Nonagenarian writer succumbs to Covid

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 12

Nonagenarian author Kidar Nath Kidar succumbed to Covid on Tuesday.

A prolific Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi writer, Kidar was active in literary circles, holding monthly ‘baithaks’ for ‘shayars’ and poets at his Panchkula residence.

Born in Bassi Gulam Husain, a small village near Hoshiarpur, Punjab, Kidar developed interest in writing when he moved to Lahore and started learning the skill under Ustad Arshimaan Singh. He then moved to Kuwait, running a successful business for over two decades, before returning to the tricity in early 90s.

Through all this, his love for writing continued. He wrote poems, ghazals, nazams and plays. He ran the Kidar Adabi Trust, encouraging Punjabi authors. He holds to his credit more than 10 books and 50 radio plays. He was a recipient of the Haryana Sahitya Akademi Gaurav Puruskar.

“He was a fine gentleman, much in love with words,” shared Dolly Guleria, who launched an album, ‘Aa Sajna Do Gallan Kariye’, based on Kidar’s works. “We stayed in touch regarding the album. His birthday fell on Lohri and mine on Baisakhi. We would always make time to meet and greet on such occasions.”

Punjabi poet Siri Ram Arsh, who wrote the introduction to Kidar’s last release Rang Pyar De, an anthology of Punjabi poems, lauds Kidar’s efforts towards promoting Punjabi. “Kidar would hold monthly poet gatherings and even give scholarships to children who topped in Punjabi language. His writings were themed around ‘pyar hi paratma hai and parmatma hi pyar hai (love is god and god is love).”

Several authors — Sham Singh, Prem Vij, Ashok Nadir , Inder Varsha, PP Verma, Sham Singh, Manjit Indra, Ganesh Dutt and Gurvinder Singh Dhamija, Vice-Chairman Haryana Punjabi Sahitya Academy — mourned the demise of the literary figure.

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