Well-known journalist and social worker of the country Jugnu Shardey is no more. He died in an old age home in Delhi. Jugnu Shardey, a well-known, eminent and combative journalist from Bihar, spent his last days in loneliness and oblivion. In the last days, he suffered from pneumonia and was brought to Delhi from the old age home’s branch at Garhmukteshwar. According to the information, social worker Rajendra Ravi was constantly taking information about his conditions, but his death was reported by the ashram after the cremation because the police had admitted him to the ashram after telling him that he was an unclaimed person. Rajendra went to the crematorium to pay his respects on his cold pyre.
It was told that none of his relatives or friends were with him at the time of his death. He had left his family long ago and used to hang out with a large group of friends. Those who knew him include Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and former Chief Minister Lalu Prasad. Jugnu, who came out of the socialist movement, was famous for his sharp writing and temperamental lifestyle. But he spent some last years of his life in illness and loneliness. When Laxminagar police took him under his protection and admitted him to the old age home in a sick condition in Delhi, many journalists and social workers appealed to the Chief Minister of Bihar to make arrangements for his care. In view of the housing, health and economic problems of Jugnu Shardey, a letter was written to Nitish Kumar months ago, but no result came out. However, after his death, Nitish Kumar has expressed grief.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said, “Jugnu Shagdeya was a well-known Hindi journalist. Along with ‘Jana’, ‘Dinman’ and ‘Dharmyug’, he was associated with the editing and publication of many newspapers and magazines. He had great affection for the forests and this attachment towards the forests turned into his attachment to the creatures. The news of his death is very sad. His death has caused an irreparable loss to the journalism world.”
According to the information, he was also very popular in the old age home and the employees of the ashram used to call him as Jugnu Dada. Even in his last days, his memory and laughter remained intact. He had no complaints about friends leaving him alone. His confidence also never wavered. A senior journalist from Patna, who worked with Jugnu Shardey, said on condition of anonymity
“Jugnu Shardey was a very arrogant person. He could speak anything to anyone at any time. That’s why people were afraid of him, although his fans also took his scolding as a blessing. A few years ago in Patna When the stage operators were praising him at the launch of one of his books, Jugnu Shardey scolded him and said that tell about the book, not about me. So such was the nature of Jugnu Shardey. Shardey had left his house since the time of the Socialist Party. Jugnu Shardey had good relations with many socialist leaders and he also spent a long time at the house of these leaders. Sometimes a journalist, sometimes a friend, sometimes a hotel. Once upon a time, the life of Circuit House, Jugnu Shardey kept going like this.”
Mumbai-based senior journalist Anurag Chaturvedi, remembering him after the death of Jugnu Shardey, wrote that Jugnu Shardey was the best person to know India’s railways and India’s jungle. Thus he did journalism, produced the film “Sote Raho” unfinished and became a socialist and saved Jayaprakash Narayan from eating sticks. He was the darling of many, from Vijay Tendulkar to Dharamveer Bharti. From Renu to Raghuveer Sahai. From Raj Babbar to B. R. Till the signal Deepak Malpani and Ganesh Mantri were his friends in Mumbai.
