Onlykashmir.in News Desk
A two-day national seminar on the life and literary contributions of renowned Kashmiri poet, writer and translator Mirza Ghulam Hassan Beg Arif commenced at the University of Kashmir, bringing together scholars from across the country to examine his poetry, prose and translations. The seminar has been organised by the Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, in collaboration with the Department of Kashmiri at the University of Kashmir.
The inaugural session was presided over by Vice-Chancellor Professor Nilofer Khan. Head of the Department of Kashmiri, Professor Ijaz Mohammad Sheikh, delivered the welcome address, while Professor Shad Ramzan, Convener of the Kashmiri Advisory Board of the Sahitya Akademi, presented the inaugural address, setting the tone for two days of academic engagement with Arif’s body of work.
The keynote address was delivered by noted broadcaster and scholar Professor Dr. Satish Vimal, who dwelt at length on Mirza Arif’s rich literary legacy, placing particular emphasis on his poetry, prose and translation work, which scholars regard as having shaped modern Kashmiri literary sensibility in significant ways. The proceedings were conducted by Dr. Gulzar Ahmad Rather, and the vote of thanks was presented by Majeed Majazi, Member of the Kashmiri Advisory Board of the Sahitya Akademi.
The second technical session was chaired by eminent writer and poet Professor Ayaz Rasool Nazki, during which scholars presented research papers examining various dimensions of Arif’s life, his literary achievements, and his enduring contribution to the Kashmiri language and literature. Discussions ranged across his poetic themes, his prose style, and the nuances of his translation work, reflecting the breadth of his literary output.
Mirza Ghulam Hassan Beg Arif remains one of the notable figures in twentieth century Kashmiri letters, and seminars of this kind are aimed at ensuring that his work continues to receive sustained academic attention rather than fading from institutional memory. The collaboration between a national body like the Sahitya Akademi and a regional university department also reflects a broader effort to root Kashmiri language scholarship within the wider framework of Indian literary studies.
The seminar is set to continue on Tuesday with further academic sessions and scholarly presentations, continuing the focus on Arif’s literary works, translations, and his lasting legacy within Kashmiri literature and language studies.
