Bekal Utsahi

Muhammad Shafi Ali Khan (1 June 1928 – 3 December 2016), popularly known as Bekal Utsahi, was an Indian poet, writer and politician.

He was a congressman close to Indira Gandhi and a Member of Parliament in the Upper House Rajya Sabha.

During the period of Jawaharlal Nehru in 1952 an exciting event happened, which resulted in the emergence of Utsahi.

In 1982, Rajiv Gandhi nominated him as a Member of Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament,[7] because of his contribution for national integration.

[10] In 2013 he was awarded Maati Ratan Samman by Shaheed Shodha Sansthan for his services to Urdu literature.

In 2011, Bekal Utsahi (right) with Rafeeq Saudagar (Karnataka Urdu poet) at National Integration Mushaira organised by Anjuman Muhibban-e-Urdu (A.P) at Public Garden, Nampally in Hyderabad .