Munawwar Rana laid to rest in Lucknow, PM offers condolences
At the age of 71, Rana succumbed to a heart attack late on Sunday night, leaving behind a legacy that touched the hearts of many
Noted Urdu Poet Munawwar Rana, whose Ghazals resonated across generations, was laid to rest at the Aishbagh cemetery on Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to Rana by tweeting on X.
“Pained by the passing away of Munawwar Rana. He made rich contributions to Urdu literature and poetry. Condolences to his family and admirers,” he wrote.
Rana had met the Prime Minister in 2017 and gifted his book to him.
At the age of 71, Rana succumbed to a heart attack late on Sunday night, leaving behind a legacy that touched the hearts of many. Personalities like film lyricist Javed Akhtar arrived in Lucknow to pay their last respects at the funeral, offering heartfelt condolences to the grieving family. Akhtar was very emotional on the occasion and described the demise of Rana as “a loss to the culture of India.”
Akhtar, shouldered the bier of the late poet and said that this loss will probably never be compensated. He said, “The reality is that poetry has suffered a big loss. It’s the loss of Urdu and the culture of India.”
Akhilesh Yadav, Samajwadi Party president, visited Rana’s home, and emphasised the profound contribution the poet made to literature.
The funeral procession in Nadwa witnessed a large turnout, underscoring the widespread impact Rana had on the hearts and minds of people. His body was solemnly placed at Nadwa College, where funeral prayers were offered, bringing together admirers, fellow poets, and dignitaries in a shared moment of grief and reflection.
Rana battled kidney issues and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) for the past two years, enduring the rigours of dialysis in an effort to defy the inevitable. Unfortunately, his health led him to the SGPGIMS ICU in Lucknow on January 9, where he breathed his last.
Known for his impactful ghazals, Rana’s popularity reached beyond Urdu literature. The grief expressed by Akhtar underscored the profound impact Rana had on not only Urdu literature but the broader literary landscape.
Mohammed Saif Babar, a fellow poet from Lucknow, echoed the sentiments of loss, stating that Rana’s demise is not merely a blow to Urdu but a significant setback for Hindi literature as well. Rana’s honesty and unflinching commitment to truth were characteristics that defined him and endeared him to many. His departure will be keenly felt by those who admired him for his unwavering principles.
Rana received the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award in 2014, a testament to his literary brilliance. However, he became a controversial figure in 2015, when he returned the award stating that intolerance was on the rise during the BJP rule.
He was also in the news during the farmers’ protests, when he made controversial statements about the demolition of the Parliament building and converting it into farmland. He also compared RSS with Taliban when he was opposing the Uniform Civil Code.