Eminent Urdu scholar, linguist, literary critic, and former Chairperson of Sahitya Akademi, Gopi Chand Narang passed away last night at 91 He was living with his son Tarun Narang in Charlotte, North Carolina. 🚨 Limited Time Offer | Express Premium with ad-lite for just Rs 2/ day 👉🏽 Click here to subscribe 🚨 Narang, who was admired in the Subcontinent among the masses and scholars of Urdu with equal enthusiasm, was recognised both by the Government of India and that of Pakistan (he received Padma Bhushan in India and Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence) in Pakistan). He worked extensively on explaining and analysing the works of Ghalib, Mir Taqi Mir and later Faiz Ahmad Faiz and Firaq Gorakhpuri beyond thematic and typical writings, penned about 60 books in his career and made every attempt to keep the language beyond communalism. Apart from this, he also designed 10 books for children under the title ‘Let’s Learn Urdu’ in English and Hindi. Sad to know about the demise of Prof Gopi Chand Narang, well known Urdu scholar and author. Always an animated conversationalist, with a deep understanding of the history of languages. RIP. — S lrfan Habib (@irfhabib) June 16, 2022 While one of his most prominent works, Urdu Ghazal aur Hindustani Zehn-o Tahzeeb ( Urdu Ghazal and Indian Mind and Culture) traced the origins of the ghazal, underlining how it was not just a piece of love poetry, but how the genre comprised intellectual viewpoints of both Hindus and Muslims. “Bhasha ka koi mazhab nahi hota,” he’d often say. But it was his earliest work, Urdu Readings in Literary Urdu Prose (1968) that got much attention. Wherever Urdu is read and taught in the world, the book is perhaps a part of the curriculum in all of those universities. We are saddened to inform you all about the demise of one of the most respected Urdu critics, theorists and linguists Prof. Gopi Chand Narang. We extend our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.#Rip #RipGopichandNarang — Rekhta (@Rekhta) June 15, 2022 Born in Dukki, a sleepy little village in Balochistan, Narang was introduced to literature by his father, who himself was a scholar of various languages including Baluchi and Pashto. He was also a scholar of Sanskrit and Persian. Narang moved to Delhi’s Karol Bagh after the Partition and lived in a peon’s residence while trying to find some work to survive. After some time he joined the Masters in Urdu programme at Delhi University under Professor Khwaja Ahmad Faruqi. Soon, he received a research fellowship from the Ministry of Education to complete his PhD. This is when Narang received guidance from noted names such as Dr Zakir Husain (who later became the President of India), Dr Tara Chand and Dr Syed Abid Husain, among others. He began his teaching career in 1958 at St Stephen's College and joined Delhi University a year later. He then taught at the University of Wisconsin but returned to be among the people who spoke the language he loved. He travelled the world, taught Urdu, and while doing that widened his perspective by reading and understanding world literature. 📣 For more lifestyle news, follow us on Instagram | Twitter | Facebook and don't miss out on the latest updates!
