Padmasree Haldar Nag's poems are rasgullas

He studied upto Class III only, but as the poet in the Kosli language of Western Orissa, he is the cause of five PhD theses, with the award of Padmasree to go with it. If you had seen the investiture ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan the other day, you might have seen an elderly, lanky person in a banian and upper cloth and lungi, receiving the Padmasree award from the President. Meet Padmasree Haldar Nag, a sweet shop owner, who lost his father when he was in Class III, and gave up studies. He started his working career as a helper in a sweets shop. Born into a poor family, he never wore chappals. He lost his father when he was 10 years old. The change in his life came when he became a cook in the High School. Later with a bank loan, he set up a sweets-cum-stationery shop. Haldar Nag's first poem was published in 1990. It was `Dhodo Burguch' (Old Banyan Tree). Ever since he did not look back as a writer and poet. He earned the title of `Lok Kabi Ratna' (People's Poet). In the Kosli language, he wrote many poems and 20 essays. Sambalpur University is in the process of publishing Haldar's works. Hope the poet writes a poem on rasgulla which has caused a patent war between Orissa and West Bengal recently.