New Delhi: 80-year-old noted Urdu poet Asrar Jamai has been in bad days and fighting for survival. He was recently hit by a car and got his hand fractured. He is literary starving due to poverty. Doctors suggested operation but due to lack of money and old age, he couldn’t undergo the operation.
On learning about his condition, Maulana Azad University Chancellor Firoz Bakht called on the poet. He found that the poet has become weak for not eating for several days. He could not even walk due to weakness. Firoz Bakht fed him food and juice. Firoz Bakht told that his condition is still more pathetic as he is single, has nobody to look after him and lives in a tiny rented single room littered with dust, old and worn out shervanis in one of the Batla House by-lanes. A pile of his newly published book containing his humorous poems lies under a thick layer of dust. His brother cheated him and gobbled up his property. The poet also helped his nieces in good times, but today all refused to help him.
Kejriwal government stopped his pension declaring him dead. Local MLA also didn’t help him. It is very unfortunate and saddening that noted Urdu poet Jamai who has sacrificed his life for the uplift of Urdu has been left unattended by the Urdu lovers and big Urdu platforms who all know about the pathetic state of life of Jamai. Till recently, he was invited to the mushairas but now, no one invites him as he is considered too old.
While he was still young, he had been appreciated and awarded by first Indian President, Dr Rajendra Prasad. Besides, owing to his hilarious poetry, he has also been the guest of APJ Abdul Kalam, Indian President, Rajiv Gandhi, the previous Prime Minister and Karpoori Thakur, Bihar’s Chief Minister besides others, all connoisseurs of his comical satire. But today, when Asrar is past his prime, nobody is concerned.
Feroz Bakht has appealed people to come forward to help this great poet.