Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Apr 9: Former Union Minister and veteran Congress leader Prof Saifuddin Soz today said that to remember the renowned poet of Kashmir-Mahjoor on his 66th death anniversary is a celebration for Kashmir as he had given voice to the pent-up feelings of Kashmiris and awakened the spirit for a unique struggle for freedom.
In a press statement here today Prof Soz said, ” Today is the 66th death anniversary of Mahjoor, the poet of Kashmir. To remember him is a celebration as he had given voice to the pent-up feelings of Kashmiris and awakened the spirit for a unique struggle for freedom,” he said.
” Mahjoor was the first poet in Kashmir whose songs were sung almost instantaneously by the people of all ages, throughout Kashmir. He had galvanized the masses and his poems had inspired the Kashmiris to fight for their dignified future,” Soz maintained.
“A prominent actor and film director of the time Balraj Sahni, was so impressed with Mahjoor that he had remarked that ‘Mahjoor has given a new meaning and dimension to the then powerful leader of Kashmir to fight his battle. Paying tribute<s to Mahjoor for his popularity with the masses, Sahni had also said, when his work takes him to the capital, he walks through streets unnoticed. And, yet his songs and poems are the cherished property of every man, woman and child, living between Baramulla and Pir Panchal,” Soz recalled.
” It was my privilege to convince the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that Govt of India need to commemorate Mahjoor for his popular poetry by issuing a postal stamp. This function of historic importance was held at SKIIC and the PM had released the Mahjoor Stamp in presence of Sonia Gandhi and others. Today, the need of the hour is that we lay the foundation for a mechanism commemorating Mahjoor as a beacon of light and courage to preserve our precious ethos for all times to come,” Soz maintained.
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