Book launched on Faiz's centenary celebrations

ISLAMABAD The National Language Authority (NLA), Chairman Iftikhar Arif has said that Faiz Ahmed Faiz is the only poet after Allama Iqbal about whom the critics have written a lot from different perspectives, and it was really a hard task to compile an anthology about multifaceted poet and his work. He was addressing here Friday evening a press briefing in relation to the official release of the NLA publication on Faiz Ahmed Faiz whose centenary birth anniversary is being marked all over the world by the organisations that promote Urdu writers and writings. 'It is the first ever book on Faiz in relation to his centenary celebrations that contains even those articles in which he had been criticised by his contemporary writers and critics, claimed Iftikhar Arif. He said, It is to compile diverse opinion about Faiz and his work to provide the researchers and the students of advance Urdu studies an authentic anthology. The 668-page book 'Faiz Ahmed Faiz - Muntakhib Mazameen is a remarkable work on the literary giant in Urdu who ignite the movement for the rights of the marginalised and the common in the country. Faiz was also on the leading front of the progressive writers movement with all his fiery and sweltering poetry and speeches from different platforms. This book is complied by two very competent literary figures Prof Yousaf Hassan and Dr Rawash Nadeem. The list of contents speaks of the hard work and the research the compilers have put in to form the book enriched with the rare photographs provided by the NLA Chairman Iftikhar Arif from his personal collection. 'It would contribute to the larger mandate of the National Language Authority as Faiz is the leading reference of Urdu language world over, Iftikhar Arif mentioned while responding to TheNation on a question that how this book of literary pieces would contribute to the NLAs mandate - to facilitate the process of implementation of Urdu language as an official one. It may worth mentioning here that the NLA is on to vigorous publishing projects including books on Pakistani writers and translation of books by the worlds renowned intellectuals and writers. Many believe that the compilation of literary writings and the international translations is the mandate of the Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) and other specialised academies instead of the NLA. On the other hand, it is said that the process of implementation of Urdu language as an official one has slowed down after the death of Dr Waheed Qureshi as no significant progress is seen on the Governments front.