National
Read Afghan literature to understand my country: Karzai
By Vikas Datta and Saket Suman
Jaipur, Jan 26 (IANS) Western perspectives on Afghanistan that most of the world, including India, rely on may be biased or lack sufficient contextual understanding and due emphasis should be put on the flourishing Afghan literary tradition, says former Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
“Afghan literature has a rich tradition… there is a lot of it…,” Karzai, who was here for the ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival, told IANS in an interview, contending that western views may mostly stress on the negatives of Afghanistan and ignore its positives, its way of life and deep culture.
He cited the names of 17th century Sufi poet Abdur Rahman Mohmand ‘Rehman Baba’, his contemporary Khushal Khan Khattak, the firebrand national poet of the Pakhtoons known mostly for his exhortations to his people to resist Mughal tyranny and efforts to co-opt them, and many others.
Karzai also noted that more recently there have been Khalilullah Asi (1907-87), regarded as the foremost Afghan poet of the 20th century who happens to be the last of the classical Persian poets and first of the modern Persian poets in his country, and Qahar Asi (1956-94), who also shone in both “classical” and “new styles” but unfortunately lost his life in shelling during the Afghan civil war in the 1990s.
He also noted that while Afghanistan has been facing conflict and all its consequences for many decades now, its literary scene continues to thrive and flourish.
“Whenever any book on Afghanistan comes out, it is translated into Pashto and made available to people in a week,” Karzai said.
Karzai also said that this aspect of Afghan culture was not limited to books and literature, but stretched into other fields too, referring to singers like the popular Aryana Sayeed.
The Afghan leader also stressed that this literary aspect is another link between India and Afghanistan.
“There is, in fact, a history of Pashto literature in India,” he said, showing a massive work on the issue which was published as a Ph.D. thesis.
And Karzai himself displays this bilateral connection by revealing he has read and enjoyed the works of Rabindranath Tagore and Kalidasa and hears Indian singers from Manna Dey to the classical greats.
(Vikas Datta and Saket Suman can be contacted at [email protected] and [email protected] respectively.)
–IANS
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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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