Earlier today, my colleague Manisha Chaudhry shared some good news about one of our authors. Manisha wrote :
We share in this proud moment with Shahid Anwar Sahab as he receives an award from Delhi Urdu Academy for 2013 for his outstanding work in the field of drama.
At a warm and well attended ceremony at the Delhi Secretariat on Nov 5, 2014, he was felicitated, along with many other luminaries from the world of Urdu literature.
The speeches of the bureaucrats present on the occasion gave us reason to hope. Many people recognize the beauty of the language that is authentically Indian as it grew only on the fertile literary soil of our land. It is only those who are ignorant of history who associate it with a particular religion or community.
Mr Yadav, Secretary Art and Culture, Delhi, put it quite amusingly when he said that he was not very well-versed in Urdu but his grandparents knew it well and he had been advised that whenever he felt angry, he should switch to speaking Urdu! The nature of the language would ensure that his anger would evaporate. But we know through the poetry of Faiz Sahab how well this versatile and poetic tongue can convey anger also.
Shahid Sahab’s contribution to theatre through his writings and through the troupe Behroop are laudable.
We are delighted that he has turned his attention towards children’s writing also and we hope to publish his books soon. Two titles for children by Shahid Anwar Sahab will be published by Pratham Books soon – Tooti Chonch and Badshahi Park. He has also been writing for Pratham and was a major force behind the 100 story cards for children brought out on Bihar’s centenary by Pratham and the government.
Our warm congratulations to Shahid Anwar Sahab.
(Please click on the images for a larger view)