Farukh Dhondy unravels Rumi’s Sufi verse

Farukh Dhondy unravels Rumi’s Sufi verse

Indo-British writer Farukh Dhondy hadn’t read Persion Sufi poet Rumi, until he was given a translated anthology of Rumi on a flight to Australia., “After reading the translation, I realized that this was all junk! It was just random writing by people – it was neither poetry nor Sufism.”

Rumi was one of the greatest Sufi mystic widely read across the world. He was recently named the “most popular poet in America”.

Quite disheartened by what he read, Dhondy took it on himself to present a more accurate transalation of his poetry. I went to an uncle who reads Sufism in Persian,  and asked him to interpret Rumi for me. I also picked up the devanagiri and urdu versions, during my search for the right meaning. Translating the verse into lyrical English was a learning curve for me because I learnt the history of Sufism, about Rumi in depth.”

While most people have heard about Sufi music, Kabir’s dohas, Meerabai’s bhajans, Dhondy feels that there’s a vague idea floating around about Sufism.

He illustrates further, “I have tried to bring out the philosophy of Sufism in the book. Though I have used a modern language, I haven’t tried to give it a modern context – I  have stuck with the philosophical idea of Sufism  that humans should be in the service of the higher  being who is actually inside you. In India, the same idea comes to me in the Bhagwad Gita –you’re a drop in the ocean and our consciousness has distorted  reality…if you lose this consciousness you can merge with the reality.”

The author, who is a staunch atheist, had an almost divine experience while translating the poems, “The first time I read the poems, I was stuck by their beauty and meaning. I have taken random bits from Rumi’s main works, Masnavi and Diwan-e Shams-e Tabrizi and translated them into English lyrical renditions. You can classify them as biblical and philosophical love poems – not the love of teenager but love of human beings for Gods, he says about his translation of Rumi’s poems.

After this divine rendezvous with poetry, does he see himself penning verses, “Hmmm… I have never written poetry as such, it’s even presumptuous to call your verse poetry, except love letters to girls in sonnet forms.  Though, I can see myself writing translations of other Indian poets.”

source: http://www.books.hindustantimes.com / by Sonakshi Babbar / November 28th, 2011

Whither multiculturalism... or wither multiculturalism?

A BOOK OF GHAZALS IN ENGLISH by CANADIAN POET SHENIZ JANMOHAMED


Multiculturalism is, of course, very important, for all things in Canada.


Among other things, it calls attention to a Canadian South Asian literary identity, and affords Canadian authors of a South Asian heritage a specific place in the sun, said participants at the recent Festival of South Asian Literature and the Arts.

But in recent times, despite considerable advancement in what is called "diasporic literature", multiculturalism itself has receded into old stereotypes - and these negatives are on the ascendancy, several writers felt.
"It's like the beggar sitting outside the temple," Winnipeg-based novelist Uma Parameswaran told Focus. "The beggar's given alms, even as he's told: 'But you can't enter!'"

So is there an equity issue here? For instance, if all the writers insist they're all mainstream Canadian writers, why have a South Asian literary festival?
Observed Toronto-based poet Priscila Uppal: "As Aristotle said, it's good to have some categories - but to limit to that category is also dangerous.

"Further, we should also be aware that 'multiculturalism' itself is a social construct," the York U academician added.
The event, backed by Scotiabank and Toronto-based non-profit Tsar Publications, headed by celebrated author M.G. Vassanji, attracted an A-list of writers from all across Canada, as well as several reputed authors and theatre personalities from India, including respected playwright and film actor Girish Karnad and rising theatre personality Mahesh Dattani.

Calgary-based writer Ashok Mathur felt events like FSALA offer Canadian writers of a South Asian heritage an opportunity to have a critical engagement of their works.
But on the wider topic of multiculturalism he wondered: "Whither multiculturalismâ?¦ or should that be wither multiculturalism, minus the 'h'?"

Seminal 'South Asian' character elusive

Montreal-based playwright and session moderator Rana Bose noted: "I'm not nostalgic about the India I left behind, but I am nostalgic about the Canada of 30 years ago that I left behind. I'm concerned at the way multiculturalism is moving in Canada - a reversal is happening."

Quebec City based writer Nalini Warriar noted she's been difficult to docket for those in her neighbourhood since she's a Canadian of South Asian origin writing in English in a French-speaking world.

But docket us they will, said poet Sheniz Janmohamed: "I was born in Canada, my parents are from East Africa, we're of Indian (Gujarati) ancestry, I'm young, a woman, and a Muslim to boot. But I don't even speak Gujarati. How do you connect to your ancestry if you can't speak in that language? Yet Canada says, 'Choose!' And if I don't choose my identity, they choose it for us!"

So we're all South Asian - which, while it means many things to us, places us all in a convenient docket in multiculturally obsessed Canada.

With Janmohamed, this search of her identity has carried her down her quest of her identity perhaps more than many others.
"Since I knew neither Gujarati nor Urdu, I decided to write in a language in which I am proficient." The result? A book of ghazalsâ?¦ and yes, it's in English.

Visiting star playwright from Bangalore Mahesh Dattani perhaps placed the diaspora's struggle with the concept of multiculturalism best when he responded to a query from Focus - about what Canada's diaspora's relevance was to South Asian literature and the arts - with: "But who are we talking about? Are we talking about the diaspora talking about themselves? Or about the area or country they live in? Or are they South Asians writing about the world? From their cultural perspective, or from that of a global citizenâ?¦?

source: http://www.southasianfocus.com / by Sunil Rao/ Tuesday, October 11th, 2011

JRF giving free tutorials to students

Allahabad: 
URDU DEPARTMENT OF ALLAHABAD UNIVERSITY INTRODUCED FREE TUTORIALS.


To make up for the shortage of teachers, Urdu department of the Allahabad University has introduced free tutorials from Junior Research Fellows for undergraduate and postgraduate students.

The initiative has been taken by the head of Urdu department, Prof Shabnam Hameed. These scholars get a stipend under the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) of the University Grants Commission and this teaching experience will prove beneficial to them as well. The JRF scholars, besides guiding the students in making notes on the syllabus, also take extra classes to clear their doubts.

Out of 852 sanctioned posts of teachers, AU presently has 327 teachers for about 25,000 students.Eight teachers will retire by June 30 next year. Thus, more than 500 teaching posts are vacant in the university. In medieval history and ancient history departments, there are only 15 teachers for 3000 students.

AU has also failed to fill 243 teaching posts, sanctioned to it for implementation of the other backward class (OBC) reservation wherein like other central universities, the university was asked to increase the student intake by 54% in three years beginning 2008. For the purpose, the empowered committee of the ministry of human resource development sanctioned 243 teaching posts and told AU to recruit 81 teachers every year from 2008. A sum of Rs 232 crores for three years for upgrading the infrastructure was also sanctioned. Besides, five teaching positions were sanctioned for GB Pant Institute of Social Sciences, Jhunsi.

In this situation, the initiative of the Urdu department can set an example for the other departments too."Though research scholars take classes, most of the time it is on the behalf of the teachers who are absent. But now these scholars would be taking regular classes. They have command over the subject and provide good guidance," said Amir, a student of the Urdu department. The JRFs of the department are friendly and we are more frank with them in asking our doubts again, he added.

"The JRFs are given six classes every week as per the UGC norms. But given the shortage of teachers I requested the seven JRFs of the department to teach the students and now we are getting immense help from them. They are also taking extra classes in undergraduate and postgraduate courses," said Prof Shabnam Hameed. I have told the students that rather then wasting their time, they should attend the free tutorials, she added.


source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home>City>Allahabad / by Rajiv Mani /TNN / October 12eth, 2011

Don't shy away from 'hinglish' in offices: MHA

New Delhi: Do Hindi words like 'misil', 'pratyabhuti', 'kunjipatal', 'sanganak' leave you puzzled?

Noting that such puritan use of Hindi generates disinterest among masses, the Home Ministry has recommended that such words can be replaced with English alternatives in devnagari script for official work.

So, 'misil' can be replaced with file, 'pratyabhuti' with guarantee, 'kunjipatal' with keyboard and 'sanganak' with omnipresent 'computer'.

These were some examples cited by Veena Upadhyay, Secretary, Department of Official Language at Home Ministry in a circular.

The circular advocates use of popular Hindi words and English alternatives to make the language more attractive and popular in offices and masses.

"Whenever, during the official work, Hindi is used as translating language, it becomes difficult and complex. There is an urgent need to make changes in the process of English to Hindi translations. Translations should carry expression of the original text rather than word-by-word Hindi substitute," the circular said.

It said use of popular words of Urdu, English, and other regional languages should be promoted in official correspondence. Pure Hindi should be for literary purposes while practical 'mixed' version for work purposes.

"Foreign words which are now popular in Hindi like ticket, signal, lift, station, police, bureau, button, fee...and Arabian, Turkish, Farsi words like Adalat, Kanoon, Muqadma, Kagaz, Daftar...should be used as it is in Hindi correspondences," it said.

The Ministry said it is better to use popular English terms in Devnagri script than to translate them in pure Hindi.


source: http://www.zeenews.india.com / PTI / Wednesday, October 12th, 2011

Book on Faiz Ahmed Faiz to be launched in London on 18 September 2011

Remembering Faiz Ahmed Faiz

            Book Launch   by   Salima Hashmi /  Daughter of Faiz Ahmed Faiz

Sunday, 18 September 2011 at 2.00-3.00pm / Venue: The Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, London E1 6LA

`Elusive Dawn – Faiz Ahmed Faiz – A peoples Poet` is published to remember, honour and mark the end of centenary celebrations of Faiz Ahmed Faiz across the globe during 2011. The book will be launched by Faiz`s daughter Salima Hashmi in London on Sunday the 18th September 2011 between 2 and 3 pm at The Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, London E1 6LA. Entry is free for all.

Elusive Dawn offers kaleidoscopic reflections and heartfelt reminisces on Faiz Ahmed Faiz. Poets, friends, admirers, academics and activists fondly remember an ordinary loving and peaceful human through whom greatness lived passionately. There are fascinating and new understandings of the man in this book.

This publication is a manifestation of the collective respect to Faiz by organizations and individuals. Organisations’ include the Progressive Writers Association, Faiz Ghar, Faiz Centenary National Organising Committee UK, South Asian People`s Forum, Communist Party of Britain, Indian Workers Association and Kala Sangam. The individuals include well known poets, friends, admirers, academics, filmmakers, politicians, writers and activists amongst others.

The book spans over six sections.

Section One consists of published and unpublished articles that give the reader an insight into Faiz as a poet and person. Contributors include Progressive Writers Association, Afsan Chowdhry, Helen Goodway, Ikramul Haq and Huzima Bokhari, Rakhshanda Jalil, Javaid Ahmad Lone, Ali Mir and Raza Mir, Gopi Chand Narang and Gauher Raza.

Section Two contains Faiz`s biographical material.

Section Three presents a European dimension to understanding Faiz in his `self-exile` times. Contributors include M.H. Askari, Syed Baddruddin Beider, George Fischer, Fabbeh Husein and Mohsin Zulfiqar.

Section Four offers the reader a selection of 100 Urdu poems with translations in English to allow access to a wider community.

Section Five outlines a fascinating chronology of Faiz`s life.

Section Six includes a comprehensive bibliography to enable the reader to undertake further inquiry into Faiz and his contributions to humanity.

Elusive Dawn, the book, asks us all to re-assess and re-evaluate Faiz in the present political milieu in order to mainstream his vision. He is as relevant today as he was in the past. What can be more relevant than love, peace and solidarity! We appreciate that many left intellectuals in the world, including Faiz, looked in the 1930s and 1940s toward the Soviet Union as a source of human progress, virtue, and human rights. The demise of Soviet Union in the 1990s had disillusioned many with the idea of Communism. However, the economic exploitation of vast masses of humanity has not stopped yet. Therefore the struggle against oppression is bound to continue and Faiz will live through the engagement of others now and beyond.

The book asserts the need to continue to humanize rather than deify Faiz to enroll the ordinary. We need to see Faiz paradoxically as both an ordinary and a great human being to anthemise his vision for freedom, equality, solidarity and justice. We say long live to the struggle and to the memory of Faiz.

source: http://www.GroundReport.com / News> Politics / by Salima Hashmi > by Pervezfateh / September 10th, 2011

Row Over Nawayath Script Continues

State government appeals against earlier high court ruling in favour of English script, court says decision will be taken after Supreme Court issues verdict on language policy

The state government has challenged a recent High Court order allowing Al Iman Social and Rural Education Trust, which runs a school in Murudeshwar, Bhatkal, to use English script for Nawayath language spoken by a minority community in Uttara Kannada district. The trust maintained that it wanted to use English script to teach the students because the language does not have a script of its own. However, it is learnt that the Nawayaths use Persian script to write their language. People of the community are also found in smaller numbers in Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh and they also use Persian script to write the language. Another minority community, Beary of the undivided Dakshina Kannada, however, use Kannada script for the traditional language spoken by them. The state government’s appeal was heard by the division bench comprising chief justice J S Khehar and justice Ashok B Hinchigeri last week. The counsel for the trust stressed that the language does not have a script of its own and the single judge bench had upheld this contention. The government counsel, Veerappa, said languages spoken in Karnataka like Tulu and Kodava, which did not have their own script, used Kannada script for writing. He said that Nawayath also used the Kannada script. However, both the sides could not prove their contentions. SC WILL DECIDE After hearing both sides, the court observed that since the problem arose out of the new language policy of the state government, which itself has been challenged in the Supreme Court, the outcome of that case will decide this one as well. The Language Policy 2009 of the Karnataka government makes it mandatory that the medium of instruction in primary classes is Kannada or the mother tongue of the student. Advocate K V Dhananjay, who is representing the Karnataka Unaided Schools Management Association (KUSMA) which got the language policy struck down by the apex court, said, “The Supreme Court has maintained that the state cannot close any unrecognised English medium schools. The last time the case came up for hearing was in April 2010. Unless the state has any other contention, like shortage of infrastructure, it cannot stop Nawayath school from using English script for the language. They do not even need to convince anyone why they want English medium. It is their prerogative to choose the medium of instruction.” source: http://www.bangaloremirror.com / by S. Shyam Prasad / August 16th, 2011

Ghalib made easy for all

For those who always thought the poetry of Mirza Ghalib was too difficult to understand, help is at hand. Professors from the Academy of Professional Development of Urdu Medium Teachers, Jamia Millia Islamia, Urdu Teaching and Research Centre, Lucknow, and Central Institute of Indian 

Languages Mysore, have prepared a dictionary on Ghalib's poetry, which will make it easier for Urdu and non-Urdu speakers to understand the intricate meaning of his words.

"Ghalib used a lot of compound words in his poetry and it is because of these words that his poetry is difficult to understand. While other poets, such as Iqbal, have also used compound words, Ghalib's are the most complicated," said Ghazansar Ali, professor at Jamia Millia Islamia.

Compound words add a musical element to poetry and also help economize words, Ali said.

The dictionary will have 2,500 compound words under different categories and the meaning of each explained using examples from Ghalib's poetry.

The dictionary is expected to be on the stands in the coming three months

source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / by HT Correspondent / New Delhi / Aug 03rd, 2011