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AMU’s Prof Shafey Kidwai bags Sahitya Akademi Award for Urdu
Bilingual critic, scholar and communication expert Prof Shafey Kidway of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) was felicitated with the prestigious Sahitya Akademi
Bilingual critic, scholar and communication expert Prof Shafey Kidway of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) was felicitated with the prestigious Sahitya Akademi award for Urdu on Wednesday. He was honoured for his book ‘Sawaneh-e-Sir Syed: Ek Bazdeed’, which is based on Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, the founder of AMU.
Talking to HT, Prof Kidwai, head of the department of mass communications and spokesperson, AMU, said, “I am thankful to the Sahitya Akademi for considering my work for this award. I have tried to clear a lot of misconceptions about the life of Sir Syed.”
He said it took him three years to complete the book, which was published in 2017. “My effort was to correct the historical misgivings about Sir Syed who was a great reformer and academician,” said Prof Kidwai.
He said the misinformation spread about Sir Syed was because of the ‘Pakistani propaganda’ according to which the Aligarh Movement and the Pakistan Movement were complementary and inseparable. “The torch-bearers of the Aligarh Movement and students of the university rendered an invaluable service to the struggle for Pakistan. As many as five heads of state and prime ministers of Pakistan were AMU Old Boys (alumni). But the facts have been distorted. I have came out with correct information about Sir Syed’s views on Pakistan and also about his personal life,” said the professor.
The prestigious Sahitya Akademi Awards were declared on Wednesday. Parliamentarian Shashi Tharoor bagged the award for his book ‘An Era of Darkness’ in English, and writer Nand Kishore Acharya for his book of Hindi poetry, ‘Chheelatey Hue Apne Ko’.
The Sahitya Akademi Award is given for literary works in 23 Indian languages and includes a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh for every winner.
The awards will be presented during a ceremony in New Delhi in February.
A well-travelled writer, scholar
Professor Shafey Kidwai is the head of the mass communication department of the Aligarh Muslim University.
A well-travelled man, he has visited countries like England, Thailand, Doha, Pakistan and Syria to participate in seminars and present papers.
He also holds a number of positions in various organisations such as the Urdu Advisory Board. He is the convener of the Urdu Advisory Committee of the Bharatiya Jnanpith.
“My book ‘Urdu Literature and Journalism: Critical Perspective’ has been published by the Cambridge University Press. I also write fortnightly columns on literature, media and culture for newspapers and Urdu journals,” he told HT.
