Dushyant Kumar (1 September 1933 – 30 December 1975), a Hindi poet and ghazalkar. The popularity that Dushyant Kumar got in the field of contemporary Hindi poetry, especially Hindi ghazals, is rare for a poet after decades. Dushyant is a timeless poet, and such poets remain relevant even after the change in time. The voice of Dushyant’s writing echoes from the road to the Parliamentv. This poet wrote in all genres of poetry, songs, ghazals, poetry, drama, stories. But the immense popularity of ghazals put other genres in the background. He died on 30 December 1975.
Life and Eternity
Dushyant Kumar was born on 1 September 1933 at Navada Village of Bijnor District in Uttar Pradesh in a Tyagi family. He earned his MA with Hindi as his core subject from Allahabad University. Dushyant Kumar was married to Smt. Rajeshwari Tyagi.
His notable works are Saaye mein Dhoop, Ek Kanth Vishpayi, Mann Ke Kon and many more… Here are few stanzas from his greatest poetry.
kaise ākāsh meñ sūrāḳh nahīñ ho saktā
ek patthar to tabī.at se uchhālo yaaro
mere siine meñ nahīñ to tere siine meñ sahī
ho kahīñ bhī aag lekin aag jalnī chāhiye
kahāñ to tai thā charāġhāñ har ek ghar ke liye
kahāñ charāġh mayassar nahīñ shahar ke liye
zindagī jab azaab hotī hai
āshiqī kāmyāb hotī hai
sirf hañgāma khaḌā karnā mirā maqsad nahīñ
merī koshish hai ki ye sūrat badalnī chāhiye
Dushyant Kumar died at the age of 42 on 31 December 1975, due to a cardiac arrest in Bhopal. A contemporary of Dr. Harivanshrai Bachchan, Dushyant made valuable contributions to Hindi and Urdu Literature during his lifetime.
Award, recognitions, and Legacy
The legend had left remarkable impression of mankind with his thoughts, imagination. The poem “Ho Gayi hai Peer Parvat Si”(हो गई है पीर पर्वत-सी) was sung often by Arvind Kejriwal during the Anti-Corruption Movement (2011–2012) in India. In September 2009, the Indian Department of Posts issued a commemorative stamp with Dushyant Kumar’s image.
A museum dedicated to Dushyant Kumar exists in C. T. T. Nagar, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
In the movie Masaan, the line “Tu kisi rail si guzarti hai” was taken from his poem.
ABP News and the Hindi poet Kumar Vishwas did a segment on Dushyant Kumar in their show Mahakavi on 12 and 13 November 2016.