Shiv Kumar Batalvi

“Mar tan jaan par dar hai damaan waaleyo,
Dharti vi vikdi hai mul shamshaan di”
Shiv Kumar Batalvi

Personal life and background: Batalvi is a very renowned name of punjabi poetry he has given very popular romantic poems to punjabi language. His complete name is Shiv Kumar Batalvi he was born on 23 July 1936 in Barapind Punjab British India currently in Pakistan. After partition when he was 11 years old, his family moved to Batala in Gurdaspur district. He got married at the age 31 years with Arun a brahmin girl of his own caste later they had two children Meharban and Puja.

Trip to England : In May 1972 Shiv made his first and last trip to abroad on the the invitation of Dr. Gupal Puri and Mrs. Kailash Puri. Before arrival of Shiv his popularity and fame was at peak in Punjabi community. Advertisements of functions which were organised for interaction of people with Shiv was published in the local Indian papers with headlines and pictures. There were number of functions and parties were organised in the honour of shiv were he recited his poetry to the public. Shiv spent very busy schedule in England which was the one of the main reason of his bad health. Many famous poets attended these functions. The BBC television once interviewed him which is still available on Youtube.

Last days: After returning from England in September 1972. After few months of return Shiv was facing number of problems as his health was declining visibly which was like never to recover again and he was also facing financial crises. During that time he felt that most of his friends are avoiding him in the time when he needed their support. His wife somehow managed to get him admitted in hospital in sector 16 Chandigarh. Here he received treatment for few days. Then he was transferred to the hospital in Amritsar. Shiv was not willing to die in a hospital that’s why he left hospital against the advice of doctors. He went to his family home in Batala later he was shifted to his in laws village Kiri Mangial, a small village near the border with Pakistan. Early morning on 6 may 1973 he left this world.

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