Acharya Janki Ballabh Shastri. Picture by Prakash Kumar

Muzaffarpur, Feb. 16: A towering name in the field of Hindi literature, Acharya Janki Ballabh Shastri (96), and his wife Chhaya Devi (85), have been admitted to Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) in the district last week.

Shastri carved out a place for himself in the field of Hindi literature. He is said to have furthered the legacy of great literary personalities like Prem Chand and Surya Kant Tripathi among others.

The poet today lives a life of seclusion. On his 96th birthday on February 5, his disciples wished him a healthy life at a function in his presence. However, because of his poor health conditions, Shastri could not speak much on the occasion.

As the health condition of him and his wife deteriorated, they were taken to SKMCH.

Shastri lost his cool while talking to The Telegraph at the SKMCH. While feebly murmuring his couplets, Shastri vent his anger against the state government for “discarding” him and his wife.

Recipient of a dozen of awards by the state governments of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh including Sadbhavna Samman Award, Rashtra Bhasha Shikhar Samman, Bal Bharti Puraskar and Acharya Shiv Pujan Sahay Samman Award, among others for his plethora of creations and magnum opus in Hindi namely Kalidas, Uttam Purush, a collection of poems, Hans Balika, Bela, Sune Kaun Nagma and Radha, an epic poem among many others. Shashtri told The Telegraph : “I am a poet of sensibilities. I have lived with the poor, listened to their cries, shared moments of sorrow and happiness with them, tasted their food and slept with them and have depicted these in my works. I always loved spending time amid nature and with pets. The way the state government treated me and kept me confined to the hospital. I want to write something, but am not being able to, because of my ill health. Even my wife is counting her days.”

SKMCH superintendent Dr G.K. Thakur said Shastri’s health condition is gradually improving.