Kalim Aajiz (1920 – 14 February 2015) was an Indian writer of
Urdu literature
Urdu literature ( ur, , ) is literature in the Urdu language. While it tends to be dominated by poetry, especially the verse forms of the ''ghazal '' غزل and ''nazm '' نظم, it has expanded into other styles of writing, including that of t ...
and a
poet
A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...
. He was an academic and chairman of the Urdu Advisory Committee of the
Government of Bihar
The Government of Bihar, known locally as the State Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Bihar and its 9 divisions which consist of 38 districts . It consists of an executive, led by the Governor of Bihar, a jud ...
. He was a recipient of the fourth highest Indian civilian honour of
Padma Shri
Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, ...
from the
Government of India
The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...
in 1989.
Early life and career
Kalim Aajiz was born in 1920 at
Telhara, Nalanda district
Telhara is a village in Ekangarsarai block of Nalanda district, in Bihar. It is also the site of the Telhara monastery which dates back to the 1st-century CE.
Buddhist monastery
Telhara was the site of a Buddhist monastery in ancient India. ...
, a small village which had been home to an ancient Buddhist monastery in
Nalanda district
Nalanda district is one of the thirty-eight districts of the state of Bihar in India. Bihar Sharif is the administrative headquarters of this district. The districts contain the ancient Nalanda Mahavihara a UNESCO World Heritage site. Nalanda is ...
of the Indian state of
Bihar
Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West Be ...
Patna University
Patna University is a public state university in Patna, Bihar, India. It was established on 1 October 1917 during the British Raj. It is the first university in Bihar and the seventh oldest university in the Indian subcontinent in the modern er ...
after which he obtained his doctoral degree in 1965. His doctoral thesis, ''Evolution of Urdu Literature in Bihar'', has since been published as a book.
Aajiz continued his association with Patna University by joining the institution as a member of its
Government of Bihar
The Government of Bihar, known locally as the State Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Bihar and its 9 divisions which consist of 38 districts . It consists of an executive, led by the Governor of Bihar, a jud ...
, a post he held till his death.
Aajiz began writing poems at the age of 17 and started appearing in
mushaira
''Mushaira'' ( ur, , Mušā'ira) is a poetic symposium. It is an event (called ''mehfil'', Mushairi) where poets gather to perform their works. A mushaira is part of the Culture of North India, Pakistan and the Deccan, particularly among the Hy ...
s from 1949. His first book of ghazals was published in 1976 and the book was released at Vigyan Bhawan by the then President of India,
Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed (13 May 1905 – 11 February 1977) was an Indian lawyer and politician who served as the fifth president of India from 1974 to 1977.
Born in Delhi, Ahmed studied in Delhi and Cambridge and was called to the bar from the I ...
. This was followed by several publications such as ''Jub Fasle Baharan Aai Thi'' (When the spring arrived), ''Woh Jo Shayri Ka Sabab Hua'', ''Jab Fasl Bahar Aayei Thi'' and ''Jahan Khushboo Hi Khusboo Thi''. His mushairas have been hosted in many places including Dallas, US.
Publications
Kalim's literary works include:
* ''Abhī sun lo mujh se''
* ''Daftar-i gum gashtah : Bihār men̲ Urdū shāʻirī kā irtiqā''
* ''Dil se jo bāta nikalī g̲h̲azal ho gayi'' (selection of poetry in Hindi)/ edited by Mohd. Zakir Hussain, Vani Prakashan Publisher, New Delhi; 1st edition (1 January 2014)
* ''Jab faṣl-i bahārān̲ āʼī thī'' (When the spring arrived)
* ''Jahan Khushboo Hi Khushboo Thi'' (Where There Was Plenty of Fragrance)
* ''Kūcah-yi jānān̲ jānān̲''
* ''Majlis-i Adab ''
* Vuh jo shāʻirī kā sabab huʻā ''
Death and legacy
Aajiz, who had four sons and two daughters, died on 14 February 2015 at
Hazaribagh
Hazaribagh is a city and a municipal corporation in Hazaribagh district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. It is the divisional headquarters of North Chotanagpur division. It is considered as a health resort and is also popular for Hazaribagh ...
in
Jharkhand
Jharkhand (; ; ) is a state in eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north and Odisha to the south. It has an area of . It ...
, at the age of 94. After the funeral at Gandhi Maidan, Patna which was attended to by thousands of people, he was buried at
Telhara
Telhara is a town and a municipal council in Akola district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Telhara is called the Cotton City; it is one of the largest cotton-producing subdistrict in Vidarbha Region. It is located 54 km towards North ...
, his native place.
Firaq Gorakhpuri
Raghupati Sahay (28 August 1896 – 3 March 1982), also known by his pen name Firaq Gorakhpuri, was an Indian writer, critic, and, according to one commentator, one of the most noted contemporary Urdu poets from India. He established himself ...
, another Urdu poet, sent him a message while lying on his deathbed in 1982, in which he respectfully said that he felt jealous of Kalim Aajiz due to the ease in which Kalim Aajiz could express his thoughts through his verses.
See also
*
Fuzail Ahmad Nasiri
Fuzail Ahmad Nāsirī (born 13 May 1978) is an Indian Islamic scholar, Urdu writer and poet, who is a professor of hadith and vice-administrator of education at the Jamia Imam Muhammad Anwar Shah. He is an alumnus of Darul Uloom Deoband. His b ...
*
Ghazal
The ''ghazal'' ( ar, غَزَل, bn, গজল, Hindi-Urdu: /, fa, غزل, az, qəzəl, tr, gazel, tm, gazal, uz, gʻazal, gu, ગઝલ) is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. A ghazal may be understood as a ...