Urdu scholar Shamim Hanafi dies at 81 in Delhi

Published May 7, 2021
India’s leading Urdu scholar and literary critic Shamim Hanafi died in New Delhi. — Photo courtesy Times of India
India’s leading Urdu scholar and literary critic Shamim Hanafi died in New Delhi. — Photo courtesy Times of India

NEW DELHI: India’s leading Urdu scholar and literary critic Shamim Hanafi died here on Thursday, his friends and followers said. He was 81 and the cause of his death was not immediately known.

Mr Hanafi was one of the most respected literary critics, playwrights and poets of the subcontinent. A former academic at the Urdu department of Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi, he authored a number of respectable books in literary criticism.

Some of these are Jadidiyat ki Falsafiyana Asaas; Nayi Sheri Riwayat; Tareekh, Tehzeeb aur Takhleequi Tajurba; Urdu Culture aur Taqseem ki Riwayat; Khayal ki Musaafat; and Qari Say Mukalma.

Mr Hanafi wrote plays, translated books, and brought out four books for children which he admitted to enjoying immensely. His poetry collection Aakhiri Pehar ki Dastak was published by Rekhta, one of its first ventures in publishing, in 2015.

A not-so-known fact about Mr Hanafi is that he maintained a keen interest in painting, pottery and the performing arts.

Mr Hanafi was born in Sultanpur in Uttar Pradesh to Mohd Yaseen Siddiqui, an advocate, and Begum Zaibunnisa. He was the eldest of six siblings. His father was also a literary enthusiast and introduced Hanafi to Tagore, Dostoyevsky, Dickens and others, quite early in life.

Mr Hanafi learnt Persian from Maulvi Mugheesuddin and his interest in Urdu literature was the result of his father’s perseverance and close proximity to his Urdu, history and English teacher Syed Moinuddin Qadri (translator of many notable English literary works himself).

While in intermediate, Mr Hanafi translated into Urdu the Persian play Aakhiri Yaadgaar-i-Nadir Shah of Persian playwright Saeed Nafisi. He shifted to Allahabad for higher studies.

At Allahabad University he came in contact with Firaq Gorukhpuri, Dr Aijaz Hussain, Prof Ehtesham Hussain and Prof S.C. Deb, who left an indelible impact upon his sensibilities. Mr Hanafi completed his DPhil from Allahabad University in 1966.

He was also the first regular student of DLit at Aligarh Muslim University, which he completed in 1976.

Mr Hanafi served as a faculty member at AMU for seven years before joining Jamia Millia Islamia. He remained connected to the institution in the capacity of Professor Emeritus.

Published in Dawn, May 7th, 2021

Opinion

Editorial

‘Source of terror’
29 Mar, 2024

‘Source of terror’

ALTHOUGH dealing with the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan is a major political, security and strategic...
Chipping in
29 Mar, 2024

Chipping in

FEDERAL infrastructure development schemes are located in the provinces. Most such projects — for instance,...
Toxic emitters
29 Mar, 2024

Toxic emitters

IT is concerning to note that dozens of industries have been violating environmental laws in and around Islamabad....
Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...