Du-Badu ( Adabi Mokalma) of Anwar Afaqi

By RAYEES AHMAD KUMAR

Mohammad Imam Anwar, pen name Anwar Afaqi was born on 7th of August 1954 at Baliya Barol Darbangha. He has done B.Sc and diploma in automobile engineering. He has also done PG in Urdu from Moulana Azad Urdu university. Presently he is a retired engineering officer. He has several compilations to his credit. Few among these worth to mention here are ….
Lamsoon ki khushboo, Deareena khawab ki tabeer, Prof Manazir Ashiq Harganvi se Guftagu and Nayi rah nayi Roshni etc. He is also associated with many literary organisations and guilds of national and international repute.
This book ” Du- Badu” comprising of 176 pages is divided into ten chapters. The contents of this compilation are based on the literary interviews of legendary literary figures of India. Interview of two distinguished fiction writers of valley ie Noor Shah and Wehshi Syed are also the part of this well known book. It is published by educational publishing house new Delhi.
About his intentions of authoring this book, Anwar Afaaqi says ” During 1977 when I was in Kolkata in connection with some departmental training schedule, I got the precious opportunity to meet some prominent literary figures very closely. Few of these personalities include Alqama Shibli, Nowshad Darbanghvi, Zafar Awganvi, Ahsan Darbanghvi, Salik Lukhnavi, Saqlain Lukhnavi etc. One day Nowshad Darbanghvi informed me that a three days centenary seminar on Dr Iqbal’s life and works is being organised by Muslim Institute under the chairmanship of Alama Shibli. There was a confusion with regard to the date of birth of Alama Iqbal , but the Iqbaliyat experts of that time had unanimously fixed 1877 as the date of birth of Alama Iqbal the poet of the East. So the centenary literary event was going to be held in 1977. When I was reading my composed article in the seminar, I was shocked to see 1938 as the date of birth of Alama Iqbal from Dr Khaleel Zaman Nusrat’s authored book ” Bar Mahal Ashaar Aur Unke Makhaz” on it’s page number 135. I thought, had someone met Dr Iqbal in his lifetime and asked him about his actual date of birth, such confusions among scholars would never have got a birth.
Later on also I have become the victim of such a kind of confusion when a Facebook post of a legendary poet and prominent writer Ata Aabidi went through my sight. It was 23rd of June 2020 Ata Aabidi had written an article about Owais Ahmad Doran and in the facebook post, he had mentioned that there is a confusion about the date of birth of Doran sahib. From these two events, I made my mind to author a compilation based on the interviews of legendary literary figures. So I interviewed some of the famous poets and writers to realise my dream of compiling the book. The common questions which I posed to almost every personality are about their date of birth, place of birth and the domicile place or district”.
The literary figures whose interviews are the part of this book include …. Prof Aftab Ahmad Afaaqi, Khaleel Zaman Nusrat, Dr Saleem Khan, Shamee Qasmi, Prof Abdul Manan Tarzi, Dr Majeer Ahmad Azad, Dr Mansoor Khoshtar and two well-known fiction writers of Kashmir Noor Shah and Wehshi Syed.
About the distinguished fiction writer of valley Noor Shah, Anwar Afaaqi writes ” Noor Shah got his birth in Dalgate area of Srinagar city where from his popularity spread to distant lands including different corners of the globe. By composing more than 500 urdu short stories( Afsane) , 60 dramas, and few novels , Noor Shah has really ruled over the hearts of Urdu lovers. He is most popular among youth as well. So for ten compilations of Urdu short stories have seen the light of the day authored by Noor Shah. In many languages his compositions have been translated like Hindi, Gujrati, Punjabi, Dogri and Kashmiri. So for seven scholars have been awarded research degrees of M.Phill and P.hd on his works. He has written many TV serials as well. His most famous books are ” Dard Ka Rishta”, “Gull aur Bulbul” , ” Jammu Kashmir ke afsana nigaar” , ” Kahan gaye ye loug” , and ” Aandi raat ka suraj”.
Born on 16th of November 1946 in Srinagar city famous fiction writer of valley Wehshi Syed is eldest among his three other brothers. He has written more than 300 urdu short stories and many compilations comprising of short stories and novels authored by Wehshi Syed have been published so for. He is a well known businessman and a good human being as well. Anwar Afaaqi has met met him on 20th November 2017 in Srinagar while participating in a seminar.
This book is a good treat for Urdu language and literature loving persons and it can prove a good guid for those intending to author a publication based on literary interviews of literary figures. Among literary circles of the subcontinent, it has been widely acclaimed.
RAYEES AHMAD KUMAR
Qazigund Kashmir