Premchand is one of the foremost writers of the country of early 20th century. He had great connection with Gorakhpur as most of his writing depicts the place. He left his Government job after the speech of Gandhi ji from Bale ka manidan in Gorakhpur and joined the freedom struggle in 1921. Though he spent a lot of time in Gorakhpur but unfortunately the city forgot him on his death anniversary as there was no observance program organized on 8 October. The great writer died in Varanasi on 8th October, 1936 at the age of 56. In his short life, he penned over 14 novels and 300 short stories in Hindi and Urdu
Premchand spent a lot of time in Gorakhpur, says renowned writer of Hindi and Bhojpuri language, Ravindra Pratap Srivastav, Jugani, “Premchand came to Gorakhpur just after three months of his birth as his father was a clerk in Post office and they use to reside in Pahadpur in Gorakhpur. His early education completed in Rawat Pathshala near Pahadpur, his first job was in Gorakhpur as a Government teacher in Narmal School and his first son was also born in Gorakhpur. He joined freedom struggle after listening Mahatma Gandhi speech in Bale ke maidan in Gorakhpur. He left the government job after listening the speech and that time he was inspector of school and people use to call him Dypty sb.”
Gorakhpuriyat could be easily seen in his writing says Jugani, “ Gorakhpur could be easily seen in his writing, the language he used in his novels and stories is of Gorakhpur, the style of living he depicted in his writings is similar to life style of Gorakhpur of that time and above all the communal harmony and Hindu Muslim unity which is woven in his stories could be of Gorakhpur only as he could find Hameed in Eidgah only in Gorakhpur and the Eidgah which he described in the story is Mubarak Khan Shaheed in Gorakhpur, in his story Ramlila he describes Ramlila of Birdghat in Gorakhpur and in Namak ka Daroga in which he hits corruption is the story of Rajghat bridge in Gorakhpur.” “There are innumerous examples including Gulli Danda, Kankauwa, where one could find Gorakhpur.
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On the same lines the head of Hindi Department of DDU Gorakhpur University, Prof. Janardan says, “Gorakhpur lives in Premchand novels and stories and at this point of time when many people are trying to disturb the communal harmony and Hindu Muslim unity in the country,Premchand is most needed.”
