Nine winters have passed since that solemn morning of December 5, 2015, when at 7:30 AM at SKIMS Soura, my beloved father, Alhaj Ghulam Nabi Tak Naazir, known reverently as Naazir Kulgami, departed for his heavenly abode. Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilaihi Raji’oon. May Allah grant him the highest place in Jannat-ul-Firdaus. Aameen.

A luminary whose brilliance illuminated not just Kashmir’s literary landscape but reached far beyond our valley’s peaks, my father stood as a colossus in the world of letters. His journey from a young poet in school to becoming one of Kashmir’s most distinguished literary figures is a testament to his extraordinary dedication to the written word. With more than 50 books encompassing poetry, criticism, research, and translation, he built a literary fortress that stands unshaken by time.

The Sahitya Akademi’s Best Book Award, among countless other honors, recognized his mastery, but perhaps his greatest achievement lay in the hearts he touched and the minds he shaped. His selection to represent Kashmir in numerous national multilingual poetic symposia spoke not just of his artistic excellence but of his ability to bridge cultures through the universal language of poetry.

His vision gave birth to Kashir Mahfil, where he tenderly nurtured hundreds of poetic saplings in Tehsil Kulgam. This garden of verse later blossomed into Maraz Adbi Sangam, co-founded with luminaries like Rasool Pompur, G.M. Shad, Naji Munawar and Mohan Lal Aash. Under his stewardship as founder President and later Lifetime Patron, the organization rose to become South Kashmir’s premier literary institution. The anthem he composed for Maraz Adbi Sangam remains a melodious testament to his devotion to literature and community.

Yet today, as we mark his ninth death anniversary, there is a profound sadness in witnessing the organization’s present leadership’s failure to honour their founding father. Their silence on this day echoes louder than words, their forgetfulness more painful than remembrance. But as his son, I know that true greatness needs no institutional validation. My father’s legacy lives not in ceremonial remembrances but in the countless lives he touched, the poets he mentored, and the literary treasures he left behind.

While the Organization named Maraz Adbi Sangam has forgotten its roots and have disheartened us with its failure to honour the memory of its founding father, I remain steadfast in my conviction that time will be a more faithful keeper of my father’s memory. His name will indeed be written in golden letters, not by those who forget, but by the enduring power of his words and the lasting impact of his contributions to Kashmiri literature.

Let those who choose forgetfulness walk their path. My father’s legacy soars above such earthly oversight, carried forward by the wind of time to inspire generations yet unborn. His spirit lives on in every verse penned in Kashmir, in every critical discourse on literature, and in the hearts of those who truly understand the power of words to transform lives.

May Allah bless his soul with eternal peace and grant him His divine proximity. Aameen.

In the words of the poet himself:

“The ink of my pen may dry,
But the words I’ve written will fly,
Beyond these mountains high,
Where time itself shall testify.”

@— Mahmood Ahmad Tak