SRINAGAR: Kashmir’s famous poet and former officer, Muzaffar Aazim is no More. He has passed away in USA today, informed sources said. Aazim was 88.
Aazim was Director Sericulture at the age of 50, when he has availed the voluntary retirement. He later set up a soap unit but soon after left for USA, where he lived with his two sons for the last three decades. His sons Dr Purvez Akhtar and attorney, Suhail Mir, live in Virginia.
Originally from Gotlipora village in Tangmarg, Azim was a great lover of Kashmir language and created Gulmarg software to enable computer users to type Kashmiri script. He was an impressive translator and rendered Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace into Kashmiri.
To Aazim’s credit are various poetic collections. He was very closely associated with Adbee Markaz Kamraz at its initial stage and was a prominent speaker at its conferences. His novel, Awami Raj (Asamee) even got an award. Aazim rose to fame for his poetry in early 1970s.
One of his most famous poems was sung was Ghulam Hassan Sofi and is a very popular number.
Jigar zakhmi osheas laj dhaar aakhar
Nazar chaani karith Gaye kaar aakhar
