MP: Iconic Urdu Literary Figure Dr. Bashir Badr Passes Away at 91
Famous for his emotional couplet over communal riots- “Log tut jate hai ek ghar banane mein, tum taras nahin khate bastiyon jalane mein”
Bhopal: Iconic Urdu poet Dr. Bashir Badr, who touched millions of hearts with his soulful, simple and deeply emotional poetry, passed away here on Wednesday at 91.
He was suffering from dementia for the past 14 years.
His widow, Rahat Badr, shared the news of his demise through an emotional social media post that read, “Bashir Saheb has left us…. Prayers”.
Born on February 15, 1935, in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, the legendary poet is known for his rich and unique literary works which blended profound emotions with simple and common men’s language, liberating the Urdu literature from the confine of the elite class to the ordinary people.
He pursued his higher education in the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and completed his PhD and later served in the institution as professor in the Urdu department.
The celebrated poet had command over Urdu, Parsi and English.
His widely acclaimed collection, Aas, got him the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award in 1999.
He was also honoured with Padma Shri award for his immense contrition to the literature.
Dr. Badr strode like a titan in the Urdu literary world and is credited for introducing modern sensibility to traditional ghazals.
He had shifted to Bhopal from Meerut in 1987 with a heavy heart after his house was burnt down by the miscreants, destroying several priceless literary manuscripts, diaries and poems collected over decades.
He outpoured his pains for losing everything in the communal riots in form of a poignant couplet that read, “Log tut jate hai ek ghar banane mein, tum tarash nahin khate basityon jalane mein” (People break down (financially) after building a house, and you show no compassion by setting ablaze settlements).
His hurt feelings recoiled in another couplet, “Dusmani jam kar karo lekin gunjaish rahe, jab kabhi hum dost ho jaye to sarminda na rahe” (Bear enmity with all your might, but this we should decide; if ever we be friends we are not mortified).
His literary genius is manifested in his another ‘sayari’ that read, “Jis din pe chala hun meri manzil pe nazar hai, ankhon ne kabhie mil ka pathar nahin dekha” (The day I started my journey, I set my eyes on my goal, but my eyes never saw any milestone.)
He was drowned in his world of literature till his last days even during his days of dementia as he used to finish off his couplets, penned by him, when his wife begins them to help him revive his memory.
Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav expressed his deep grief over the demise of the legendary poet, saying that the latter had left huge vacuum in the world of Urdu literature which can never be filled.
With his passing away, an era of Urdu poetry has come to an end, but his timeless ghazals will remain in the hearts of literature lovers forever, writer and former bureaucrat, Rajiv Sharma said.
