New Delhi: Just a week into what was meant to be a massive milestone in her writing journey — a first-of-its-kind Hindi writers’ residency — 27-year-old S plunged into the worst night of her life. Celebrated Hindi author Krishna Kalpit allegedly walked into her room and tried to touch her inappropriately. He was part of the same Patna writers’ residency programme.
“I gathered the courage to file a complaint, and he was sent back from the residency. But the last few days have been unbearable. I’m going back home,” S told ThePrint, as she boarded a train to Allahabad from Patna.
The incident has shaken the Hindi literary and publishing world like never before. Since then, many women authors have taken to social media to speak out about Kalpit’s consistent misogynistic slurs. Some told ThePrint they had previously ignored or tolerated his behaviour, but the Patna incident broke the silence.
The writers’ residency, organised by the Hindi literary magazine Nayi Dhara on its 50th anniversary, was a prestigious initiative. It filled a vacuum in the Hindi literary universe — to support emerging voices. Two writers were selected by a jury — S, a promising new voice, and Krishna Kalpit, a well-known, published author.
Everyone in the Hindi world knew he had abused women. Yet publishers, editors, and platforms stayed silent. This silence gave him the courage to commit a crime —
Prabhat Ranjan
Now, it is the allegation of sexual harassment during the six-week-long Patna residency that has become the point of conversation among Hindi writers, publishers, and scholars.
“Everyone in the Hindi world knew he had abused women. Yet publishers, editors, and platforms stayed silent. This silence gave him the courage to commit a crime,” said Prabhat Ranjan, associate professor of Hindi at Zakir Husain College, Delhi, and author of six novels.
Nayi Dhara responded immediately to S’s complaint, releasing a statement on 10 June: “We want to state clearly that we take all such matters with utmost seriousness. We are committed to ensuring a safe and respectful environment for all complainants. Upon receiving the complaint, we promptly initiated a fair investigation process and, after careful consideration, took the necessary steps.”
Writers are now calling out the culture of silence in the Hindi literary circles. Poet Anu Shakti Singh said it’s the fear of losing favours or access that leads many to look the other way when such incidents occur.
Meanwhile, the publishing industry seems ready to confront uncomfortable questions around women’s safety.
“The primary basis for publishing a book has always been its content, not the writer’s personal character. But this too now demands serious discussion — how do we discourage such tendencies? As publishers, we have a responsibility to reflect on this collectively,” said a representative from Rajkamal Prakashan.
Hindi Yugm, another publishing house, called for legal action.
“If such an incident has taken place, legal action must be taken. The person responsible should go to jail, and publishers should stop publishing the work of such writers,” said its owner Shailesh Bharatwasi.
The primary basis for publishing a book has always been its content, not the writer’s personal character. But this too now demands serious discussion — how do we discourage such tendencies? As publishers, we have a responsibility to reflect on this collectively — Rajkamal Prakashan
ThePrint reached out to Krishna Kalpit with a detailed questionnaire. He declined to respond.
“It’s all just a social media trial. I don’t want to comment on this matter as of now,” he said over the phone.
Soon after, many Hindi women writers began sharing their own experiences involving Kalpit. Some described how he would post disparaging comments on Facebook, questioning their credibility. Writer and professor Anamika shared that he used to send her poems every day on WhatsApp. When she asked him to stop and he didn’t, she blocked him. Later, when she awarded a prize to a younger male poet, Kalpit implied she had done so because of the poet’s looks.
“He accused me of giving the award to a pretty face…Then he started saying nasty things about me on public platforms,” Anamika said.
S is now back home. Every day at 4:50 pm, her heart races — and she is back in that moment. She fought back and got him removed. The next day, when she confronted him, it was a different kind of battle.
“He is my grandfather’s age. Even after doing that, he wasn’t sorry. He told me, ‘You are a new girl in literature. How would you know? We talked so much about Anamika, there was a lot of uproar. You can tell people if you want, but no one will be able to do anything to me,’” S told ThePrint.
Also read: Hindi literary mag Nayi Dhara gets a reboot. For Ashoka University founder, it’s personal
The Hindi world, shattered
The Hindi literary community is now engaged in a fierce debate. Social media timelines once filled with poetry, book announcements, and awards are now flooded with outrage, open letters, and personal testimonies.
The community stands sharply divided. One side is demanding accountability. The other is uneasy about the backlash Kalpit is facing, questioning the tone and intensity of the criticism.
“The language and unity with which he is being opposed — by certain powerful, prominent, and organised writers from Delhi and other capitals — deeply worries me, because it is this very group, or ones like it, that have, not once but many times, placed me in a similar situation,” wrote Uday Prakash, renowned author of Peeli Chhatri Wali Ladki.
He [Krishna Kalpit] is my grandfather’s age. Even after doing that, he wasn’t sorry. He told me, ‘You are a new girl in literature. How would you know? We talked so much about Anamika, there was a lot of uproar. You can tell people if you want, but no one will be able to do anything to me — S, the survivor
Kalpit has posted a legal notice on Facebook, warning of defamation suits against those “targeting” him.
Meanwhile, some are questioning the survivor: Why hasn’t she filed a police complaint? Why is this playing out on social media?
In her email complaint, S demanded a handwritten apology from Kalpit. Failing that, she asked for his removal from the residency.
“Kalpit should know that not every girl is available to him. Not every girl will stay silent. He is not such a great writer that he can harass a girl forty years younger than him, inside the home of an IPS officer, and still roam around proudly. And the people at Nayi Dhara are well aware of his actions,” S wrote in Hindi.
Her Facebook post triggered a wave of similar testimonies from other writers, many sharing past encounters with Kalpit’s sexist or abusive remarks.
“If you see flaws in a person, don’t give weight to their writing,” wrote Anu Shakti Singh.
Prabhat Ranjan, who has over 35,000 followers on Facebook, shared S’s email and publicly supported her.
“Does anyone still have doubts?” he wrote. “The sad part is that even after knowing the truth, people supported him. At least now I cannot consider Krishna Kalpit a poet.”
She has returned to Allahabad.
“I have had four panic attacks in four days,” she told ThePrint.
As she faces trolling and character attacks online, Kalpit continues to post photos of outings and daily life.
Some voices in Hindi literature now see this as part of a larger frame — symptomatic of deeper power imbalances in the literary world.
“There are three perspectives to see this,” said senior poet, cultural commentator, and former Sahitya Akademi chair Ashok Vajpeyi. “A senior writer misbehaved with a junior. A man misbehaved with a woman. And a litterateur abused his position of superiority. This offence is unforgivable. Strict action must be taken.”
Also read: Is Hindi literature adapting to survive? It has more Chetan Bhagats than Omprakash Valmikis
A pattern of abuse
Writer, Sahitya Akademi-awardee and Jaipur Literature Festival co-director Namita Gokhale, who created and curated the multilingual book programme Kitaabnama for Doordarshan in 2013, was also targeted by Krishna Kalpit’s online and offline abuse after he wasn’t invited to JLF. Kalpit, who worked with Doordarshan Jaipur at the time, withdrew cameramen from Gokhale’s programme and made several personally abusive phone calls to her.
“Kalpit put up obscene posts about me on Facebook, which he later deleted—after the posts had been widely circulated. He did everything in his power to insult and intimidate me in his signature crass style,” Gokhale recalled. The harassment caused her to lodge a formal complaint with the Women’s Cell of Doordarshan.
“I was hurt and shocked to see there was no response to my formal complaint. I was concerned and wanted to set a precedent, to enable other women to speak up. I waited to complete a hundred episodes of this much lauded programme, and then resigned in the face of Kalpit’s relentless harassment,” she said.
Kalpit later launched the Parallel Literature Festival in Jaipur, which was supported by the Progressive Writers Association. “Ashok Vajpeyi was asked to inaugurate it. To Ashok ji’s lasting credit, he withdrew from the festival upon learning of the sordid stories that characterised Kalpit’s sexist misogyny.”
In a Facebook post, Vajpeyi wrote: “In light of such a person convening the event, for me to be part of the PLF would represent supporting the indecent and objectionable behaviour of this person, which my conscience would not allow.”
Anamika, too, was targeted by Kalpit, who eventually apologised to her.
“I was ready to file a complaint, but I thought he’s an old man and he had apologised, so I should let it go. But this time, what he did is criminal. He is a habitual offender,” said Anamika, who teaches English at Satyawati College, Delhi University.
Also read: How Hind Pocket Books brought a ‘paperback revolution’ in Hindi publishing
Who is Krishna Kalpit?
Kalpit is a prominent figure in Hindi literature, with works published on platforms like Hindwi, Rajkamal, and Rekhta. He shared multiple photos from the Patna writers’ residency, including one featuring S.
“Yesterday evening, a gathering was held at Surajpura Kothi… Young poetess, who was staying with me at the writers’ residence, also recited a poem,” Kalpit wrote on Facebook.
Born in 1957 in Fatehpur-Shekhawati, Rajasthan, Kalpit worked in teaching, journalism, and retired in 2017 as Additional Director General (Policy) at Doordarshan. His books include Bheed Se Guzarte Hue, Badhai Ka Beta, and Ek Sharabi Ki Suktiyan. He has won the Niranjannath Acharya Samman and the Major Ramprasad Poddar Samman.
Both Kalpit and S were selected by a jury for the Patna writers’ residency.
“We were three judges. We received a total of four entries. I had clearly written that a senior writer like Krishna Kalpit should not be selected. Two women were my top choices,” wrote jury member Priya Darshan on Facebook.
After the incident, S posted what many in Hindi literary circles were thinking but not saying:
“Sab andar se toot gaya hai… tum puchoge kisne toda, ek naam le paaungi kya? Kal ki ladki – kaun ho tum? Tumhe kaun sunega?” (“Everything inside me has shattered… You’ll ask who broke it. Will I be able to name someone? A new girl – who are you? Who will listen to you?”)
She later posted a photo of a clock showing 4:50 pm.
“The exact time,” she wrote.
Editor’s note: The identity of the woman has been kept secret.
(Edited by Prashant)