It was March 30, 2016. A very simple man having a dark complexion and long hair walked towards the then President of India, Dr. Pranab Mukherjee to receive the third highest civilian award – the Padma Shri. President Mukherjee gave a very peculiar expression. The man returned the favour and gave a wry smile before returning to his seat after the felicitation ceremony. He is none other than the Jewel of Odisha, ‘Lok-kabi’ (people’s poet) Haldhar Nag.
Although many people claim that he was born in Ghens (a small town), the fact is that he was born in the Baidapali, a small village located in the Bargarh district of Odisha on 31st March 1950. Later, his family moved to ‘Ghens’ due to a Cholera epidemic. Mr. Nag’s story started when he was in class 3. He had to quit his studies after the demise of his father. He became the family’s sole breadwinner at a young age.
Haldhar started working as a cleaner at a sweet shop. Later on, he worked as a cook for 16 years at a high school. Here, he started writing poetry in ‘Koshali’ language. His first poem, “Dhodo Bargarh” (The old banyan tree) was published in a local magazine in 1990. He continued to write and recite poetry and earned a lot of praise.
His works include numerous collections of poetry. He has memorized all the works penned down by him so far. His works are based on the lives of the poor and marginalized. He says, “Poetry must have a real life connection and a message for the masses”.
Although he is a dropout, his works are being studied by as many as five PhD scholars in the Sambalpur University. Apart from the Padma Shri, he has also been awarded the prestigious Sant Kabi Bhima Bhoi Samman. Despite coming into the limelight, he maintains a simple lifestyle.