HAS Commemorates Literary Icons at Annual Literary Conference

HAJINI: Halqu e Adab Sonawari (HAS), the oldest literary organization in Kashmir, held its annual literary conference on Saturday at Municipality Hall here. Paying tribute to three former office bearers, esteemed members and literary figures who have left an indelible mark on the cultural landscape of Kashmir: Prof. Mohi ud Din Hajini, Mohammad Ahsan Ahsan, and Dr. Aziz Hajini.

The conference was graced by a distinguished gathering of literary personalities who commemorated the contributions of these icons with heartfelt tributes. Organized with the help of J&K Bank, Kanwal Foods & Spices, the event commenced with the recitation of Quranic verses by Rameez Ahmed, setting a reflective tone for the proceedings. This was followed by a moving Naat presented by Qazi Masroor.

In his welcome address, Azhar Hajini highlighted the significance of the conference and the profound impact that Prof. Mohid ud Din Hajini, Mohammad Ahsan Ahsan, and Dr. Aziz Hajini have on the literary scene of the valley. Azhar expressed happiness over the participation of good number of writers, poets and people from different sections of the society in the one day conference.

A key highlight of the event was the Mohi ud Din Hajini Memorial Lecture, delivered by Shakir Shafi. His lecture, titled "Artificial Intelligence and Kashmiri Language: Apprehensions and Possibilities," sparked meaningful discussions on the intersection of technology and language preservation, emphasizing the need to safeguard and promote the Kashmiri language in the digital age.

Zameer Ansari presented a detailed paper on Mohammad Ahsan Ahsan, emphasizing the myriad qualities of the late poet and recognizing him as an important pillar of the literary organization. Prof. Shaad Ramzan, Convenor of the Sahitya Akademi’s Kashmiri Advisory Board, described the multifaceted contributions of Dr. Aziz Hajini. He lauded him as a great administrator, a born orator, and a literary giant, stating that the soil of Hajin is blessed to have given birth to such luminaries. He reviewed some famous poems of Dr Hajini.

The conference also featured the prestigious Khilat e Hajini 2024 award, which was awarded to renowned poet Shahnaz Rashid. Additionally, the Khilat e Aziz Hajini Award was presented to Nissar Dildar an elderly mystic poet from Chrarisharief, honouring the enduring legacy of creativity in the region. Asmat Maqbool, who achieved the highest marks at the graduation level in the Kashmiri subject, was the recipient of this year’s Aziz Hajini Golden Medal. The award comprised of a certificate of apperception also. In a generous gesture, Mohammad Amin Bhat presented a cash prize of Rs. 3,300 from his own pocket to the young girl student, underscoring the spirit of encouragement and support for showing interest in Kashmiri.

First session of the conference was Presided over by President Adbee Markaz Kamraz J&K Mohammad Amin Bhat. Dr Rafiq Masoodi, Prof Shaad Ramzan, Mushtaq Ahmed Mushtaq, Abdul Ahad Hajini and Rukhsana Jabeen also remained present in the praesidium. The 3rd and last session of the conference was based on the literary presentations of Ali Mohammad Nishtar and Sagar Sarfaraz. A paper on the poem of Sagar Sarfaraz was presented by Shabaz Hakbari while as Imran Iftikhar’s written review was also included. The valedictory session was presided over by Ismail Ashna. He was accompanied by Haji Gh Nabi Dar, Abdul Khaliq Shams and Akhter Mansoor in the presidium.

Dr Reyaz ul Hassan conducted proceedings of the first two sessions while as the post lunch session was compared by Dr Firdous. The vote of thanks was presented by Majeed Majazy. Prominent among the others who were present in the conference included Shabnum Tilgami, Shiekh Ghulam Mohammad, G N Shakir, DySP Rameez Bhat, Inayat ullah Parray, Nazir Javid, Ghulam Din Bahar, Farooq Shaheen, Mohammad Ashraf Malla, Fareeda Shauq and Mohammad Yousf Shaheen.