JK’s Cultural Academy brings Artists, Literati online to remember prominent poet Mir Ghulam Rasool Nazi

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages (JKAACL) today remembered prominent poet, writer and broadcaster, Mir Ghulam Rasool Nazki on his 22nd death anniversary–attracting artists, literati to go online and hail Naki’s contribution in literary sphere.
Hailing the literary services of the prominent poet and broadcaster, Secretary, Muneer-Ul-Islam said that Nazki ruled a literary era in Kashmir and his literary services can never be be forgotten.
“Amid these healthcare crisis, when all of us are homebound. We at Academy thought of remembering our legends through online mediums,” he said. ” I am highly thankful to the artists and writers fraternity who are just a call away on these times to contribute their part,” he added.
“Academy used to organize special tributary functions on the occasion but owing to lockdown, we couldn’t organise, as such we thought it will be a humble tribute from our side to the great literary personal,” The Secretary said. He said that social media was a biggest platform to connect people in these crisis.
On the occasion, several prominent singers, including, Munir Ahmad Mir, Waheed Jeelani among others paid their musical tributes by recording some famous Ghazals, written by Nazki. Besides several other artists, academicians joined the on-line group to pay their floral tributes to the prominent artist. Noted poets and writers, including Ghulam Nabi Aatish, Aziz Hajini, broadcaster, Rashid Nizami, Mishal Sultanpuri, Editor, JKAACL, Ashraf Tak also paid their tributes online.
The Ghazals were shared on the official page and handles of the Academy.
Pertinently, Mir Ghulam Rasool Nazki, was a prominent scholar, poet, writer, intellectual and broadcaster. He was born on March 16, 1910 in a family known for scholarship and spiritualism.
Mir Gh Rasool Rasool Nazki received his early education from his father Mir Ghulam Mustafa and completed the traditional courses in Persian, Arabic, and religious texts at a very early age. He was admitted to a school at Bandipore where from he completed his middle standard and then moved to Srinagar where he was enrolled in the Islamia School for his matriculation.
Upon completion of matriculation, he got a job as a language teacher at the tender age of 16 years. His first posting as a teacher at primary school Wadipora (Kupwara District) opened up the world of Urdu literature for Rasool Nazki. It was here that he came across few classical books particularly “Aab-e-Hayat” of Molana Muhammad Hussain.
He began composing Urdu verse and his compositions found their way into prestigious literary magazines of the time notably “Kaleem” edited by Josh Malihabadi and “Adb-e-Lateef”.
Nazki’s poem ‘ekand hilad kiki dua’ introduced him as a poet full of promise. Nazki continued to grow in stature and found a patron in the person of Khawaja Ghulam Sayidain, the famous educationist who came to Kashmir as the head of education department.
After serving at different schools, Nazki was inducted into the personal staff of Khawaja Sayidain and assigned the editorship of education department’s journal, the “Taleem-e-Jadeed”.
Nazki improved his academic qualifications and did his graduation in due course of time. He joined Radio Kashmir in 1948 and had the privilege of making the maiden announcement from Srinagar station. Nazki retired from All India Radio in 1966.
Nazki published his first volume of Urdu poetry ‘Deedai Tar’ in 1948 and thereafter came out with ‘chirageraah’ and ‘mataifaqeer’.
He also penned a commentary on Gani Kashmiri’s verses and a monograph on Nadim. He wrote extensively on subjects like tassawuf, aesthetics and naat.
Nazki moved towards writing Kashmiri poetry in later part of his literary career.
He is very well known for resuscitating the 4 line genre in Kashmiri poetry, a tradition that had begun with Lal Ded and Sheikh-ul-Alam.
Nazki’s Rubai is a four line wonder and gets easily etched on memory.
Nazki deals effectively with all subjects that matter to him in his Rubai, the spiritual, moral, ethical, aesthetic and satirical, nothing escapes his masterly treatment.
He published three volumes of Kashmiri poetry, ‘Nimrudnama’, Awaze Dost’ and ‘Kaweyenewol’. Hiskuliyat of Kashmiri poetry has been published recently.
Nazki has been described as the ‘Jamiulkamalat’ the multidimensional achiever.
He was an epitome of old world values and culture. Through his immortal quatrains, he unfolded all the four dimensions of his being the past and the present, life and death.This four dimensional concept gave rise to a new and unique Rishi attitude in his personality.
Nazki breathed his last on this day, the 16th April 1998 at Srinagar and is buried outside Kathi Darwaza. He composed his own epitaph which adorns his grave.