh and Rajendra Yadav; scripts of "Aandhi" and "Mausam").
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Books & Authors — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Books & Authors, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers famous books and their authors, including ancient Indian texts, works of the freedom struggle, classic and modern literature, autobiographies of famous people, and recently published books by well-known personalities. Questions usually name a book and ask for its author, or the other way round. Ancient and historical books, such as Arthashastra (Kautilya), Indica (Megasthenes) and Gitanjali (Rabindranath Tagore), are tested most often. Autobiographies are another favourite, so learn titles such as 'My Experiments with Truth' (Mahatma Gandhi) and 'Wings of Fire' (A. P. J. Abdul Kalam). Practise the books and authors questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.