Onlykashmir.in News Desk
The Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages (JKAACL), in collaboration with Government Degree College Kokernag, organised a one-day literary seminar at the college in Anantnag on Wednesday to commemorate the 102nd birth anniversary of eminent Kashmiri writer, poet and intellectual Sarwanand Koul Premi. The seminar sought to honour his literary, academic and intellectual contributions and highlight his role in the development of Kashmiri language and literature.
The inaugural session was presided over by noted Kashmiri poet and Sahitya Akademi Award recipient Ali Shaida. Sheikh Muzaffar Ahmad, President of JKMPF, was the Chief Guest. College Principal Prof. Ghulam Abbas, Vice-Principal Prof. Gulzar and Editor Kashmiri, JKAACL, Jawaid Iqbal Khan, were also on the presidium. Faculty members, writers, poets, intellectuals and students attended.
Welcoming the guests, Jawaid Iqbal Khan said Premi holds a significant place among the literary figures who enriched Kashmiri literature through creativity, intellectual insight and broad vision. He stressed that an in-depth study of Premi’s literary personality is essential to understanding the creative and intellectual traditions of the language. Preserving a language’s literary heritage and passing it to future generations, he said, requires sustained research and critical engagement with the lives and works of eminent writers. He added that the Academy regularly undertakes initiatives to highlight such figures, and that holding programmes in educational institutions is an effective way to acquaint students with their heritage.
Dr Imtiyaz Lone presented a research-oriented paper on Premi’s life, personality and literary contributions. He traced Premi’s literary journey, creative evolution and intellectual inclinations, observing that his personality was multifaceted and that his writings reflected human emotions, social consciousness, cultural values and diverse dimensions of life. He called for a serious academic and critical assessment of Premi’s works to better understand his stature in Kashmiri literature.
In his presidential address, Ali Shaida described Premi as a multifaceted literary personality whose contributions hold exceptional significance for Kashmiri. He said Premi’s life and works reveal intellectual depth, literary insight and a profound attachment to his mother tongue. The real purpose of commemorating such figures, he said, lies in reading, understanding and transmitting their legacy, and seminars play an important role in preserving heritage and promoting meaningful critical discourse.
Chief Guest Sheikh Muzaffar Ahmad appreciated the Academy’s initiatives and called commemorative programmes a commendable endeavour. He said language and literature are essential elements of a society’s cultural identity, and urged educational institutions, literary organisations and cultural bodies to work together for their preservation. Prof. Ghulam Abbas said literary activities on campus help develop reading, research and creative expression among students, and assured continued cooperation with the Academy.
The second session was a poetic symposium in which local poets paid tribute through verse. The participants were Faiz Hail, Tanha Shalipori, Ghulam Nabi Shaid Kathari, Rida Mudassir, Atiqa Siddiqui, Pakeeza Hina, Yahya Tauseef, Sagar Salam, Arsh Kashmiri and Wajid Bashir, whose recitals were appreciated by the audience.
Dr Gulzar Ahmad Rather, Assistant Editor, JKAACL, conducted the proceedings. Jawaid Iqbal Khan delivered the vote of thanks, appreciating the college administration for its cooperation.
