Ramanlal Soni facts for kids

Ramanlal Pitambardas Soni (born January 25, 1908 – died September 20, 2006) was a famous writer from Gujarat, India. He was also known by his pen name, Sudamo. He wrote many books for children. Ramanlal Soni was also a translator and a social worker. He mainly wrote in the Gujarati language.

His Life Story

Ramanlal Soni was born on January 25, 1908. His birthplace was Kokapur, a village near Modasa in northern Gujarat. He finished his school studies in Modasa. In 1940, he earned a college degree (BA) from Agra University.

After his studies, he returned to Modasa. He became the principal of Modasa high school. In 1945, he left his job to focus on social work. He believed in helping people and making society better.

Ramanlal Soni was involved in the satyagraha movement in 1932. This was a peaceful protest movement for India's independence. During this time, he was sent to Yerwada Central Jail. While in jail, he learned the Bengali language.

Later, he became a member of the legislative assembly of Bombay state. This means he was part of a group that made laws for the state. He served in this role from 1952 to 1957.

Ramanlal Soni was married to Rasikbala Soni. They had three children: Shriram, Jayram, and Pratima. His eldest son, Shriram, became a doctor. Ramanlal Soni passed away on September 20, 2006, in Ahmedabad.

What He Wrote

Ramanlal Soni wrote many original stories and poems for children. He also translated and changed other stories to make them suitable for young readers. He wrote different types of works for kids, including:

• Stories
• Poems
• Rhymes
• Plays
• Biographies (life stories of famous people)

Many of his stories and poems appeared in the "Zagmag" section of the newspaper Gujarat Samachar in the 1990s. In 1999, he published his autobiography. An autobiography is a book about a person's own life. His book was called Rakh nu Pankhi.

Ramanlal Soni was also a skilled translator. He translated many books from Bengali into Gujarati. Some of the important books he translated include:

• Gora by Rabindranath Tagore
• Chokher Bali by Rabindranath Tagore
• Rajarshi by Rabindranath Tagore
• Shrikant by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay

He also translated works by other famous Bengali writers like Tarashankar Bandopadhyay and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.

Awards and Honors

Ramanlal Soni received important awards for his writing. In 1996, he was given the Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak. This is the highest literary award in the Gujarati language. It is a very special honor for writers.

In 1999, he also received the Gujarat Gaurav Puraskar. This award was given to him by the Government of Gujarat. It recognized his great contributions to literature and society.