Ali Miya Explained

Honorific Prefix:	Lok Kavi
Ali Miya
Native Name:	अलि मियाँ
Native Name Lang:	ne
Birth Date:	26 February 1919
Birth Place:	Pokhara, Nepal
Death Place:	Kaski, Nepal
Nationality:	Nepalese
Occupation:	Folk poet
Awards:	Jagadamba Shree Puraskar, 2060 BS

Ali Miya (; 26 February 1919 – 4 August 2006) was a Nepalese folk poet.^[1] He was popularly known as "Lok Kavi".^[2]

Early life

Miya was born on 26 February 1919 in Pokhara, Nepal to father Din Mohammad and mother Jahuran Miya.^[3] He was one of the two surviving children of his parents who had thirteen children. He lost his mother when he was 18 months of age and his father at the age of two. He was raised by his brother and sister in law.^[4]

He joined the British army during the second world war at the age of 18. After five years in army, he returned home.

He only became literate at the age of 21.

Works

• Biraktalahari (1949)
• Nepali Jhyaure Geet Sangraha (1954)
• Nyauni ko Pukara
• Pahad ko Suskera
• Seti ko Suskera (1972)
• Ujyalo Bhaisakyo (1982)
• Samjhana ko Diyo (1994)^[5]
• Ali Miyan ko Awaz (2001)

Awards

The awards won by Ali Miyan are:

• Indra Rajya Laxmi Pragya Puraskar (1991)
• Shiromani Puraskar (1994)
• Kumudini Kala Tatha Sahitya Puraskar (1995)
• Narayan Gopal Sangeet Puraskar (2001)
• Jagadamba Shree Puraskar (2003)^{[6] [7]}

Personal life

He was married four times. He met Kulu, his first wife during a Dohori competition at Bhirkot. They separated. He then married Nooran Nisha with whom he had a son named Hanif Miya. Nooran died at the age of 18. He then married Umadh Nisha, Nooran's sister who also died at the age of 21. He then married Nani from Baglung whom he meet during a Dohori competition too.^[8]

Miya adhered to Islam but was respectful of all different religions.^[9] He even used to receive tika during Dashain form Hindu people and knew the shlokas of Ramayana and Mahabharata by heart. He had seven children. He died on 4 August 2006 and he was buried in Jayakot, Kaski, Nepal.

Ali Miya Lok Bangmaya Samman Puraskar

In the honor of the poet, every year a award named Ali Miya Lok Bangmaya Samman Puraskar (Ali Mian Folk Literature Honor Award) is given to individuals who have made notable contributions to folklore in Nepal, including folk music and folk literature by Ali Miya Lok Wangmaya Pratisthan (Ali Miya Folklore Academy).^[10]

Further reading

• Web site: राजाकै विरोधमा गीत सुनाए, पुरस्कार लत्याइदिए. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20211113175617/https://ekagaj.com/article/music/7731/?v=1. 13 November 2021. 13 November 2021. ekagaj. ne.
• Web site: सम्झनामा लोककवि अली मियाँ. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20211113205512/https://www.eadarsha.com/nep/article/%e0%a4%b8%e0%a4%ae%e0%a5%8d%e0%a4%9d%e0%a4%a8%e0%a4%be%e0%a4%ae%e0%a4%be-%e0%a4%b2%e0%a5%8b%e0%a4%95%e0%a4%95%e0%a4%b5%e0%a4%bf-%e0%a4%85%e0%a4%b2%e0%a5%80-%e0%a4%ae%e0%a4%bf%e0%a4%af%e0%a4%be. 13 November 2021. 13 November 2021. ne. Adarsha.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Poet Ali Miya remembered. live. 13 November 2021. The Kathmandu Post. English. 13 November 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211113171834/https://kathmandupost.com/art-entertainment/2015/08/05/poet-ali-miya-remembered.
2. Book: Dastider, Mollica. Understanding Nepal: Muslims in a Plural Society. 2007. Har-Anand Publications. 978-81-241-1271-7. 97. en. 13 November 2021. 13 November 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211113205435/https://books.google.com/books?id=UGEMAQAAMAAJ&newbks=0. live.
3. Web site: लोककविज्यू, आकाशमा बादलु डम्मै छ !. live. 13 November 2021. eKantipur. ne. 13 November 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211113174047/https://ekantipur.com/koseli/2021/07/31/162769867142747462.html.
4. Web site: 2021-02-27. स्रष्टा अली मियाँः द्रष्टा कलममा. 2021-11-17. साहित्यपोस्ट. en-US.
5. Book: Adhikari. Jagannath. Pokhara: Biography of a Town. Seddon. David. 2002. Mandala Book Point. 978-99933-1-014-3. 183. en. 13 November 2021. 13 November 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211113205411/https://books.google.com/books?id=T1baAAAAMAAJ&newbks=0. live.
6. Web site: Singh. Rishi. 5 August 2006. Lok Kabi Ali Miyan laid to rest in Jayakot. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20211031121523/https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/lok-kabi-ali-miyan-laid-to-rest-in-jayakot. 31 October 2021. 13 November 2021. The Himalayan Times. en.
7. Web site: अलि मियाँ. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20211104134938/https://guthi.madanpuraskar.org/people/ali-miya/. 4 November 2021. 13 November 2021. Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya. ne.
8. Web site: राजाकै विरोधमा गीत सुनाए, पुरस्कार लत्याइदिए. 2021-11-17. ekagaj.
9. Web site: लोककवि अली मियाँ स्मृति फुटबल प्रतियोगिता हुने. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20211113173915/https://www.setopati.com/archive-news/64294. 13 November 2021. 13 November 2021. Setopati. ne.
10. Web site: Kantipur-अमेरिकी आनालाई अलि मियाँ - कान्तिपुर समाचार. 2021-11-17. ekantipur.com.