Noted Urdu poet Rahat Indori, who tested positive for coronavirus, passed away at an Indore hospital on Tuesday after suffering two heart attacks, said doctors treating him.
Noted Urdu poet Rahat Indori, who had tested positive for coronavirus, passed away at an Indore hospital on Tuesday after suffering two heart attacks, said doctors treating him.
“He suffered two heart attacks today and could not be saved. He was admitted to hospital on Sunday, after testing positive for Covid-19. He had 60% pneumonia,” said Dr Vinod Bhandari of Sri Aurobindo Hospital.
Indori’s Twitter bio describes him as “Indian Poet, Painter, Bollywood Lyricist”.
Before he checked himself into a hospital for treatment, the poet had tweeted about him being coronavirus positive, asking people to pray for his quick recovery. He further asked people to not call up either him or his home to know about his health. He had said they will be getting updates through Twitter.
Among the poet’s most powerful lines are “Sabhi ka khoon hai shamil yahan ki mitti mein; Kisi ke baap ka Hindustan thodi hai (Everybody’s blood mingles in the soil; Hindustan does not belong solely to one)”.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi mourned the passing of “Indori Sahab” with a couplet.
“अब ना मैं हूँ ना बाक़ी हैं ज़माने मेरे,
फिर भी मशहूर हैं शहरों में फ़साने मेरे…”अलविदा, राहत इंदौरी साहब।
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 11, 2020
Historian and author Rana Safvi termed the poet’s death a “huge huge loss to a fearless voice and to the world of poetry”.
