Mahmood Awan (The News on Sunday, 29th December 2024)
There are a number of books I read this year that enriched my understanding of the world and its people. I will highlight just two of them for a brief review, but several others deserve mention: Tania Branigan’s Red Memory: Living, Remembering and Forgetting China’s Cultural Revolution, Hassan Abbas’s The Prophet’s Heir: The Life of Ali Ibn Abi Talib, Zubair Ahmad’s Alif Allah Ratta Dil Maira, Saeed Ahmad’s Ikkeesvain Chaand Ki Raat, Li-Young Lee’s The Undressing and Ocean Vuong’s Night Sky with Exit Wounds.
Dr Naveed Shahzad’s Urdu Hindi Tanaa’zia and Punjabi Zubaan (Urdu-Hindi Conflict and the Punjabi Language) is a book I revisited this year. Dr Shahzad, head of the Punjabi Department at Punjab University, is a prolific researcher and an engaging poet.
The book delves into the pre-Partition politics of language, when Urdu and Hindi were linked to specific religions. A unique case of this conflict was in the Punjab, where the Urdu vs Hindi debate evolved into an Urdu vs Punjabi conflict starting in 1909 – a tension that persists to this day.
Dr Shahzad has drawn on historical archives, including anti-Punjabi propaganda published in the Paisa Akhbaar (Penny Newspaper), Lahore, edited by Munshi Mahboob Alam of Wazirabad (1863–1933). The book highlights the editor’s criticism of Punjab University Vice-Chancellor Sir PC Chatterjee (1848–1917) after he advocated for Punjabi-language education in the Punjab during his keynote speech at the university’s 29th convocation on December 22, 1908. Dr Shahzad has also reproduced the full text of Chatterjee’s speech in the book.
This is a must-read for anyone interested in the historical politics of linguistics.
The second book I’d like to highlight is Kalyam Kooch-i-Ishq, co-written by Syed Ahmad Iqbal Tirmazi and Iftikhar Ahmad Hafiz Qadri. This book explores the life of the Sufi adept Hazrat Mian Fazluddin Kalyami Chishti Sabri (1808–1892), whose shrine is located in Mandra, Gujar Khan. It was published to mark his 133rd death anniversary.
Iftikhar Qadri, a traveller and author, collaborated with Ahmad Iqbal Tirmazi, a poet who has embraced the journey of self-discovery through sufism. Last year, Tirmazi published and distributed for free the historic text Dala’il al-Khayraat, which compiles prayers of peace and blessings upon the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him).
According to Peer Mehr Ali Shah’s biographer in Mehr-i-Munir, funeral prayers for Mian Kalyami were led by Peer Mehr Ali Shah. As per his will, a sarangi was played during the funeral and women sang wedding songs instead of laments – a testament to the unique spirit of the Sufis of our region.
These legacies and shrines, in my view, are not the sole property of individuals or families but represent the collective heritage of common people. In a world filled with distractions and discontent, there is a pressing need for the green refuge of mysticism and inner peace. This book beautifully rekindles that golden trail.
Published on 29th December 2024 in The News on Sunday.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/1266022-the-most-cherished-reads-of-2024
