Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture & Languages, Srinagar Saturday organized a lively interaction programme with Prof M H Zaffar, renowned writer, poet, academic, educationist and translator, at Tagore Hall, Srinagar. 

Organised as a part of its initiative ‘Meet the Eminent Writer’, the programme was presided over by Prof Gulshan Majeed, renowned writer, poet, researcher and academic while as Prof Majrooh Rashid and Mr M Y Mashhoor were the Guests of Honour. 

Dr Mohammad Maroof Shah, noted writer and researcher read a comprehensive paper, discussing the life and contribution of Prof Zaffar. 

Prof Zaffar, while discussing the literary legacy of Kashmir, emphasized the need of owning up the history of Kashmir as a whole. He also underscored the fact to celebrate various literary and cultural traditions found in the history of Kashmir across ages. He also denounced the practice of adopting a selective approach towards the history of Kashmir, urging to treat the latest phase of Kashmir history as a part of its historical continuum. He also made a case of seriously taking up the comparative studies across cultural, religious and mystical traditions to celebrate the diversity in these realms as also to draw comparisons between them. Prof Zaffar made a special mention of Sufi poets of Kashmir to highlight the plural sources of Kashmir’s spiritual ethos. 

A question answer session followed the presentation by Prof Zaffar in which the audience including students posed questions to the Writer who answered them satisfactorily. 

Dr Abid Ahmad, Editor English and Incharge of the programme moderated the interaction programme. 

The guests hailed the initiative of organizing such interactive programmes with eminent writers wherein students also get a chance to meet their peers and mentors.  

The interaction programme was attended by scores of writers, poets, cultural activists, artists, including Amin Bhat, Mustaque Ali Ahmad Khan, Yusuf Shaheen, Iftikhar Imran, Prof Nikhat Nazar, Haroon Rashid, Gulshan Badrani, Dr Mushtaq Ahmad, Prof Fayaz Ahmad, Mohiuddin Reshi, Fayaz Dibar, Rafeeq Hamraz, Prof Neelofar Naz Nehvi, Khursheed Qureshi, Dr Kundangar, Mufti Shafeeq Rehman, Saleem Salik, Saleem Saghar, Ayyub Naeem, etc. Scores of students from various colleges in the city also attended the seminar.