Doha, 16 April 2019
Eminent Pakistani and Indian Urdu scholars, Dr. Tehsin Firaqi and Feroz Sultan Ejaz (Fay Seen Ejaz) have been declared winners of 23rd Aalmi Frogh-e-Urdu Adab Award (Award for Promoting Urdu Literature), established by the Qatar-based Majlis-e-Frogh-e-Urdu Adab in 1996.
Firaqi and Ejaz will receive the honour at a function to be held at the end of October in Doha. The Award carries a cash prize of Rs. 150,000/= and a gold medal for each winner. The award is given annually to Two literary personalities, one from Pakistan and the other from India for their contribution to Urdu
language and literature, in the form of creative fiction - writing, research and / or criticism.
Mohammad Atiq, Chairman Majlis said '' Dr. Firaqi and Ejaz are highly acclaimed Urdu writers, research analysts and critics who command great respect in literary circles in Pakistan, India and around the world''.
The two were chosen by independent juries in India and Pakistan. The Indian jury was headed by Prof. Dr. Gopi Chand Narang, reputed Urdu critic and intellectual, and had Prof. Shafey Kidwai and Prof. Tariq Chhattari as members. The Indian jury meeting was held in Aligarh on Skype Tele-conferencing, as its
Chairman, Dr. Narang is in USA these days.
The Pakistani jury was headed by Prof. Dr. Khurshid Rizvi, well-known poet, researcher and critic, and had Prof. Fateh Mohammad Malik, Prof. Dr. Mazher Mahmood Shairani and Prof. Dr. Zahid Munir Amer. The Pakistan jury meeting was held in Avary Hotel, Lahore.
Tehsin Firaqi, pen name, ( Manzoor Akhter, real name), was born on 17th September, 1950, in Patoki, (District Qasoor, Pakistan). He is Gold Medalist in Master's in Urdu Literature as well as Gold Medalist in Master's in Education, holding doctorate in Education. He has command over Urdu, Persian and English languages and fair knowledge in Arabic and Spanish languages. He has deep interest in teaching, Teaching, Criticism, Research, Poetry and translation depict the various aspects of his personality.
Dr. Firaqi started his teaching career in 1976 as Urdu lecturer in Govt. M.A.O. College, Lahore . In 1984, he moved to University Oriental College, Lahore as Urdu lecturer. In 1988, he was promoted as Assistant Professor, in 1995 as Associate Professor, in 2001 as Chairman of Urdu Department and in 2002 as Professor and Chairman, Urdu Department. In 2005, he joined Tehran University, Iran as Visiting Professor of Urdu and Pakistan Studies Chair, Faculty of Foreign languages. In 2008, he returned to University Oriental College as Professor of Urdu Department and later became Chairman, Urdu Department as well.
In 2011, he was associated with LUMS as Adjunct Faculty member for teaching courses in Iqbal Studies (2011- 2016). In 2010, he became Professor. Presently, he is Director, Majlis-e- Taraqqi - i - Adab, Lahore since 2013. He has written 31 books and a number of articles on criticism, research and poetry. ''Justjoo'' is the first collection of his critical articles. ''Maasir-e- Urdu Adab'' '' and ''Ifadaat'' are also his critical essays' collections. Recently, his book on N.M.Rashid, under the name of ''Hassan Kooza Gar'' has been published.
In research, his thesis for Ph.D. '' Abdul Majid Daryabadi''is a big achievement, which has been highly applauded in literary circles. He also edited Yousuf Khan Kambal posh's oldest Travellogue. A few years ago, he released one thoughtful book under the name of ''Fikaryat'', in which he translated important articles of famous personalities into Urdu.
For writing this book, he met people like Edward Saeed, Meelan Gandera, Ann Mary Shaml, Hussain Nasr, Artiga E. Gaast, Alfred Giyom, Guy Eaton, Syed Ali Ashraf and Syed Mohammad Hussain. Ghalib and Iqbal are also a part of Dr. Firaqi's critical work. In spite of his being an Urdu critic, he has written much on Ghalib's Persian poetry. On this subject, his collection of different articles, under the name of '' Ghalib - Fikr-o-Farhang'' has been published by Ghalib Institute, New Delhi. ''Diwan-e-Ghalib'', ''Nuskha Khwaja - Asl haqaiq'' are his other creative works. On Iqbal, his collections of Iqbal's articles, under the name of '' Jihat Iqbal and Iqbal-Chand naye mubahis ''are available. He has edited some articles written during Iqbal's life-time on his personality and art , under the name of ''Naqd-e- Iqbal '', ''Hayat-e- Iqbal''. Dr. Firaqi's first collection of poems and Ghazals under the name of ''Naqsh e Awwal''was printed many years ago. His second book on poetry was printed in 2012. He is still very active in writing and his seven books/ articles are going to be published shortly.
Dr. Firaqi has been a frequent traveller and has visited many countries including U.K., France, Iran, India, Holland, Germany, Turkey, Mauritius, Afghanistan, Belgium, Japan and Qatar and many cities in Pakistan to participate in International and National seminars, conferences and symposiums. He is also a member
of many national learned bodies in Pakistan.
Dr. Firaqi has won many Awards like ''Naqoosh Award'' in 1993, Prime Minister's Literary Award in 1998, ''National Presidential Iqbal Award'' [ 1997-1999 ], '' Shaikh Ahmed Zaki Yamani medallion in 2008 for outstanding services in promoting the cause of Iqbaliyat in the world, prestigious Government's '' Pride of
Performance'' Award in recognition of his literary achievements in August, 2010.
Feroz Sultan Ejaz, the Award winner from India, was born on 2nd May, 1948 in Delhi. He got his primary education from Fatehpuri Muslim High School in Delhi. He passed Matriculation from Presidency Muslim High School, Calcutta in 1964 and completed Pre-University Course in 1996 and obtained Bachelor's degree in 1969, both from St. Xavier's College, Calcutta. He left his LLB course of Calcutta University incomplete in its final year in 1972.
Ejaz is an active literary journalist and is engaged in his printing and publishing business. Besides being a poet, critic and translator, he writes short stories and travelogues. He is the editor of monthly '' Insha'' - an Urdu magazine which he has been publishing for the last 34 years (1986) without a break, which is itself a record.
He has published 25 Special Editions of ''Insha ''on Tagore, Mohinder Singh Bedi sahar, Nisar Ahmed Farooqi, Qamar Rais, Ahmed Saeed Malihabadi, etc. and every Special Edition contains 400-500 pages.
Ejaz has written 26 books till now, which include creative fictions, collections of his poems /ghazals, criticism, travellogue, translated works and also a rare translated book of Tagore's '' Rabinder Sangeet''. '' Pluto ki maut'' is his fiction collection, which has been highly applauded in the whole of India. He has traveled 14 countries.
Ejaz has been awarded a number of prizes and honours, which include Sahitya Academy Translation Award, Mir Award, Abdul Razzaq Malihabadi Award, Imdad Imam Asar Award, Nazir Akber Abadi Award and Ministry of Culture, Government of India's Award for Journalism for 2018''.