Srinagar: A two-day national seminar on the legendary Urdu poet, Mirza Ghalib, concluded at the University of Kashmir on Tuesday. The seminar, which was inaugurated by Dean Academic Affairs Prof F A Masoodi, was organised by the Directorate of Distance Education, KU, in collaboration with Ghalib Institute, New Delhi.
The seminar sessions saw diverse papers being presented by participants from various colleges and universities on different dimensions of the life and works of Mirza Ghalib, especially his poetry. The seminar was attended by eminent scholars of Urdu language and literature from Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere in the country, including Prof Mohammad Zaman Azurdah, who delivered the keynote address at the inaugural session.
Director DDE Prof Tariq A Chishti spoke about the objectives of the seminar and academic achievements of the Directorate. He thanked the Ghalib Institute for collaborating with the University of Kashmir in holding the present seminar.
Dr Idris Ahmed, Director, Ghalib Institute, New Delhi, also shared the dais and said the Institute looks forward to more such collaborations with the University of Kashmir in future.
The first session on the second day was chaired by Dr Altaf Anjum, Convener and President of the Seminar, and the paper presenters included Dr Mohiuddin Zore, Dr Mohammad Younis Thakur, Dr Iqbal Afrooz, Dr Nusrat Jabeen and Dr Kouser Rassol who spoke about the poet’s life, his writings and how his style changed poetry forever, covering sadness and despair with the struggles from his own life from an early age.
The second session was chaired by Prof Nazir Ahmad Malik, former Head, Department of Urdu KU, and the paper presenters included Dr Taussif Ahmed, Masrat Gillani, Dr Imtiyaz Ahmed Tantray and Dr Mohammad Yousuf Wani. The speakers spoke about ‘Farsi, a collection of 11337 poems’ and ‘the poet’s influence across generations of people’.
The third session was chaired by Prof Shafeeqa Parveen, former Director DDE KU and the paper presenters were Suhail Saleem, Masrufa Quadir and Dr Reyaz Ahmed Kumar. The last session was chaired by Prof Jouhar Qodusi and paper presenters were Dr Asma Badar and Dr Mohammad Altaf Ahangar. Dr Ahangar also conducted proceedings of the inaugural and valedictory sessions.

KR Desk