Veteran poet and former Rajya Sabha MP Bekal Utsahi passed away at Delhi’s Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. He was admitted in the hospital on December 1 following brain haemmorhage. He was 88.

• Utsahi was awarded the Padmashree  in 1976 for his contribution to literature.  He was also honoured with Yash Bharti by the UP government.

Bekal Utsahi:

Bekal Utsahi (1928 – 3 December 2016) was a poet, writer and politician. He was a congressman close to Indira Gandhi and a Member of Parliament in the Upper House Rajya sabha. He received several national awards, including the Padma Shri and Yash Bharti.

• Bekal Utsahi was a former member of Rajya Sabha. In 1976 he received the Padmashree Award in literature. During a visit to the Mazar of Hazrat Vaaris Ali Shah of Dewa Sharif in 1945 Shah Hafiz Pyare Miyan quoted, “Bedam Gaya Bekal aaya”. After that incident Mohammad Shafi Khan changed his name as “Bekal Varsi”.
• During the period of Jawaharlal Nehru in 1952 an interesting event happened, which resulted in the emergence of Utsahi. There was an election programme of congress party in Gonda at that time.