Yashpal was a revolutionary Hindi novelist of India mostly remembered for his novel `Jhuta Sach`. This novel is regarded as one of the best novels ever written in Hindi language. Yasbpal hailed from Kangra. Born on 3rd of December, 1903, Yashpal had to struggle with poverty in his early childhood. His mother served as a teacher in the orphanage of Ferozepur Cantonment, serving on thirty rupees per month. Yashpal passed his matriculation examination in the year 1921. The influence of the Gurukul Kangri and early acquaintance with revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev made him an ardent Marxist. He completed his graduation from National College, Lahore; but his heart was not in any career.
Initially, Yashpal was heavily influenced by the Non-Cooperation Movement of Mahatma Gandhi. But later he came under the influence of revolutionary freedom fighters Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev. In February 1931 when Chandra Shekhar Azad became a martyr, he was appointed as the commander of the Hindustan Socialist Democratic Army. On 23rd of February, 1932, he was arrested in Allahabad. Yashpal had given a thrilling account of his revolutionary days in his autobiography `Simhabalokan` in three volumes. Though sentenced for 14 years of rigorous imprisonment, Yashpal was released in March 1938 when the Congress Ministry was formed. In the jail, he learnt Bengali language, French and Italian. He got married in the Bareilly Central Jail in August 1936 with Prakashvati Pal who was also arrested as a revolutionary. In 1938, after his release, he was not permitted to enter the confines of Punjab. He took a job but he could not continue and he started his monthly journal `Viplav`. He was the sole-writer, worker, printer, promoter of the 80 page magazine. In 1941, the British government asked for a bail of Rs. 12,000 and Viplav could not continue. He was rearrested, but released. His later life was a life of sole dedication to Hindi writing.
Yashpal`s first collection of short stories `Pinjare hi Uran` was published in the year 1939 and in 1940 his `Marxvad` was published. His first novel `Dada Comrade` was published in the year 1941. Nearly 50 books were published till his death. His greatest work was Jhuta Sach, a large novel in two volumes, on the partition of India, translated in Russian. His last novel `Meri Teri Uski Baat`, a novel on the life of Indian Christians, won the Sahitya Akademi Award. He wrote satirical sketches and polemical essays, too. But his speciality was short stories, in which he carried on the tradition of Munshi Premchand.
Yashpal successfully carved out a place for himself in modern Hindi literature. His stories like Purda and novels like Deshdrohi Aswin will be long remembered. Some of the popular novels of this well known revolutionary writer are Divya, Deshdrohi aswin, Jhutha Sach, Dada comrade, Amita, Manushya ke roop, Meri Teri Uski Baat and kyon fanse. Yashpal died on 26th of December, 1976 at the age of 73. Yashpal Centenary Postage Stamp was issued by the Government of India in the memory of this great author.
