KS Nisar Ahmed -POET OF ALL THE SEASONS

KS Nisar Ahmed was a poet of all the seasons. Kannada literature, after independence witnessed several agitations like Progressive, Navodaya, Navya, Atinavya, Bandaya and Dalit movements.  Intersetingly Nisar Ahmed wrote poems in all the forms and considered as the ever green poet  hero of all the seasons.  His poems “Nityotsava” brought him world fame, he also wrote several poems questioning injustice, inequality and intolerance in society. His poems “Nimmantiddoo Nimmavanagane ? “(Thou I am like you, I am not considered as one among you) speaks tons of things at that time what was going on in Kannada literary world.  Though at that time Gopal Krishna Adiga was heading the Navya movement of literature poets like Nisar Ahmed, Adbul Majid Khan were struggling for their identity in literature. Nisar Ahmed chose a slightly different path and established himself as a celebrated poet of Kannada.

I was always thinking that his famous poem “Nityotsava” was impressed and influenced by “Vande Mataram” of Bankim Chandra, a Bengali poet. Once I asked Nisar Ahmed about it, and Nisar Ahmed flashing his eyes said “May be, may not be “. But still I am in impression that he was definitely impressed and influenced by Vande Mataram.  While Vande Mataram glorifies the beauty of Bharat Mata, Nityotsava describes the beauty of Kannada Bhuvaneshwari.

Nisar Ahmed was not a literary student. He studied Geology and taught the same to his students in several colleges. But Kannada literature and poems were his passion. He in an interview had said that he wrote his first poem at the age of 10.

In Kannada literary world he is known as a “tip top poet”. He was to wear full suit in all the occasions and he was to love delicious food. There is a story about Biryani preparation at his house. Once Dr. Raj Kumar was invited to his house for dinner, it was so delicious that Raj Kumar forgot to wash his hands and started licking his fingers.

Nisar Ahmed used  to encourage young writers and was read new writings of these youngsters. He was to coat a few lines of every poet were he was President of the poetry conference.

When world Kannada meet was held at Belagavi in 2011 he had presided over a poetry conference and interestingly another great poet ChannaVeer Kanvi participated as a poet in the conference.