Renowned Urdu poet Munawwar Rana dies at 71 after prolonged illness

Lucknow, Jan 15: Renowned Urdu poet Munawwar Rana on Sunday breathed his last at a hospital in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow following a cardiac arrest.

He was 71 and had been battling with a prolonged illness for the past several months.

Rana was undergoing treatment at the PGI hospital in Lucknow.

Born on November 26, 1952, in Uttar Pradesh's Raebareli, Munawwar Rana is known for his significant contributions to Urdu literature, especially for his ghazals.

In 2014, he was honoured with the Sahitya Akademi Award for his poem, 'Shahdaba'. However, he had returned the award, alleging 'intolerance' in the country.

He also received other awards, including the Ameer Khusro Award, the Mir Taqi Mir Award, the Ghalib Award, the Dr Zakir Hussain Award, and the Saraswati Samaj Award, throughout his career.

Rana, a renowned figure in Urdu poetry, is admired by people across the globe. His ability to capture the essence of life was apparent in his work.