Dr Begum Fatima Shahnaz being conferred the Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters), the second highest French civilian honour by the French ministry of culture for her significant contribution to arts and literature, on Thursday. ( Photo: DC)
Hyderabad:
The multifaceted Dr Begum Fatima Shahnaz was conferred with Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters), the second highest French civilian honour by the French ministry of culture for her significant contribution to arts and literature, on Thursday.
The Jawaharlal Nehru gold medal winner for writing in her teens, Dr. Shahnaz was felicitated at a special investiture ceremony at Alliance Française by Consul General of France, Bangalore, Thierry Berthelot.
The teary-eyed Shahnaz broke into French as she thanked the distinguished guests and shifted to English after a minute or two.
“I didn’t realise I was speaking in French, it comes so naturally to me and I sometimes think in French too,” said the actor, writer, humanitarian, journalist, theatre & art director, professor and journalist.
Talking about the significance of the honour, she said, “France has supported me, and through me, it has supported the Indian people. A Hyderabadi being honoured is an honour to all my people. This places huge responsibility on me, as a citizen of India.”
She also spoke about France and its relationship with Hyderabad and recalled her college years there.
Hailing from royal Indian dynasties, Shahnaz is an actor from the Institut d’Arts Dramatiques Rene Simon in Paris, and is associated with Broadway in New York. She completed her education with a stint at the legendary French school of cuisine, the Cordon Bleu and hopes to bring a new dimension to ‘nouvelle cuisine’ through innovations in Indo-French culinary arts.
Her works include Golconda, Khaki-poems on Pulwama, Saraswati, Shards, Prince of Tears, The New York Poems, Kaleidoscope Eyes, Tiger in the twilight, among several others.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation / by DC Correspondent / May 19th, 2023
Mohammad Ghalib is the sole remaining practitioner of the centuries-old craft in the city’s historic Mughal-era bazaar.
Mohammad Ghalib sits in his small makeshift workspace in the corner of a book shop in Old Delhi’s Urdu Bazaar. (Darash Dawood)
Mohammad Ghalib sits in the corner space of a book shop, barely a couple of square yards large, that was offered to him by a late friend years ago, as he couldn’t afford it on his own. He is the only “katib,” or calligrapher, left in the celebrated Urdu Bazaar of Old Delhi, witnessing his art form dying before his eyes.
On the wall outside the shop hangs a small, barely noticeable, handwritten nameplate in Urdu, Hindu and English, which reads “Katib Mohammad Ghalib,” desperately seeking attention. Amid large flex boards in the busy market, which was once a literary haven for Urdu connoisseurs, the nameplate itself becomes a telling tale of Ghalib’s bygone profession.
After setting everything up inside his shop, Ghalib hangs his small nameplate on the wall to grab the attention of customers. (Darash Dawood)
A couple of decades ago, about a dozen calligraphers would make this printing and books market come alive with their sharp bamboo pens, creating an aura of ornamental penmanship with their dexterity and delicate strokes. Holding their breaths tight, they would peck the nib of their bamboo pens in the ink and create unique styles and typographies for invitation cards, posters and logos.
Today, most of them are now dead, while many of the remaining few have retired from the profession, as it became obsolete due to technological advancement and digitization. Ghalib, however, still sets up his small workstation every day and lives in nostalgia.
“Kitabat,” or calligraphy, is a centuries-old art form in the Indian subcontinent, which attained its peak during the Mughal era. It was used to write the “farmaan” (official decrees) of the royal courts, as well as manuscripts, books, journals, newspapers, postcards and lineages.
“In earlier times, katibs were hired for Munshigiri [a position held by officials to maintain accounts] and were placed in royal courts,” says Ghalib. “It was the most respectable job. I am proud of the fact that even kings used to learn the art of kitabat and nawabs [governors in the Mughal era] used to keep at least one katib in their court for writing books, biographies or about their kingdom.” He adds that, “It is known as ‘shahi fun,’ or the royal profession.”
Ghalib leafs through his archival work, which dates back to the 1990s. (Darash Dawood)
“If any needy person came to the door of a katib and he had nothing to spare, the katib would write a word, any word, and tell the person to take it to Red Fort [the primary residence of Mughal emperors from the 17th century onward]. When he showed it to even a doorman, he would recognize that some katib had sent him and [would] fulfill all his needs,” explains Ghalib. After a breath, with an expression as if giving his final verdict about the buried brilliance, Ghalib adds, “Even Aurangzeb was a katib. And Dara Shikoh. Such was the value of a katib.” (Aurangzeb was the sixth Mughal emperor; Dara Shikoh was his elder brother and heir apparent whom he defeated, eventually arranging his execution for the throne.)
In kitabat, he says, one needs to be very dedicated. “A person gets lost in this work. It demands your full attention. Even a small movement of the hand can cost greatly. You have to hold your breath in order to write precisely. You can’t talk much when you begin writing; distraction is unforgivable.”
Ghalib demonstrates the art of calligraphy by writing out a name. (Darash Dawood)
The Urdu Bazaar in Old Delhi, where most katibs were stationed, also dates to the Mughal era. The very word Urdu, which means “camp” in Turkish, refers to the army camps in the area. Facing the eastern gate of the Jama Masjid, a large field that lay adjacent to the grand mosque was called Urdu Maidan, or army’s field. The two markets on each side of the grand mosque’s gate were known as Urdu Bazaar. “The army would fetch their essentials from these markets. The supplies of army disposals, including jackets and boots, would be available in this market till [the] late 1970s,” Sohail Hashmi, a Delhi-based writer and historian, tells New Lines.
Toward the end of the Mughal empire, books and printing shops emerged in this market, where one could find the best Urdu books, including translations of the Quran, the Vedas and Ramayana. Poets, writers, readers and publishers would throng the bazaar to discuss the latest Urdu literature while sitting on benches outside the bookstores. Inside their shops, there would be a dedicated corner for the katibs.
The rise of kitabat in the bazaar can also be traced to the lifetime of the famous court poet of Urdu and Persian, Mirza Ghalib, whose mansion in the neighborhood has been designated a heritage site by the Archaeological Survey of India. “Mirza Ghalib would come to this market to get his new work proofread, calligraphed by katibs and compiled as a diwan [collection],” Hashmi says.
The bazaar, along with the city of Delhi, first took a hit during the Rebellion of 1857 — the first major uprising against the British. Mirza Ghalib was heavily dismayed and lamented its destruction: “Urdu bazar ko koyi nahi janta tha to kahan thi Urdu / Bakhuda! Dehli na to shahar tha, na chavni, na qila, na bazaar.” (“When no one knew Urdu Bazaar, then where was Urdu? By God! Delhi was no longer a city, nor cantonment, fort or bazaar.”) The second major blow came during the Partition in 1947, when several Urdu poets and writers migrated to the new state of Pakistan. Over time, the market that had once bustled with book shops, printing presses and katibs became home to eateries serving Mughlai delicacies.
Almost two centuries after the 1857 rebellion, Mohammad Ghalib shares a similar pain. At 60, he is also ailing from many diseases: diabetes, heart disease and hypocalcemia.
He studied kitabat, introductory Arabic and Persian, and qirat (recitation) at Darul Uloom Deoband, the renowned seminary in India, from 1979 to 1983. His calligraphy teacher Munshi Imtiyaz was the son of Munshi Ishtiyaq, one of the most prominent katibs and teachers of Arabic in India in the 20th century. Later, Ghalib migrated to Delhi from the north Indian city of Saharanpur to work as a calligrapher. He has been in the Urdu Bazaar for four decades.
Since then, Ghalib has calligraphed academic books for the National Council of Education Research and Training, a government organization that prepares school curricula. He has also written by hand three volumes of “Tareekh E Arabi Adab” (History of Arabic Literature), authored by Dr. Abdul Haleem Nadvi, known for his contributions to Arabic studies in India. Ghalib has also worked for the National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language. Nowadays, however, he frequently returns home without any work for days and sometimes weeks. “Now all work is done by computers and I am mostly jobless,” he laments.
Once upon a time, calligraphers like Ghalib would be among the busiest professionals in the market, working day in and day out completing their assignments. “There used to be so much work. We would work even on holidays. We would receive assignments to write books on multiple genres, including academic books,” Ghalib says. Professional katibs with expertise in the craft are known as Har Fan Maula, which translates to “jack of all trades,” a tag given to calligraphers who are experts in writing many languages and scripts.
Reminiscing on the days when the calligraphy market was booming, Ghalib recalled the time he made a letterhead of his name. (Darash Dawood)
The craft is traditionally practiced with a “qalam,” a pen made from dry bamboo, which is used to write several scripts of Urdu and Arabic calligraphy including Thuluth, Nastaleeq, Kufic, Naksh and Diwani. “Contemporary calligraphy has taken the shape of an aesthetic art with colors and other decorative elements. They write Arabic in different ways, in colorful ways,” he explains. “People now write with brushes while we practice with wood pens. If you ask them to do some fine work or write a newspaper, they won’t be able to do it.”
Ghalib holds a selection of his wooden pens, recalling that the finest he ever used were manufactured in Iran. (Darash Dawood)
For Ghalib, kitabat means everything. Despite the challenges, he speaks of it with a high sense of honor, in euphoria. “It is dearer to me, more than my own life,” he says. “I have earned a lot of things because of this profession. Because of this profession, I met a number of educated people.”
He traces the decline of kitabat to almost two decades ago. “I witnessed the sharp decline when most of the books were typed on computers 15 to 20 years ago,” he says. He acknowledges that technology gets work done quickly. It would take a month for Ghalib to write a book of about 500 pages, which typists could complete within a week.
“I will tell you one thing,” Ghalib continues. “I, too, would have left it [calligraphy] a long time ago. I am not boasting. I am Har Fan Maula — I write in Urdu, Persian, Hindi, Arabic and English. Sometimes, they would call me to the courts to write their papers. Last time, a few people from Medina, Saudi Arabia, sent 15 property papers in Arabic through someone. I do every kind of work. I write posters, receipts, etc.,” Ghalib says. His recent assignments have been limited to receipt writing for Islamic seminaries in Kashmir during Ramadan, designing calligraphic logos and layouts for wedding cards.
Ghalib sharpens his bamboo pens meticulously. (Darash Dawood)
The only institution that still uses this dying craft in India is The Musalman, an Urdu newspaper published, or rather handwritten, in the city of Chennai, capital of Tamil Nadu, a state in south India, 1,400 miles from Ghalib’s workspace. Published since 1927, The Musalman is a daily, four-page paper, currently run by Syed Arifullah, the youngest son of its former editor, Syed Fazlullah.
The craft has also taken a hit due to language politics in South Asia. Prior to India’s Partition, Hindustani, a vernacular of the country’s northern regions, especially Delhi and its surrounding area, bifurcated into Hindi and Urdu. After Partition, Pakistan adopted Urdu as its official language, which further complicated the language politics, yet a 2011 census showed that India still had over 50 million Urdu speakers. Over time, however, the language has come to be taught only in madrassas, which is why Muslims in India have come to be seen as its sole proprietors. Even young Muslims in India don’t engage with the language as much anymore. “People actually don’t read Urdu now … writing in Urdu is a little costly,” Ghalib says.“They print in Urdu, only if someone insists. Otherwise, they say who knows Urdu now?”
Ghalib too has fallen victim to this unfounded language divide of late. “Here [India], even if I upload a video on Facebook, they call me Pakistani. The condition here is such that you can’t even write anything in favor of uplifting the Urdu language. Hindus in India think that Urdu is the language of Muslims. Many people call me ‘Pakistani Khatat’ on my Facebook,” Ghalib laments. (Khatat is another word for katib.)
Four decades later, Ghalib is now dealing with his poor eyesight. His hands shiver while holding the pen. He takes long gasps before making each stroke on the paper. He is too withered to do any intricate work requiring precision. His teeth have fallen out due to disease and medicine. “I can’t eat properly, can’t even hold a cup of tea easily. My work suffers,” he says in a tone of exasperation.
Even on the days when Ghalib returns home without any work, he still holds out hope that “enthusiastic people” will eventually visit his little corner. “Sometimes, when I don’t have work for a week, I do not let this art die at home,” he says. “I return to my shop and then it is like Allah sends work one day that compensates all those days.”
source: http://www.newlinesmag.com / New Lines Magazine / Home> Reportage India / by Ubaid Majeed & Darash Dawood / February 09th, 2023
Calligraphy. Aware of this word? Or heard it somewhere? It is an art, now a rare art almost on the brink of extinction. It is an art of writing a decorative language that begins from right to left for instance, Urdu Arabic, Persian, Pashto, Kashmiri and Sindhi.
The art, ‘kitabat’ as it is commonly known, owes its origin to a period before the Mughal reign in India. At that time, a town called ‘Bayana’ in Rajasthan had an entire mohalla, ‘Katibaan’ (meaning calligraphers who write books only), whose residents’ vocation was calligraphy. The art saw its golden times during the Mughal era.
Emperors Babar, Jahangir, Darashikoh, Alamgir, Aurangzeb and the last Emperor-in-exile Bahadur Shah Zafar were not only experts in calligraphy but they also ordered that it was a must-learn art, an order that was first carried out in their own homes.
It is also said that Aurangzeb brought home the bacon by writing the Quran in calligraphy. Once, when his aging wife requested him to keep a maid for her, as she was unable to do the household chores alone, the emperor was believed to have replied, “How do you expect me to hire a maid for you with such a low income?”
For the people hailing from the upper strata, learning this art or ‘funne khattati’ was considered a proud privilege. They would use the language primarily for writing beautiful, artistic letters to their near and dear ones and also for incorporating this skill in various other forms of art.
Once, Muradabad was also considered a hub for calligraphic works for it had various printing houses for the purpose.
The art was used later to write books of literature and religion by various calligraphers, so also epitaphs and engraved writings on the monuments all over the world. On the three gates of the wonder of the world, the Taj Mahal, Surah Yaseen (a surah, which is considered as the heart of the Quran) is inscribed in splendid calligraphy. Similarly, in all monuments, which are a remarkable example of Mughal architecture, calligraphy in the form of writings on its various facets can be witnessed till today. These calligraphers were invited from different parts of the world. Most of them find their names mentioned at the end of their creation in all these structures.
Earlier, several pens or ‘kalam’ of 7–8 inches with different width, made up of wood and ‘sarkanda’ (cow dung) were used to write artistically. Its ink too was home-made. Kanpur was considered to be the hub for such ink-making, where it was a small scale industry. As the art saw new developments, so did its pens. Now, America and China are the main pen nib makers and Germany has replaced the wood pen with steel one.
The art started witnessing its decline in early 90s, when it was learnt that China and Pakistan had created a software that would replace the art to merely a mechanical work and render many jobless. The threat has come true in many aspects. Sadly enough despite having a glorious history, this legendary art is dying a slow death.
Seventy-nine-year-old Syed Manzoor Uddin is a renowned name in the field, who has to his credit around 600 books written on history, literature, prose, poetry and religion in Urdu, Arabic, Persian, Sindhi, Pashto and Kashmiri and who has countless works done and distributed in Bahrain, Sharjah, Dubai, Pakistan, Iran and Turkey. He says, “In the days of yore, a ‘khushnavees’ (calligrapher) would be awarded even a palace by the kings and queens for their work in the field. Now, those who want some work to be done in calligraphic style, refuse to pay even Rs 25 for such an arduous work.”
Syed Manzoor has written coronation/invitation, (sahra) for the Shah of Iran, rare letters of the world’s who’s who, addresses of ex-prime ministers of India, and poems for the showman Raj Kapoor’s elder daughter on her wedding and several such works. He has now stopped practising this art. He owes the reason to his age and the invasion of computer that has almost destroyed this art. “I have served the artistry for more than five decades. The hopeless times have done a great injustice to this rare writing form. Now, I don’t feel like working,” he reasons.
With the onset of computers, the art has suffered a setback mainly because the computers do not have softwares that could parallel the manual skill. Moreover, the graphic designers mainly do not have a good command of Urdu. Hence, the work they do on the computer is full of grammatical mistakes, Syed Manzoor observes.
Unfortunately, for such an art, there is no recognition in the form of any award. Most awards instituted by one or the other organisations, have now been withdrawn.
Take for example, the Information and Broadcasting Unit of Press Trust of India had a National Award for printers and designers that included calligraphers also. But the practice saw its last year in 1988.
Similarly, Ghalib Institute also had an award for the same and 15 years back this award was also withdrawn.
The Urdu Academy, however, still gives an award in this category that carries a citation and Rs 11,000. This year it is awarding, Mohd Yusuf, a calligrapher of repute though his work does not diversify in other languages as of Syed Manzoor.
An ailing and aged Mohd. Yusuf, who did India proud through many of his works, is now living in penury with his several family members in a small room, enough only for two men in old Delhi. While many calligraphers, for whom it was the only source of earning sometime back, now sit on pavements in the vicinity of Jama Masjid and get just a measly amount for their labour of love.
The art of calligraphy has mainly suffered because of lack of promoters. “Only in last November, the Ministry of Human Resource and Development had organised an Urdu Kitab Mela at Lal Qila ground. It turned out to be a major fiasco for this form of art. Even the rent for the ground, Rs 3,000, could not be recovered in the 11-day fete. Only two persons turned up all these days. And they too thought that a sum of Rs 25 was high for getting their names written in a calligraphic style. Even someone from the famous Rajshri Production bargained for a rare pen, used in the art and managed to buy it for just Rs 3,” recalls Syed Salahuddin, the disciple and son of Syed Manzoor.
Here, slogans were shouted against Mr Hamidullah Bhatt of Qaumi Council, who was blamed for not doing enough publicity for an art though he received a package for it. The condition of dying art was witnessed at the fete by Civil Aviation Minister Shahnawaz, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and HRD minister M M Joshi.
Salahuddin asks, “When a doctor can be awarded for operating upon the Prime Minister. There is an award for Hussain’s brush; even for a best citizen. Then why not for a calligrapher? Why not my father and guru, who burnt the midnight oil to prepare 600 books and countless other works for many ministries all over the world. Why can’t he be recognised for his contribution to the art?” Ironically, Salahuddin, who wants to carry forward this artistic legacy, finds no sponsors for it. He also tries hard to get an award for his aged father from the government.
Although a few organisations and individuals are doing some work in the domain, that is not sufficient. For example, Urdu Academy still provides a two-year course on calligraphy that includes computer calligraphy in its second year. While in the first year, the manual expertise in the Urdu language and design is taught so that they do not commit errors that today’s so-called computer calligraphers are committing. But, unfortunately the learners there come only from the aged and financially week backgrounds, who learn the art only to make fast bucks. In fact, the academy pays a scholarship of Rs 150 to teach this art!
“I see several grammatical and other mistakes in Urdu newspapers and names of roads, lanes, bazaars in Urdu are mostly wrong because the language is not known to those who get the work done on computers by inefficient people,” moans Syed Manzoor. However, he is happy about the Urdu software that has come in the market now as he is reminded of what Dr Zakir Husain’s said once, “The language that does not have its type face, dies its own slow death.”
A reputed calligrapher, Anees Siddiqui is known to be compiling a dictionary of calligraphers in India.
The art, however, still needs a helping hand. Will the recognition ever come to the dying art and its artists? Will the proud heritage of India be saved? Only time will tell.
source: http://www.tribuneindia.com / Tribune India / Home> Culture> Artscape / February 22nd, 2002
Professor Syed Zillur Rahman, founder,Ibn Sina Academy of Medieval Medicines and Sciences with the author
Known for its locks, Aligarh, a city in Uttar Pradesh, has also locked a legacy in its reserve – for generations to benefit from it. It houses a rare academy and museum called Ibn Sina Academy of Medieval Medicines and Sciences.
Located at Tijara House, amid a vibrant market place and residential area, Ibn Sina is hailed as the rarest house of legacies in arts and sciences combined under one roof. Named after the legendary scholar of philosophy and medicine Abu Ali Ibn Sina (980 -1037), this academy was accredited to the Ministry of Ayush in 2004 and promoted to Centre of Excellence in 2008.
The institution was established for encouraging and promoting research and studies in medieval sciences, especially Ibn-Sina’s as well as arts, culture, poetry, and other sciences.
The bust of Ibn Sina with Charak inside the museum
Of Ibn Sina’s four stories, a major attraction is on its second floor which houses the Fazlur Rahman Museum of Orientalism, Art, and Culture.
It has four main galleries; the crockery gallery has a large collection of oriental and British Indian utensils, hammami plates, bowls, tea sets that belong to prominent personalities such as Hakim Ajmal Khan, Nawab Sultan Jahan, Nawab Shahjahan Begum of Bhopal, Nawab Yusuf Ali Khan of Rampur and many others.
The textile gallery is ornate with attires, garments with gold and silver calicos studded with precious stones, one of which has entire Quranic surah Yaseen embroiled in gold zardozi on it, turbans worn in battles, among many other oriental attires. The picture gallery has prominent personalities of AMU’s pictures, drawings, photography, prints, etc.
Its miscellaneous gallery has coins, postage stamps, clocks, busts, pens, memes, and relics of prominent personalities.
“We have over 2 Lakh stamps beginning from ever since the stamps started, from all countries and India. People who were pioneers in the world of arts and culture, education, and freedom fighters on whose names, and stamps were released, we have a collection of the same. shares Dr. Aftab who is a convenor at Ibn Sina.
In addition medical manuscripts, medical philately, medical souvenirs memories of physicians especially those of Nobel laureates are well preserved here.
The wall of fame (Pictorial history of some important Muslim families)
The connecting rooms of the galleries welcome you with a sofa of Raja Jai Kishan, a mirror of the times when they were made of iron sheets. The iron sheets called ‘aaina’ were rubbed so many times that they would become sparkling clear and shining to become a mirror. That’s how the mirror got its name ‘aaina’ Later it got a new name –sheesha – with the change of the material..
The academy is rare for numerous reasons. For avid readers of medicine, science, Urdu, Persian, Arabic, literature, poetry, oriental studies, researchers, students preparing for competitions, and scholars IbnSina is a heaven. It boasts of a rare collection of 32000 books, 17000 magazines, 1100 manuscripts, (makhtootaat), 21 rare Qurans including one pocket size in gold, and much more is in store.
Built by professor Syed Zillur Rahman, a medical academic and passionate Urdu litterateur from Aligarh, Ibn Sina was an extension of his colossal library that he had established in 1960 which soon extended into the world’s rare academy and museum of its kind in the year 2000.
Collection of stamps
“Hamare yahn Aurangzeb ke hath ka likha, aur uske bete ke hath ka, likha hua Quran hai,” gleams the professor, sharing the information.
Apart from a separate collection of Muslim women achievers, Ibn Sina boasts of the world’s best collection of Islamic sciences, Islamic medicines, and Islamic philosophy being published across countries such as Iran, Central Asia, Syria, Iraq Turkey, etc. Scholars from across the globe come here to refer to books in this section.
For Ghalib devotees, the academy has a separate section called Ghalib Study Centre. It “Ghalibka collection joh mare paas hai vo duniya mein kisike paas nahi hai,” claims the professor.
Delhi finds a special place here boasting of 7500 books, some as old as 1893, dictionaries as old as 150 years, authentic diwaan on Ameer Khusrau, books on and by the last Mughal Bahadur Shah Zafar, British period –Victorian Era with pictures in Lithographs and much more.
Children using the library
The academy has a library for students especially those preparing for competitive exams. The 100-seater library has the best of books from literature, agriculture, science, math, medicine, etc.
“There is no fee to sit in this library. It opens every day from 10 to 10. This section has over 28000 books including 56 of Professor Rehman on Tibbi and Unnani medicines. there are separate sections for Unani medicine and Sir Syed Movement, biographies,” Dr Aftab Alam, the coordinator of Ghalib Study Centre informed.
There is a reason why the library has most books in Urdu and Persian on Indian history, culture, language, society, education, politics, medicine, etc. “Not much work in English has been done on Muslims. Most work has been done in Urdu and Persian. So this is our helplessness. Our focus is on India – the Hindustan. Indian scholars have done immense work in any domain, philosophy, travelogues, and medicines, especially in Islamic history, the Quran, and hadith that is comparable to anyone in the world, especially the Arabic and Persian world. The problem is we don’t read because we don’t read Urdu,” rues the professor.
Why Ibn Sina was built has an interesting story. As a young man, Professor Rahman used to watch a bird who had made a nest and would bring food for her newborn, just as the routine was with a cat who had given birth to kittens – at his home. After some months, the birds flew, and the kittens grew and went away with their mothers.
“I thought to myself, ‘Is this the life God has created mankind for? Just be born, eat, sleep, and die like animals? God has created a man to not only take care of his family but also society, language, culture, community, and world.”
Ibn Sina Academy of Medieval Medicines and Sciences
So, he decided to create a legacy that he says would be useful for a generation after 80 years! “We are away from civilization by 80 years. A standard time to develop any civilization is 150 years. So, now people are not able to understand the legacy I have created but the students who read it 80 years later will know what it is. By then we would be a civilization.”
People get worried that the graph of Muslim development is going down. But the Professor feels it is nothing to be worried about. “Every civilization has to go through it. Our graph has risen. We were 10 crores in 1947. After Partition, 7 crore left for Pakistan had 3 crore stayed in India. We were nothing in 1947 but our buzurgs worked very hard to study and became scholars. Now we are making educational institutions, universities, hospitals, media houses, and so on. Most important is that girls are getting higher education and they will change the face of the nation,” he says, satisfied while emphasizing reading Urdu to know a legacy called India and the contribution of Muslims to it.
Rana Siddiqui Zaman is a Delhi-based senior columnist and art reviewer
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Stories / by Rana Siddiqui Zaman / January 10th, 2024
Budhana Town (Muzzaffarnagar) / Meerut, UTTAR PRADESH / NEW DELHI:
Poet Azhar Iqbal has gained prominence due to his use of simple Urdu language mixed with Hindi and his reach on social media.
QUICK RISE:
Azhar Iqbal has suddenly risen to fame in the last two years
Saying Urdu/Hindi couplets (shayri) in the language of the common man and usage of social media has raised Delhi’s Azhar Iqbal to a level he had never imagined.
The famous saying bhagwaan jab deta to chhappad phaad ke deta hai (when God decides to bestow His bounty, He showers it all) seems to have come true for Delhi’s Urdu poet (shayar), Azhar Iqbal.
He suddenly rose to fame in the last two years. He is seen in almost all domestic as well as prestigious mushairas (poetry sessions) in Europe, Middle East and Dubai. The limelight-hungry, from literary to television world, have suddenly started showing a sense of belonging to him and their pictures together adorn several social media accounts.
Those who had not even known him remotely, have started commenting on his posts, expecting few seconds of a shared fame! His recent claim to fame is his presence at the famous Kapil Sharma Show on Sony LIV television.
The shayar has to thank two factors that worked wonders for him, social media and couplets he wrote in simple Urdu projecting relatable truths of peoples’ life.
For instance, Ghutan si hone lagi uske paas jaate hue, main khud se rooth gaya hoon usey manate hue or Parindo ko shajar acchha laga hai, Bohot din baad ghar acchha lagta hai, Gale main hai teri bahon ka ghera, Ye bike ka safar acchha laga hai.
Iqbal is not new to shayri but to the fame. The 45-year-old is yet to sink it in.
He admits, “Social media’s wide reach is a magical reality. My seniors and buzurg shayars (experienced poets) would not have imagined reaching that far globally with their genius. I don’t think I do shayri as well as them. But I wouldn’t mind taking credit for the fact that I do shayri that common man understands. From students to youth, females to those battling crises of various kinds in their daily grind.”
Substance too
It not just the miracle of social media but a life of hard work, interest in shayri, taleem-o-tehzeeb and patience that Azhar’s poetry is made of. He isn’t a product of an aristocratic school or family either. Azhar, one among 11 siblings, is a father of two, and homemaker wife. His father, a literary person and an avid Urdu reader, had a tea shop in Meerut where he would go to help him in his holidays as a child and in his youth.
A fertile background plays the most significant role in the making of a poet. Azhar is no exception. Remarkably, in western UP, educated people in small towns like Budhana, Kairana, Gango, Jhinjhana, Nakod among others had immense affinity with literature and religion – adab and deen. Women would always find time to read good novels during the day and even narrate them to their children and siblings. Menfolk would find catharsis in nashist or baithak (poetic gatherings) almost every evening.
Azhar comes from Budhana town in Muzaffarnagar where such novel narrations and nashisht were regular.
“We were surrounded by these adab-loving people, qawwals and their mehfils (gatherings). The zauq (interest) for shayri was getting into the system automatically.”
Here, senior shayars would say a couplet and ask young boys to write the next on that analogy. The teenagers would spend much of their time in reading good poets and evolve themselves to do the task.
Azhar recalls famous shayar Dushyant Kumar’s sher (couplet) which was given to him for an analogy to create his own.
Vo mutmayeen hai ke paththar pighal nahi sakta, Main intezar main hoon awaz main asar ke liye.
(They are certain that the stone cannot melt away, Restless yet I am, for a voice to hold sway.)
Azhar could create one in bahar (rhythm). And it went like this
Vo phool banke mere pass hi mehakta raha,
Main sochta hi raha apne humsafar ke liye.
(It lingered like the scent of a flower beside me, Yet, I longed for my companion to be.)
This was his first couplet that showed his poetic pen at 13.
Alongside writing ghazals and studying, Azhar would help his father run his tea shop. In late 90s, to help the family financially, he joined as lab assistant at Noida, on a salary of Rs 3,000. He would go to the mushairas by spending from his own pocket.
“The mushairas wouldn’t pay young poets like me during those days.”
By 2013, he met famous dastango Mehmood Farooqui and soon wrote the poetic part of his classic dastans.
“I also used to host some of his dastan shows and mushairas at Delhi’s India Habitat Centre — a favourite haunt for arts and literary luminaries.
“The visits helped me expand my circle and meet geniuses in the creative arts.”
FAME:
Iqbal also featured in the Kapil Sharma show and often gets thronged at airports
The Almighty answered
Around the first Covid lockdown, Azhar got an invitation to go to Bahrain. “That was my first foreign trip. But the lockdown spoiled it. In pain, I complained to Allah that this was my first such prestigious trip and l can’t even go. As if Allah was free then. He heard me so well that I never looked back after that. It happened like that.
“Someone picked up a sher from one of my old videos and posted it on his Youtube channel. Within no time, it received 50 million views. Soon, people started finding my other ashaar (couplets), and did the same. Some 10 to 12 such couplets got so popular that billions of people watched them and I became famous instantly.”
The fame helped the poet not only with offers of mushairas at domestic but also international levels, and to preside over them too. Prestigious spaces like Sahitya Akademi, Sangeet Natak Akademi also started inviting him to host programmes.
The icing on the cake was an invitation from Kapil Sharma show which is viewed by crores of people. It changed his life completely. The mushaira venues have often got him standing ovation for long.
“Now at times it takes me over an hour to reach the venue as people gather for autographs at the airports. I often get shockingly surprised and think, ‘they have come for me?’”
Shared language
A creative person is known for diversifying, without which he risks his pen to boredom.
Azhar also decided to be a bit more creative and mix Urdu-Hindi to say couplets that would emanate fragrance of a shared co-existence.
Though use of Hindi words in Urdu shayri and Urdu words in Hindi kavita is not new but his initiative of a different kind was lapped up by “both Left and Right ideologists”. One of these goes as:
Maroosthal se jaise jungle ho gaye hain,
Tera sanidhya pa kar, hum mukammal ho gaye hain.
(With your proximity, I am metamorphosed from a desert to green) or
Nadi ke shaant tut par baith kar mann,
Teri yadain visarjan kar raha hai;
Bohot din ho gaye hain tumse bichhde,
Tumhe milne ko ab mann kar raha hai.
(On the silent banks of a river, immersing your memories; long alienated, my heart is aching to meet you).
The poet credits it to the gap that came after Dushyant Kumar’s demise in 1975 at a young age of 42.
“There was a gap in the Hindi poetic arena after Dushyantji. Most were doing lateefebazi (frivolity). Geet and nazm had suffered in the hands of mediocre writers. So, I decided to experiment the mix and it worked out, again, thanks to the social media.”
Breaking monopoly of seniors
Most creative domains have some authoritative forces who wouldn’t let their juniors grow, unless they belonged to their coterie. The world of shayri isn’t an exception. Some senior poets and known lyricists who are also a part of the film world, often started dominating the biggest mushairas.
“If you see the mushairas before 2000, you will notice that same 20-odd shayars would be seen in all mushairas in the country or even abroad. Aik poora giroh thaa jo kisi ko aage aane hi nahi deta thaa. (There was a gang of senior shayars who wouldn’t let any newcomer break their monopoly).”
The social media boom, however, did the needful, especially during Covid and subsequent lockdowns.
Those who were not in any reckoning, started making small videos of their own couplets, or other Youtubers would select couplets of any shayar and upload them for hits. This slowly opened vistas for several hidden talents. Azhar is one of them.
“If you scroll through social media, every second video is about a new shayar or his shayri uploaded by someone to get hits on his Youtube channel. The seniors who once ruled the game, have no role to play in promoting them.”
However, like any pros and cons of a boom, excessive use of social media also popularised mediocrity and exposed the difference between the great poets and weak writers, the originals and copy cats.
The “husn-parast” (esthete) Azhar is a new age craze for the generation which is turning towards simple shayri to understand the heavier later. “I think I have done my job if any youth has started taking interest in reading and creating couplets in simple Urdu.”
And one couldn’t agree more.
(The writer is Delhi-based senior journalist, co-author of ‘Muslims in Media’, poet, an art and music curator.)
source: http://www.thepatriot.in / The Patriot / Home> Profile / by Rana Siddiqui Zaman / August 12th, 2024
3rd Foundation Day of Manipuri Muslim Meira Paibis at Cacha
The Cabinet Minister of Transport, Excise & Fisheries, Government of Assam, Primal Suklabaidya has donated a sum of Rs. 5 Lakhs from his local area development fund for the welfare of the Manipuri Muslim Meira Paibis (Manipuri Muslim Torch bearing Mothers) operating in Cachar District of Assam.
The Minister has handed over the amount to the President of All Manipuri Muslims Meira Paibi Sanstha, Cachar, Assam Moinam Jubeda Begum on the occasion of the 3rd Foundation Day Celebration of the Sanstha held on the 5th October 2023 at Bhaga, Islamabad, Cachar District, Assam.
The Minister also announced a special package including development of the office complex of the Sanstha, construction of a public community hall and development of approach roads. Attending as the Chief Guest in the 3rd Foundation Day of the All-Manipuri Muslims Meira Paibi Sanstha, the Minister also took note of the acute shortages faced by the Meitei Pangal Communities in the District and assured the package in a very quick response to a memorandum submitted by the Meira Paibi Womenfolk during the occasion.
The galaxy of other eminent personalities from Assam and Manipur present in the foundation day include Principal of Moirang College, Manipur Dr Raheijuddin Sheikh, Retired Additional Secretary of Assam Nandababu Singha, Assistant Director of Textiles Lairellakpam Harilal Singha, Assistant Professor of S R College Dr Abul Khair Choudhury, Vice President of Federation of Civil Societies Organisations (FOCS), Manipur B M Yaima Shah and Lakhipur East Zila Parishad Kabrabam Anita Devi as special guests.
A two minutes silence was also observed by the gathering to mark the tribute to the two of the Manipuri Meira Paibi leaders viz Ima Memchoubi Devi who expired very recently and Ima Sitara Begum who passed away last year.
The FOCS also extended financial assistance to the Muslim Meira Paibi Sanstha of Cachar by donating a sum of Rs.10,000/- only which was handed over by the Vice President B M Yaima Shah to the president of the Sanstha – Moinam Jubeda Begum.
3rd Foundation Day of Manipuri Muslim Meira Paibis at Cachar
In his short address by the special guest from Manipur, Moirang College Principal Dr Raheijuddin Sheikh emphasised the role of Manipuri women in the social change which became a unique culture of the Manipuri Womenfolk which is not seen in any other parts of the World and dire need for support and preserve the culture for the welfare of the future generations.
The women’s participation in safeguard of the people has a long history which may be dated back to the monarchy system in Manipur which later became more significant after the women agitation broke out in 1904 and 1939 showing discontentment of the womenfolk against the British policy.
Beginning with the safeguard of their male counterparts and children as the informal Nishabandhi groups in the localities during 1970’s, the Meira Paibi has now emerged as one of the biggest forces to move for a social change, an indispensable force to safeguard the integrity, starting from the issues of drug abuse and illicit trafficking to the eradication of antisocial elements and now the Meira Paibis have come up with the strongest force to deal with the present unrest in Manipur.
In her key note address, Lakhipur Zila Parishad Anita Devi has reiterated that the Foundation Day is being observed every year since the year 2021 in various places where the Manipuri Muslims (Pangals) are inhabiting in the Cachar District.
The venue of the 3rd Foundation Day this year has been chosen at Bhaga, Islamabad as the sanstha intended to reach out the importance of services rendered by the torch bearing mothers in various field including eradication of antisocial elements, drug abuse, upliftment of the educational, social and economical status of the people belonging to this area of the district which is being considered as the most backward as compared to the Meitei Pangals of other areas in Cachar District.
Sanarei Bibi & Thanin Bibi / Publicity in Charge, 3rd Foundation Day All Manipuri Muslim Meira Paibi Sangstha, Cachar, Assam
The tableau designed by Masjid-e-Aqsa Meelad Committee, which was taken in a procession along with other tableaux during Eid Meelad celebration in city on Sept. 28, has bagged the first prize.
ABS Abbas, Syed Umar, Zubair Ahmed, Corporator Basheer Ahmed, Zakir, V.V. Puram Inspector Arun Kumar, Moulana Abdul Salam, Khateeb of Masjid-e-Aqsa and others were present at the prize distribution ceremony.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Photo News / October 05th, 2023
In a remarkable act of generosity, Danish Manzoor Bhat, named Media Person of the Year, has unveiled a groundbreaking plan to secure the future of two orphan girls, hailing from Kashmir and Jammu respectively.
Danish, showcasing profound empathy for the challenges faced by orphans, commits to matching his award money with a personal donation, amounting to ₹51,000 for each girl, totaling ₹1 Lakh 2 Thousand. These funds will be prudently placed in fixed deposit accounts, ensuring steady growth over time.
The visionary behind this benevolent act, Danish Manzoor, expressed his perspective, stating, “By securing a financial foundation for these young girls, we are not just providing them with monetary security; we are investing in their dreams, their education, and their future independence.”
The initiative signifies a beacon of hope, promising a better tomorrow for the recipients. Danish Manzoor’s dedication to societal responsibilities shines through, emphasizing the role of media professionals in contributing positively to society. This act sets a precedent for compassion and social responsibility, encouraging others to make a tangible difference in the lives of those in need.
“Deeply humbled at receiving the outstanding mediaperson of the year award, 2023 instituted by the government of Jammu and Kashmir. It means a lot, more over other recognitions especially because it comes from my birthplace. I pledge to donate the award money of ₹51,000 and match it totalling ₹1,02,000/ for two select orphan girl children one each from Srinagar and Jammu,” Danish posted on X.
source: http://www.dailygoodmorningkashmir.com / Good Morning Kashmir / Home> Latest / by GMK Staff / January 25th, 2024
The ladies’ wing of Sahebaan Welfare Trust (SWT) hosted the inaugural session of the ‘Community Welfare Talks Series 2024’ at Senate Hall, Inland Ornate Complex, in the city on January 21, with Siraj Ahmed, Managing Director, Inland Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, inaugurating the event.
Ahmed, in his inaugural address, lauded the efforts of SWT at initiating the talk series for the benefit of the community members as well as the society at large.
Meraj Yousef, Executive Director, Inland Buiders, who spoke on the occasion, pledged his support towards community welfare activities of SWT.
Educationist and Motivational Speaker Obeida Shoukath, who was one of the speakers of the day, spoke on the challenges faced by students on campus and the remedial measures while the second speaker Dr. Mohammed Noorulla, Senior Unani Consultant at the District Wenlock Hospital, Mangaluru, explained on the occasion the history and benefits of AYUSH, the Indian Alternative Medicine system, and the services available at the Ayush Hospital in the city.
Syed Siraj Ahmed, Secretary of SWT, welcomed the gathering on behalf of the President, Afroze Assadi Saheb. The program was ably compered by Zaiba Khatib.
The Qirat was read by Fariha Fathima and Ayesha Shahnaz.
The event was conducted by the Ladies’ Youth Wing of the SWT under the leadership of Amreen Khatib, who was ably assisted by Aliya Imtiaz and Rifaa Sheikh, with the support extended by Ayaan Sheikh and Luqman Tonse.
Umme Kulsum proposed the Vote of Thanks.
Senior Sahebaan Community members and SWT trustees Althaf Khatib, Rafik Assadi and Imtiaz Khatib were present on the occasion.
source: http://www.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home> Karavali / by Vartha Bharati / January 26th, 2024
The author talks about how identity and politics play a huge role in his writing.
Abdullah Khan will be at The Hindu Lit Fest 2024 in Chennai on January 26-27.
Abdullah Khan’s journey with literature began with a discovery — that he shared his place of birth, Motihari in Bihar, with one of the most prominent authors of the 20th century, George Orwell. Since then, the written word has remained Khan’s constant companion. From his debut novel Patna Blues (2018) to his latest, A Man From Motihari (2023), Khan employs a deft handling of sensitive subjects and hot-button issues to tell stories of everyday characters in Indian society. A speaker at The Hindu Lit Fest 2024 in Chennai on January 26-27, Khan discusses his thoughts on identity, desire and aspiration.
Edited excerpts:
How much of what you write is influenced by your own story?
During my school days in Bihar, my history teacher once asked, “Are you Muslim first or Indian first?” I confidently replied, borrowing the answer from my grand uncle: “I am both, born to Muslim parents, I’m Muslim; born in India, I’m Indian. Both identities came to me at birth.” As a boy, I didn’t fully grasp the complexities of identity.
During college, I pondered over how identity shapes thoughts, realising we’re not always aware of every facet of our identity. Sub-identities and super-identities emerge, revealed by others’ prejudices. In my village, I was Pathan; in school, a Muslim. Beyond Bihar, a Bihari. These identities intrigued me.
As I ventured into fiction writing, my reflections on identity seamlessly became woven into my stories. And, conflict between circumstances and desire is integral to human existence and is a vital element in crafting engaging narratives. I found inspiration in Bihari IAS/ civil services aspirants, news, historical incidents, real-life characters, beautiful places, and even SMS/ WhatsApp forwards for plot ideas.
What comes first — the plot or the point it makes? And in the case of ‘A Man from Motihari’, what was the genesis of the story?
Plots and characters naturally come to me without any preconceived plan. As I create the story, some significant points or messages often emerge organically.
Take, for instance, the inspiration behind A Man from Motihari. A few years ago, a Bangladeshi newspaper asked me to write about the house in Motihari where Orwell was born. While standing in front of that house, I had an idea: what if a boy from Motihari is born in the same room where Orwell was born many years ago? How would the boy react when he finds out, and how would it change his life? That’s how I came up with the character of the protagonist, Aslam Sher Khan, who is born in the same house as Orwell.
Tell us about your journey — from writing to publication.
Fresh out of completing my Master’s in chemistry, when I began writing Patna Blues, I had no knowledge of the technicalities of fiction writing and no background in literature. So, writing Patna Blues served as a kind of training for me, a sort of MFA, where I learned everything from scratch through trial and error. It took almost 10 years to write and nearly 9 years to get it published. I didn’t have a peer group then for beta reading or sharing comments. The journey to publication was challenging, enduring more than 200 rejections before it was published.
For my second novel, it took no more than a year to write, and finding a publisher was comparatively easier. Style-wise, I have improved significantly and gained more confidence in my writing.
There are strong political notes in your stories. What kind of responsibility do you feel towards your readers in terms of what you write about?
I believe no story exists in a vacuum. I allow the politics of the time to become a part of the narrative as I believe it is the only way to tell authentic stories.
While writing about politics, I do not shirk my responsibility as a writer and chronicler of the truth. I strive to be as impartial as possible. I generally don’t allow my personal beliefs or political ideology to creep into the story. Instead, I focus on the characters’ take on the politics of that time and keep myself a bit distant from those events.
What’s your take on literature festivals? What can they do for writers, and their readers?
Literature festivals offer writers a chance to share ideas. They gain inspiration and build a community, while readers enjoy insights into the creative process. As writers, we also get a chance to meet authors from all over the world, and learn from each other.
I think we should do more at these festivals for aspiring authors, like arranging pitching events or conducting writing masterclasses.
I have also observed a disturbing trend at many literature fests, where organisers invite celebrities such as film stars or cricketers to boost attendance. This often shifts the entire limelight to them, sidelining writers.
Gsquare Group presents The Hindu Lit Fest 2024 in Association with NITTE Education Trust & Christ University. Bookstore partner: Higginbothams
swati.daftuar@thehindu.co.in
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Litfest> The Hindu Litfest 2024 / by Swati Daftuar / January 05th, 2024
