Renowned Leftist poet Hamdardveer Naushervi passes away in Samrala at 83

Vishav Bharti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 2

When Khalistani guns were silencing voices of dissent across Punjab’s hinterland, he would fearlessly roam villages with a red badge bearing Lenin’s image on his worn-out coat. He would speak at funerals of fallen comrades at a time when it was forbidden to attend such events.

Prof Hamdardveer Naushervi, a renowned Leftist poet, who inspired generations of rebels, has passed away at his home town Samrala. He was 83. He will be cremated at Samrala on Tuesday afternoon.

He had written around 20 books.

Naushervi, along with Gursharan Singh, was one of the founders of the revolutionary cultural movement under the banner of Punjab Lok Sabhyacharak Manch. “It was on his suggestion in 1982 that Punjab Lok Sabhyacharak Manch was acronymed as PULS Manch, the organisation which understands PULSE of the people,” says Amolak Singh, president of Punjab Lok Sabhyacharak Manch.

Naushervi’s real name was Buta Singh Pannu; he hailed from Naushehra Pannuan in Taran Tarn. After serving for a brief period in the Air Force, he joined as a lecturer at Malwa College, Bondli, near Samrala.

He fondly named his house in Samrala as ‘Kavita Bhavan’. It was known as the centre of literary activity in the area. “In his house he built a room in the basement, where he would read and write. In jest, he would tell his young revolutionary comrades: “We poets often suffer from the illusion that living in a basement is underground life,” recalls Amolak Singh.

Whenever somebody would ask him about his date of birth, he would say, “Don’t ask that question. I want to die young.” Truly, Prof Naushervi died young.