NEW DELHI: Noted Urdu poet Rahat Indori, who lent his voice to the nation-wide protests against a communal citizenship law, died in a hospital in Indore on Tuesday, reports said.

He was tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday, and suffered two consecutive heart attacks on Tuesday.

“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 60pc pneumonia,” The Hindustan Times newspaper quoted Dr Vinod Bhandari of Sri Aurobindo Hospital as saying.

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 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: Ab na main hoon na baqi hain zamane mere/ Phir bhi mashoor hain shehron mein fasaane mere. (I’m gone and my era has ended/ But the legend of my work rings through the streets that my voice touched.)

Historian and author Rana Safvi termed the poet’s death a “huge huge loss to a fearless voice and to the world of poetry”.

Published in Dawn, August 12th, 2020