Farooq Nazki was a renowned poet, writer, and media personality from Jammu and Kashmir. He passed away on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, at the age of 83, after suffering a heart attack at a hospital in Katra. He had won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1995 for his poetry book "Naar Hyutun Kanzal Wanas" (Fire in the Eyelashes). He had also served as the Director of Doordarshan and AIR Srinagar from 1986 to 1997, and as the media advisor to two former Chief Ministers of Jammu and Kashmir, Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah. He was widely respected and admired for his literary and cultural contributions to the state and the country. May his soul rest in peace. 🙏
Farooq Nazki was a prolific poet and writer who wrote in Urdu, Kashmiri, and Hindi languages. Some of his other works are:
- Lafz Lafz Noha: A collection of Urdu ghazals and nazms that won him the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1995.
- Masnavi Mehjabeen: A long narrative poem in Urdu that tells the story of a princess who falls in love with a prince from a rival kingdom.
- Mehjabeen: A novel in Urdu that is based on the same plot as Masnavi Mehjabeen, but with more details and characters.
- Sher-o-Shayari: A compilation of his Urdu poetry, including ghazals, nazms, and shers.
He also wrote several books and articles on Kashmiri culture, history, and politics, such as Kashmir: A Cultural Heritage and Kashmir: A Historical Perspective. He was a prominent voice of India in the gun-ridden Kashmir valley, and a staunch supporter of democracy and secularism. He was admired by many for his literary and cultural contributions to the state and the country..