NEW DELHI: Noted Hindi poet Dr Kunwar Bechain undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Noida on Thursday succumbed to Covid. Bechain (78) is survived by his wife Santosh Kunwar (also an author), a daughter Vandana Kunwar Raizada and a son Prageet Kunwar.
Bechain and his wife Santosh had tested positive for coronavirus on April 12. He underwent treatment briefly in Delhi and was shifted to the Kailash Hospital in Noida. He was admitted to Kailash Hospital following the intervention of poet Kumar Vishwas and Gautam Buddh Nagar MP Mahesh Sharma.
Bechain was PhD supervisor of Vishwas and another popular author-poet Praveen Shukla. According to the hospital, he passed away around 12 pm on Thursday and his wife is still undergoing treatment at a different hospital.
The news of his demise was announced by Vishwas on twitter. “During ongoing war against corona (virus), got tragic news. My teacher, PhD instructor, uncle, prince of Hindi songs and who enlightened several students Dr Kunwar Bechain has left for heavenly abode just a few minutes ago,’ he tweeted in Hindi.
He hailed from Umri village of Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh but had been living in Ghaziabad. Bechain participated in nearly 4,000 poetry symposiums and has written songs for films and television serials.
Besides recognition from the Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh governments, he was bestowed with president awards twice by Giani Zail Singh and Shankar Dayal Sharma. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, former UP CM and Nirupma Kotru, joint secretary in ministry of culture took to Twitter and expressed their grief on the passing away of the poet.