Krishnalal Shridharani

Krishnalal Shridharani (16 September 1911 – 23 July 1960) was an Indian poet, playwright and journalist. He studied sociology, economics and journalism at various institutions in India and the US. He participated in the Indian independence movement and was imprisoned, during which time he started writing plays and poetry. He also wrote many non-fiction books in English.

Life Shridharani was born in Umrala near Bhavnagar on 16 September 1911. He spent his childhood in Junagadh. He completed his primary education in Umrala and secondary education from Dakshinamurti Vinay Mandir, Bhavnagar. which made a lasting impression on his attitude. He completed Masters in Sociology and Economics from New York University in 1935. which analyses Gandhian philosophy and tactics of nonviolence, influenced the members and strategies of the Congress of Racial Equality, and was widely circulated by African-American leaders during the U.S. civil rights movement. It was studied by Martin Luther King Jr. during the Montgomery bus boycott.

Works He wrote total sixteen plays. He wrote Vadlo (1931), a children's play, during his imprisonment during Dandi March. Peela Palash (1934), Piya Gori, Dusku, Dungali no Dado, Sonpari, Vijali, Vrushal, Mor na Inda are his other plays. Padmini is a historical play.

In 1934, his first poetry collection Kodiya was published, followed by Punarapi in 1961. Insan Mita Doonga is a short story based on his experiences with inmates during imprisonment.

His original works in English include My India, My America (1941) which is about his experiences during his life in the US. His book War without Violence had a great impact on the American civil rights movement. Others are Warning to the West (1943), The Big Four of India (1941), The Adventures of the Upside-Down Tree (1959), Story of The Indian Telegraph (1953), The Journalist in India (1956), Smiles From Kashmir (1959) and The Mahatma and the World (1946). He contributed in several journals and newspapers including The New York Times and Vogue.

Awards He was awarded the Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak in 1958.