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Padmashree Dr. Bashir Badr, the country’s most popular and famous poet, who made Urdu literature and modern Ghazal genre the language of the common people, passed away on Thursday. He was 91 years old and was suffering from a serious illness for a long time. The sad information of Bashir Badr’s demise was shared by his wife Rahat Badr through social media. He wrote in very emotional words, “Bashir Sahab left us…prayers” (Bashir Sahab left us…remember us in prayers).
As soon as the news of Dr. Bashir Badr’s departure was received, there was a wave of mourning in the entire country and the literary world. From common people to well-known pen writers from all over the world have paid tribute to him with tearful eyes. Bashir Badr is considered the ‘master’ of modern Ghazal, who took Urdu poetry out of bookish seriousness and connected it with the happiness and sorrow of the common man.
A wonderful journey from Ayodhya to Aligarh and Meerut
Born on 15 February 1935 in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, Dr. Bashir Badr had a deep connection with education and literature. He completed his higher education from the country’s famous Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and obtained his PhD degree in Urdu from here in the year 1973. After this, he also served as a professor of Urdu in AMU. On 12 August 1974, he joined the Urdu department of Meerut College as a lecturer. He was at such a high level of poetry that while working in Meerut College, he never needed to show his PhD degree; His name itself had become bigger by every degree.
When Bashir Badr’s house was burnt to ashes in the Meerut riots of 1987
There came a dark phase in the life of Bashir Badr which changed his entire life. During the horrific communal riots in Meerut in 1987, miscreants also burnt the house of this great poet. In this tragedy, not only was his home snatched away, but his years of hard work, priceless historical works, diaries and poems were burnt to ashes forever. After this deep shock and pain, Bashir Badr left Meerut and shifted to Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh forever.
Had mastery in writing ghazals in simple and easy words.
The biggest specialty of Bashir Badr was that he used very simple, typical and everyday colloquial language instead of heavy and complex Urdu words in the Ghazal genre. He made common words like ‘Ujale’, ‘Aankhen’, ‘Majbooriyaan’ and ‘Friendship’ immortal in his ghazals. His innumerable couplets like “There must have been some compulsions, no one is unfaithful like this” and “Yes, I very much want to speak the truth, what can I do, I don’t have the courage” even today. However, due to serious illness, he had completely avoided poetry gatherings and writing for the last several years.
Awarded with many national and international honors including Padmashree and ‘Josh-e-Urdu’
For his unmatched contribution in the field of literature and culture, the Government of India awarded him the country’s prestigious civilian honor ‘Padma Shri’. Apart from this, he was also honored with the Sahitya Akademi Award. In the year 2018, the officials of Dubai’s renowned literary organization ‘Bazm-e-Urdu’ specially visited his residence in Bhopal and honored him with the prestigious ‘Josh-e-Urdu-2018’ award, in which he was presented with a beautiful silver handmade shield and shawl.
Even though Bashir Badr is no more among us today, the magical couplets and ghazals written by him will always remain alive in the hearts of many generations to come and will continue to give the message of love.
