The People's Poet Poem by Asit Kumar Sanyal

Everyone is poet
But only few have the art
Of giving the poem shape
Haldhar Nag is one
He is a Sambalpuri language poet
class III dropout
Penned various types of poem
including 20 epics
His poems talk about
social issues, fighting oppression,
Nature, religion, mythology …
All derived from everyday life around him...
the real life connection
With a message for the people
He inspired elites and illiterate
Inherited the vision of poetry
from his imagination
and rustic surroundings
He addressed critical social issues
And given voice to the voiceless
Through his poetry.
Five scholars done PhD on him,
A class III fail man
He is not only a poet …
Gem of the poets
He remembers whatever he writes
And recites them enthralling audience
Never misses anything
He brought the poetry closer to the mass
And revived the public interest
in literature … specially poetry
His poetic fragrance lured many
He is the living legend
He is awarded Padmashri By President
Honored by Sambalpur University,
Odisa Sahitya Academy
Felicitated by more than 330 institutions
BBC made a documentary film
About his life and works.
Imagination is more powerful
than knowledge
Haldhar is a living testimony of this
Today the world is full of literate ignorant people
who are not required at all
The best education comes from interest in life
And not from formal learning
We need more illiterate wise people
Like Haldhar Nag
To make it a better world.