Firaq Gorakhpuri

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Firaq Gorakhpuri
فراق گورکھپوری
Sahitya Akademi Fellowship (1970)
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Raghupati Sahay (28 August 1896 – 3 March 1982), also known by his pen name Firaq Gorakhpuri, was an Indian writer, critic, and, according to one commentator, one of the most noted contemporary Urdu poets from India.[1] He established himself among peers including Muhammad Iqbal, Yagana Changezi, Jigar Moradabadi and Josh Malihabadi.[2][3]

Early life and career

Raghupati Sahay was born in Banwarpar village of

Urdu, Persian and English literature.[1]

Firaq had shown early signs of excellence in Urdu poetry and had always shown attraction towards literature. His contemporaries included famous Urdu poets like

Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Kaifi Azmi and Sahir Ludhianvi. Yet he was able to make his mark in Urdu poetry at an early age.[1]

He was selected for the Provincial Civil Service (P.C.S.) and the

Sahitya Akademi Award in Urdu. During his life, he was given the positions of research professor at the University Grants Commission and Producer Emeritus by All India Radio. After a long illness, he died on 3 March 1982, in New Delhi.[1]

Gorakhpuri was well-versed in all traditional metrical forms such as

rubaai and qat'aa. He wrote more than a dozen volumes of Urdu poetry, a half dozen of Urdu prose, several volumes on literary themes in Hindi, as well as four volumes of English prose on literary and cultural subjects.[citation needed
]

His biography, Firaq Gorakhpuri: The Poet of Pain & Ecstasy, written by his nephew Ajai Mansingh was published by Roli Books in 2015.[4] The book included anecdotes from his life and translations of some of his work.[citation needed]

Selected works

  • Gul-e-Naghma گلِ نغمہ [4]
  • Gul-e-Ra'naa گلِ رعنا
  • Mash'aal مشعال
  • Rooh-e-Kaayenaat روحِ کائنات
  • Roop رُوپ (Rubaayi رُباعی )
  • Shabnamistaan شبنمِستان
  • Sargam سرگم
  • Bazm-e-Zindagi Rang-e-Shayri بزمِ زندگی رنگِ شاعری

Awards

  • 1960 –
    Sahitya Akademi Award in Urdu
  • 1968 – Padma Bhushan[5]
  • 1968 – Soviet Land Nehru Award
  • 1969 – Jnanpith Award (First Jnanpith Award for Urdu literature)[6][4]
  • 1970 –
    Sahitya Akademi Fellowship
  • 1981 – Ghalib Academy Award

Death and legacy

Firaq Gorakhpuri died on 3 March 1982 at age 85.[1] Firaq fought for secularism all his life and played a key role against the then government's effort to label Urdu as a language of the Muslims.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Remembering the greatest Urdu poet since Ghalib, Firaq Gorakhpuri. India Today. 3 March 2016
  2. ^ Lucknow Christian Degree College to celebrate 150 years of glory. Times of India. 23 November 2012
  3. ^ Peace was his obsession (IK Gujral used to quote Firaq Gorakhpuri) Archived 20 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine. tehelka.com. 5 December 2012
  4. ^ a b c Books reflect a political fever. Times of India. 23 January 2015
  5. ^ "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  6. Jnanpith Website. Archived from the original
    on 13 October 2007. Retrieved 7 May 2018.

External links