Professor Rehman Rahi, Kashmir’s renowned poet, literary critic and the first Jnanpith awardee from the Valley died here on Monday. He was 98. Family sources said that Rahi breathed his last in the early hours at his residence in Srinagar’s Nowshera area.
A poetic legend whose contribution to the preservation and spread of Kashmiri language and poetry needs no explanation, Rahi is the author of a dozen books and translations.
During his career, he has mentored hundreds of students and scholars. For his contributions to Kashmiri language, he was honoured with all the top awards in Jammu and Kashmir.
But his career reached a pinnacle when Dr Manmohan Singh conferred him with the 40th Jnanpith Award as an eminent Kashmiri poet, on November 6, 2008.
According to family, Rahi started his career as a PWD clerk in 1948. He was also working with Khidmat newspaper as a sub-editor briefly. In 1952 he did his masters in Persian and a decade later another master’s in English. For most of his career, he taught at the University of Kashmir.
He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1961 for his poetic collection Nawroz-i-Saba, the Padma Shri in 2000 and the highest literary award, the Jnanpith Award in 2008 for Siyah Roodeh Jaeren Manz.
Rahi received the Sahitya Akademi Award for his collection of poems ‘Nawroz-i-Saba’ in 1961. He translated the works of Baba Farid into Kashmiri, while Dina Nath Naadim’s influence was apparent in his early works.
Rahi’s demise was widely condoled in Kashmir. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha termed his death as “end of an era”. “Deeply saddened to learn of the passing away of Jnanpith awardee Prof Rehman Rahi, one of the most influential poets in Kashmiri in recent times. His passing marks the end of an era. My sincere condolences to his family, friends and well-wishers,” Sinha said in a tweet.
Former chief minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti aslo condoled Rahi’s death. “Saddened to hear about the sad demise of towering literary personality and Gyanpeeth Awardee Jinab Rehman Rahi sb. In his death, Kashmiri Literature and society has been left with a void that can never be filled. My condolences to the family,” she tweeted.
“Rehman Rahi was one of the most outstanding figures in Kashmiri literature. His creative brilliance found expression in various genres of literature. His works reflect cultural and political vicissitudes of Kashmir. They’ll continue to influence young bards and writers. Deep condolences,” tweeted CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami.