Firaq Gorakhpuri: Urdu doyen who 'bettered' Nehru in English
A prolific writer, Firaq wrote in Urdu, English and Hindi with equal ease. He was part of the renowned English literature faculty at the Allahabad University.
Born on this day in 1896 in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur, Raghupati Sahay, better known by his pen name Firaq Gorakhpuri, is remembered for his Urdu poetry that has survived the test of time.
However, what is little known about this doyen of Urdu poetry is that he was a master of English too. Not known for his modesty, he is reported to have said once, "Only two and a half men know English in India. First comes Firaq, the other is Dr S Radhakrishnan (the second President of India) and (Jawaharlal) Nehru being the half."
Despite clearing the Indian Civil Service exams, Firaq heeded Mahatma Gandhi's call for non-cooperation and joined the movement against British rule.
A prolific writer, Firaq wrote in Urdu, English and Hindi with equal ease. He was part of the renowned English literature faculty at the Allahabad University.
He was awarded the Jnanpith Award in 1969, the Sahitya Akademi Award in Urdu in 1960 and the Padma Bhushan in 1968. He was the producer-emeritus at All India Radio too.
Another Urdu great Josh Malihabadi described him the greatest Urdu poet after Mir Taqi Mir and Mirza Ghalib, a sentiment shared by noted Urdu critic Gopi Chand Narang.
Personal tragedies like the death of his children coupled with a troubled marriage had made him a loner in life, which reflected in his grief-ridden poems. Personal tragedies apart, he was extremely proud and confident of himself. It is visible in this couplet:
Aane wali naslein tum par fakr kareingi Humasron
Jab inn ko yeh dhyaan aayega ke tum ne Firaq ko dekhaa thaa
(The generations to come will envy you, compatriots, When they will realise you had seen Firaaq.)
After a long illness, Firaq Gorakhpuri died on March 3, 1982, in New Delhi.