President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have expressed grief over the demise of Manoj Das, a noted educationist, popular columnist and prolific writer. In a tweet today, Mr. Kovind said, the passing of Manoj Das is a huge loss to the world of Odia and English writing. He said, Manoj Das' towering stature as a fiction writer, his simplicity and spirituality gave him a unique identity.<br />'' <br />''In a tweet today, Prime Minister Modi said, Manoj Das has made rich contributions to English and Odia literature and he was a leading exponent of Sri Aurobindo's philosophy.<br />''<br />