Comment: Apart from death announcements, I can't find any significant coverage of this poet. Read the guide to finding reliable sources. Safari ScribeEdits! Talk! 18:02, 22 August 2024 (UTC)
Muzaffar Aazim | |
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Born | Mohammad Muzaffar Mir April 29, 1934 Tangmarg, Jammu & Kashmir, British India |
Died | July 8, 2022 Woodbridge, Virginia, USA | (aged 88)
Citizenship | Kashmiri-American |
Occupation(s) | Poet, Writer, Director Sericulture |
Notable work | Poetry collections: Zolana (1963), Mani-Kaman (1974), Saze-Salasil (2005), Harf Dai (2007), Translations: War & Peace (1977), Wuthering Heights (1987), ‘Iyaruingam’ Awami Raj (1988)
Mahmud Gami (Makers of Indian Literature), (1991) ‘Yak Rang’ poems of Anwar War Anwar (2012) Drama: Nai-Mout, Srinagar Door Darshan; Hawas ta Haasil, Radio Kashmir Created the first Kashmiri Narqalam font and Gulmarg Nastalik font |
Movement | Progressive Writers Movement, Modernism |
Awards | Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, Kashmir; Soviet Land Nehru Award,1978 |
Muzaffar Aazim was a Kashmiri-American poet and a writer of the Kashmiri language[1]
Early life and career
Muzaffar Aazim was born in 1934 in picturesque hillside Tangmarg town located along Himalaya mountains in erstwhile Jammu & Kashmir State of India.[2] He graduated from Sri Pratap College and briefly taught at Amar Singh College.[3] [4] He later became the Director of Sericulture in Kashmir, a position that enabled him to travel widely.[2]
Kashmiri Font and Script Promotion
He was instrumental in promoting Kashmiri poetry and language,[5] partly by creating the first Kashmiri Narqalam and Gulmarg Nastalik fonts.[6] In collaboration with other language experts, he pushed for improvement in Unicode to better represent Kashmiri language.[7] This change enabled Kashmiri language users worldwide to write in their chosen language.[7]
Literary Works
Aazim started writing poetry at the age of 10 and published his first Kashmiri poetry book, Zolana (The Fetters), in 1963. His contemporary, Kashmir poet Rahman Rahi, writing about this book, “The chief quality that distinguishes Aazim from almost all other poets of his age is his dexterity as a craftsman, a quality which can be appreciated in his ghazals.”[8] His second Kashmiri poetry book was Manikaman (The Desire). His other poetry books include Saze-Salasil (The Rhythm of the Chains) in Urdu and Haraf Dai (Two and a Half Words) in Kashmiri. He authored Mahmud Gami, Makers of Indian Literature, published by Sahitya Akademi.[9] He compiled a comprehensive review on ‘Experiments in Modern Kashmiri Poetry’ in ‘Indian Literature, also published by Sahitya Akademi.[10]
He published ‘Yak Rang’, a popular collection of unpublished poems by mystic Kashmiri poet Anwar War Anwar (1873–1905).[11] He has appeared multiple times on television to discuss poetry, literature, and life.[12]
He has written several plays for All India Radio Srinagar, including Havas ta Haasil (Longing and Gain), and for Door Darshan TV, including Nai Mout (The Flute Fakir). He started abstract digital art in 2014. This became his main outlet of creative expression in the later years of his life.
Translations
Muzaffar Aazim translated many classics into Kashmiri including Tolstoy’s War & Peace ,ublished by the Cultural Academy.[13] He also translated Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, and Awami Raj, originally written as Iyaruingam (People's Rule) in Assamese by Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya and published by Sahitya Akademi.[14]
Popular Songs
Muzaffar Aazim wrote many Kashmiri songs that are mostly played on All India Radio Srinagar and quickly became favorites. ‘Asi bor wizi wizi’ was adopted by the University of Kashmir as an anthem for 3 years.[15],[16] ‘Yina sa cheshman’, a song he dedicated to his wife became a classic.[17]. Other songs include ‘Jigar zakhmi’ and ‘Yena zulfow chanew’, both still very popular.[18]
Awards and Honors
Muzaffar Aazim received the best book award for two of his Kashmiri poetry collections ‘Zolana’ and ‘Manikaman’ by Jammu & Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture & Languages.[19] He was awarded Soviet Land Nehru Award for translating ‘War & Peace.[20] Other notable recipients of this award include Mother Teresa, Kaifi Azmi, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Firaq Gorakhpuri, Quratulain Hyder, Satyajit Ray and Padma Sachdev. He was also honored with a ‘Dastar Bandi’ by Academy of Art, Culture and Languages of Kashmir.[21]
Death
Muzaffar Aazim died on July 8, 2022, in Woodbridge, Virginia.[22][23]
See also
References
- ^ The History of Kashmiri Language & Literature, by Prof. Shafi Shauq, Ali Mohammad & Sons, Srinagar pp. 431-433
- ^ a b Kashmiri, Ahmed (3 August 2022). "Muzaffar Aazim: Loss of an intellectual". Greater Kashmir.
- ^ T“SRI Pratap College Home Page”. SRI Pratap College. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
- ^ “Amar Singh College Srinagar Home Page”. Amar Singh College. Retrieved 30 December 2023
- ^ "Poet Aazim for promotion of Kashmiri language". Tribune India. 17 May 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
- ^ "Kashmiri Language". kashmirilanguage.com. 26 August 2013.
- ^ a b Anderson, Deborah; Pournader, Roozbeh; Aazim, Muzaffar; Mansour, Kamal (14 May 2009). "Proposal to add two Kashmiri characters".
- ^ Rahi, Rahman (1964). "Kashmiri Literature". Indian Literature. 7 (2): 52–55. ISSN 0019-5804.
- ^ AAZIM, MUZAFFAR. “Mahmud Gami (Makers of Indian Literature)”. Biblio. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
- ^ Aazim, Muzaffar (1978). "Experiments in Modern Kashmiri Poetry". Indian Literature. 21 (2): 92–97. ISSN 0019-5804.
- ^ APHARWAT (21 September 2012). “Yak Rang Feturing Anwar War Anwar Released by Muzaffar Aazim”. The Pinnacle of Objective Kashmiri Thought Process. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
- ^ "Muzaffar Aazim on Subhai Subhai". Srinagar Kashmir Television. 6 July 2013. Doordarshan. Srinagar Kashmir Television. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ JK Cultural Academy (2 June 2021). "Jang Te Aman Vol 1 Kashmiri Translation of Tolstoys War and Peace JK Cultural Academy". Archive.org. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
- ^ "Sahitya Akademi KASHMIRI Publications" (PDF). Sahitya Akademi. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
- ^ “University of Kashmir Home Page”. University of Kashmir. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
- ^ GONMATH “Asi bor wizi wizi”. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
- ^ AHMED, LUQMAN “Yina sa cheshman”. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
- ^ T-Series Kashmiri Music “Jigar zakhmi”. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
- ^ ACADEMY OF ART, CULTURE, AND LANGUAGES. “About us”. Government of Jammu & Kashmir. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
- ^ “Soviet Land Nehru Award”. Bharatpedia. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
- ^ KOSHUR1 (15 June 2013). “Dastar Bandi Celebration of Muzaffar Aazim, Kashmiri poet and writer”. YouTube. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
- ^ KV (2022-07-09). "Noted Kashmiri poet Muzaffar Aazim passes away in US". Kashmir Vision. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
- ^ NETWORK, GK NEWS (2022-07-08). "Former Director Sericulture passes away". Greater Kashmir. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
Category:Indian poets Category:Indian digital artists