Two-day
National Seminar on Amin Kamil at AMU
Aligarh
Muslim University, March 11-12: A two-day National Seminar on Critical
Perspective on Kashmiri Poet Amin Kamil,
an outstanding Kashmiri poet, critic, scholar, short-story writer
and intellectual was held on 11th and 12th March, 2009 in the Arts
Faculty Lounge, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh.
Professor
Masood’ul-Hassan, former Chairman of the Department
of English at AMU, in his presidential remarks gave an elaborate account
of references to Kashmir in world literature. He also commented upon
the presentations made by previous speakers and also paid tributes
to Amin Kamil and acknowledged the relevance of his poetry in modern
times.
Professor Masood’ul Hassan also released Amin Kamil's
latest collection of poems Yim Myane Sokhan.
Dr. Mushtaq Ahmad Zargar of the Centre for Comparative
Study of Indian Languages and Culture at AMU welcomed the guests and
threw light on the relevance and significance of the Seminar.

Dr. Sanaullah Mir of the Department
of Philosophy at AMU delivered the keynote address. He highlighted
the characterizing features of Amin Kamil's poetry and its various
dimensions. According to Dr. Mir, Amin Kamil is the foremost exponent
of the modern sensibility in Kashmiri poetry. Himself an outstanding
liberal, his poetry reflects peace, love, freedom, tolerance and pluralism.
His poetry is deeply mystical and can as well be deemed to be presaging
central themes of postmodernism in Kashmiri. Kamil's poetry is essentially
an exploration and celebration of the mystery of human existence.
Professor Emeritus Farhatullah Khan
of the Department of English at AMU, Chief Guest of the Seminar, reviewed
the history and evolution of Kashmiri poetry from Lala Ishveri of
the eighteenth century Kashmir via Sheikh Nuruddin Wali and Habba
Khatoon to Amin Kamil. He paid judicious and fulsome tributes to Amin
Kamil for his espousal of liberalism, humanism and pluralism. He lauded
Kamil’s masterpiece short-story The Cock-fight as a unique story
in the body of Indian short stories written in the last century.

Professor Qazi Afzal, Director, Advanced Studies of Urdu,
Aligarh Muslim University, the Guest of Honor, stressed that Kamil's
poetry is predominantly in satirical mode which is a mode of protest
by subaltern cultures everywhere in the world. However in view of
the fact that all so-called meta-narratives across the globe have
fizzled out, there is no centre and no periphery and we are literally
living in a multicultural global society where all cultures are equally
worthy of celebration.
Professor Gulshan Majeed of the University of Kashmir
made forceful plea that Kamil's poetry should not be deemed to be
oriented to any ideology or system. Kamil's use of words is oriented
to liberating us from the prison-house of systems, ideologies and
meta-narratives. Kamil employs metaphors and paradoxes with a view
to transcending the normal parameters of the communicability.
In
the subsequent session of the Seminar Dr. Sanaullah Mir, Dr. Hayat
Amir Husaini, Dr. Mushtaq Ahmad Zargar and Dr. Wasim Mushtaq Wani,
read their papers on Amin Kamil and the comments
on the papers were offered by Dr. Latif Husain Kazmi, Dr. Tabassum
Rasheed, Mrs Masooda, Mr. Shabbir Ahmad, Mr. Ghulam Jeelani, Mr. Shabbir
Ahmad, Dr. Bilal Kutte, Mr. Shabbir Ahmad Kutte, Mr. Shahid Rasool,
Mr.Muhammad Khaliq, Ms. Kainat, Mr. Salim Khan and Mr.Satish Kumar.
In the end of the first session Dr. Latif Husain Kazmi, of
the Department of Philosophy at AMU, presented the vote of thanks
and said that Amin Kamil’s personality became a source of unity
and mutual understanding for modern generation and the present seminar
organized outside Kashmir in Aligarh is the first of its kind to make
Kashmiris understand their cultural legacy based on humanism.
This
was the second release of Kamil’s book outside the Kashmir valley.
In Srinagar, the book was released in January this year by the noted
critic and former vice-chancellor of the University of Kashmir, Hamidi Kashmiri
who lauded Kamil as an unparalleled creative poet of modern
period whose power of original and creative use of language could
be shared only by Lal Ded, Shiekul Alam, and a few sufi poets in between.
Two more books,
Emergence of Central Asia by professor Gulshan Majeed
and another by Dr. Mushtaq Ahmad Zargar (Muntazir)
Asri Tajik ti Kashir Shaeri Taqabli Mutale were also released
at the seminar.
At the end of the seminar, a Kashmiri Mushaira was held. The mushaira
was presided over by Dr. Hayat Amir Hussaini of the
Department of Philosophy at AMU. Dr. Mushtaq Ahmad
Zargar, Dr. Sanaullah Mir, Prof Gulshan Majeed, Dr. Wasim Mushtaq
Wani and Dr. Hayat Amir Hussaini recited their poetry.
Both sessions
were long sessions and ended around 8 pm both days. The seminar ended
with an elaborate dinner for its participants.
The Seminar
was organized by Anjuman-i- Fikro-Saqafat, Aligarh.
It was sponsored by Glow-Biotech Limited, Aligarh
and the founding members of the Anjuman, Dr. Muhammad Hayat Amir Husaini,
Dr. Sanaullah Mir, Dr. Latif Hussain Kazmi, Dr. Mushtaq Ahmad Zargar,
and Dr. M. Vasim Wani.
Amin Kamil’s
Ghazals in World Poetry Workshop
Chicago - Poet and editor Ravi
Shankar of Central Connecticut State University conducted a world
poetry workshop for 60 seniors from Whitney Young Magnet High School
in Chicago. The event was sponsored by University of Chicago.
Shankar addressed issues of politics and culture in Asia and the Middle
East through the medium of poetry. He included a discussion of works
by Korean poet Ko Un, Chinese poet Bei Dao, Japanese poet Tada Chimako,
and Kashmiri poet Amin Kamil among four other poets from the Middle
East. This is for the first time a Kashmiri poet features in an international
poetry workshop. Translations of Amin Kamil ghazals that appeared
in an international anthology last year were used in the workshop.
In Europe and Chicago, poetry workshops are organized in schools and
universities to teach the art of poetry to students.
American first lady Michelle Obama is a graduate of Whitney Young
Magnet High School.
(The Center for East Asian Studies,
The University of Chicago)
Yem
Mein Sukhan Released
Amin Kamil's Contribution to Kashmiri Language
Lauded
Rising Kashmir News
Srinagar, Dec 18: Yem Mein Sukhan, the latest collection of
poems by distinguished Kashmiri writer, Amin Kamil
was released at an impressive function here on Thursday.
A galaxy of writers, poets, litterateurs and students attended the function
presided over by noted writer Hamidi Kashmiri.
The function was organized by Adbee Markaz Kamraz (AMK)
in collaboration with Radio Kashmir Srinagar. Prof Margoob Banihali,
Director Radio Kashmir Rafiq Raaz and AMK president Aziz Hajini formed
the presidium. AMK general secretary, Syed Shujaat Bukhari conducted
the function and introduced the book to the audience.
Hailing the “humble and tireless” efforts of Kamil, Prof
Hamidi called him a trend setter in Kashmiri language who with
his unique style has earned a distinct place among the writers.
"His modest approach over the years to enriching our language assumes
great significance, and his style of writing has not been borrowed from
anywhere," said Hamidi, adding that the need of the hour is promote
unbiased critical evaluation of the present generation writer, poets
so that these “men of intellect” could be valued appropriately.
Rafiq Raaz also stressed upon the critical assessment
of writings. "For promotion of the language, critiques have an
important role but their evaluation must be objective,” he said.
He regretted that independent evaluation of literature was missing in
Kashmiri.
Terming Kamil as a living legend who has an “unassuming role”
not only in enriching Gazal in Kashmiri, Raaz said that his contributions
are immense in Kashmiri pose writing.
Prof Margoob Banhali underlined need
for understanding Kamil's works in the real spirit and said that creativity
was the hallmark of his poetry.
Dr Mashal Sultanpuri who presented the review of the
book said that Kamil's latest book represents different facets of Kashmiri
writings besides adding some poems and couplets by writers and poets
of some earlier period. "His manner of criticizing in a humorous
way is also evident in his latest book and the writings make the reader
to ponder," said Sultanpuri.
Dr Bashar Bashir appreciated the manner in which Kamil
approaches the reader through writings. "The flow in the writing
is maintained by a colloquial manner to reach out to the reader, which
is distinctive of this great writer," said Bashir.
Amin Kamil who spoke on the occasion thanked the AMK
and Radio Kashmir for their efforts to promote Kashmiri language.
Earlier Aziz Hajni, welcoming the guests at the function,
said that the Markaz felt blessed when Kamil choose them for the launch
of his latest book.
Shujaat Bukhari said that Kamil's was a multifaceted
personality who had a remarkable contribution to Kashmiri language and
literature. "We owe a lot to people like Kamil" he said.
The programme began with a song penned by Kamil and was presented by
famous singer Abdur Rashid Farash. Others who were present included
Director Doordarshan Rafiq Masoodi, Farooq Nazki, Ejaz Ahmad Kakroo,
Zarief Ahmad Zarief, Ghulam Nabi Gowhar, Prof Mohamamd Zaman Aazurdah,
M H Zaffar, Shad Ramzan, Gulshan Majid Hakim Ghulam Jeelani, Qazi M
Amin and MLC Basharat Bukhari.
Read
Prof. Hamidi Kashmiri's
talk in Urdu
Kashmiri Poets Ignored at Home are Recognized
Elsewhere
Failure to appreciate its literary stars exposes weakness
in Kashmir's civil society
Ignored by natives,
Kashmiri poets feature in International Anthology
Srinagar: Language
for a New Century — Contemporary Poetry from the Middle East,
Asia & Beyond, a recent anthology of eastern poetry published by
a renowned international publisher W.W. Norton & Co, for the first
time includes poems by many Kashmiri poets.
According to reports,
the anthology was launched in a series of celebrations in many US cities
including New York and Hartford. The anthology celebrates the artistic
and cultural forces flourishing today in the East, bringing together
an unprecedented selection of works by over 400 unique voices-political
and apolitical, monastic and erotic, established and emerging. The anthology
includes poems by Kashmiri poets Amin Kamil, Rehman Rahi and Rafiq Raaz.
The selection was provided by Muneebur Rahman who edits a Kashmiri literary
magazine Neab from Boston.
“It’s
for the first time that Kashmiri poets are featured in an international
anthology,” says Muneeb. “The anthology includes poems from
about 60 nationalities, wildly divergent cultures and voices.”
The collection is
edited by three promising American poets: Palestinian poet Nathalie
Handal who was educated in London and Paris and lives in New York; native
New Yorker Tina Chang who grew up, in part, in Taiwan; and Connecticut
resident Ravi Shankar who was born and raised in India. The 734-page
anthology includes 35 poets from India. “I had originally recommended
more Kashmiri poets but due to limited space I had to drop some,”
explains Muneeb. “I regret Dinanath Nadim’s ‘Candy
and Absinth’ was dropped from the selection at a later stage during
a review by a professor at the Kashmir University.”
The anthology features
Rahman Rahi’s poem “Redemption,” translated by Shafi
Shauq, Amin Kamil’s ghazal “In Water,” and Rafiq Raaz’s
poem “Seven Sparks,” both translated by Muneebur Rahman.
(Report from the Daily Etalaat)