Hassan Dars: The Poet of Young Hearts

Hassan Dars (حسن درس) was a well-known poet of the Sindhi language’s modern generation. He was born on the day of 5 September 1966 in the Village Hoothee Mashaekh (هوٿي مشائخ), Tando Allahyar District, Sindh. He breathed last in the road accident on the day of 16 June 2011.

Background of Hassan Dars

His birth name was Muhammad Hassan. His father’s name was Meenhoon Ghullam Rasool Dars who had provided him complete freedom of life and responsibilities in his lifetime.

Education

Hassan Dars got his primary education in his native home town Hoothee Mashaekh, and for higher education he shifted to the city of Hyderabad where he got admission in the institute of Muslim College Hyderabad and after intermediate course he acquired master degree from the institute of University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Sindh.

Professional career

Hassan Dars had versatile talents, he was believed to be one of the founder team member of the Sindh TV, where he produced, directed and written several programs. He worked in various jobs and lastly he was linked with United Nations Development Programme – GEF Small Grants Project on old regional thoroughbred of Sindhi-Lukhi horse. Under this project he produced a documentary and a book about this thoroughbred of horse. He also made regular appearances on various Sindhi TV channels and did radio programmes also. In the year of 1985, he joined as an editor of the Sindhi daily newspaper, ‘Sawal’, for 5 years.

Literary career

Hassan Dars was utilized to write blank verses and Ghazals in the language of Sindh for years, but his peak of creativity turned him as contemporary Sindh’s popular poet in the late 90. As Shaikh Ayaz, a great poet of Sindh had once expressed about Hassan that: “Hassan is a leading poet of future generations of Sindh province.” Hassan had developed thousands of poems but they were never published in book form. His poems appeared, although, in newspapers and magazines or were listened by fans over the TV and radio. He was a professional with metaphors and his genre was mostly romantic poetry, so much so that he was regarded as ‘the poet of young hearts’ by the late Shaikh Ayaz, a twentieth-century Sindhi poet. His fans used to call him “the best poet after Shaikh Ayaz”. In short period of time, Hassan Dars made his own space in Sindhi people with his poetry on the subjects of nature, romance and revolutionary human behaviors. Most of the readers started using calling him as a ‘Poet of Nature’.

Publications

Hassan wrote various articles, poetry in regional Sindhi newspapers, magazines and tabloid, but his 1st book named: “Hassan Dars jo Risalo” ( حسن درس جو رسالو) a collection of his poetry was inaugurated, more than a year after his death. It is the 1stpublication of his works in the 4th Karachi Literature Festival.

Hassan Dars corner

Paying rich tribute to the Hassan Dars, Institute of Sindhology at its museum had inaugrated “The Hassan Dars Corner” setup in the notable personalities’ gallery. His wife Irum Hassan launched the Hassan Dars Corner.

Death

Hassan Dars breathed last on the day of 11 June 2011, after suffering serious injuries in a road accident in the wee hours. He was after that buried in his native village Hoothee Mashaekh.