Alongside politics, revolution and journalism Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi’s interest was also evolving in literature.
He used to go to Chirgaon where the famous Hindi writer Babu Maithili Sharan Gupta lived for literary interaction.
He would reveal to the writer his literary thoughts on Indian and foreign literature.
He was greatly surprised when he was nominated as the president of the convention of Gorakhpur Hindi Sahitya. Vidyarthi said to Maithili Sharan, “How would I be able to speak in Hindi convention?”
Maithilisharan said, “You are an editor and an editor is all knowing…You will face no difficulty in speaking on any subject.” The writer laughed.
“I have thought about it but I am not confident. Then, infact I write is Urdu. Not in Hindi.”
Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi knew little Hindi. Whatever he knew was what Acharya Mahavir Prasad Dwivedi had taught him.
Maithili Babu insisted, “In speech Hindi and Urdu are alike. The scripts only make the difference. So, you are as good in Hindi as good you are in Urdu.”
Maithilisharan was proved right.
When Vidyarthi started speaking at the convention of Hindi literature his Hindi sounded as good as Urdu. He opined that the future of Hindi was bright. He thought that Hindi would prove most uplifting and human language in the times to come. According to him Hindi enjoyed the benefit of a heritage of a vast history and mythology which was matchless. When most of the globe was groping in the darkness of ignorance and barbarism this part was aglow with the knowledge of sciences, arts, literature and spiritual wisdom which was spelled out in Hindi.
Buddha’s preachers spread the sublime thoughts of brotherhood of all human beings, compassion, mercy, non-violence and soul relationship of all the living creatures and vegetation.
Hindi was the voice of the great Hindu culture and the spirit, he reiterated.
Vidyarthi expressed his sadness at the lack of respect and pride over Hindi among the Indians. He cited how once Germans had refused to accept French even when it meant death by spearing. Similar instances could be found in respect of Italian, Hungarian and Saxon languages.
All the delegates were very impressed with the thoughts of the young editor.
His Hindi sounded like real Hindi.
The office of Pratap was always open for all revolutionaries, politicians and literary figures. The writers who used to frequent Pratap office were Babu Maithilisharan Gupta, Rasimendraji , Pundit Badrinath Bhatt, Babu Vrindavan Lal Verma, Bhagwan Narain Bhargava, Mannilal Pandey etc.
Pratap office was like a club for them.
Sanehi was head of the poetic wing of Pratap although he was not a resident of Kanpur. He used to come to Kanpur every now and then.
Makhanlal Chaturvedi was also a good friend and guide of Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi, But he preferred to keep his relationship a secret due to some reason. For a long time Chaturvedi kept himself a secret and would not reveal his address. He was perhaps a solitude loving person. However Vidyarthi had traced him out and established relationship.
Khandwa was where he used to live.
Vidyarthi or Shivnarain often went to Khandwa to meet him. Once Chaturvedi fell ill and Vidyarthi brought him to Kanpur for treatment.
That was how Vidyarthi was spiritually and emotionally attached to all writers. He had a deep respect for the men of literature.
Many outstation writers used to go to Kanpur merely to pay a visit to Pratap office and interact with Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi, an idealist journalist who knew how to respect the men of letters.
A true Vidyarthi he was.
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