Veteran poet Bekal Utsahi no more
Veteran poet and former Rajya Sabha MP Bekal Utsahi breathed his last at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital here on Saturday. Utsahi was undergoing treatment for brain hemorrhage. Ashok Chakradhar, a poet, remembered Utsahi’s contribution to Hindi literature and said it is a personal loss for him as the latter was like a father figure.
‘Kahan aag leke nikle aye hawaaon ke jhonkon, mera gaon bach sake to meri jhopari jala do’
‘Qaid yeh hai sar-e-baam rahen honth siley, huqm yeh hai ke har ek baat zabani kahiye’
These simple but sensitive lines come from Mohammad Shafi Khan ‘Bekal Utsahi’, acclaimed as the “poet of the people”, as he knows how to penetrate deep into their hearts and touch their innermost feelings.
Bekal Utsahi was born in a Lodhi family of farmers in Gaur Ramwapur village in Utraula tehsil of Balrampur district, on July 19, 1930. His father Zafar Khan was a man of standing in the area.
He received early education under the guidance of his mother who was well-versed in Arabic, Persian, Urdu and Hindi. He also attended the village madarsa and later went for higher education where he passed ‘Munshi’ and ‘Visharad’ examinations. He also cleared Adib Mahir, Kamil and Vishesh Yogyatra degree examinations in Urdu and Hindi.
He showed early signs of poetic leanings and was influenced by late Jigar Moradabadi, a poet of undisputed greatness. Bekal had the conventional looks of a poet – a long flowing beard, loose robes, eyes that twinkled with imagination and peeped through the thick glasses in philosophical disdain.
One might think Bekal Utsahi was a poet in the hedonistic style of Omar Khaiyyam. But Bekal was not given to the ‘saaqi maikhana’ theme.
His poetry is as modern as green revolution. He sings of the smiling fields around him, of communal harmony and hundreds of other things concerning contemporary Indian life.
The word ‘Utsahi’ was added to his name in 1951 by Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru. During a ‘mushaira’, Pt Nehru got emotional while listening to his poetry and named him ‘Utsahi’ (enthusiast), one who
HE WAS AWARDED PADMA SHRI BY THE THEN PRESIDENT FAKRUDDIN ALI AHMAD.
is noted for arousing emotion and feelings.
He was awarded Padma Shri by the then President Fakruddin Ali Ahmad. In 2015, UP government conferred Yash Bharti on him.
Bekal enjoys the admiration of both Urdu and Hindispeaking people. He was not only a poet but also a keen and devoted social worker.
The national song of Mauritius, ‘Hind mahasagar ka prahari, kavi Bekal ne yahi pukara’, was written by Bekal Utsahi which was admired by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Although most of Bekal’s thoughts and writings concern the country, he has not ignored love.
He also strongly condemned the terrorist activities. Criticising the functioning of the government, he says:
‘ Ab to gehoon na dhan bote hain, Apni kismat kisan bote hain
Fasal tehsil kaat leti hai, Hum musalsal lagaan bote hai.
Gaon ki khetian ujaad ke hum, Shahar jaakar makaan bote hain. The writer is a journalist
in Balrampur, UP