Advertisement
Mumbai: Renowned Urdu poet Munawwar Rana died at the PGI Hospital in Lucknow due to a cardiac arrest on Sunday. He was 71. According to the reports, he was ill for the last several days and was being treated in the ICU ward of Sanjay Gandhi PGI, Lucknow.
His daughter Sumaiya Rana said that her father died at the hospital on Sunday night and will be laid to rest on Monday. He had been battling lung and throat infection since 2017 and was also receiving treatment regularly due to kidney problems for which he had to undergo dialysis.
Rana’s son Tabrez Rana told media,”He was hospitalised for 14 to 15 days due to illness. He was first admitted to Medanta in Lucknow and then to SGPGI where he breathed his last around 11 pm today.” The poet is survived by his wife, four daughters and a son.
Born on November 26, 1952, in Uttar Pradesh’s Raebareli, Rana was widely recognised for his contributions to Urdu literature and poetry, particularly for his ghazals. In 2014, he was honoured with the Sahitya Akademi Award for his poem, ‘Shahdaba’. However, he had returned the award, alleging ‘intolerance’ in the country.
In 2012 he was awarded Maati Ratan Samman by Shaheed Shodha Sansthan for his services to Urdu literature. His poetic style was notable for its accessibility, as he often incorporated Hindi and Awadhi words while avoiding Persian and Arabic, which resonated with Indian audiences.
His most famous poem was ‘Maa’, which celebrated the virtues of a mother within the traditional ghazal form.Other awards he received include the Ameer Khusro Award, Mir Taqi Mir Award, Ghalib Award, Dr Zakir Hussain Award, and the Saraswati Samaj Award. His works have been translated into several languages.
Rana spent much of his life in Kolkata and had a significant presence in mushairas (poetic symposiums) both in India and abroad. The poet was also active in political developments in Uttar Pradesh. His daughter Sumaiya is a member of the Samajwadi Party (SP), led by Akhilesh Yadav.
Rana, a renowned figure in Urdu poetry, is admired by people across the globe. Rana has often been mired in controversies for his statements. The 71-year-old had drawn flak for favouring the Taliban and comparing it with Maharishi Valmiki, as well as for supporting the murder of Samuel Paty, who was killed over a controversy about Prophet Mohammad in Paris in 2020.
His ability to capture the essence of life was apparent in his work. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, in a social media post said, “The demise of the country’s renowned poet Munawwar Rana is extremely heartbreaking. Wishing peace to the departed soul. Heartfelt tribute.”
