Namaz from within the Mandir: Poetry of Nazir Banarsi

Author: Mae Thornton Mehra

“Nazir Ahmad (1909-1996), more widely known by his pen name Nazir Banarsi, wrote Urdu poetry in which he explicitly sought to create human understanding and Indian nationalism among Hindus and Muslims of northern India. The poetry of Nazir Banarsi is no longer in print and was never given the literary attention it deserved. In the introduction to Nazir Banarsi’s final collection of poetry, Rastr ki amanat rastr ke havale (The nation’s heritage in the nation’s keeping), Shukdev Singh refers to Nazir Banarsi as ‘the great poet whom we have heard but not studied/read.’ He goes on to explain that among Muslims, Nazir was accused of being a Hindu, and that among Hindus he was merely considered an interesting poet.”