Islamabad: The death anniversary of the renowned Urdu poet and writer, Nazar Muhammad Rashid, commonly known as Noon Meem Rashid, was commemorated on Monday.
Noon Meem Rashid was born on August 1, 1910, in a village near Wazirabad, Gujranwala. He earned a Master’s Degree in economics from Government College Lahore. Rashid’s career took him to the United Nations, where he worked in various countries. He is widely regarded as the ‘father of modernism’ in Urdu Literature.
Together with Faiz Ahmed Faiz, he was one of the prominent progressive poets in Pakistani literature. He broke away from the traditional form of ‘ghazal’ and became the leading proponent of free verse in Urdu literature. His first collection of free verse poetry, titled “Mavra,” was published in 1940 and established him as a pioneer in free-form Urdu poetry. His other notable works include “Iran Main Ajnabi” (A Stranger in Iran), “La = Insaan” (Nothingness = Man), “Gumaan ka Mumkin” (Speculations), and “Maqalat” (Essays).
Noon Meem Rashid passed away in a London hospital on October 9, 1975. His contributions to Urdu literature continue to be celebrated and appreciated by poetry enthusiasts and scholars alike.
