No home yet for Mirza Ghalib in Agra, his birthplace

By Brij Khandelwal Agra, Dec 27 : The Taj city’s poetry lovers and literati on Sunday paid glowing tributes to Mirza Ghalib, the doyen of the Urdu literature, on his birth anniversary, even as big programmes could not be held due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The people participated in group discussions, and also made their presence felt on social media platforms on the occasion, while demanding Bharat Ratna award and the raising of a fitting memorial to the great Urdu poet whose birthday was celebrated on Sunday.
Mirza Asad Ullah Khan ‘Ghalib’ was born in the Kalan Mahal area of Agra in 1797. He moved to Delhi where his poetic talent blossomed and found new expression. His rich contribution to Urdu ‘adab’ continues to inspire poets till day.
“Minus Ghalib, Meer and Nazir Akbarabadi, all from the Taj city, what would be left in Urdu literature. Unfortunately, due to lack of patronage, Urdu language and poetry both have suffered and Agra stands as a virtual wasteland in terms of creativity,” said poetry lover Sudhir Gupta.
Had it not been for the Bollywood film industry, the language of romance and ‘tehzeeb’ would have by now become extinct, lamented culture critic Mahesh Dhakar.
Many attempts have been made in the past to name a busy road crossing or a park after the poet.