THE PICKWICK REPORT

        On 15^th October 2012, Jamia Millia Islamia, Department of English, commenced with their three days literary extravaganza called The Pickwick Fest, sponsored by Aleph and Rupa. The objective of this literary carnival was to bring about the plethora of talent and immense potential of students from different universities. Also to bring under one roof Dickens’ lovers and to revive readership of Manto. The festival witnessed participation from different universities,  and college of the NCR, in various competitions.

        The festival started off with the inaugural function being presided by the Vice Chancellor, Najeeb Jung who also declared the festival open. Dramatization competition and Graffiti Making competition were the events that took place during the first day. These involved a large number of participants. Results of both competitions were announced at the end of the day.

        The second day was the busiest of the festival with three events being conducted. First of the day was Quiz Competition which was held simultaneously alongside the Elocution Completion. Author Nilanjana Roy was the chief guest at the elocution competition. The third event was a movie screening followed by group discussion. Author Palash Krishna Mehrotra was the guest of honour at the competition.

        A paper presentation was the first event of the last day. The festival came to an end with the valedictory function being presided by Sanjeev Agnihotri, AIR presenter and S.M. Sajid, Registrar of Jamia Millia Islamia. Prizes were distributed after speeches by the dignitaries which was followed by speeches by various members of the organizing team.

-Wafia Kissa

BA (Hons) Eng III

Report: Valedictory

       The valedictory session drew the curtains down on the three day long Literary Festival celebrating the bi-centenary and centenary of Charles Dickens and Sadat Hassan Manto respectively. The event began with a speech by the E.L.A. advisor Mr. Saroj Mahananda, who expressed satisfaction with the whole event. He talked about his earlier wish of organising the event on the scale similar to the Jaipur Literary Fest but it could not materialize due to lack of funds and infrastructure. 

       Throughout the fest Mr Mahananda was marking the whole organisation and had given a mere 5 out of 10 a few days ago, but today a beaming Mr Mahananda expressed satisfaction with the effort that the students put in and gave it a 10 out of 10, which delighted the entire audience. It was followed by an inspiring speech given by the Chief Guest, Dr S. M. Saajid the Registrar of Jamia Millia Islamia, where he lauded the efforts of the students and of the department in hosting such an event. He hoped that such a festival would be repeated again in the near future and on a larger scale.

      The Guest of Honour for the event was Sanjeev Agnihotri an AIR radio presentator , a theatre artist and production manager. He briefly introduced the life of Manto for the and on a lighter note he revealed that he would have been more delighted at being invited for the dramatics competition on the first day. It was followed by the unveiling of the “The Legacy of the Pickwick club” which was a large collage consisting of pictures and quotes taken throughout the event. The next was the prize distribution where Dr. SM Sajid and Mr. Sanjeev Agnihotri handed out prizes to the winners of all the competitions with huge rounds of applause echoing around the venue. This was followed by a presentation of the press club and behind the scenes of the Festival by the students who worked unseen and unnoticed.

The event closed with a PowerPoint Presentation by the students of BA Mass Media, in which the efforts were highlighted, the best part of the day, was, that the legacy of THE PICKWICK FEST will be CONTINUED!

-Farhain Khan

MA Final

Report of the Paper Presentation Competition

Paper presentation/Remembering the masters was the closing event of our festival. A scholarly engagement, where the participants were given a chance to present their research and defend it. As literature students this event was very dear to us, we were looking forward to new and diverse opinions.

Student teams from different universities and colleges participated in the event, and the paper titled, "Charles Dickens in popular media: A story of Christmas Carol", by Aryak Ray, BA (Hons) Eng III JMI, pocketed the first position and one of his batchmates Shabeeh Rahat stood second. Akshita Luthra from Gargi College finished third. The event was judged by Dr. Simi Malhotra, Dr. Anuradha Ghosh, and Ms. Ivy Imogene Hansdak.

This event saw the intellectual side of the students, and the judges seemed to be impressed with the papers presented at the event.

-Sheeza Naaz
BA (Hons) Eng III

Dickens in Memes: Interviewing Aryak and Joubert

Pickwick fest is just round the corner, and perhaps, the animated movie ‘Hard Times: Murdering the innocents' is a perfect advertisement of the enthusiasm and quality of the fest. Press club brings you an interview with the directors and actors of the movie- Aryak and Joubert.

Shazma : So Joubert, tell us something about yourself?

Joubert : I am a student of animation. I do short films and take projects like these, bringing drawings to life and turning words into pictures. That's what I do and I plan on doing it in the future.

Daoud: How was it to work with a literature student?

Joubert: The way they think and visualize projects makes it so much easier to work with them. Every word brings out so much detail. Its great working with someone who can paint, an absurdly clear picture with his words alone. I look forward to working with not only literature students but people from different fields. The ideas are always unique. Quite an experience!!!

Aryak Ray and cast of the movie(G.I.Joes)

Joubert and his idea

Daoud: How had your experience been in working on this particular project?

Joubert: It was interesting. There were so many ideas and challenges, some of the ideas were finalized but most of them were spontaneous, like totally on       the spot ideas that worked out real nice. There were concerns about the quality of the animation work but it turned out quite well even with the crude pictures. I felt the characters were justified, but i am looking forward to see the reactions of the audience and judges.

Shazma: You used 'rage faces' in your movie, what inspired you to do that?

Joubert: Rage faces portray extremely exaggerated emotions. It was a spontaneous idea. It struck somehow. Later I realized that these 'rage faces', being quite an internet phenomenon these days, brought out the contemporary side to our film, that we actually wanted. I realized further that the faces were in tune with how Dickens' work has been visualized in the past with comics and animated films.

 

The movie

Daoud: Aryak, coming straight to the point, my question to you is, Dickens in animation- you have reached out to the audience with a popular media form. How did such separate ideas of 'Hard Times' and memes fit in?

Aryak: 'Hard Times' is a novel where the degree of caricature is immense, and rage comics fulfilled that need. We have used just a handful of memes to show the whole range of expressions in the chapter. We never thought that rage comics could fit in.

Shazma: Why this particular chapter of 'Murdering the Innocents'?

Aryak: The Coketown education system, as Dickens shows it in this chapter from 'Hard Times', is the present education scenario in Indian schools, where science doesn't go hand in hand with art, and both are shown to be opposing forces.

Daoud: Have you ever ventured into field of animation in past?

Aryak: No. This was the first attempt. Don't know how people will take it.

Let's see.

Shazma: Any future collaboration you might want to discuss.

Aryak: I have too many ideas. I plan to render some music videos with Joubert in the future.

Daoud: Last but not the least... Who scored music for the movie?

Aryak: That would be me (smiles). Although initially i thought of roping in Joubert again for playing bass (laughs).

Shazma

Daoud

-Daoud Mohd. Khan and Shazma Iqbal

BA (Hons) Eng III

Interviewing Palash Krishna Mehrotra.

Q) What do you think of the concept of bringing Dickens and Manto on the same platform in this Literary Festival?

-Charles Dickens and Sadat Hassan Manto are two of many favourite authors. It is nice to bring a short story writer along with a novelist on the same stage.

Q) What is your opinion of this particular event?

-(laughs pleasantly) I haven’t really seen it yet. No idea about it.

Q) What kind of books do you prefer to read and who are your favourite authors? And your favourite genre?

-I have read Dickens from a young age mainly the abridged versions. His stories seems to grip you. Manto is someone I have always admired. As a short story writer I have always admired Manto. Some of my favourite writers are Vilas Sarangal, Raven Karen, J. D. Salinger’s Nine Stories (1953) and Jeet Thayil whose work has been nominated for the Booker Prize 2012.

Q) How will you classify your latest work,’ The Butterfly Generation’? and why is it named so?

-It is a book about people in their thirties and the socialist movement of the 70’s India. It is different now as it is capitalistic. Butterfly stands for metamorphosis. India since the 1970’s has seen a change, from Bajaj-Chetak Scooters to Maruti cars. It took my father six years to buy a Chetak scooter. This book brings two worlds together. There is a sense of nostalgia when the two worlds of the past and the present are brought together.

Prof. Assadudin added: The change from cycle to scooter to the Maruti car to the present, we can see, a sea change between the past and the present.

Q) Tell us something about your upcoming work “The Eternal Tenant”?

Mr. Palash Krishna Melhotra - This book is set in South Delhi and its about a House. There are 3-4 dysfuctional middle age characters who pass through this house. The tenant is a guy who moves into the house but never leaves it.  The rest of the plot will work out in the mind gradually (smiles).

Prof. Ameena Kazi Ansari- Interestingly now a days cities have been captured in the writings.

-Nayema, Farhain and Lubna (L-R)
MA Final

What the Report of, “What the Dickens….

        On the second day of the Pickwick Festival, the quiz contest “What the Dickens and Manto?” was scheduled. The programme started with an inaugural speech by the Chief Guest of the event, Professor Anisur Rahman. In his enlightening speech, in which he traced back the history of the word Quiz, along with its mythical origin. The word was coined in 1791, in Dublin and it gained popularity in India, some 45 years ago with the efforts of an Anglo-Indian from Calcutta, Neil O’Brien. He saw the culture of Pub Quiz in England and introduced it in the church in Calcutta. It soon became a popular game and was named “North Star”. It was popularised on Vividh Bharti by Sayani Brothers in the form of the show “Bournvita Quiz Contest”.

         
        The quiz master Mr Roomy Naqvy took the initiative of conducting the event. Being prompt and entertining, his role as the quiz master was commendable. The event heads Ayesha Kamal and Eeliya Jeega, organised the show and ensured its proper functioning with the support of all the volunteers. The atmosphere seemed electrified. The Quiz competition had questions about the life, times and works of Charles Dickens and Sadat Hassan Manto predominantly and their contemporaries as well.

        There was a preliminary round where out of 13, 8 teams made it to the final round which consisted of 5 sessions, where questions were thrown in the clockwise direction thrice, and in the anti-clockwise direction twice, around the teams. Questions such as identifying characters and quotes from the works of these literary giants, were posed to the participants that had them using all parts of their brains. The quiz master’s wit kept the competition a light and a fun affair. It was apparent that, those who paid attention to the details of the plays enacted on the first day at the Dramatics competition, would have hit the bull's eye constantly through the competition.

        The rounds came to a close with team G (members: Aryak Ray and Zainab Abrar) emerging victorious with 160 points. The event was summed up by Dr Ameena Kazi Ansari who said that it was an insightful affair and claimed that she was enlightened by certain facts.

-Lubna Ansari

MA Final

Ameena Ma'am Questioned, For a change! :)

Q1) What according to you is the most important element in a drama?

Ans- There isn't just a single element of importance in a drama. There are a number of things which in fact contribute to a successful drama. Two things, which I consider essential are:

a) Choice of the text: It should be appealing to the audience.

b) Human situation which is relevant to the society.

Q2)Can you throw some light on the plot/theme that Dickens and Manto have incorporated in their works?

Ans- Dickens and Manto’s works reflected basically the world that they lived in. They had a humanitarian approach to the social problem. Also, Manto’s works in particular are historical documents as well.

Q3) As far as props are concerned, how essential are they for dramatization?

Ans- Props are not all important. Its not just the physical prop that one should always think of. There are many other factors like expressions, voice modulation, and gestures which contribute significantly to create dramatic tension on stage.

Q4) All the students had performed plays written by Manto .Unfortunately Dickens did not find a representation here. What do you think could be the reason for this?

Ans- Well, that is primarily because Dickens' world is a foreign world. Students performed plays which are rooted in our soil and one could easily relate to it.

Q5) Characters in drama play a pivotal role in communicating a playwright’s message to the audience. Do you agree with this statement?

Ans- Yes. The characters tell the stories. In fact, they give life to the play. Plays can be adapted in various languages but its only the characters that pertinently appeal to the masses and get entrenched in their minds.

- Sadia Khan
B.A (Hons) Eng III

Dickens and Manto brought to life: report on Elocution

Ms Shubhi Abidi, Prof. Asaduddin and Ms Nilanjana Roy (L-R)

The second day of our literary extravaganza began with an enthralling elocution competition, in which students from Delhi University,Gautam Buddha Technical University and Jamia Millia Islamia participated with zest and enthusiasm. The characters from Dickens' and Manto's works were brought to life by the students who stepped into the shoes of these characters and amused the audience. Participants were given 3-5 minutes to present their respective speeches. The event was judged by Ms. Nilanjana Roy along with Dr. Shubhi Abidi, and as the competition progressed it was evident that they surely had a tough time marking the participants, . Unlike the first day of the fest, which was Manto's day, this competition was dominated by Dickensian characters. We had Thomas Gradgrind, David Copperfield, Ms Havisham and Josiah Bounderby and others among us. Aamir Qyaoom(M.A. Eng, JMI), stole the show not only bagging the first position, but also being an on the spot entry. The event ended on a happy note with a vote of thanks by Saumya Kulshreshtha and the event representatives Anamta and Vismaiy were also appreciated for responsibly administrating the programme.

Random Participant

Sadia Khan
BA (Hons) Eng III

A Pleasant Talk with Sambuddha Sen-Expertise of the Expert

Q. Sir, how do you feel coming to this literary extravaganza, to the celebration of the masters, Charles Dickens and Saadat Hasan Manto?

A. Fantastic! They are among the most widely read fiction writers of all times. What can one say, it is amazing to see so many young people taking an interest in their works, except that the future of the world is bright. We hold these images in our minds, and it influences what we do later in our lives. In fact, nothing can be better than a festival on Manto and Dickens.

Q. The event began with an introduction to both the masters by themselves, played by students. How did you find this idea of enactment?

A. Very nice. Obviously, it was not anything professional but I was really touched. It was more of  a fancy dress than professional acting, portraying the masters just by putting on oval glasses or beard, or merely whitened air. Therefore, in a sense, one expects and rightly, it was a brilliant idea as it was produced out of minimal resources and it is exactly in situations like these that creativity comes to life. I think, it was an excellent introduction to Dickens' and Manto's life and it was a great idea to intersperse it with characters with whom the students are familiar, like those of Hard Times and Oliver Twist. And it held my interest right through.

Q. Do you think any other literary legend could have placed themselves in this league for celebration, or would have replaced Dickens or Manto?

A. I can see why Manto is here in the celebration of the birth centenaries, first of Manto and second of Dickens, The usual comparison is between Dickens and Premchand, though not necessarily a good comparison. But Manto and Dickens have some things that are significant. To be very honest regarding Manto's sensibility, it should be Dostovsky with whom he should be compared. That intensity, that imagination for disaster is way beyond Dickens. On the other hand, if you think of a festival, Dickens should be right next to Manto. That's what he was, a great entertainer, very amenable to dramatizations and adaptations. So, he has had a very long afterlife not in a novel. There are a few novelists that claim Dickens as a literary forefather but he has lived through the history of theatre and cinema. To that extent, it is a fantastic idea for a festival or a show around both of these legends.

Q. How would you rate us in our effort in creating the ambience for Manto and Dickens?

A. We Indians work with really few resources, we don't have the Victorian clothing, such beards, or the first editions of Dickens' novels or anything of the sort to come up with such acts, as would be in any university abroad. It is incredible to see not just enthusiasm but the look on people's faces, the interest which you are able to create with these resources. I am very moved and impressed.

Q. Being one of the renowned Dickensian scholars, how great a novelist is Dickens to you?

A. There are passages in his novels which are the greatest sections ever written in any novel, but he is certainly not and very far from being among the greatest novelist. I would't place any of his novels in my list of the first thirty or forty greatest novels ever written. But he is a novelist who has a greater impact on the history of popular entertainment than any other novelist of his times.

-Shabeeh Rahat

BA (Hons) Eng III

Reviving the Drama!

        The mundane mortal existence that we lead often propels in us to break the chains of bondage and live in a state of willing disbelief. As such drama as an art form serves to channelize those repressed emotions and helps us give a reality check of the conditions that we are living in.
        
        Day 1 of our Pickwick fest, was quite an electrifying one. The Dickens-Manto theatre was one such event that had an overwhelming reponse in terms of participation as well as attendance. The stage was set and the performers were raring to go. One of the motives of this fest was to revive the lost interest in Manto and we could see that being achieved at the Dramatics. Adaptations from Manto's short stories were the popular choice of the participating teams. I must give a special mention to the audience who were patient and sensitive to the performances as it was also appreciated by one of our judges.
Our comperes Ambereen and Hina were flawless and kept the audience engaged for good 4-5 hours. The plays that were performed were completely enthralling and gripping. From dance and music to impactful symbolism we had it all.

A scene from one of the acts

        Our judges were Dr Ameena Kazi Ansari and Dr Baran Farooqui. The two drama experts from our very own department who shared their expertise with the students, who were kind enough to explain the nuances of theatre to them in the end. The event representative, Lubna and Nayema were seen constantly on their toes trying to ensure that things went smoothly. Troupes from Khalsa College, Delhi University bagged both the first and the second position. Winning the cash prize of Rs 5,000 and 3,000 respectively, and the team of B.A. (Hons) Eng I, stole the third position and the hearts of the judges and the audience. The event was a huge success, it made us laugh and wonder and introspect. In short completely captivated us.

-Ayesha Begum
BA (Hons) Eng II

Judging the Graffiti: An interview with Prof. Zahoor Zargar

Prof. Zahoor Zargar, Dean of Faculty of Fine Arts is not only a recognised and a famed artist but a brilliant person too. He judged the Graffiti making competition, held as a part of The Pickwick Fest. He had a very busy schedule today yet Shazma and Daoud  managed to have a little chat with him.

Shazma: What inspires your heart?

Prof. Zahoor: My inspiration comes from within the heart. It should come from within.

Shazma: Manto as an artist faced alienation and contempt from his own community- how do you see this phenomenon relevant in contemporary Indian art scene?

Prof. Zahoor: He has given ideas just like Ghalib. What Ghalib said a long time back, is happening these days, exactly the same. Manto is same.

Prof. Zahoor Zargar, Shazma Iqbal, Daoud Mohd. Khan (R-L)

Shazma: Graffiti is comparatively modern art- how do you see this transition from classical tradition?

Prof. Zahoor: No. Grafitti is not a modern art. Graffiti is present from the beginning, since a child is born, or the beginning of civilization. It starts from a child's sketch. It's not modern. Actually, everything which we talk today or do today is modern. Anything. Abstraction is different, Modern art is different.

Daoud: How can such historical personalities like Dickens and Manto be depicted in graffiti?

Prof.Zahoor: It's a debate. A debate between artists and teachers and students of literature must happen to discuss it.

Daoud: What is your response about the entries in this competition?

Prof. Zahoor: They were good, three of them were better, but one was the best and it's name has been given.

-Shazma Iqbal and Daoud Mohd. Khan

B.A. (Hons) Eng II

Musings on Day One

         Its almost 7 in the evening and I just got back from college. The department today was a magical world. I'm dead tired, my body aches, but my mind is so fresh and I'm so proud.

I cannot remember the last time when the department was so abuzz with activity.

         Today, as the first day of the Pickwick Fest ended, I couldn't help but feel a little sad that it has begun and will soon come to go.  This feeling took birth only because of the amazing start that we had today.

         The inaugural was stupendous. After all that grilling our Dickens finally fell in place. What to say abt our Manto sahib? He was brilliant! Abhilash and Kaif Taqvy, take a bow!

         The concept of telling Dickens story in first person and giving the audience a tiny peak into his works via his memory sounded brilliant when first conceptualized, which was two days before the festival. The labourers set to work and came out with a gem of a performer who played not one or two but four characters in less than 10 minutes today!!! My my … I have known English Department to be the belly full of talent, but it never stops surprising me.

        The perfect teamwork of the inaugural act set inspiration for the dramatics participants. Hats off to the heads of the Dramatics event who stood by the stage for the 4-5 hours of the event and dealt with every technical or non technical fault. 

        Graffiti and Creative Cruise added colour to the activities in the department. It was such a great and honourable feeling to belong to this department which was in a sway of creativity. At every corner I could see someone indulging in one activity or another. Anyone passing by just could not ignore the hungama and was forced to stop an absorb the excitement we created.

The best part of the day was the responses we got. Sample a few:

        “Thank you very much for putting up such a show for us” kept repeating Dr. Ameena Ansari, senior Professor and one of the judges of the dramatics. She just could not stop smiling!

“It was brilliant to see all our students come up on stage” said Dr. Anisur Rahman

“I would like to congratulate all our students for their involvement in this event. They have done a great job” said a happy Dr. Baran Farouqi

        Oh, and the multitude of students that turned out for the various events was such a motivation for the organizing team. I could see the energy and dedication blazing in all the organizers. They were tired, hungry and their bodies sore from either running around or shouting a lot, but the enthusiasm hadn't dampened even a bit.

        Such a glorious start only motivates me to give an even better tomorrow so that in days to come I can proudly say that I was a part of something so elegant and fantastic.

Well I had better get some dinner and grab my rest for I plan for a 'fantabulous' tomorrow. And if today was awesome I can only imagine the amount of energy and work it will take to reach any higher!

-Aisha Shams

MA Final

Event Report- Graffiti Making Competition

        Graffiti making competition, our next event on the agenda, parallel to dramatics, started with the theme of Charles Dickens and Sadat Hasan Manto. The event witnessed participants pouring in not only from Jamia Millia Islamia but also from Delhi University, Amity University, Gautam Budhdh University etc. The objective of the program was to create a colorful and vibrant ambiance and to let the talent of the student come brilliantly on the canvass. Dazzling ideas, which navigated their way on the white sheets, were indeed a bliss to watch. Despite the scorching sun, the zeal and enthusiasm showed by the participants was certainly commendable.  Honestly, too engrossed these artists were that noticing anything else, apart from their colors, was just out of question.

        Creativity and innovation touching the sky the contestants beautifully portrayed their skills.  In all this happy and colorful bedlam, I was able to have a few words with one of the participants. Neeraj Vinod, an MBA aspirant, Gautam Buddha Technical University, opines, “ we were very excited when we got the invitation for the literary carnival. Playing with colors has always been the best stress buster for me. So it was inevitable for me not to take part in the competition .Although the competition seems to be quite tough, I am looking forward to win this competition. “  

        
        Wafia, the event head, beautifully conducted the session and played an excellent host to all her participants. Content with the smooth going of the event, Wafia says, “I am very happy with the things going. Yes, there were a lot of registrations at last moment as well, we were able to accommodate everyone in the competition. I am very grateful to my logistics team and volunteers as they have showed quite diligence throughout the event.”

     
    Even the unfinished artistic products were gaining myriad of compliments and the spectators were full of admiration for the contestants. Mishail Sharma, student, MA previous says, “ its wonderful to see such brightness and radiance around. The ideas are spectacularly being displayed. This event has indeed added great charm to the extravaganza. I am eagerly waiting for the results as I have already decided my favourite canvass.”

        
      The judges of the event were, Prof. M. Asaduddin, HOD, Dept. of English and Prof. Zahoor Zargar, Dean of Faculty of Fine Arts. commenting on the competition Prof. Asdauddin said, "I feel the participation was very good. Both, the internal participation as well as the participation from other universities was worth the appreciation. The dramatic presentation was of a quality that can be compared with the best anywhere, the students participation showed their flair for crafting images and their understanding of the space on the canvas."

-Anamta Rizvi

M. A. Previous

An introduction to the "Creative Cruise"

        This competition has attracted so many students that we were forced to close the registrations two days before the event. Wooohhh!!!

        Participants of this completion will be given a Dickensian or a Mantonian plot, the participants are expected to step into the shoes of the master story tellers to whom the fest is dedicated to and weave a story in their own words. This will give them a chance to submerge themselves in the atmosphere of the respective eras of both, Dickens and Manto. To add a sophisticated charm to the event we had Mr. Amandeep Sandhu who has authored “Sepia Leaves” and “Roll of Honour”, in the judging panel along with Dr. Nishat Zaidi and Ms. Asmat Jahan, teachers at the Department of English, JMI.

The event was headed by Anusha Halim and Arshamah Khan.

-Sadia Shafi

BA (Hons) Eng I

Impersonating Manto- Kaif Taqvi's speech

Kahan se shuru karun, kaha pe karun khatam, inn lafzo pe hai lagaam ab kiski.

        

        Mai Manto, meri paidaaish Punjab ke tijaarati markaj Amritsar me 11th May 1912 ko hui. Bachpan hi se ghar ke maamlat me kuch is tarah se ghira ke bamushkil Inter ke imtehan paas kar saka. Waledain mohtarma se ijazat hasil karke sair-o-tafreeh ke lie Kashmir gaya. Aabo hawa ke tazgi se dil ko mazboot kia ke kisi bhi qeemat par aala talim hasil karke duniya aur duniya walo ko apni taraf jhukanuga. Ghar lautkar waaleda majeda se apna irada bayan kiya aur phir Aligarh aa gaya. Tabiyat ki azaadi aur aabo hawa ki tabdeeli ke sabab bimaar ho gaya aur aise hi wapas aa gaya magar kitaabe padne ka shauk badta gaya. Aur mene Rusi adab me dilchasbi dena shuru kar diya. Iske saath saath mene urdu akhbaaro me khidmat anjam dena shuru kia. Baaz aukaat mere articles ko saraha gaya, mere ahbab ne meri hausla afzai ke lie taareefo ke jumle bhi kahe, jisse likhne ke shauk me mazeed izafa hua. Me likhta gaya aur kabhi apne kaam ya tahreero se mutma-een nahi hua.

         Mai mazeed koshish karta raha. Mene likhne ki zarurat aise hi mahsus ki jaise ek jism khane aur peene ki zarurat mahsus karta hai. Agar mujse pucha jay eke me afsana kyu likhta hun to iska jawab hazir hai me afsana islie likhta hoon ke muje afsana nigaari ki sharaab ki tarah lat pad gai hai. Mai afsana nahi likhta balke afsana muje likhta hai. Chaliye ab apni zindagi ki kuch nashe-o-faraz apko batata chaloon.

Kaif Taqvi
MA Previous

          Jab Aligarh se wapas Amritsar aaya to haalaat mazeed abtar ho juke the. Waalid ke inteqaal ke baad maa ne tamaam jama punji behen ki shadi par badi saadegi se saari behnoi ke hawale kar di. Mere do bade bhai hame 40rp mah-ana diya karte. Mera jee chahta tha ke kahi bhaag jaun ya khudkushi kar loon islie jab Bombay se weekly newspaper Musawwir ke malik Mr. Nazeer ne muje khat likh kar Bomaby aa kar unke paper ki idaarat smabhalun to mene foran Bombay ke lie chal diya, mene ye bhi nahi socha meri walida Amritsar me aleki rah jaengi.

       Bombay me haalaat sakht hote gae aur mene film city me mulaazemat ki. Magar waha bhi haalaat durust na ho sake. Inhi haalaat me meri shaadi bhi ho gai jiske sabab kharach ka boj aur bad gaya.

         Unhi kuch saalo me mulk ke haalaat bigadna shuru ho gaye. Haalaat me tabdeeli hona shuru hui aur muje kai filme milna shuru ho gai. Ismat, Rajinder Singh bedi, aur Krishna jaise dost bhi bane. Lekin jab Hindustan batwaare ki awaaze baland hona shuru hui me mano ek ajeeb kashmakash me giraftaar hua. Ghanto betha yahi sochta ke is naye mulk ki kya aabo hawa hogi, waha ke adab me kya koi khaas change hoga. Ye sawal pareshaani ke alawa kuch aur na dete.

        Mere Pakistan me hijrat se kai ahbab azeez mujse khush na hue, magar me irado me mazboot raha.

Mene paksitan me apna pehla afsana Thanda Gosht likha, jiska muqadamma kareeb kareeb ek saal

chala. Phir ek silsila sa ban gaya meri tahreero ka. Dimaag me ek ajeeb si kaifiyat thi samaj nahi ata kya karun likhna chod doon ya beparwa ho kar yun hi qalam-zani karta rahoon.

        Aap mere haalaat ko afsana kah lijiye magar mere lie ye ek talakh haqiqat hai me apne mulk me apna sahi maqam talash nahi kar saka aur yahi wajah hai meri ruh bechain rahti. Ap muje adfsana nigaar ki hesiyat se jante hai aur adaalat muje fohash nigaar ki hesiyat se, hukumat muje kabhi communist khti hai to kabhi mulk ka boht bada adeeb, kabhi to mere lie rozi ke darwaze band kar diye jate hai to kabhi khol diye jate hai. samjh nahi aat koun hai ye Saadat Hasan Manto. Bas dil ko itmenan deta ke me kuch bhi hoon magar muje yaqeen hai me insaan hoon iska sabot ye hai ke mere andar achaiya bhi hai aur buraiya bhi, me sach bolta hoon lekin baaz waqaat jhoot bhi, namaaze nahi padta lekin sajde mene kai martaba kie hai… Mai Manto.

Interviewing Prof. Anisur Rahman- Mishail and Varnana

Anis Sir, the senior most member of the Faculthy at the Department of English, JMI in conversation with, Mishail Sharma and Varnana Chaudhry.

1. What do you have to say about the preparations for the literary festival conducted by the department of English?

Ans. Students are enthusiastic. Whenever such an event takes place in the department I have seen students taking keen interest. I am sure, this is happening this time as well. I can see them discussing, rehearsing, chalking out their plans, speaking with the faculty members and giving the programmes a final shape. It’s very heartening to see that this is being

done with good spirit. I know for sure that things done with such positive spirit must succeed as this one too will succeed like success.

2. Is there event for which you are personally looking forward to?

Ans. One event which I personally look forward to is the inaugural session itself because it sets the tone. I also look forward to the session of creative writing and dramatics apart from film screening and moderated group discussion. Let me tell you this is a difficult question to answer because all the programme appears to be so well thought of and so well

designed. I l look forward to their execution with great hope and faith in the talent of my students.

3. For how long you have been associated with Jamia? Tell us something about your experience in Jamia.

Ans. In 1979, I joined Jamia as a lecturer. Eight years later I became a reader. In 1994 I became a professor. I am proud that I have taught many many batches of my students and I am proud to see them placed well in life. I have seen Jamia grow wonderfully well all these years and I think I too have grown with my institution that I love.

4. Is there any event conducted by Department that you cherish and we as present students of Department Are not aware of?

Ans. In the past there have been a number of very well organized programmes. They have programmes that have been conducted by English literary association. I have had a fine blend of literary and cultural activities. Some of our students, who have now settled in and outside pursuing their jobs, still remember those programmes that have been one way of keeping in touch with them and for them to keep in touch with us.

5. Whom do you value or admire more: Dickens or Manto?

Ans. The question of favourite in literary studies is a difficult one to answer. Both were fictional writers who represented two different languages, two different cultures and two different literary milieu. They were major writers of their times and of their languages. The question of a favourite of the two is not possible for me to answer. Surely, I read

Dickens as a student and valued him. But I read Manto later whom I valued again for another set of reasons.

6. On the scale of ten,how do you rate the present efforts of progress?

Ans. (laughs) rating is done after the event but going by preparations, I give you a 100%. Wish you well and wish you luck.

7. A few words of encouragement for the students.

Ans. Main ek sher aapko suna doon, (lekin main yeh jaanta hoon ki sher sunane mein hum sher ki khoobsoorati mein kho jaate hain aur sher meinkahee hui baat bhool jatey hain.) Sher suniye,

"ae dil tamam nafaa hai, sauda-e-ishq mein/ek jaan ka ziyaan hai so aisa ziyaan nahi."

Aap jo kar rahi hain, isme aapne bohot jee aur jaan lagaya hai. Main samajhta hoon ki ismein aapko aur humein nafaa hi nafaa hai. Yeh baatein aapko kal bohot yaad ayengi.

-Mishail and Varnana

M.A. Previous

Bringing out Dickens and Manto in Colour

“Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is painting that speaks.”

-Plutarch 

With such a bond between poetry (literature) and painting there just had to be a visual art display during the Pickwick Festival. So the Graffiti making competition was put in to experience poetry as a painting to be seen, and painting as poetry to be felt.  

Charles dickens is believed to have subtly propounded arts though his works. In Hard Times, he depicts art to be essential in life. This becomes evident when Gradgrind, a person devoid of appreciation of art is shown as a pathetic failure in life. Dickens relates to the visual arts in several ways. Firstly, Dickens worked unusually closely with the original illustrators of his. Like Thackeray, who illustrated his own books, Dickens thus offers the rare example of a novelist using another medium to amplify and enforce the meaning of his writings. As scholars have shown, Dickens chose the subjects of his illustrations and gave precise, detailed directions to the artists who produced them. He had final control over these illustrations and made their creators revise them according to his notions of what they were supposed to convey. His instructions to his illustrator often provide fascinating glimpses of the novelist at work.

Manto, in his essay 'Allah ka Fazal hai' (Blessing of God), he sketches the scene of a country after it has been purified from all kinds of vulgarity, hedonism, activities of pleasure and indulgences such as arts. Poetry, literature, music and painting have been wiped out, and even the dictionary is revised to take out all immoral words.

In this imaginary landscape, Manto exposes the reaction of state and religious powers towards man's creative activities. In his imaginary society, visual arts are considered immoral thus there are no artists living or practicing in the perfect state of blessing (and not bliss).

Actually, what Saadat Hasan Manto had penned down was not just his flight of fancy; it had some relevance and relation to how our public perceives art and artists. A normal citizen views art as an extraneous indulgence and feels guilty in enjoying his own enjoyment through art.

Coming back to the Festival....Of all the six activities that the festival is conducting, the Graffiti making competition was the first one to have registrations full – within a week of declaration. And registrations are still pouring in! Had we known about the enthusiasm that the competition will receive, arrangements for more teams would have been made.

This event will be conducted on the first day after the inaugural function. Ten teams from various colleges are participating. The competition starts at 1p.m. in the front lawn of the English department and will run over the course of an hour. Prof. Zahoor Ahmad Zargar and Prof. Mohammed Asaduddin will be judging the competition. Paintings will be judged on the basis of theme adherence and creative presentation.

-Wafia Kissa   

B.A.(Hons) Eng II