Renowned Urdu poet Prof. Malikzada Manzoor Ahmad is no more

andalib akhter / AMN

A renowned personality of Urdu literary circle Prof. Malikzada Manzoor Ahmad passed away in Lucknow on Friday (April 22). He was 87. He is survived by six daughters and two sons. 

He was a great poet, critic, composer, compere, educationist and above all a good humourist. As a compere in Mushairas, he won the heart of million of people across the Urdu world. (Mushaire ki Nezamat ka Badshah)

He retired as Professor, Department of Urdu, University of Lucknow.

Many literary and Urdu organisations have condoled the demise of this great promoter of Urdu.

His books include College Girl, 1954 (Novel), Urdu ka Mas’laa, 1957 (Monograph), Shahr-e-Sukhan, 1961 (Poetry), Abul Kalam Azad: Fikr-o-Fan, 1964, Abul Kalam Azad Al-Hilal ke Aaine Mein, Ghubaar-e-Khaatir ka Tanqeedi Mut’aalaa, Shahr-e-Sitam (Poetry), Raqs-e-Sharar, 2004 (Autobiography), Intikhaab Ghazaliyaat Nazeer Akbarabadi 

He has written preface of more than 200 books.

Prof. Ahmad recited poems at thousands of mushairas (Urdu poetry ) and kavi-sammelans (Hindi poetry ) since 1949, in a number of countries other than India, viz., the USA, Canada, the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iran, Nepal and Pakistan. He was the editor of Imkan (Monthly Urdu literary journal from Lucknow) and President, All India Urdu Rabita Committee.

He was also the former president of the Fakhruddin Ali Ahmad Memorial Committee, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Urdu Academy.

He received many Awards and acclaomation including UP Urdu Academy Award for Lifetime Contribution to Urdu Literature, Award for the promotion of Urdu language, MP Urdu Academy Award for Lifetime Contribution, Imtiaz-e-Mir and Iftikhar-e-Mir from the All India Mir Academy, Honour from the Khuda Baksh Library, Patna, Maekash Akbarabadi Award, Harivansh Rai Bachchan Award, Sufi Jamal Akhtar Award, Firaq Samman from the Aalami Urdu Conference, New Delhi, Momin Khan Momin Ghazal, Faqr-e-Urdu Award from the Osmania University Ex-Students’ Association of Greater Chicago, Title of Sahitya Saraswat by Hindi Sammelan, Prayag.

Na Khauf-e-barq na Khauf-e-sharar lage hai mujhe
Khud apne bag ke pholoo se Dar lage hai mujhe
ajib dard ka rishta hai sari dunya main
kahin ho jalta makan apna ghar lage hai mujhe
mai ek jam hoon kis kis ke honTh tak pahnchoo
Gazab ki pyas liye har bashar lage hai mujhe
tarash leta hoon us se bhi aine “Manzoor”
kisi ke hath ka pathar agar lage hai mujhe

* نہ خوفِ برق نہ خوفِ شرر لگے ہے مجھے *
نہ خوفِ برق نہ خوفِ شرر لگے ہے مجھے
خود اپنے باغ کے پھولوں سے ڈر لگے ہے مجھے

عجیب درد کا رشتہ ہے ساری دنیا میں
کہیں ہو جلتا مکاں، اپنا گھر لگے ہے مجھے

میں ایک جام ہوں کس کس کے ہونٹ تک پہنچوں
غضب کی پیاس لئے ہر بشر لگے ہے مجھے

تراش لیتا ہوں اس سے بھی آئینہ منظور
کسی کے ہاتھ کا پتھر اگر لگے ہے مجھے