Urdu poet Munawwar Rana dies at 71

A famous name in the Urdu literature Munawwar Rana died due to cardiac arrest Sunday at the age of 71 in Lucknow according to his family as he was suffering from multiple health conditions alongside throat cancer.  

His family told Press Trust of India (PTI) Sunday that he breath his last at the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences.

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

He is survived by his wife, four daughters, and a son.

Munawwar Rana's son Tabrez Rana was quoted as saying in PTI report: "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 11pm 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 the 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'.

However, 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