Remembering Gulabdas Broker on His Birth Anniversary

By Amit Kumar

Gulabdas Broker, a cornerstone of 20th-century Gujarati literature, was born on September 20, 1909, in Porbandar, Saurashtra. His academic journey led him to Bombay University, where he graduated in 1930 with degrees in Gujarati and English literature. Broker worked briefly at the Bombay Stock Exchange, but his passion for literature soon took precedence.

Broker’s writing debuted in 1932, during a jail term for participating in the Satyagraha movement. His first major publication was Ane Biji Vato (“And Other Talks”), a short story collection that paved the way for a prolific career. Over the decades, Broker wrote an extensive range of short stories, plays, essays, travelogues, and an autobiography, significantly enriching modern Gujarati prose and drama.

He played a crucial editorial role for Gujarati periodicals like Akhandand and Ekanki, inspiring new generations of writers. Several of his works have been translated into languages such as Hindi, Spanish, German, and English, extending his literary influence far beyond Gujarat.

Broker’s contributions earned him major honors, among them the Padma Shri, awarded by the Government of India in 1992, and the Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak, Gujarati literature’s highest literary honor, in 1998. He also served as president of the Gujarati Sahitya Parishad from 1973 to 1974.

Gulabdas Broker passed away on June 10, 2006, in Pune, Maharashtra, at the age of 97. His legacy continues to inspire, making his birth anniversary a significant occasion to honor a literary figure whose works remain an integral part of India’s cultural heritage.