Bawa Balwant

Mangal Sen (1915–1972) was a Punjabi writer, poet and essayist in East Punjab, India. He wrote first under the name Balwant Rai, but is most famous for his poetry under his pen name Bawa Balwant. He started writing poetry in Urdu but later switched to his mother tongue of Punjabi. Balwant is credited with helping start the progressive movement in Punjabi poetry. He also made a contribution to the freedom struggle of India. Mangal Sen was born in August 1915 to a middle-class family, in the ancient village of Neshta in the Indian Punjab. Neshta (Punjabi: ਨੇਸ਼ਟਾ) is near Wagah border and now falls under the Amritsar district He received his primary education from his father, Thakur Dina Nath, and learned Hindi, Urdu and Sanskrit. He got a job in Amritsar where he developed a passion for music. He was heavily influenced by the Urdu poet Muhammad Iqbal.