Hriday Narayan Dikshit

Hriday Narayan Dikshit has combined a long career in politics with an even longer one as a writer on India’s philosophical traditions. In 2025 he was named for the Padma Shri in the field of literature and education, from Uttar Pradesh ^[1].

From Unnao

Dikshit was born on 25 December 1946 in Lauwa, Unnao district, and took a master’s in economics from Kanpur University ^[2]. He began in local public life in Unnao in 1972 and was imprisoned for 19 months during the Emergency ^[2]. He has managed schools in Unnao district since 1981, including a girls’ inter college he founded ^[2].

In the Assembly

He was elected five times to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, served as a minister for panchayati raj and parliamentary affairs, and was Speaker of the 17th Uttar Pradesh Assembly ^[2]. He has held posts in the Bharatiya Janata Party, including as its legislative party leader in the state legislative council from 2010 to 2016 ^[2].

A prolific writer

Dikshit founded and edited the magazine Kalchintan from 1978 to 2004, and has written a column for Dainik Jagran for more than 35 years ^[2]. In all he has written more than 6,000 articles ^[2]. His books include works on the Rigveda, the Atharvaveda, the Bhagavad Gita and Indian culture, such as Introduction to Rigved and Gita Revisited ^[2].

His honours include the Atal Bihari Vajpayee literary award of the Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sansthan ^[2].