Kasmiri Lal Zakir remembered

Purnoor, Chandigarh April 18, 2019

dil-jaloñ ko satāne aa.e haiñ
ġham-zadoñ ko rulāne aa.e haiñ
uff! ye be-dard shaam ke saa.e
hasratoñ ko jagāne aa.e haiñ

        The Panjab University Alumni Association(PUAA)  in collaboration with the Department of Urdu, Panjab University, Chandigarh conducted a one day seminar to commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of Urdu novelist, poet, biographer and PU Alumni, Padam Shree Janab Kashmiri Lal Zakir (7 April 1919 – 31 August 2016), here today.

        The seminar took place at Golden Jubilee Hall of PU. The inaugural session started with Shams Tabrezi, Nazim of mushairas, highlighting the importance and aim of the seminar.

        With his immaculate Urdu he dazzled the audience and called upon Prof. Kamlesh Mohan, to kick start the seminar by introducing the life and achievements of Janab Kashmiri Lal Zakir. It was followed by Prof. Karamjeet Singh, Registrar, PU, addressing the audience and then Prof. Abul Kalam Qasmi, the chief guest of programme. In Prof. Shamsur Rahman Faruqi’s absence, Dr Ali Abbas read his key note, with this the inaugural session came to an end. 

        Before the second session commenced a spellbinding musical performance by Vinod Sehgal and Mahendra Pratap Singh zapped the audience and left everyone speechless and refreshed. The second session had some well recognised personalities of Urdu Adab delivering lectures, Tasnima and Dr. Chander Tarikha. Post lunch a  ‘guftagoo’ session between Prof. Zaman Azurdah and Ms. Nirupma Dutt had everyone zapped.

        The seminar ended with a vote of thanks delivered by Prof. Deepti Gupta, Dean, Alumni Relations. 

        This seminar felt like spring. It was after what seemed like eons that Department of Urdu stole the spotlight all thanks to the teamwork of Professors of Urdu Department, Dr. Ali Abbas and Dr. Zareen Fatima, who developed this idea to raise awareness about Urdu literature on the occasion of 100th Birth Anniversary of Padam Shree Janab Kashmiri Lal Zakir.