Kuntha Jain (b.1917-d.2010), a distinguished playwright, author and poet was born on 12th October 1917 at Bihari village, Muzaffarnagar District, Uttar Pradesh, India. Her educational journey took her through Delhi and Lahore, where she demonstrated exceptional academic prowess, culminating in a B.A. (Hons.) in English Literature from Hindu College, University of Delhi. She married Lakshmi Chandra Jain, a writer and journalist in 1934.
In 1938, she attained a Bachelor of Teaching degree from Punjab University and assumed the role of Headmistress at the Teachers’ Training College, Mahila Mahavidyalaya, Lahore until 1943. Her significant contributions to the institution's development and recognition as a premier teachers’ training centre were widely acknowledged. In addition to her academic pursuits, Kuntha actively participated in India’s freedom struggle.
She became Secretary of the newly established High School in Dalmianagar, Bihar, and introduced science teaching and orchestrated cultural activities for the families of officers and workers, 1943-1954. In 1955, she relocated to Calcutta (now Kolkata) as Secretary of the esteemed cultural organization ‘Anamika’, which garnered national acclaim for its pioneering efforts in staging plays and dance dramas by contemporary Indian authors and poets in Hindi. Furthermore, she held the position of President at the organization ‘Manisha’, directing a program of songs written and composed by Rabindranath Tagore, translated from Bangla into Hindi. She founded the organization ‘Rachna’ and served as President of the All India Women’s Writers’ Conference (‘Lekhika Sangh’), and founder member of ‘Samvad’.
Kuntha, as a prolific writer, contributed scripts for dramas and ballets based on works by recipients of the Bharatiya Jnanpith Award, and maintained a consistent presence as a contributor to esteemed journals in Hindi and English.
Her published works include Vardhman Rupayan (1975), Mahapran Bahubali (second edition 2018), and poems Ananya (1998). She edited Parinay Geetika, Shaishvankan, and also translated a Pictorial Biography of the scientist C.V. Raman from English into Hindi.
She passed away on 10th November 2010.
About the Collection: The papers of Kuntha Jain have been donated by her daughter, Sheena Jain. The collection contains handwritten notes and poems, articles, notes and papers related to books, dramas, and ballet on ‘Mahavir’, a script for the ballet ‘Radha’, related reviews, and other material. It also contains a draft manuscript of the translation of 'Agyeya' poems in English, notes from the Oxford Debating Society, obituaries, academic letters of recommendations, a copy of the book Chandrashekhar Venkat Raman- a Pictorial Biography, Ghalib Centenary Celebration (1869-1969), and photographs including group photographs and portraits of Kuntha Jain. The papers of both Lakshmi Chandra Jain and his wife Kuntha Jain are a significant resource for students studying the cultural and literary history of modern and contemporary India.
Donor: Indu Jain
Acquisition: 2024