Rehman Rahi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Abdur Rehman Rahi (born March 6, 1925, Srinagar) is an Kashmiri poet, translator and critic. He was awarded the Indian Sahitya Akademi Award in 1961 for his poetry collection Nawroz-i-Saba, the Padma Shri in 2000, and India's highest literary award, the Jnanpith Award (for the year 2004) in 2007. He is the first Kashmiri writer to be awarded the Jnanpith, India's highest literary award.

Rehman Rahi began his career as a clerk in the Public Works Department of the Government for a brief period in 1948 and was associated with the Progressive Writers' Association, of which he became the General Secretary. He also edited a few issues of Kwang Posh, the literary journal of the Progressive Writer's Association. He was later a sub-editor in the Urdu daily Khidmat. He did an M.A. in Persian (1952) and in English (1962) from Jammu and Kashmir University where he taught Persian. He was on the editorial board of the Urdu daily Aajkal in Delhi from 1953 to 1955.^[1]

He has long been an ardent advocate of the Kashmiri language. On getting the Jnanpith, he said, "I see the award as an honour for my poetry, and above all an honour for the language (Kashmiri) in which it was composed and for the people who use this language.Rehman Rahi's songs became popular in his life time only and have been sung by almost all the leading singers from the valley. His love duets like "Kathi Myani Maashoq mat ditta dhol , Ye na Chhun Dunya Rozan vol" became the most popular song in kashmiri in early sixties. His another song ' Su Ghulaab Roi Deuthum Bei Az Ghulaab Chhavaan " was a craze with every kashmiri in early seventies.Together with Prof Gh Nabi Firaq , Dina Nath Naadim ,Rahi formed the most popular trio of poets in the progressive circle of kashmir . "^[2]

[edit] Published works

Rahi's major works include:^[3]

• Sana-Wani Saaz (poems) (1952)
• Sukhok Soda (poems)
• Kalam-e-Rahi (poems)
• Nawroz-i-Saba (poems) (1958)
• Kahwat (literary criticism)
• Kashir Shara Sombran
• Azich Kashir Shayiri
• Kashir Naghmati Shayiri
• Baba Fareed (translation)
• Saba Moallaqat
• Farmove Zartushtan
• Seyah Rudi Jerean Manz (collection of Kashmiri poetry)
• Koesher Shyiree Te Waznuk Surati Hal (Kashmiri poetry and its parameters).

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Announcements of the Jnanpith award in The Hindu, Indian Express, and Greater Kashmir