Awarded for printed books

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS:

Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi invites writers residing or working in Chandigarh to submit PRINTED BOOKS in Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu, or English (Poetry, Fiction, Plays) published in 2011.

Three copies of each book should be sent to the CSA office (1st Floor, State Library, Sector 34, Chandigarh), by JANUARY 31, 2012.

Edited books and those published with financial help from another agency will not be considered.

Manju Jaidka

Chairperson, CSA

GRANTS-IN-AID

RESULT ANNOUNCEMENT

AWARD OF GRANTS IN AID FOR UNPUBLISHED MANUSCRIPTS

Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi is pleased to announce that the following manuscripts have been approved for award of Grants-in-Aid for the year 2011-12:

Short Stories (Hindi)

1. Manoj Tiwari – Chidiya Ghar

2. Surendra Kumar – Apna Apna Sukh

3. Rajendra Kumar Kanaujia – Sapne

Poetry (Hindi)

1. Sanjiv Suri Sahil – Bikhare Pal

2. Sant Ram – Manthan

3. Hema Sharma – Main Anjaan Hoon

Urdu: Renu Bahl

Those who had submitted their manuscripts may collect them from the CSA office on any working day between 10 AM and 4.30 PM

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF AWARD:

1. CSA will give a sum of Rs. 10,000 to each winner as Grants-in-Aid after the selected manuscript has been published.

2. Five copies of the published book will be submitted to the CSA along with a statement of publication expenses.

3. The author will submit documentary proof of his/her domicile in Union Territory, Chandigarh.

4. The contribution of CSA towards the publication of the book will be acknowledged by the author. The publication will carry a message by the Chairperson of the CSA.

5. All the manuscripts selected will be published before 31^st March 2012.

Carnival 2011

Adviser, Shri KK Sharma, visiting the CSA stall

CSA at the Carnival:

Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi held a Literary Quiz at the Carnival. The Quiz, conducted by Prof Anil Raina, was open to the public and 6 teams participated for the cash prizes that offered. Prizes were bagged by Tanveer and Piyush (DAVC), Vijay and Ishan (PU), Nishtha and Rohit (PU).

In addition, CSA also held On-the-Spot Contests: Slogan Writing, Couplet and Caption contests. Prizes and souvenirs were given to outstanding entries.

Prize-winners of the Literary Quiz with Prof Anil Raina

Carnival Capers

CHANDIGARH SAHITYA AKADEMI
invites you to participate in
ON-THE-SPOT COMPETITIONS (open to all)
(Caption Contest, Slogan Writing and Couplet Concoction)
on 25th, 26th and 27th November 2011
10 AM to 4 PM
At: the Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi Stall, Chandigarh Carnival

LITERARY QUIZ (open to all)
on 26th November 2011
Reporting time: 10.30 AM
At: the MINI STAGE, Chandigarh Carnival
LEISURE VALLEY- SECTOR !6

Tri-Lingual Kavi Sammelan

Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi, in collaboration with the Dept of Culture, Chandigarh, organized a Tri-lingual Kavi Sammelan at the Bal Bhavan this evening. in addition to ten local poets there were two well-known names from outside Chandigarh: Jagjit Singh Sufi and Yogendra Maudgil.

The local poets included the following names:

Hindi:

Jagmohan Chopra

Chander Trikha

Sushil Hasrat

Atul Arora

Santosh Dhiman

Punjabi:

Jagjit Singh Sufi

Jagroop Singh Roop

Manjitinder Kaur

Nirmal Dutt

Urdu:

B.D. Kalia

Madhukar Arya

The Kavi Sammelan was part of the celebration of the Communal Harmony week. Through poetry the attempt was to establish Linguistic Harmony, bringing poets of different languages together on a single platform..

The entire program was ably compered by Madhav Kaushik, a skilled poet himself, who is the Secretary of the CSA.

Shri KK Sharma, Adviser to the Administrator, UT, was the Chief Guest on the occasion. He applauded the efforts of the Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi and the Dept of Culture and spoke of the role that poetry can play in bringing people together. Language and literature, he said, can be a bridge between different communities.

Dr KL Zakir, Chairman, Urdu Sahitya Akademi, presided over the function and brought it to a fitting close with a sprinkling of Urdu poetry that was much appreciated by all.

Ms Varsha Khandwal, Director, Cultural Affairs, who was the chief organizer along with Prof Manju Jaidka of the CSA, was also present on the occasion.

Photographs of the event: https://picasaweb.google.com/105464712099114161998/CSAKaviSammelanNov2011

Competitions at PU

CSA EVENTS HELD AT PU

Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi (CSA) in collaboration with the Panjab University today held an on-the-spot Essay Writing Competition, followed by a Story/Poetry Writing Competition at the Panjab University Campus. The event was organized for the CSA by Dr Meenu Gupta, Assistant Professor of the English Dept. Students of the campus participated in the competitions which were held in English, Hindi and Punjabi.

The Literary Quiz was conducted by Prof Aneel Raina of the English Dept who is also a member of the CSA. The questions asked were drawn from world literatures, Indian literature from different regions, classical literature, literary awards and outstanding personalities associated with literature.

For today's photos click this link: https://picasaweb.google.com/105464712099114161998/12November2011

Results of the competitions:

EVENT	CATEGORY	PRIZE WINNERS
ESSAY WRITING	English	First: Sandeep Kumar Second: Alisha Angrish Third: Anupriya
	Punjabi	First: Sukhjinder Kaur
SHORT STORY	English	First: Nishtha Saxena Second: Aditi Bist Third: Sayyantana Dutta Consolation: Manika Arora
	Hindi	First: Gaurav Kalra Second: Bhawna
	Punjabi	First: Chanchal Sharma
POETRY	English	First: Swastika Khosla Second: Rashi Nair Third: Amandeep Kaur
	Hindi	First: Bharti Second: Chanchal Sharma
	Punjabi	First: Sukhjinder Kaur

QUIZ CONTEST RESULTS

First Prize	Tajinder Singh and Nosheen Kapoor (English Dept)
Second Prize	Pavneet Bangar and Umendra Sharma (UIET)
Third Prize	Gopal Singh and Nupur Pal (English Dept)

Prizes for on-the-spot competitions (Rs. 700, 500, 300) and Team Prizes for the Quiz (Rs.1,000, 800 and 600) will be given at the Third Chandigarh Literary Festival to be held on Feb 10-12, 2012.

FORTHCOMING ACTIVITIES:

At the Chandigarh Carnival, 26-28 Nov 2011, the CSA will hold another Quiz (open to all). There will also be interesting competitions like Slogan Writing, Shayari, Caption Contests, etc, held through the 3-day event.

Gandhi and Tagore

Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi today organized a two-tiered program to pay homage to the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi. Coupled with it was a homage to another great intellectual and visionary, Rabindranath Tagore.

Shri Vishanath Prasad Tiwari, well-known critic and man of letters who is also the Vice-Chairman of the national Sahitya Akademi, delivered an extremely lucid and well-informed talk on "Gandhian Philosophy in Contemporary Times". This was followed by another scintillating and impassioned discourse on "The Environmental Philosophy of Tagore" by Mina Surjit Singh, Emeritus Fellow at the Dept of English, Panjab University. Chairing the event was Prof Anirudh Joshi, eminent professor and critic who is well-versed in Sanskrit literature as well as Indian literary traditions.

Shri Tiwari set the tone of his talk with a comparison between Gandhi and Christ. Then he referred to Gandhian philosophy vis a vis Karl Marx, focusing on the fact that Gandhian thought is unique because it is characterized by non-violence, compassion and truth. Gandhi became popular because he drew his beliefs from tradition and from mass culture, adapting them to his political agenda. This is the reason why his philosophy spread through the world, crossing all boundaries of time and space. Tiwari discussed in detail Gandhi's ideas on civilization as distinct from progress and the manner in which he upheld the axiom of simple living, high thinking.

Mina Surjit Singh discussed the work of Tagore as a mystic, transcendentalist and romantic, highlighting the areas which overlapped with Gandhian thought. She referred to the clash of the two giants on divergent views and explored the connecction between science and spirituality. Tagore was able to see the interconnectedness in all spheres of life and this is what made him the great thinker that he is acclaimed to be.

Drawing upon the main points presented by the two speakers, Prof Anirudh Joshi further elaborated upon the connection between the phinking of the Mahatma and the poet.The three speakers of the day held forth on the subject and held the audience mesmerized. Madhav Kaushik, Secretary of CSA, comered the event and Manju Jaidka, Chairperson, in her vote of thanks informed the audience of upcoming events, urging greater participation of the people of Chandigarh.

Over the last three years the CSA has been working diligently, offering interesting and intellectually stimulating fare to the city and its activities are eagerly awaited, as may be judged by the enthusiastic crowd that regularly attends all events.

Among the on-going activities is the Grants-in-Aid that will be announced shortly, a Quiz that will be held at the Carnival in November, and the 3rd Chandigarh Festival of Letters in February 2012.

Indeed, a lot of interesting happenings to look out for!

Photographs of today's events may be downloaded from this link:

https://picasaweb.google.com/105464712099114161998/GandhiTagore?authkey=Gv1sRgCJHdy5-empePygE#

Chairperson

Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi

Obituary - Shri Gursharan Singh ji

CSA places on record its sense of deep loss at the demise of the eminent city writer and playwright, Shri Gursharan Singh ji. His absence will be acutely felt in all the literary circles of the region. May his soul rest in peace!
Two years ago CSA gave him an Award of Recognition for his life-long contribution to literature.

VYANGA GOSHTHI

A VYANGA GOSHTHI was organized this evening at the CSA Audi, State Library, Sector 34, Chandigarh. The Chief Participant was Prem Janmejai (from Delhi) while the local participants were Jasvinder Sharma, Rajinder Nishesh, and Prem Vij.

Janmejai teaches at Delhi University and brings out a magazine called “Vyanga YAtra. HE has been a Visiting Professor at the University of West Indies and published more than twelve collections of satires.

Jaswinder Sharma has authored eight books, including one by Penguin. He is a recipient of the Haryana Sahitya Akademi award as well as the Chandigarh sahitya Akademi award for his writing.
Rajinder Nishesh has composed seven books on vyanga, two poetry collections and two books for children. National Book Trust is bringing out his collection of poems.

Prem Vij is a writer and journalist, the author of a dozen books including two on vyanga. He is the recipient of the Panjab State Award for his literary contribution.

Today’s speakers chose to focus on political themes, electioneering, democracy and red-tapism. In his presidential remarks Dr Prem Janmejai spoke of the present scenario of Hindi satire and read a satirical piece that spoke of Doordarshan in the times of Shri Ramchandra. He is of the opinion that the satirist should not descend to the level of slapstick. On the contrary, combining wit with intelligence and a concern for society, the satirist can do much to reform the world he lives in.

Madhav Kaushik, Secretary, CSA, compered the event deftly, pointing out that satire should heal even as it attcaks the vices of the society.

Chairperson of CSA, Prof Manju Jaidka, thanked the speakers and informed the audience that the next CSA event would celebrate Gandhi Jayanti. Information will be posted on the blog and Facebook.

Goshthi - 27 Aug 2011

MONTHLY GOSHTHI. 27 Sept 2011

Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi organized its monthly Goshthi this evening at the CSA Auditorium, Sector 34, Chandigarh.

These monthly sessions are important events in which local talent is showcased. Budding poets as well as seasoned writers are given a forum where they share their literary endeavors with others. New voices blend with the old and the result is harmonious medley.

Those who read from their works this evening included Jaswant S. "Alokar', Puneeta Bawa, Bhupinder Singh, Geetanjali Bhagat, Nikha Kumar, Deepak Khetarpal, Ashwani Shandilya, Nidheesh Tyagi, Vandana Shukla, Manmohan Singh Mitwa , Mandeep Mann and Musavvir Firozpuri. The event was compered by Dr Tejpal Chawla who, along with his wife, also sang some of his poems in the traditional Punjabi folk style.

The Chairperson of CSA, Prof Manju Jaidka, announced that the next event would be a "Vyanga Goshthi" on 3rd Sept at the same venue, same time 4 to 6 pm). Details would be posted on the Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi's Blog and Facebook.

CALL FOR MANUSCRIPTS: The CSA has invited city-based writers to submit unpublished book-length manuscripts of short stories, poetry and novels in Hindi, English, Punjabi or Urdu. Some funding is available for Grants-in-aid and the best entries would be given financial assistance for publication.

Entries may be submitted at the Chd Sahitya Akademi office on the 1st floor of the State Library, Sector 34. Deadline for submission is September 30, 2011.

Kavi Darbar

KAVI DARBAR

Amid the festivities and exuberance of the monsoon season, combined with auspicious occasions like Raksha Bandhan and Independence day, Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi organized a Tri-lingual Mushaira at the Hotel Parkview in Chandigarh. Fifteen poets reciting their verse in Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi regaled an enthralled audience through the evening.

Invited poets who hailed from outside Chandigarh were Uday Bhanu Hans ( from Hissar), Yogendra Nath Sharma "Arun" (Roorkee), Gyan Prakash Vivek (Bahadurgarh), Amarnath Amar (Delhi), and Naseem Baichain (Delhi). Local Poets from the tricity included well-known names like Chaman Lal, T.N. Raaz
Shashi Prabha, Manjit Indira, Amarjit Amar, Yojana Rawat and Urmil Sakhi. In addition, Mrs Mukta, Director of the Haryana Sahitya akademi, Shri Sukhchain Singh bhandari, who has recently taken over as the Director, Haryana Punjabi Akademi, and Shri Jaggan Nath the visually challenged Principal of the local Blind School, also participated to great applause extempore in the event.

Despite the inclement weather, major traffic snarls on the highways and other hurdles encountered, participants who came from outside the city were able to reach in time for the Kavi Darbar and their contribution was greatly appreciated. The poems recited ranged widely in themes, from patriotic fervor to personal relationships and social issues, from focusing on maternal love to denouncing the corrupt politics prevailing in the country.

Photos of the event may be seet at https://picasaweb.google.com/105464712099114161998/KaviDarbar13aug2011?authkey=Gv1sRgCJrvqfS_--GI9wE

Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi has been diligently organizing literary events in the city and it is widely appreciated for the high quality of its invited participants. Along with such high-profile events it also holds monthly Goshtis in which budding poets are encouraged to participate along with senior writers.

THE NEXT GOSHTI OF THE AKADEMI will take place on Saturday, 27th August from 4pm to 6pm. The venue will be the mini-auditorium of the Akademi, on the first floor of the State Library in Sector 34. Those desirous of sharing their writing with others at the Goshti should send an email to sahitakad2008@gmail.com by 20th August 2011 along with the piece they wish to read. By the 24th the final program will be drawn and conveyed to all. No invitation cards are sent for Goshtis but relevant information is placed on the Blog and Facebook. Those interested may take appropriate action.

Maha kavya evam Lok Kavya

"Maha Kavya Evam Lok Kavya" - a literary event devoted to the Mahabharata and to the folk traditions of Himachal and Haryana, was held today by the Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi.

The key speaker was Dr Jesse Knutson from the US who is presently on an extended academic visit to India. He is a scholar of Sanskrit literature at the University of California, Berkley. Knutson made an enthralling presentation on the "Mahabharata", focusing on the inbuilt contradictions and antinomies of the text. Taking up the mahakavya from three different angles -- dharma, kaal, and yoga, he highlighted the complexities of the text and stressed that the Mahabharata is not just an Indian epic, it belongs to the tradition of world literature and may be regarded as a global text as it cuts across geographical boundaries. The talk generated a lot of interest and several noted scholars from the audience engaged in an animated conversation with Knutson. Chairing the session was Prof Surinder Sharma, a well-known and versatile figure in literary circles.

There were two other speakers, Prof Meenakshi Paul from Shimla who spoke on the folk traditions of Himachal, and Dr Karan Singh from Haryana who made a presentation on the folk songs of Haryana. Both these speakers have been engaged in primary research at the grassroots level and they shared their findings with an enthralled audience. Drs Mukta and Chander Trikha chaired the two sessions. Taking part in the discussion were Prof Ramesh Kuntal Megh, Dr Kalia 'Humdum', Prof Vikram Viveki, Mrs Jasbir Kaur, Lalita Jagmohan, and others. Madhav Kaushik, Secretary of CSA, steered the discussion deftly through various important issues.

Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi is thus engaged in bringing literature to the people through various speakers from within and outside the city. it has made a difference to the literary and cultural life of the people by holding programmes at regular intervals. The Chairperson, Prof Manju Jaidka, announced forthcoming activities: on 13th August a Mushaira will be held, on 3rd Sept a Hasya Kavi sammelan. On a smaller scale, a goshti will be organized on 20th August. Details will be posted on the CSA Face Book and Blog. Interested people may thus keep track.

Photographs are available on this link: https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/reorder?uname=sahitakad2008&aid=5635117706054969249

Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi

GN DEVY

Prof G.N. Devy is quite an institution. With his quiet demeanor and low-profile but high intellectualism he makes an impact every time he addresses an audience. This evening's talk on "Aphasia and Amnesia: Contemporary Creative Expression in India" was no exception!

Prof Devy is a renowned activist campaigning for the preservation and revitalization of threatened languages and human rights activism for indigenous peoples (known as adivasis) and nomadic communities in India. He has been working in this field for the last two decades and more. His talk was focused on the so-called tribal languages of India. However, he clarified right in the beginning that languages cannot be tribal and that there is a political agenda behind labeling them thus.

Devy is concerned with the rapidly disappearing dialects of India. Less than half a century ago, it was recorded that there were more than 1600 languages spoken but within the span of ten years the number dropped to 109. This happened not because people stopped speaking the language but because politically it was not feasible to count them all as separate languages. This is what has happened throughout history. Under the colonial rule many of our languages were silenced: they were subjected to 'aphasia'. Later, under the colonizers, amnesia set in and our own languages were forgotten. This was an unfortunate development. Dialects, according to Devy, should be encouraged if we want our languages to continue growing in a healthy manner.

Prior to his talk Prof Devy interacted with local writers and discussed the various dialects of the Punjab, Puadhi, Malwi, etc. Manmohan Daon, Nirupama Dutt, Prem Vij, Anirudh Joshi,Madhav Kaushik and others well-known litterateurs discussed several language-related issues with him.

It was, indeed, a pleasure listening to Prof Devy who exemplifies in himself what a true scholar should be. He is low-profile, humble and down-to-earth. He has travelled the world over, been the recipient of coveted awards, but his hallmark is his humility. He reminds us that one need not use a high flown language, jargonized vocabulary or obtuse logic to make a mark. A genuine scholar can reach out to his audience without any such humbug. Like Prof Devy, he makes a difference, is understood and appreciated.

Goshti - 28 May 2011

Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi held its monthly Goshti this evening at Panjab University, Sector 14. Ten city writers read their poems in Hindi, Punjabi and English.

Harbans Singh Tasawur's book on Qurratulain Hyder was released by Dr. Darshan Singh, eminent critic and Professor Emeritus, who assessed the contribution of the noted Urdu writer and also spoke at length on the finer aspects of Urdu and Punjabi literature.

Among the younger city poets who made their debut today were Ms Nikha Kumar, Jagtar Singh Deol and vishal Monga. Their poems were greatly appreciated. There were also senior poets who recited their poems.

Monthly goshtis are a regular feature of the CSA's events and they cater especially to the local talent, giving a platform to the young and the old, faciliatating interaction amongst the writers of the city. Today's event was attended by a sizable gathering of literature lovers, several of whom wish to share their work with the audience te next time.

The Chairperson, Prof Manju Jaidka announced that the next such get-together would be held in July. Shri Madhav Kaushik, the Secretary of CSA who has now been appointed the convenor of the hindi board of the National Sahitya Akademi, assisted the Chairperson in making the evening a success.

Summer Bonanza day 2

The Summer Bonanza organized by Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi concluded this afternoon. Although the 'star' speaker of the vent, Deepti Naval the actress, failed to turn up, the remaining sessions were held successfully, much to the satisfaction of the organizers and the audience.

Manju Kapur, the celebrated writer of novels like Difficult Daughters and the recentCustody, held the listeners riveted to a scintillating conversation with the vivacious Aradhika Sharma who quizzed her about her books, her likes and dislikes, and her work habits. Ms Kapur read excerpts from one of her books and explained how her books are committed to women's issues.

A panel discussion on "Literature in a Globalized Context" brought together four eminent writers /scholars in an animated discussion with Madhav Kaushik and Manju Jaidka. Prof Harish Narang, speaking on the subject, drew attention to web literature, thanks to which the total concept of literature in contemporary times

has undergone a change. Prof Alok bhalla joined the discussion with a reference to the need for emerging from provincial chauvinism that gnaws into the vitals of our society. Anirudh Joshi struck a different note and mentioned that there are unignorable pockets of society untouched by computers or by the internet. Atamjit gave examples from Punjabi literature, stressing on the need for translation. All these views were rounded off deftly by the secretary of CSA, Madhav Kaushik.

The session was followed by the Annual Round-Up of the activities of the CSA and saw the release of a illustrated brochure recording the events and landmarks of the year that has ended. Prizes for printed books were given to four city writers who had submitted their books for the competition. Narinder Pal Singh Komal received the prize for Punjabi fiction, Manoj Tiwari for his Hindi novel. The prize for Hindi Poetry went to Rajendra Nishesh, and for Hindi Short Stories to Jaswinder Sharma.

The Round-Up marked the culmination of the year's activities and ended with the audience praising the effort

s of the CSA, appreciating its role in bringing zest to the intellectual life of Chandigarh.

Pictures of the event online:

https://picasaweb.google.com/sahitakad2008/SummerBonanza2?authkey=Gv1sRgCNmI7ozy-5nZZA#

Day 1- Summer Bonanza

Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi is holding a Summer Bonanza at the UT Guest House. Sessions spread over two days include a panel discussion, creativity sessions, meet-the-author events, a commemorative session on Shiv Batalvi to mark his death anniversary, and the annual round-up of the CSA

Today's events began with a session devoted to Shiv Kumar Batalvi. Dr Yograj Angrish, who teaches Punjabi at the Panjab University, spoke on the contribution of the talented poet to Panjabi literature. the session was chaired by Shri CR Maudgil who has headed the Punjabi Sahitya Akademi of Haryana. The audience took an active part in the discussion that followed, with several people reminiscing their personal experiences with Batalvi.

In another session, the Oriya writer, JP Das, who has had an illustrious career and received several notable awards including the Sahitya Akademi Award, spoke of his works -- poetry, plays, fiction and translation -- in conversation with the Academic and critic GK Das.

Vishvjit Singh, who hails from the royal family of Kapurthala and has been a member of the Indian parliament, is also a sensitive writer and has recently published his Hindi poetry, "Kuchh Shabd Kuchh Lakeerein". He was in conversation with Nirupama Dutt in a Face-to-Face session. Raj Chengappa, Editor in Chief of The Tribune, chaired the session.

The final session of the day unfolded creativity and brought together invited and local writers who made brief presentations of their writing. Harish Narang and Alok Bhalla, better known for their critical and academic work, are also skilled translators and creative writers. While Narang read a short story, Bhalla read some powerful poems based on his experience of Jerusalem. Other poets who read their poems in the session included Vijay Kapoor, Roshan Sharma, Gurpreet Kaur, Geetanjali Bhagat, Aradhika Sharma, and Reenu Talwar.

On the second day of the Bonanza, i.e., the 8th of May, the noted writer Manju Kapur will be in conversation with Aradhika Sharma. There will be a panel discussion on Literature in a Globalized Context. This will be followed by the grand finale of the Bonanza, the Annual Round-Up of the CSA's activities in 2010-2011.

Photos of the event: https://picasaweb.google.com/sahitakad2008/SummerBonanza1?authkey=Gv1sRgCMWDv-2Snof6-QE#

Amber Habshi

The Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi today held a play reading at the CSA Auditorium in Sector 34.

Dr Narendra Mohan, has been a professor of Hindi and is a well-known name in literary circles. He read from his new play, “Amber Habshi” to a select gathering of literature and theatre lovers. He has published several plays which have been translated into different languages and performed to great acclaim. Dr Mohan's reading was in tandem with the theatre thespian Prof Harish Bhatia who also read portions of the play.

The eponymous hero of the play, Malik Amber, was a historical figure born in Ethiopia, sold into slavery in Baghdad. His master, Mir Qasim brought him to Ahmednagar. Later Amber rose to the post of the Prime Minister of the Deccan Empire under Ahmed Shahi and fought against the Moghuls. He was secular in his outlook and considered himself a staunch Indian.

Madhav Kaushik, Secretary of the CSA compered the event. The Chairperson, Manju Jaidka, also addressed the gqathering and expressed her appreciation of the playwright. Further, she announced that a major CSA event is round the corner. On the 7^th and 8^th of May CSA will hold a “Summer Bonanza” in which several noted litterateurs will participate. Details will be posted on CSA's Facebook and Blog.

April 9, 2011. Goshti

The Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi today held its monthly Goshti at its Mini-Auditorium in Sector 34. Altogether 19 poets, young and old, participated in the event which brought together several literature enthusiasts. Some of the participants in the Goshti were debut poets who came to the stage for the first time while others were veterans in the field.

Diljit Singh Kaiffy's book comprising paintings and poetry, entitled "Poornima" was released by Dr Atamjit who praised the young artist-poet's endeavor. Other poets whose poems were highly appreciated included Puneeta Bawa, Narinder Thakur, Anil Kumar, Geetanjali Bhagat, Reena Talwar and Aradhika Sharma.

Today's event was tri-lingual. It was part of the Akademi's venture to promote literature in the city, to bring people back to the love of the book, and to encourage a bonhomie amongst the established and emerging writers of Chandigarh who usually tend to work in isolation. These events have become popular of late and several participants flock to the city from other places to attend CSA's events. This evening one of the participants, Vivek Sachdeva, had come from Delhi especially to take part in the Goshti.

The next event of the CSA s a play-reading by Narendra Mohan on 16th April, again at the CSA's Audtorium. The title of the play is "Ambar Habshi" and the reading will begin at 4pm.

Thereafter, on 7th and 8th of May, a bigger event, the "Summer Bonanza" will be held at the UT Guest House. It will bring together several noted personalities, poets and writers, including
Deepti Naval and Manju Kapur. Further details will be circulated on CSA's Facebook and Blog.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=100000212495273&aid=68206

Sharyar and Sheen Kaaf Nizam

CHANDIGARH HERITAGE WEEK

The Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi organized a two-tiered interactive event with well-known personalities under the auspices of the Third Chandigarh Heritage Festival. The venue was the UT Guest House where the Akademi has been holding many of its events over the last three years. Whereas in the last two Heritage Festivals the CSA invited writers in English and Hindi, this time the focus was on Punjabi and Urdu.

In the first session the Akademi show-cased the work of two local celebrities, Neelam Man Singh Chowdhary and Atamjit, both very well-known and popular in the city. Neelam has recently been awarded a Padmashri by the President of India and Atamjit is the recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award. While the latter writes play in Punjabi, Neelam has been staging plays in Punjabi. Both have received accolades at home and abroad and Chandigarh is proud to acknowledge them among its eminent citizens. This morning they were in conversation with an interested audience about their work and achievements. Interacting with them were well-known theatre, literature and art persons like Kamal Arora, Indu Bali, Seema Bhalla, Meera Malik and Mina Surjit Singh.

The post-lunch session focused on Urdu Shayari. Invited speakers were again well-known names: Shahryar and Sheen Kaaf Nizam. Shahryar, who is formally called Dr. Akhlaq Mohammed Khan is a doyen of Urdu poetry, best known for the lyrics he penned for films like Gaman and Umrao Jaan. He is from Aligarh and has taught at Aligarh Muslim University. He was awarded the 1987 Sahitya Akademi Award in Urdu for his poetry collection, Khwab Ka Dar Band Hai(1987). He became the fourth Jnanpith winner in Urdu

Sheen Kaaf Nizam hails from Jodhpur. He is an Urdu poet and critic. He has published 'Lamhon kee Saleeb', 'Dasht mein Dariya', 'Naad', 'Saya koi Lamba na Tha', 'Bayazein Kho Gayi Hai' and many other collections and anthologies. He has edited many Devnagari volumes of poets besides editing Deewan-e-Ghalib and Deewan-e-Mir. He has been honoured with many prizes including the Iqbal Samman, Bhasha Bharti Samman, the Urdu Akademi Award and the Begum Akhtar award. He has won the Sahitya Akademi Award for Urdu in December 2010.

In his soft-spoken way Shahryar recited his poems to a receptive gathering while Sheen Kaaf Nizam's forceful nazms and ghazals disarmed the audience completely. There was a lively interaction with the audience moderated by Madhav Kaushik, the Secretary of the CSA.

Prof Manju Jaidka, Chairperson of CSA, who earlier welcomed the speakers, gave a brief overview of the Akademi's activities. She announced that in the coming months the CSA would have its annual Round-Up, disburse awards for published manuscripts (now under consideration), invite fresh contributions, release new publications, and also organize a "Summer Bonanza" involving local and outstation writers. Also present and supporting the event was the Vice-Chairperson of CSA, Simar Onkar. Today's function was attended by a large and appreciative audience.

https://picasaweb.google.com/sahitakad2008/HeritageFest27Mar2011#

Heritage week, 2011

During the coming Heritage week Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi will organize an interface with selected writers / artists. Details are given below. Do attend.

Date: 27 March 2011

Venue: UT Guest House, Sector 6, Chandigarh

INTERFACE WITH LOCAL CELEBRITIES:
Time: 10.45 AM to 1 PM

Neelam Man Singh Chowdhary
Atamjit

FACE TO FACE WITH INVITED URDU POETS:

Time: 2PM to 4PM
Shahryar
Sheen Kaaf Nizam

Goshti (English)

CHANDIGARH SAHITYA AKADEMI today organized a Writers Goshti bringing together city poets and writers of short fiction who compose in English. This is the first time the Akademi has brought together creative writers in English. Earlier Goshtis have focused on writers from Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu.

City residents who write in English are generally shy of coming into the limelight with their compositions.

This evening, however, the CSA provided a forum to ten such creative writers at the CSA auditorium in the State Library of Sector 34. A short but sweet program saw the recitation of poems on diverse subjects ranging from spirituality to worldliness, from divinity to humanity, from serious and somber poetry to the satirical. Those who read their poems / short stories included Vandana Shukla, a well-known name in art and literary circles of Chandigarh, and SS Bhatti who is an architect-poet. Jasbir Soin who is a member of the present CSA, read her poems along with Maninder Bains, Lalita Jagmohan, Nidheesh Tyagi, Renee Singh and Chander Bhargava. Suneeta Pattanayak, who teaches in DAV College, Chandigarh, read a short prose piece, as did Suparna Puri. Chairperson of the Akademi, Manju Jaidka, presented a humorous poem on cyber love.

The CSA will hold its next event on 27th March, in the UT Guest House, during the Heritage Festival of Chandigarh Administration. Details will be announced over its Blog and Facebook.

It may also be mentioned that the CSA has invited submission of printed books for Publication Awards. Writers residing or working in Chandigarh may submit printed books in Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu, or English (Poetry, Fiction, Plays) published in 2009 or 2010 to the CSA office. Details are available on Facebook and Blog. Deadline for submissions is 15th of March 2011.

Pics:

https://picasaweb.google.com/s

ahitakad2008/GoshtiEnglish5march2011?authkey=Gv1sRgCJyWn5Kj5tPXxgE#

5th March 2011

NEXT EVENT: WRITER' GOSHTI (ENGLISH).

5th March 2011.

Time: 4pm to 6 pm.

Venue: CSA Auditorium, State Library Bldg, 1st Floor, Sector 34, Chandigarh

PUBLICATION AWARDS

CHANDIGARH SAHITA AKADEMI ANNOUNCES PUBLICATION AWARDS:

Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi invites writers residing or working in Chandigarh to submit PRINTED BOOKS in Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu, or English (Poetry, Fiction, Plays) published in 2009 or 2010.

Three copies of each book should be sent to the CSA office (1st Floor, State Library, Sector 34, Chandigarh), by March 15, 2011. Edited books and those published with financial help from another agency will not be considered.

Manju Jaidka

Chairperson, CSA

FAIZ CENTENARY

FAIZ CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi today celebrated the birth centenary of the noted poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz at the UT Guest House, Chandigarh. The event drew a large audience from a cross-section of society, the young and the old, the lay man and the scholar. Presiding over the event was Dr KL Zakir, the city’s grand old man of Urdu literature. He, along with Prof BN Goswamy, went down memory lane, recapturing a time in the past when they had shared their lives with Faiz. Prof PL Mehra, who was also present in the gathering, shared some of his reminiscences of the legendary poet.

Dr Shahid Mahuli from the Ghalib Institute in Delhi presented a scholarly paper on Faiz, giving an overview of the main characteristics of his poetry and the manner in which came to be recognized as a major voice of the twentieth century. Selections from Faiz poetry were sprinkled throughout the presentations: “mujhse pehli si muhabbat,” and “Raat yunh dil mein teri khoee hui yaad aayee / Jaise veeraaney mein chupkey sey bahaar aa jaye....” The Faiz fever gripped not only the senior citizens present in the gathering but also the comparatively young. Jatin Dutt, a youngster who runs the Chandigarh Urdu Bazm along with his friends, recited some Faiz poetry much to the delight of the listeners.

Dr Mahuli has recently edited a book on Faiz. This was released by Dr Zakir at the function.

A mushaira followed the poetry recitation in which there were some local poets and some from outstation. Shri KK Rishi from Kurukshetra, Mahendra Pratap Chand from Ambala, Nasir Naqvi from Patiala, were applauded for their poems. The local poets included BK Pannu, BAlbir Tanha, Gurdeep Gul, Ashk Amritsari, Shams Tabrezi, and Rupa Saba. Dr Zakir recited some poetry and so did Dr Mahuli. Present in the audience were two poets from abroad – Dr Iqbal from London and Dr Deepa Bahr from Kuala Lumpur – who read out a few of their shairs.

Overall, it was a stimulating session with some talks, some verse and plenty of food for the soul. Poetry can be a great binding factor. The audience bonded with each other, sharing Faiz-inspired thoughts generously interspersed with ‘irshads’ and ‘bahut khoob’.

The organizers of the CSA thanked the gathering for their continued support and assured them of more quality events in the coming times.

LOOK OUT FOR: A Writer’s Goshti that will bring together poetry and fiction writers of the city who write in English. Those interested may email a brief cv to sahitakad2008@gmail.com along with a 5-minute composition they wish to present. The deadline is 20^th February 2011.

Manju Jaidka

Chairperson, CSA