No longer a wedding venue, Ghalib haveli now houses his memories

New Delhi       “Puchte hain woh ki Ghalib kaun hai, Koi batlao ki hum batayen kya.”

The narrow bylanes of Chandni Chowk in 19th century, leading to a narrower Gali Qasim Jaan, the lane full of bangle and sweatmeat shops in Ballimaran, housed a two-room ‘haveli’ of Asadullah Baig Khan. For the man, who was known to the world as Mirza Ghalib, the traditional shama would be placed in the courtyard — the place where the then not-so-famous poet recited this nazm expressing his life’s dilemma.

Over the years, the Ghalib haveli fell into neglect, so much so that it was rented out for marriange ceremonies by the caretakers till a couple of year ago. It was then that Indian Council for Cultural Relations along with Delhi governmentt, filmmaker and poet Gulzar and Kathak danseuse Uma Sharma made efforts to preserve it and started the Ghalib Memorial Movement.

On Tuesday, to mark the 214th birth anniversary of Ghalib, Gulzar led a candlelight procession from the Town Hall to Ghalib haveli — amid much chaos and traffic congestion. The refurbished haveli was opened as a museum and the shama, fuscia in colour with a faux antique look, was placed.

“Hum har saal yahan itna dhakkampel kar ke pahuchte hai (Every year we reach this place after so much chaos). Once the people of this country realise the importance of its heritage, the government will come forward for conservation,” said Gulzar.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshitt, who also attended the event, said, “I had visited this place many years ago and then there was nothing here except for some wooden pillars. But I am glad that some memorabilia has been added. However, the next time, such programmes should be organised elsewhere, at a more open space, where it is not this crowded and is easier to reach.”

But the memorabilia — which is being touted as “priceless exhibits” and includes old clothes, utensils, letters, compilations of Ghalib’s ghazals and nazms — are all replicas. Nothing in the museum is “real”, and nothing belongs to Ghalib.

“All of the Ghalib’s personal belongings and original works are at Ghalib Academy or National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language. The original ones can’t be brought here because of security reasons,” said Suresh K Goel, Director of ICCR. He said there are plans to make the haveli an important marker on the heritage tourism trail.

The three-day celebrations, which began with a mushaira at India Islamic Research Centre on Monday, will conclude with an Urdu comedy titled Ghalib in New Delhi produced by Peirrot’s Troupe on Wednesday.

source: http://www.ExpressIndia.com / by Suanshu Khurana 

posted: December 28th, 2011

Shakespeare In Kashmiri

Translating classics from any language to any other language not just enriches the realm of language but the culture of a people speaking that particular language. Majid Maqbool meets the septuagenarian Ghulam Ali Salmani who has recently translated Shakespeare into Kashmiri. 

Ghulam Ali Salmani, 74, wears a constant smile listening patiently to teachers and parents trickling in his office in a small middle school in Sir  Syed Abad, Bemina. Spotting a free flowing white beard and a prayer cap, Salmani is a veteran teacher and a school administrator, with years of teaching experience. Everyone knows that part of his life. But very few people know that Salmani is probably the first Kashmiri writer who recently translated twelve works of William Shakespeare into Kashmiri language.  

Salmani’s love for western classical literature began at an early age. When he was pursuing his graduation from SP College in the 1950s, he immersed himself in western literature, especially the classics. He says he always wanted to read such classic literary works in Kashmiri language. 

In college, he became friends with his classmate and well-known poet Dr Hamidi Kashmiri. In his company he began writing in Urdu, Kashmiri and English. But writing in Kashmiri language came naturally to him. It was his first love. After graduating from SP College in 1952, he began his teaching career in 1953. He also did an honors course in Persian while he was in college. Besides teaching, he completed his MA in English Literature from Kashmir University as a private candidate.

When Salmani was pursuing MA in English Literature, he was highly impressed by an Athenian tragedy, Oedipus, written by Sophocles. Considered to be one of the greatest playwrights of the world, Sophocle’s Oedipus has been translated into almost all languages of the world. “I was fascinated by this play and I liked it so much that I thought of translating it into Kashmiri language,” saidSalmani who translated the play into Kashmiri language a few years back. Titled “Azelechhankel” (the chain of destiny), the Kashmiri translation was published as a 110-page book.

This was his first work of Kashmiri translation of a major literary work. “Though it is a three thousand year old drama, but even today it is relevant and has lessons for all of us,” the septuagenarian Salmani says. “The plot is weaved in such a brilliant way, and there are so many surprising twists and turns, that you can’t help but admire the writer.”

Salmani says this brilliant play is unparalleled in western literature. It’s an intricate drama that grapples with questions of identity as the main character at the end of the play comes to know that he was in fact married to his own mother. “The drama is about how he comes to know about this fact and how the character deals with questions like what he should call his sons now,” explains Salmani.

In order to translate the Greek tragedy into Kashmiri, Salmani searched for a writer who was equally proficient in Greek and English literature. “I was looking for the English translation of the play by a writer who knew Greek as well as English literature.”  Then he found Gilbert Murray. “His translation of the play is the best. He knows Greek as well as English. He is the master of Greek. Other English writers could not do justice with the play,” says Salmani who translated the play from Murray’s English translation, as it is considered more faithful to the original Greek play. 

Salmani did not stop at the translation of the Greek tragedy. While he was writing in Kashmiri, he was also at work on a dream project— translating great plays by Shakespeare into Kashmiri language. After ten years of labour, Salmani was able to finish Kashmiri translation of twelve best plays of Shakespeare recently. The book is being published locally soon.

Titled “Tarkenhiund safer” in Kashmiri, the book, in 210 pages, is a summary translation of twelve best dramas of Shakespeare. The works chosen for Kashmiri translation include plays like Othello, As you like it, The Winter’s Tale, King Lear, Romeo and Juliet.The foreword for the book has been written by Dr Hamidi Kashmiri in whichhe says that the text does not feel like a translation. 

Salmani, who writes under the penname “Shaheed Salmani”, says he wanted Kashmiris to know the great works of Shakespeare. “When I would talk to educated people here about Shakespeare, I felt they had a superficial knowledge of Shakespeare and were unaware of his great works,” he says. “I wanted the common man to know and read the great works of Shakespeare in his own language.” 

It took Salmani ten years to translate twelve plays of Shakespeare into Kashmiri. “I don’t think anyone else has translated the great works of Shakespeare into Kashmiri language,” he says. “I wanted to fill this vacuum.”

Salmani translated the plays into Kashmiri prose so that the translated work read easy. “While translating the plays, I kept the Kashmiri background so that people could relate to it culturally. I did not change the name of characters and retained the essence of plays,” he explains.

Salamani says Kashmiri literature is in dire need of prose writing. “A lot of Kashmiri poetry has been written but we need more Kashmiri prose writers,” he says.

In his illustrious career, besides being a teacher, Salami worked in the education department on various administrative posts. He rose to many positions from head master to district education officer and finally retired as Deputy Director of Education in 1986. Before setting up the Alfalah middle school in 1998 (which he presently heads), Salmani worked as principal of Iqbal Memorial School for 12 years from1986 to 1998. 

He feels the government institutes like Cultural Academy and department of libraries is not doing enough to market books written in Kashmiri language and says the state institutes like Cultural Academy has laid out strict conditions for writers, making it difficult to get a book published there. “They put too many rules and hurdles for the writer, and they also interfere with the manuscript,” he says. He feels marketing facilities must be made available by institutes like the Academy, School education department, libraries department, and by Kashmir University. “If they don’t encourage writers, who will do it?” he asks. 

“I did not approach the cultural academy with my books,” he says. “I had to spend my own money to get my books published by local publishers. And then there is no money to be made. Most of the time I give out my books to people for free,”Salmani said. “Besides, there are no takers for books written in Kashmiri language as people find them difficult to read.” 

He is also unhappy with the new script brought out for the Kashmiri language. It has made the reading and writing of Kashmir more difficult than it was earlier when it was written in Urdu or Persian script. “Even I as a Kashmiri writer find the new script difficult,” he says. “Although it’s a good attempt, but on the whole Kashmiri reading and writing has become difficult.” 

Recently, Salmani also published his collection of Kashmiri poetry titled “Haetharetal”. He is now working on translating the work of Sheikh Syed Abdul  Qadir Jeelani  RA (Dasgeerseab), “Fatuhul Gaib”, originally in Arabic, into Kashmiri language. “I am translating it into Kashmiri because I think it holds great lessons for us. His teachings are still relevant to us,” says Salmani. “In this book he also talks about how to resolve various issues in life and it should be read widely by all Kashmiris.”

Another tragedy, says Salmani, is that writers here are remembered only after they die. “Then they publish their books posthumously,” he says with an ironic smile. “But why do they neglect them while they are alive?


source: http://www.kashmirlife.net / Potpourri

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