A poet who wrote fire into India's freedom struggle — Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked the birth anniversary of Rashtrakavi Ramdhari Singh Dinkar on Wednesday, September 23, offering what he called a 'shata-shata naman' — a hundredfold salute — to one of Hindi literature's most towering nationalist voices.

In his post, Prime Minister Modi wrote: 'राष्ट्रकवि रामधारी सिंह दिनकर जी की जयंती पर उन्हें मेरा शत-शत नमन।' — 'On the birth anniversary of Rashtrakavi Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, my hundredfold salutations to him.' He added that Dinkar's powerful poetry, filled with the spirit of public awakening and national self-respect, 'continues to this day to infuse valour, brilliance, and self-pride in the hearts of the people of this country,' and that his works enrich literature while deepening dedication to the motherland.

The poet who gave India its 'veer ras'

Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, born in 1908 in the Begusarai district of present-day Bihar, earned the title 'Rashtrakavi' — National Poet — for verse that crackled with nationalist energy at a time when India was still fighting for independence. His landmark works, including Rashmirathi and Hunkar, are anchored in veer ras — the literary sentiment of heroism — and remain staples of Hindi curriculum and public recitation across the country.

Dinkar's poetry was never quiet. It thundered against subjugation, celebrated martial courage, and called ordinary Indians toward a consciousness of their own dignity. Decades after his passing, lines from his works are still quoted in Parliament, at school assemblies, and at moments of national reckoning.

Modi's pattern of connecting governance to literary heritage

This tribute is part of a consistent practice by Prime Minister Modi of using social media to mark the birth anniversaries of writers, poets, and thinkers whose work emphasises national pride, self-reliance, and India's civilisational identity. From freedom-era philosophers to regional literary giants, these posts serve as a thread linking contemporary political messaging to India's cultural memory. Dinkar — with his themes of swabhiman (self-respect) and rashtriya chetna (national consciousness) — fits squarely within that frame.

For literature enthusiasts and students of Hindi poetry, the Prime Minister's acknowledgement keeps Dinkar's legacy visible in mainstream public discourse, well beyond the academic world.

Dinkar's words were written for a nation finding its spine. That they still resonate — in classrooms, in speeches, in a Prime Minister's post — is perhaps the surest proof that he found it.