Renowned poet Munawwar Rana passed away at the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI) in Lucknow on Sunday. He was 71 years old.
He was suffering from throat cancer for a long time and was on ventilator for the last six days, according to his daughter Somaiyya Rana.
She said her father died at the hospital late on Sunday night and will be laid to rest on Monday.
The poet is survived by his wife, four daughters and a son.
“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,” Munawwar Rana’s son Tabrez Rana said late on Sunday.
Munawwar Rana’s poem ‘Maa’, which is considered one of his most famous poems, has a different place in the world of Urdu literature.
Born on November 26, 1952, he left a mark on Indian literature and his work, “Shahdaba”, earned him the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award in 2014 but he returned it due to political reasons. During the anti-CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act), his daughter and he supported the protesters. He was also in the news during the farmers’ agitation for purportedly controversial remarks.
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.”
Also Read: Bobby Deol’s Secret Weapon Behind the Comeback Roar
