'Nityotsava' poet Nissar Ahmed no more

‘Nityotsava’ poet Prof K S Nissar Ahmed passed away at his residence here on Sunday.

He was 84 and was suffering from age-related illness for the last few days. His last rites will be held on Monday.

The death of his son in America about 15 days ago had shattered Prof Ahmed. Despite doctors’ requests, he had got himself discharged from the hospital recently.

Nissar, as he was fondly called, and his wife Shahnawaz Begum had escaped death as they were metres away during a terrorist blast in Jaipur some years ago. His wife passed away last year.

Kokkarehosahalli Sheikh Haider (KS) Nissar Ahmed, born on February 5, 1936, at Devanahalli, was a leading poet of Navya literary movement in Kannada.

His works include ‘Manasu Gandhi Bazaaru’, ‘Nityotsava’, ‘Sanje Aidara Male’ and ‘Manadondige Mathukathe’. His ‘Anaamika Anglaru’, an anthology of poems, won the Karnataka Sahitya Akademi Award in 1982. He had published 15 anthologies of poems, five collections of prose, translations of William Shakespeare’s selected plays, Pablo Neruda’s poetry and five science books for children.

A Geology professor, Nissar spoke Urdu but chose Kannada to express his feelings. He also knew Arabian and Sanskrit languages. He was a recipient of Padma Shri, Pampa, Nadoja and Rajyotsava awards. Karnatak University, Dharwad, Kuvempu University, Shivamogga and Bangalore University had conferred honorary doctorates on him.

He presided over the 73rd Akhila Bharata Kannada Sahitya Sammelana held in Shivamogga in 2007, besides chairing the Alva’s Nudisiri Sammelana at Moodbidri, Dakshina Kannada, in 2012. He inaugurated the 407th edition of Mysuru Dasara in 2017.

CM B S Yediyurappa, JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy and Congress leader Siddaramaiah have expressed condolence over his death.