‘Jism to azaad hamne kar liye, zehan bhi azaad hone chahiye’ (we have emancipated our bodies, but still need to do so with our minds). This was the last facebook post shared by celebrated poet Nirmal Darshan, 48, who passed away due to cardiac arrest in Agra on Saturday night after a year-long battle with cancer.
Paying homage to Darshan, poet Kumar Vishwas said, “He was one of my best friends -- a great human being. He lost his battle with cancer but will always remain among us due to his poetry.”
“I can’t forget his verses: Ye dil sab kuch gawana chahta hai, na jaane kya ye pana chahta hai. Ye aansu to bahana chahta hai, magar koi bahana chahta hai,” said Vishwas.
Poet Sarvesh Asthana, another of Darshan’s close friends, said, “His original name was Nirmal Das Gurubhakt Darshan and he used to write poetry under the name ‘Nirmal Alami’. However, I advised him to change his name to Nirmal Darshan. He followed my advice and became popular with this name.”
Born in Ashrafpur village in Mehmoodabad, near Sitapur, Nirmal Darshan was the son of Shivbaranlal Varma -- a known ‘shayar’ (Urdu poet) of his time. He used to write ‘ghazals’ under the name of Beqran Alami. Following in the footsteps of his father, Darshan started reciting ‘shayari’ as a child.
Poet Sanjay Mishra ‘Shauq’, who shared an over 30-year association with Darshan, said, “He was an excellent Urdu and Hindi poet. His thinking was of the highest order. His poetry used to bring out the reality of our villages and the situation of the common man. Lines like ‘Pehle mujhe saza di gayi, phir adalat mein laya gaya’ (I was punished first and then brought to the court) show his deep connection with his land.”
{{/usCountry}}Poet Sanjay Mishra ‘Shauq’, who shared an over 30-year association with Darshan, said, “He was an excellent Urdu and Hindi poet. His thinking was of the highest order. His poetry used to bring out the reality of our villages and the situation of the common man. Lines like ‘Pehle mujhe saza di gayi, phir adalat mein laya gaya’ (I was punished first and then brought to the court) show his deep connection with his land.”
{{/usCountry}}He said Darshan also penned a song for Muzaffar Ali’s ‘Husn-e-Jana’ -- a collection of Sufi ghazals. “He had the honour of reciting his poetry in the Sri Lankan Parliament as well,” said Mishra
After being diagnosed with cancer, Darshan told one of his fellow poets: “I am not afraid of cancer despite knowing the result.” At that moment he also decided to donate his body for medical research. True to that promise, on Sunday, his body was taken to the Lucknow Medical College after being brought here from Agra.
“His poetry was fearless. So was his attitude towards death,” said one of Darshan’s acquaintances.