Who was Farooq Nazki? Veteran Kashmiri poet and Sahitya Akademi award winner who died at 83

Farooq Nazki, veteran broadcaster, poet and Sahitya Akademi winner, died at a hospital in Katra on Tuesday (Feb 06) at 83.

Here's everything you need to know about Mir Mohammad Farooq Nazki.

Who was Farooq Nazki?

Farooq Nazki was born in 1940. Throughout his career, he produced gems like Kashmiri Dastkariyan and Lafz.

He also served as Director of Doordarshan and All India Radio Kashmir Srinagar (AIR Srinagar) from 1986 to 1997 under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India). Nazki was also appointed as the Editor ofDaily Mazdoorin 1960. In 2000, he retired as the Deputy Director General of the newspapers. Furthermore, he was the media adviser to two chief ministers, Farooq Abdullah (1983 and 1990–2002) and Omar Abdullah (2010).

Farooq Nazki: Honours And Awards

In 1995, he received the Sahitya Academy award for his book of poetry titledNaar Hyutun Kanzal Wanas(Fire in the Eyelashes) in the Kashmiri language literature. He was also awarded the State Cultural Academy Award for this work andLafz Lafz Noha.

Additionally, he won the Jammu & Kashmir Academy of Culture, Art & Languages Best Book Award for his Kashmiri book. For his contributions to the media, he was awarded the Gold Medal by the J&K Government for Best Management of Electronic Media. Furthermore, he won the Award for Best Media Controller in Asiad 1982.

Farooq Nazki: Cause of Death

Nazki had severalhealth problems. He had been undergoing dialysis and a severe illness was affecting his lungs. According to some reports, he had moved to live with his son in Jammu because he had not been doing well for a few years. Nazki passed away at a Katra hospital on Tuesday, eight days before his84th birthday, following a heart attack. He is survived by two daughters and a son.

Ghulam Nabi Azad, the former chief minister of Jammu & Kashmir, posted on X, "Deeply saddened to learn about the demise of the living legend Farooq Nazki sahib. His literary brilliance & media presence were unparalleled. His contribution to the field of broadcasting and literature will have an everlasting impact on our cultural and literary treasures. I pray for his peace & offer condolence to his family."

(With inputs from agencies)