Munawwar Rana

Background

But his father, out of love for India, preferred to remain here, despite the prevailing communal frenzy.

Career

His family later moved to Kolkata where the young Munawwar had his schooling. The notable feature of his poetry is that he used the genre of Ghazal to eulogize Mother, which is unique, as Ghazal was considered a poetic form in which lovers" conversed with each other. Apart from his poetry collection, Rana has also penned a memoir.

Rana"s poetry has also been published in Hindi, Urdu, Bengali and Gurumukhi.

Rana is known to be a sensitive poet who uses Hindi and Awadhi words in the couplets. He avoids using flowery language and shuns chaste Urdu in his couplets, which is a reason that he is successful in poetic meets in non-Urdu areas also.

He hails from Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh but spent most of his life in Kolkata. Munnawar Rana published his poetry not only in Urdu but also in Hindi and Bengali.

He performs poetry on stage as well.

Apart from his poetry collection, Rana has also penned a memoir. One recent performance was at Culrav, the cultrural event of National Institute of Technology Allahabad, in 2012. Sher:

Yeh Aisa Karz Hai Jo Main Ada Kar hi Nahi.n Sakta

Main Jab tak Ghar na Lautu.n meri Maa Sajde Maine.in Rehti hai

Munawwar has written numerous ghazals that are published collectively in various editions by various publications.

Achievements

• Sahitya Akademi Award for Urdu Literature 2014. (But like many other Sahitya Akademi award winners, he returned this award on 18 October 2015 on a live television show,and vowed to never accept any government award in future, after being accused(along with other Akademi award winners) of being a part of a conspiracy to tarnish the image of government, by the leaders of the ruling party BJP and its ideologue Royal Statistical Society, UK. Vishisht Rituraj Samman Award under ‘Parampara Kavita Parv 2012’ Ameer Khusro Award 2006, Itawa Kavita ka Kabir Samman Upadhi 2006, Indore Mir Taqi Mir Award 2005 Shahood Alam Afkui Award 2005, Kolkata Ghalib Award 2005, Udaipur Doctor Zakir Hussain Award 2005, New Delhi Saraswati Samaj Award 2004 Maulana Abdul Razzaq Malihabadi Award 2011 (West Bengal Urdu Academy) Saleem Jafri Award 1997 Dilkush Award 1995 Rais Amrohvi Award 1993, Raebareli Bharti Parishad Award, Allahabad Humayun Kabir Award, Kolkata Bazm e Sukhan Award, Bhusawal Allahabad Press Club Award, prayag Hazrat Almas Shah Award Saraswati Samaj Award Adab Award Mir Award Maulana Abul Hasan Nadvi Award Ustad Bismillah khan Award Kabir Award.