Urdu scholar-litterateur Gopi Chand Narang dies in the US

Prof Gopi Chand Narang the giant of a scholar of Urdu, the ultimate authority on Urdu language has passed away leaving behind a void which will never never be filled .

Noted Urdu scholar and litterateur Gopi Chand Narang, who brought to life the poetry of Ghalib and Faiz with his nuanced analyses and was celebrated in both India and Pakistan, has died at his son's home in Charlotte, US. He was 91.

The author of over 60 books in Urdu, Hindi and English, Narang was awarded the Padma Shri in 1990, the Padma Bhushan in 2004 and then, eight years later, the Sitara-e-Imtiaz from Pakistan in 2012. Often called a versatile genius whose work transcends disciplinary boundaries, Narang is widely known for explaining and analysing the works of doyens of Urdu and Persian poetry, including Mirza Ghalib, Mir Taqi Mir and Faiz Ahmed Faiz. ''Prof Gopi Chand Narang the giant of a scholar of Urdu, the ultimate authority on Urdu language has passed away leaving behind a void which will never never be filled . It is a very sad day for anyone who cares for languages and loves literature. RIP,'' veteran poet-lyricist Javed Akhtar tweeted on Thursday as news of his death in the US on Wednesday night came in.

''Sad to know about the demise of Prof Gopi Chand Narang, well known Urdu scholar and author. Always an animated conversationalist, with a deep understanding of the history of languages. RIP,'' added eminent historian S Irfan Habib in a Twitter post.

Born in the small town of Dukki in Balochistan (now in Pakistan), Narang was introduced to literature by his father Dharam Chand Narang, who was a scholar of Sanskrit and Persian. Besides Hindi and Urdu, Narang co-authored several books in English, including ''The Hidden Garden: Mir Taqi Mir'', ''The Urdu Ghazal: A Gift of India's Composite Culture'', and ''Ghalib: Innovative Meanings and the Ingenious Mind''.

A recipient of a D. Litt. (honoris causa) from the University of Hyderabad (2007), Aligarh Muslim University (2009) and Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad (2012), Narang had the rare honour of being titled professor emeritus by University of Delhi and Jamia Milia Islamia. He was also a former chairperson of the Sahitya Akademi.

Narang, who won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1995, leaves behind his wife, sons and grandchildren.

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