Renowned Urdu poet Munawwar Rana dies in Lucknow

A famous Urdu poet Munawwar Rana passed away at the age of 71 in Lucknow as he was suffering from throat cancer, his family told Press Trust of India (PTI) Sunday.

The cause of his death was cardiac arrest as he was also battling other ailments alongside cancer. He died at the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences Sunday.

His daughter Sumaiya Rana told PTI that her father will be laid to rest Monday.

According to her family, he is survived by his wife, four daughters, and a son.

Munawwar Rana's son Tabrez Rana told PTI: "He was hospitalised for 14 to 15 days due to illness. He was first admitted to Medanta in Lucknow and then to SGPGI where he breathed his last around 11 pm today."

Earlier, Munawwar Rana was battling with kidney and heart-related diseases.

Munawwar Rana was born on November 26, 1952, in Uttar Pradesh.

The 71-year-old was famous for his contributions to Urdu literature and poetry. His poetry was recognised as accessible, as he also used Hindi and Awadhi words in his writing.

In his work, the famous writing was poem 'Maa'.

During his journey as a successful poet, he also received numerous titles, including the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award in 2014 for his book 'Shahdaba'.

But the award was returned because of the rising extremism and religious intolerance in India. His other recognitions include the Ameer Khusro Award, Mir Taqi Mir Award, Ghalib Award, Dr Zakir Hussain Award, and the Saraswati Samaj Award.