THE KATHMANDU POST
Watch your mouth
ABHI SUBEDI
NOV 10 - A journalist of
The Hindustan Times wanted to talk to me at the SAARC Folk Festival seminar in
Chandigarh on Nov. 6. I met this talented journalist of the young generation
named Vishav Bharti outside the conference room. He wanted to talk to me about
the folk and my writings. But in the conversation, he glibly gravitated to the
domain of a turbulent yet a very interesting New Nepal. He rightly linked the
state of culture, literature and folklore to the ongoing transformations that
our society has been experiencing. Ajeet Cour's opening address as president of
the SAARC writers' apex body came up in the conversation. Referring to her
speech I linked the subject to a situation in South Asia where the folk assumes
new meaning with political intervention in people's natural way of life and
destruction of their spaces.
The SAARC writers' meetings have foregrounded the power of the quiet female
workers. The Bengali writer Mahasweta Devi's successful fight with the West
Bengal government about the Nandigram government action to uproot the people by
taking a construction scheme had come as a powerful subject of ecological and
subaltern concern at the last SAARC writers' meeting. Two women from Bangladesh
Lubna Marium, a classical dancer and activist, and Salina Hossain, an author of
33 novels, brought out the subject of the serpent goddess' power in the old
Bengali epic Manasa Mangal Kavya, which Lubna Marium calls the archetypal
subaltern folk iconicity of the Bengali people. Lubna works in close association
with Indira Shrestha of Streeshakti Nepal. Dolly Guleria, an amazing Punjabi
singer, intervened in the seminar's scholarly paradigm with her singing of songs
of the great Sufi masters and Punjabi nationalism. I am awed by the powerful
voices of these women. Ajeet Cour and Mahasweta Devi are old, frail and powerful
Indian women. The fight against ecological disaster and the subject of folk are
linked to the political developments in the region.
Apparently, the journalists were informed about the Nepali folk performances
that the Nepali artistes from Nepal Sanskritik Sansthan were presenting at
different locations of Chandigarh and Churamani Bandhu and my seminar
presentations. This young generation journalist of India surprised me because my
archetypal image of the Indian journalist's cognition of the Nepal subject was
slowly melting into thin air in the conversation. He linked my writing, my
folkloric scholarship and my perceptions as a writer to the Nepal of today. He
had broad views about Nepal, its politics and its society that were turning a
historical somersault. I wondered if every journalist was as familiar with the
Nepali political and social situations as this man.
From another conversation with a young woman journalist of The Indian Express,
the next day I was convinced that the young generation journalists have an open
outlook towards Nepal. To them perhaps the Nepali historical change is a unique
subject that blends a new realism, a post-hegemonic politics and neo-romantic
historicism. They would see a Nepali writer and thinker inclined to one of these
modes that the history is lurching to.
The Hindustan Times journalist Bharti's report showed me being close to the
Maoists, and Jaskiran Kapoor in her report in The Indian Express column on the
next day put me as wistfully looking back at the monarchical system. I could see
how quickly they wanted to read the Nepali political semantics. They see the
contemporary Nepali history in terms of paradigm shifts. These journalists see
Nepal not in the light of what many senior thinkers and journalists of Nepal and
India see it as a power game played in Nepal and the Indian government's
blessing or ire about that. Nepali politics, it seemed to me after conversations
with these journalists, has a dynamics acquired after the political change of
2006 that today the politicians, the so-called people's custodians, are turning
into a localised power game that will have no relevance beyond a locally
contested miserable game of power that could be acquired by any means.
I recalled the last few days before I left Nepal to come here. As in the French
novelist Albert Camus' novel The Plague, before I left to teach M. Phil students
at Kirtipur, I was inundated with mobile texts about a turbulent and insecure
capital plagued with violence and demonstrations. They said, “The capital is
choking in the Maoists' agitation. Don't take these routes as you drive.” Every
time I set out, I said to myself this couldn't be so violent after all. I drove
through the city only to find that it was like every other day. I avoided the
part of the city that was blocked because the Maoists were picketing some
administrative offices. Their modus operandi of singing, dancing and chanting
was impressive. But their cadres' sporadic violent activity elsewhere was not a
good method. Peace will be their greatest weapon now onwards. If the Maoists are
wise, they should go Gandhian as Prachanda had instructed his party people to be
before the CA election in 2008.
I discussed Nepal studies among the English department students who sympathise
with parties and also do free thinking. We freely used the subject of political
contestations and ideologies in the academic context. In the evening, I watched
TV for the news of the day. The government spokesman came and said, “We have
alerted the army and the armed police for reasons of the Maoists protest
actions.” I was shell-shocked by these men's hyperbolic use of language. They do
not realise how dangerously they are once again nursing thoughts about giving
the democratic achievements to some armed rulers, and how they are inviting
bloodshed that was avoided by the action of the people and by their own good
efforts.
Historical memories are too short in Nepal. The Maoists declaration of the free
zones and state units is an equally erratic and hyperbolic use of political
language. The hyperbolic language is also used about the UN whom they invited to
broker peace, and resettle the Maoist fighters and write a constitution by
forming a government of consensus. I do not understand how they are going to
write the constitution if the word consensus has become an anathema. The
Kathmandu elite is pouring forth non-political sentiments in support of that
without realising what they are talking about. Politicians with good intentions
from all parties should meet quickly and discuss these matters. It does not suit
the democratic government to use the language of king Gyanendra's ministers who
used to accuse the UN and the countries that did not support them. They created
the Maoist bogie and said, look if you don't support us, they will overtake it
all. There are great leaders and politicians in the NC, UML, Maoists and the
Madhesi parties. They should see what harm their hyperbolic use of language is
doing to the country.
My SAARC Folk revelations are in order. The Indian media and young people are
sensitive to your words. Your hyperbolic language will create a dangerous
culture of misreading and misinformation about Nepal outside. Better watch out
in time.
*SAARC Writers to Share Experiences For
Peace
This Conference is the first step towards a greater
cultural understanding between the member countries.
Seven writers from Pakistan, most prominent among
them being Ahmed Faraz, Kishwar Naheed, and Fahmida Riaz, eight from Bangladesh,
eleven from Nepal, four from Sri Lanka, and one each from Maldives and Bhutan
are expected to participate along with a number of Indian writers and scholars.
The broad theme of the Conference is Writers, Peace and Culture of South Asia.
—The Asian Age, 27 April 2000
*Conference of South Asian
Literary Giants Aims at Launching Interactive Forum for Creative Writers
"It is an important cultural event to bring
together the writer from SAARC countries, to promote greater understanding among
the people in the region through the written word, and to raise voice for
greater cooperation among our countries," said writer Bhisham Sahni.
—The Indian Express, New Delhi, 28 April, 2000
Sari becomes Metaphor for Shared Dreams
There is more in common between the women of SAARC
countries than a piece of cloth... Six yards long, known as the sari....
Whenever it binds itself, it does it of its own accord, tucked around the waist
or thrown over the shoulders. All it needs is a simple gesture, a tug to make it
hang loosely, allowing maximum movement...
—The Hindustan Times, 2 May, 2000
South Asian People Share a Deep Unity
A meeting of South Asian Writers got underway here
today, with the Secretary General of SAARC, Nihal Rodrigo and other literary
figures calling on all the writers to help build a South Asian identity. "People
of this region share a deep unity," Rodrigo said at the start of the South Asian
Writers' Interaction at the SAARC Secretariat here on that the region's writers
have a greater responsibility in uniting the peoples and the diverse cultures.
Pakistan Ambassador to Nepal Fauzia Nasreen read
out a poem by renowned poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz at the programme, which was also
addressed by Ajeet Cour, Founder Chairperson of the New Delhi based Academy of
Fine Arts and Literature, and Nepali poet Abhi Subedi.
—The Kathmandu Post, Nepal, 24, November 2001
SAARC Writers' Award for Poet Shamsur
Rahman
Poet Shamsur Rahman was adorned with the First "SAARC
Writers Award for Lifetime Excellence" amid cheers and applause of about one
hundred poets and writers of the region and a select gathering in the city. The
prestigious award was handed over to the poet at the opening session of the
two-day Third SAARC Writers Conference at the Sufia Kamal Auditorium at the
National Museum.
Eminent writer and Founder Chairperson of Academy
of Fine Arts and Literature of India, Ms. Ajeet Cour, handed over the Award to
the poet. Handing over the award, she said, "To know Shamsur Rahman is to know
his people and their struggle for liberation and emancipation." The award
carries a citation and cash equivalent of Tk 2,23,000.
—The Daily Star, Dhaka, Bangladesh, 23 March, 2001
President
Gives Awards to Writers Despite Terrorist Strike
The President, who was to give away the awards to
distinguished writers towards the close of the session, however, maintained his
calm and advanced the presentation.
He gave away the awards to Pakistani fiction writer Zaheda Hina, and Indian
writers Laxman Gaikwad, Dr. Ganesh Narayandas Devy and Maitreyi Pushpa and left
soon after without addressing the gathering.
—PTI, 13 December
2001
SAARC
Writers Meet Attracts A Galaxy of Writers
This is about the SAARC Writers Conference in Delhi organised by Ajeet Cour of
the Academy of Fine Arts and Literature. Anyone who knows Ajeet knows she never
takes 'no' for an answer. She managed to get President K. R. Narayanan,
Vice-President Krishan Kant, Cabinet Ministers Jaswant Singh, Jagmohan, three
ex-Prime Ministers and a host of Indian litterateurs besides writers and poets
from all the countries, including the ravishing debutante Manjushree Thapa from
Nepal and my friend Minoo Bhandara (brother of the novelist Bapsi Sidhwa) from
Pakistan.
All were happy and said Ajeet Cour's
bandobast was very
pucca. I made my speech on the first
day. President Narayanan had to leave without making his speech because of the
shoot-out at Parliament House. The deliberations of the SAARC writers meet were
blotted out of newspapers and TV channels because of the attack on Parliament
House.
—Khushwant Singh in
The Tribune, New Delhi, 14 December, 2001
SAARC Writers to Seek Common Language
The Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature declared that it would seek a
common SAARC language for the region's diverse ethnic peoples while giving
prominence to regional languages. Addressing the gathering of about 40 poets,
critics and essayists of South Asia in Kathmandu, Ajeet Cour, an eminent writer
of India, who is also the president of the Foundation of SAARC Writers and
Literature, said the Foundation would think of a "common SAARC language" to
connect the peoples of the region.
Nepali, Newari, Bhojpuri, Maithili, Tamang, Hindi,
Bengali and Urdu poets from SAARC nations recited poems and short essays during
the programme.
—The Kathmandu Post, Nepal, 26 September, 2002
Sixth SAARC Writers Conference in Maldives
The Sixth SAARC Writers Conference began in Paradise Island Resort. The
conference is organized by Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature.
Minister of Justice, Mr. Ahmed Zahir, was the chief guest at the ceremony. Ms.
Cour spoke about the vital role the writer can play in addressing the grievances
the world is presently experiencing as well as in investing in our children who
will shape the future of a nation, and the world, and not in weapons of mass
destruction. Ambassadors from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan also
spoke at the ceremony along with representatives from each of the visiting
delegations. From UNESCO, Mr. Mohsin Tawfik commented on the writer's profession
and imparted profound views about his experiences and current affairs of the
world.
On behalf
of Maldivian delegation, Ms. Habeeba Hussein Habeeb stated that Maldives has
always been a peaceful country.
—Aafathis, Maldives, 21 April, 2003
Sixth SAARC Writers' Conference Held
The Sixth SAARC
Writers' Conference held in the Maldives on 19-22 April brought together the
prominent litterateurs, intellectuals and media persons to forge a common
regional strategy to promote and sustain the distinctive arts of South Asia.
—The Hindustan
Times, 19 May, 2003
SAARC LiteratureThe region of over one
billion has more than 25 major languages. Most of these languages are used in
India while many languages transcend political borders. Nepali, the national
language of Nepal, is also used in Darjeeling, Sikkim, Dooars, Dehradun and
Bhagsu of India. A large percentage of Nepali users are also in Bhutan.
Therefore, the plethora of possibilities and prospects of South Asian literature
are also equally daunting.
Therefore, SAARC literature and its writers have many grounds to cover, each of
them, of necessity, compartmentalized for particular focuses and missions.
Indeed, a large budget is automatically connected to the mission statement of
the Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature.
—The Kathmandu Times, 4 September 2002
Partition Divided Land Not Hearts
Indian writers and poets maintain that while land and assets were divided during
partition, hearts remain intact because the people of the two countries share a
literary tradition.
"Our hearts have
not been divided," said Lahore-born Ajeet Cour, head of the 10-member delegation
of Indian writers and intellectuals. She was speaking at Government College
University (GCU) in Lahore during a ceremony held in honour of here by the Urdu
Department.
—Waqar Gillani in Daily Times
Peace Meet Ends on Positive Note
On the concluding day of the three-day
peace conference" Peace and Pen", Indo-Pak writers called for an end to what
they called" glorification" of the nuclear weapons in both the countries.
Ambassador of Norway Janis Bjorne Kanavin, a supporter of peace between India
and Pakistan, was the chief guest on that occasion. He saw the conference as a
meaningful step towards peace and expressed deep wish and hope that the meet
would help the two sides come together.
Representing the two
sides, writer and TV artist/producer Agha Nasir read out the final draft of the
declaration. He called upon the Indo-Pak writers to continue to uphold the
sanctity of the written word. The declaration unanimously highlighted the
services of Khusro, Tulsidas, Ghalib, Iqbal, Faiz and resolved to carry on their
mission.
—Zubair Qureshi in Pakistan Observer
Writers Urged to Uphold Truth
Punjab Governor Khalid Maqbool urged
writers and intellectuals to stick to truth and utilize their creative skills
for eliminating oppression and injustice in the region.
Speaking at a reception
for the SAARC Writers delegation here at the Governor's House, he hoped that the
Indian writers would show truth to their people through their writings.
He said the success to
reach a practicable roadmap for lasting peace in South Asia depended on
understanding ground realities and truth. The governor said because of the
atmosphere of cordiality at the common level, both the countries could change
the fate of the long suffering 1.50 billion people in South Asia.
—Metropolitan,
Pakistan SAARC Nations Share Similar Issues : Reddy
Inaugurating the
SAARC Writers Conference here, information and broadcasting Minister, S. Jaipal
Reddy said free exchange of ideas among writers would help redefine individual
experiences and affect the lives of the people of different countries of the
region with greater sensitivity. "Neither political action nor diplomatic
initiative could substitute the contribution of sensitive writers in
establishing a strong, beautiful and lasting bond between the people of the
seven countries of the region," he said.
—Asian Age, New
Delhi, India, October 2004
The
Writers on The Wall
'Politicians can do wrong, but not the
writers,' says Selina Hossain, eminent Bangladeshi novelist and essayist. "The
role of a writer is to create an atmosphere of trust. To create community
feeling."
—The Sunday Tribune, Chandigarh, India, 2004
SAARC Delegates Hold Out the Olive Branch
The love-peace theme dominated the discussions of the 10th SAARC Writers
Conference at the Alhamra Arts Centre. Unique to the presentation at the
conference was the use of different languages to convey the message.
Literary luminaries from the seven SAARC countries reflected on the ground
realities of this region and how people had expressed those in various genres of
literature. Believing that the only thing common among these nations was
poverty, they underscored the need to make concerted efforts to fight it.The
other topics included discrimination against women, cause of partition and power
tussle.
—Metropolitan, Pakistan, March 2004
Seminar Discusses problems of SAARC Writers
Kamleshwar (India) and Dr. Asif
Farrukhi (Pakistan) stated that SAARC Writers Conferences are necessary because
they help to diffuse the venom that a section of writers tends to come up within
Pakistan and India too.
—The Sunday
Tribune, Chandigarh, India, 2004
The Seven Sisters
The cultural bond among the seven
sisters is very much there, providing for them enough reason to meet in an
island far from Delhi and Islamabad. No doubt, it was an ideal place to meet for
poets and story-writers who talk of love, peace and amity. Surrounded by the
sea, the place breathes in an atmosphere free of violence, strife and hatred,
maladies which vitiate the atmosphere of most countries.
—Intizar Hussain talking about the SAARC Writers
Conference in Maldives, in Metropolitan, Pakistan, 2004
A New Mould
Poetry, in the SAARC region,
occupies a lot of space, both private and public. From personal anguish to
social protest, from longing to loss and love, from racial ancestral memories to
rude ruptures, it covers a very wide and complicated range of experiences,
emotions, feelings and insights, amalgamating history, politics and myth. In the
various languages of the region poetry continues to question the given, to look
critically at the establishment and the state, to assert its independence
against narrow ideologies, chauvinistic viewpoints, oppressive structures and
soulless technologies. This anthology puts together a selection of works from
some of the most lively and active poets from SAARC countries who are present
and are shaping the poetic scene at the beginning of a new century.
—Review of 'Beyond Borders: An
Anthology of SAARC Fiction'in The Hindustan Times, 13 July 2003
Working to Bridge a Divide
Ajeet Cour, writer and President of
the Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature, comes across as a shy person.
But hidden behind her unassuming and modest demeanour is a person of
extraordinary courage and zeal.
It is precisely because of this
reason that she finds a place amongst the 1000 women chosen from across the
globe for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005. An intellectual with a philanthropic
inclination, she started an NGO, the Academy of Fine Arts and Literature, in
1975 to impart education and vocational training to underprivileged adolescent
girls and women who had never been to school.
—Ravi Bajpai in
The Hindustan Times,
7 July 2005
Human Misery, Not Political Twist, Motivates SAARC Writers
That literature can be a wonderful confidence-building tool among neighbouring
nations would once again be proved at the 11th SAARC Writers' Conference
starting in the Capital from October 7.
More that 50 writers from Asian
countries, including Sudan and Thailand, are expected to participate in the
three-day meet at India International Centre. According to the organizers, the
focus of the conference would be on tales of human misery and hope, common to
all nations, rather than politics in South Asia.
The conference is
an initiative "towards civilisational and cultural synthesis within South Asia
by recognizing the 'otherness of others'." Its objective is to create a
climate of sanity, trust and awareness by bringing together the intelligentsia
of these countries. The organizers believe that literature can produce popular
images that are potent enough to demolish stereotypes that create an atmosphere
of distrust among neighbouring nations.
—The Indian Express, 5 October 2005
SAARC Needs Strong Cultural Dialogue to Achieve Objectives : V. P.
Singh
Delivering the inaugural address at the three-day 14th SAARC Writers' Conference
on "Cultural Connectivity for Peace" being organized by the Foundation of SAARC
Writers and Literature here, Mr. Singh, who is also the Foundation's chief
advisor, said : "It is the right opportunity to impress upon the SAARC nations
that culture is the first point to begin with towards convergence and
understanding in South Asia."
Addressing the gathering, Union
Information and Broadcasting Minister, Dr. S. Jaipal Reddy, said there were many
commonalities among nations in the region. "We together speak and share many
languages. We need to come together not just in political or economic terms but
also in cultural terms, similar to what is happening in Europe these days. South
Asia is the only region in the world where regional cooperation is minimum."
—The Hindu, 10 October 2005
SAARC Writers Meet to Discuss Peace, Harmony
Ms. Ajeet Cour, Founder President
of FOSWAL, said, "This conference has been convened to promote cultural
connectivity among South Asian countries."
Dr. Reddy said, "We all know that peace can be established through dialogue. But
it is also essential to participate in such conferences to
create harmony among
countries."
The conference included discussions on topics including Global Relevance of
Culture, Development for Peace, Understanding the Interrelationship of Cultures
in South Asia, Respecting the Otherness of Others, and Inter-Cultural Dialogue
for Strengthening Civilisational Links in South Asia.
—The Asian Age, 11 October 2005
Exploring Various Dimensions of Sufism
Celebrating the strong bonds of Sufism is the Foundation of SAARC Writers and
Literature. By bringing together the inheritors and followers of this tradition
to debate the philosophical issues at a conference, the Foundation hopes to be
able to not only focus on Mysticism and Sufism, but also highlight the composite
culture of this region.
Titled 'Sufi Traditions, Poetry and
Philosophy', the conference is a first- ever non-governmental
initiative to explore various dimensions of Sufism.
Widening the debate to include countries traditionally not in the Sufism "loop",
there will be eminent scholars from France, United States, Britain, Canada and
Italy. There will also be scholars from Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and
Turkey.
—Mandira Nayar in The Hindu 17 March 2006
Celebration of Mysticism
The first-ever International Conference on Sufism was the initiative of the
Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature and the Academy of Fine Arts and
Literature. Ajeet Cour, Founder and President of the Foundation, was pivotal in
ensuring the participation of as many as 200 Sufi
scholars, poets and philosophers from 16 countries.
Cour's gigantic effort seems to
have borne fruit as one could find scholars from not only Uzbekistan, Tajikistan
and Kashmir, the traditional Sufi bastions, but also from European countries
like France, Italy and the US. Nearly all aspects of Sufism: qawwalis at Hazrat
Nizamuddin, poetry, music and love songs of Sufi musicians were part of the
conference. After the successful conclusion of the First International Sufi
Conference, Ajeet Cour is quite hopeful of holding its sequel in Islamabad.
—Manoj Kumar in Sahara Times, 1 April 2006
SAARC Writers and Scholars Conference Commences
Inaugurating the
3-day International Conference on Sufism,
Mr. V. P. Singh congratulated the organizers - Ajeet Cour's Foundation of SAARC
Writers and Literature - for inviting eminent scholars from several countries of
the world. He said that "Sufism is the song of the
soul", and added that "Sufism is the hope of the future".
—Rashtriya Sahara, 19 March 2006
Among Mystics
Ajeet Cour, President of FOSWAL, organised a Meeting of SAARC poets and singing
of Sufi songs by singers from 14 countries, including Pakistan, Uzbekistan,
Turkey, Poland, USA and others.
The Conference on Sufism: Sufi Traditions, Poetry and Philosophy was held with
the objective of reviving the glorious tradition of the subcontinent's cultural
fabric of secularism, inclusiveness, tolerance and pluralism.
—Khushwant Singh
in The Hindustan Times
4 April 2006
I do feel that your Conference on
Sufism was a positive contribution towards the propagation of the Sufi doctrine
of love and universal harmony. We do appreciate your initiative in this field.
- Dr. Karan
Singh, President, Indian
Council for Cultural Relations
To participate in the 19th SAARC
Writers' Conference was a significant event for me as a writer. It provided me a
fruitful opportunity to enjoy a peep into the current literary scenario in the
countries concerned. The eager wish expressed by many a participant writer to
see the neighbouring countries drawing closer to one another intellectually and
emotionally was really heartening.
Conferences of the kind are the
need of the hour. They make strangers friends.
-
Abdur Rahman Rahi, Jammu and Kashmir
You, Ajeet jee, are a humanist and
that's why you are genuinely concerned with human suffering. The phenomena of
violence is a direct antithesis to love. It is the dying flame of love which is
brewing hatred in many parts of the world. Man has to ultimately realise that
love is the only foundation on which civilisations are based. It alone stands as
the guarantee of equality, freedom and solidarity. We have not to fall into
despair but keep our hope in human goodness. It is only light which can dispel
darkness.
- Shahzad
Qaiser, Pakistan
SAARC Politics and the Imaginary
To us this literary organisation
FOSWAL, started and conducted by a physically frail and spiritually strong
fiction writer Ajeet Cour, whose claim to madness sounds like a narrative writ
large on the blank sheets of anarchy, is more important than the political SAARC.
-
Prof. Abhi Subedi in
The Kathmandu Post,
April 18, 2007
On Hallowed Ground : SAARC Translation Workshop at Belur, Kolkata
We got off to a brisk start, with
the Vice Chancellor of the Mission's newly founded University delivering an
entertaining inaugural speech on the pitfalls of translation. An academic
session at the Workshop had representatives from all SAARC countries, talk about
their national literatures for the benefit of the Vidyamandir's faculty members
and students: Professor Satchidanandan from India, Professor Abhi Subedi from
Nepal, Dr. Asif Farooqi from Pakistan, Tshering Dorji from Bhutan, Dinithi
Karunanayake from Sri Lanka and Yours Truly.
-
Prof. Kaiser Haq, in
Daily Star, Dhaka,
4th April,
2007
SAARC has not taken off in any real
sense due to the subcontinent's history of hostility and mistrust, and which has
a way of violently disrupting relations from time to time. Arts and culture
offers a way out of it, as was pointed out in the welcoming address by Ajeet
Cour, the founder-chairperson of the Academy of Fine Arts and Literature, under
whose aegis FOSWAL operates. "Way back in 1987," she told us, "all such
initiatives were frowned upon with suspicion, FOSWAL, overcoming bureaucratic
snags and political displeasure of the establishment, managed to invite seven
eminent Urdu and Punjabi writers from Pakistan to India to interact freely with
hundreds of Indian writers and cultural and literary activists to discuss issues
of common concern in a 3-day conference in Delhi".
-
Khademul Islam, in
Daily Star, Dhaka,
14th April,
2007