Munawwar Rana, renowned poet, dies aged 71

Lucknow, Jan 14 (PTI) Renowned poet Munawwar Rana passed away at the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences here on Sunday. He was 71 years old.

He was suffering from throat cancer for a long time.

Rana's daughter Sumaiya Rana told PTI that 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," Rana's son His son Tabrez Rana told PTI.

Born in 1952 in Rae Bareli, Munawwar Rana was awarded the Gyanpeeth Award in 2014. His use of simple words in the poems made his works popular among the common people.

Rana's poem 'Maa', which is considered one of his most famous works, has a special place in the world of Urdu literature.

Sharing a couplet from Rana's poem, Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav, in a post on X, condoled the poet's demise.

"The demise of the country's renowned poet Munawwar Rana ji is extremely heart-wrenching. Wishing peace to the departed soul. Heartfelt tribute," Yadav wrote. PTI