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Scholars resolve to revive
Persian in India at conference
WSN Network
Amritsar: A mega conference of Persian teachers organised here
concluded this week. A plethora of noted scholars in the Persian
language from India as well as overseas who had gathered to
participate in what was officially termed as the 28th International
Conference of Persian Teachers were of the view that Persian should
be made a compulsory part of the syllabi in all the universities and
other educational institutions of the country. They also resolved
that a Council for the promotion of Persian should be constituted by
the government.
It was also resolved on the occasion that all the vacant posts of
Persian teachers at different educational institutions should be
filled immediately. Also, short term courses should be introduced in
Persian for advocates, it was resolved. That is considered
particularly important in the light of the fact that much of the
legal parlance used in the country, particularly in Punjabi, is
drawn from Persian.
The valedictory function for the conference was held at the Guru
Nanak Dev University. Eminent Sikh scholar Professor Prithipal Singh
Kapoor and more than 150 Persian scholars from India, Iran and
Afghanistan presented their views at the conference. More than 25
research papers were also presented by noted scholars on the
relationship of Persian with Sikhism and also on the importance and
relevance of the Persian language in general.
The scholars opined that Persian courses should be made compulsory
for the students of M.A. (History) especially at the Guru Nanak Dev
University. They said that Short-term Orientation Courses/Refresher
Courses etc should be arranged to popularize the language among the
non-Persian speaking people to acquaint them with the influence of
Persian on Indian literature.
They also resolved that the vacant posts of Persian in the
Department of Archeology, Museums and in various Universities should
be filled immediately. They urged the Government to establish a
Council for the promotion of Persian language and literature for the
preservation of rich cultural heritage of Persian because most of
the manuscripts were available in Persian.
Professor Prithipal Singh Kapoor, former Pro Vice-Chancellor of Guru
Nanak Dev University, highlighted the importance and relevance of
Persian language and its situation in Punjab. He said Persian had a
great cultural heritage. Talking about the relationship of the
Persian language and Sikhism, Professor Kapoor said the interaction
of language started with Guru Nanak.
No considerable efforts had been made to rescue the Persian language
from its forced oblivion and there is need for the textual study and
theological analysis of poetical works of Bhai Nand Lal, a Persian
scholar.
Prof Balkar Singh expressed these views at the 28th International
Conference of Persian teachers organised by Guru Nanak Dev
University. He said Persian sources had been important for the
researchers of Sikh history. He further added that Persian writings
of Bhai Lal were absolutely in tune with the Sikh spirit, which
provided the key to unlock the spiritual secrets and mystical
flights of Sikhism through his poems.
Giving brief historical facts about Bhai Nand Lal, Balkar Singh said
he was one of the 52 poets in the court of Guru Gobind Singh. Son of
Diwan Chajju Ram, mir munshi or chief secretary of the Governor of
Ghazni, Bhai Lal in a short time acquired great efficiency in
Persian and Arabic languages.
After the death of his parents, he decided to return to Multan where
he married a Sikh girl, who used to recite Gurbani and knew Gurmukhi.
Leaving his family behind, he left for Anandpur Sahib and received
Guru Gobind Singh’s blessings. After staying at there for some time,
he left to serve as mir munshi under prince Mauzzam (later to become
Emperor Bahadur Shah), due to an acquaintance of his father, named
Wasif Khan.
Aurangzeb wished to convert him to Islam because he had so
beautifully interpreted the verses of the Koran. Fearing
persecution, Bhai Lal and his family left for the northern India.
Leaving his family in Multan, he once again came to stay with Guru
Gobind Singh at Anandpur Sahib in 1697. Later, he returned to Multan
where he opened a school of higher education in Persian and Arabic.
Professor Singh said Bhai Lal’s seven works in Persian poetry
included Diwan-e-Goya, Zindgi Nama, Ganj Nama, Joti Bigaas, Arzul
Alfaaz, Tausif-o-Sana and Khatima, and Dastural-Insha, besides three
in Punjabi.
Earlier, the conference had been inaugurated by veteran journalist
and former Rajya Sabha MP Kuldip Nayyar. ''All the borders should
only be laqeers (lines). India has good relations with Iran and
Afghanistan. They are from one culture having similar way of
living,'' Nayyar said while addressing the delegates.
S M Nabi Zadeh, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Sayed
Makhdoom Raheen, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
and Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti of Sri Akal Takht Sahib also
expressed their views.
Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti highlighted the importance of
Persian in the verses of Guru Gobind Singh in the Zafarnama and the
writings of Bhai Nand Lal and expressed the wish that the Persian
scholars would help in the analysis of Gurbani and the Sikh
religion.
2 January 2008
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