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A Russian poet was given a 7-year prison sentence Thursday for reciting verses against Russia's war in Ukraine, a tough punishment that comes during a relentless Kremlin crackdown on dissent. Moscow's Tverskoi District Court convicted Artyom Kamardin on charges of making calls undermining national security and inciting hatred, which related to him reading his anti-war poems during a street performance in downtown Moscow in September 2022. Yegor Shtovba, who participated in the event and recited Kamardin's verses, was sentenced to 5 1/2 years on the same charges. The gathering next to the monument to poet Vladimir Mayakovsky was held days after President Vladimir Putin ordered a mobilization of 300,000 reservists amid Moscow's military setbacks in Ukraine. The widely unpopular move prompted hundreds of thousands to flee Russia to avoid being recruited into the military. Police swiftly dispersed the performance and soon arrested Kamardin and several other participants. Russian media
Noted poet and artist Inderjeet, known as Imroz, known for his enduring relationship with poet Amrita Pritam, passed away in Mumbai on Friday at the age of 97 due to age-related issues, family sources said. Alka Kwatra, Pritam's daughter-in-law, told PTI that his last rites were performed at the Dahanukarwadi crematorium at Kandivli in north Mumbai in the presence of family and close friends. The funeral pyre was lit by Pritam's granddaughter. Amiya Kunwar, a close acquaintance of Imroz, said he was suffering from health issues for some days and had been hospitalised. Born on January 26, 1926 in Lyallpur, Punjab, Imroz met Amrita Pritam in the 1950s when she was already a well-established figure in Punjabi literature. They lived together for over 40 years until Pritam died in 2005. Imroz began writing poems after Pritam started keeping unwell, and even after her death, he wrote several poems dedicated to her. One of Pritam's most celebrated works, 'Main tainu phir milangi,' is ..
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday paid tributes to poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar and urged the youth to read the "Kural", his book of aphoristic wisdom on a variety of issues. Modi tweeted, "On Thiruvalluvar Day, I pay homage to the wise Thiruvalluvar and recall his noble thoughts. Diverse in nature, they are a source of great motivation for people from all walks of life. I would also urge the youth to read the Kural." "Tirukkural", also known as the "Kural", is a celebrated Tamil text which offers wisdom on ethics and morality in different aspects of life.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday paid heartfelt tributes to Rahat Indori, who died at a hospital in Indore. In his condolence message, the chief minister, whose love for poetry is well known in the political circles here, described Indori as a "renowned poet and an excellent human being". "He ruled the hearts of his fans through his verses. He also penned lyrics for many film songs. His death has caused an irreparable loss to the world of Urdu poetry and literature", Kumar said and prayed for the departed soul and hoped that his bereaved family members would find the strength required to bear the grief. The 70-years-old poet, whose love for his home town led him to adopt the pen name "Indori" suffered a cardiac arrest barely a day after testing positive for COVID-19. He is best remembered for poems like "kisi ke baap ka Hindustan thodi hai" which aimed at making a political statement against marginalization of communities. His lyrics for movies like Munna