2017-08-28 Mon

Aane wali naslen tum par fakhr karengi ham asro
Jab bhi unko dhyan aaega tumne firaq ko dekha hai
Future generations will feel envious of you when they would know that you got a chance to see Firaq – Raghupati Sahay ( Firaq Gorakhpuri)

Indian poetry and Indian literature, in particular, has a long history dating back to the Vedic period. Urdu poetry is one of the oldest forms of the literature and has a rich written and oral tradition. There’s beauty in every word and life lessons in every phrase.

Indian literature is filled with the works of some iconic poets who understood the nuances of the languages perfectly. Once such name is Raghupati Sahay, who was fondly known by his pen name Firaq Gorakhpuri.

Firaq was born today, 28 August 1896 in a distinguished literary family of Gorakhpur. He was not only a poet of the highest caliber but also a freedom fighter. Though after his graduation he was nominated for civil services, he preferred to take part in the freedom struggle and participated in Gandhiji's Non- Co-operation Movement. He was imprisoned for his nationalist activity in 1920. Later, he joined as a lecturer in English literature at Allahabad University.

He was a passionate champion of national integration and Hindu -Muslim unity.

He achieved fame as a teacher and as a most influential pre modern poet who paved the way of modern Urdu ghazal. He also was a recipient of many awards and honors, including the Sahitya Akademi award, Jnanpith Award and Padma Bhushan etc.

Department of post issued a 200 paisa (2 Rupees) postage stamp in memory of Firaq Gorakhpuri to mark his birth centenary.

Mintage World salutes this hero for his pioneering works in Urdu literature.

Dekh raftaar-e-inqalab ‘firaq’
Kitni ahista aur kitni tez