‘Mirza Express’ chugs into eternity Celebrated poet, humourist Dr Mirza Rafi Beg no more

 

 

FUN and laughter died down as the very humourous ‘Mirza Express’ chugged into eternity on Friday. The man who was instrumental not only in popularising Varhadi dialect but bringing to light, the little nuances of the country life, picking humour from most routine things - Dr Mirza Rafi Beg, celebrated poet, humorist - passed away at 6.30 am on Friday after battling prolonged illness. He was 68 years old. The last rites were performed on Dr Mirza Rafi Beg at Eidgah graveyard situated on Walgaon road on Friday afternoon.

 

Thousands of citizens from political, spiritual, literature and social fields attended his funeral. Adv Yashomati Thakur, former minister, Bharat Ganeshpure, noted marathi actor, Dr Anil Bonde, Rajya Sabha member and many others from social, political and literary field visited his residence to pay their last respects. He is survived by his wife Fatema Mirza, son Rameez who is am engineer, and two educated daughters, Mahajabeen and Huma. A native of Dhanuj-Manikwada in Ner tehsil of Yavatmal district, he resided at ‘Mirza Express’, Navsari area, Walgaon road, Amravati. A former president of the Vidarbha Sahitya Sangha, Dr Mirza was widely known across Maharashtra for his witty poetic presentations. He published 20 poetry collections and performed over 6,000 ‘Mirza Express’ poetry shows across Maharashtra. He had been suffering from kidney issues and was undergoing treatment in Amravati. Born on September 17, 1957, he became a Homoeopath doctor.

 

Writing poetry from a young age of 11, he started stage performances in 1970. For the next 50 years, he was a central figure in poetry conferences of Vidarbha and Marathwada. His newspaper column ‘Mirzaji Kahin’ enjoyed huge popularity. Using gentle humor and pricking satire, he brought to fore the many contradictions of life and wrote extensively on agriculture, rural issues, farmers' problems, social realities, and politics. He was trustee of the revered Fakirji Maharaj temple trust in Vidarbha. His father Mirza Razzak Beg (Bhaijee), was an influential socio-political figure in Yavatmal. Senior Nagpur advocate Firdos Mirza is his cousin. A passionate lover of Marathi and Varhadi languages, Dr Mirza popularised Varhadi dialect through performances from Delhi to Mumbai. Poems like ‘Motha Manus’, ‘Sava Mahina’, ‘Uth Ata Ganpat’, ‘Jangadbutta’ (a term he coined) earned him a huge following. People of different faiths, laughed together listening to his poems as they dealt with everyday life.

 

 

 “The news of the passing away of Dr Mirza Rafi Ahmed Beg, renowned poet, humorist, and 'Mirza Express' known across Maharashtra, is extremely saddening. With his departure, we’ve lost an outstanding folk poet and a personality with immense social awareness. He authored over 20 poetry collections and performed over 6,000 poetry shows. He also chaired the Vidarbha Sahitya Sangh. His journalistic writing gained huge popularity. In recent times, he embraced new media with equal ease. Agriculture and the soil were at the core of his poetry. His social consciousness was commendable. He had boundless love for Marathi, especially the Varhadi dialect, bringing it recognition at the national level through his presentations. I pay my heartfelt tribute to him. We share the grief of his family and countless fans.” 

 

 

“The passing away of renowned Vidarbha poet Dr Mirza Rafi Ahmed Beg has broken an important link in Maharashtra’s humorous poetry gatherings. Making people laugh and simultaneously spreading social awareness was Dr Mirza’s real skill in humour. His famous term ‘Jangadbutta’ became a buzzword for pithy humour across platforms. His sharp commentary on social unity and issues made society introspect. At 68, he bid farewell to the laughter-filled stage. His versatile literary prowess gave the state a distinct identity in poetry. Nearly 20 poetry collections testify his poetic brilliance. He has fans across Maharashtra. In today's stressful times, his light-hearted poetry had the knack of bringing smiles to common people. His departure is a huge loss to Marathi literature. May his family find strength to bear this grief.”

 

 

Bharat Ganeshpure, noted actor expressed deep grief and shared emotional memories of his mentor. "During my college days, Dr Mirza Rafiq Beg was one of my biggest inspirations. I learned a great deal under the guidance of Dr Mirza Rafiq Beg, Vitthal Wagh and Shankar Bade", Ganeshpure said. Reflecting on Dr. Beg's contribution to language and culture, he added, "Many people say today that I am the pioneer of the Varhadi dialect, but in reality, it was Dr Mirza Rafiq Beg who brought true sweetness and charm to Varhadi. He was someone we looked up to, someone from whom we learned and aspired to grow. He was my role model", Ganeshpure. He said he is deeply saddened by Dr Beg's demise.