Indra Bahadur Rai, born on February 3, 1927 at Balasan Tea Estate in Darjeeling, is one of the most eminent writers of long as well as short fictions. He is also highly regarded as one of the pioneers of objective approach in literary studies in Nepali. His major works are incorporated into the syllable prescribed for undergraduate and post-graduate studies in Nepali by different Boards of Education and Universities in India and Nepal. He has always championed the cause of development of Nepali language and literature as one of the major components constituting Indian Literature as a single cultural whole.
Being the founder secretary of All India Nepali Bhasa Manyata Samiti (1961) he led the movement and paved the way for the recognition of State Language in West Bengal. The movement for the constitutional recognition to Nepali language gathered its highest momentum under his stewardship as president of the All India Nepali Bhasa Samiti during the years 1978 and 1979. As he became too much involved in the movement he decided to take voluntary retirement from his job as a Lecturer of English at St. Joseph’s College, Darjeeling in 1979 itself. Later he joined active politics with a view to fight for the constitutional and democratic rights of the hill people in Darjeeling. But, despite all these involvements he always took literature as his first love. He has published to his credit four books of narrative prose fictions, an equal number of books on literary criticism and many books of non-fiction prose.