Muzaffar Aazim: Loss of an intellectual

The great poet, scholar, linguist and former director of Sericulture, Muzaffar Aazim passed away on July 8, 2022 in the USA.

This eminent poet and intellectual passed away in the city Woodbridge. He was eighty, and had been ill for past two years.

   

Born in Gutlipur Tangmarg, Ghulam Muhammad Mir alias Muzaffar Aazim had been living in America for several decades and used to visit Kashmir from time to time.

Muzaffar Azim cultivated Kashmiri and Urdu languages ​​with his prolific poetry and works of art, his literature is imaginative and influential.

Yina sa chashman sreh karkh sahlab anham yavnas

He was also associated with literary Forum Adbi Markaz Kamraz. The special feature of his unique contribution is that even in his old age, he not only created a website for the revival of Kashmiri language but also designed a keyboard for writing Kashmiri on computer, and the dream of writing Kashmiri on MS Office got realized.

For this work Muzaffar Aazim developed a special font which he named “Gulmarg Nastaliq”. by using this font one can easily write Kashmiri on a computer which is a matter of pride. Gulmarg Nastaliq can be downloaded for free from his website: www.kashmirlanguages.com.

Through the website people were taught the skills of learning and writing Kashmiri. Muzafar Aazim’s Kashmiri works include Suratkhana, Patluj Zone Dars, Harf Daye, Sarmaye Te Sam, Mine-e Kaman, Zolana etc., while his Urdu works include Saaz-e-Salasal etc. Muzaffar Aazim was also a high ranking translator.

Kashmiri translation of Mother by Maxim Gorky and the of War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy are considered his masterpieces. On the social networking website Facebook, he constantly uploaded his creative works of painting on a daily basis, which became culturally significant.

A few years ago, an educational conference was organised in Kunzar Tangmarg. During those days, Aazim was present in Kashmir. He was invited as a special guest in the conference.

In his speech, while talking about the Kashmiri language and contemporary challenges, he said that with regard to Google translations for Kashmiri language, he has initiated a move by contacting Google.

However, due to his ailing health the progress of that move could not be later ascertained. Even though living in a busy country like America, Muzaffar Aazim did not forget his native village called Gutlipura in Tangmarg.

Once when he was invited to the Higher Secondary School Chandilore, he recited a heart touching poem titled “Gutuelpur” which is still echoing in the ears of the audience. A 9-year-old interview of Muzaffar Aazim with Doordarshan Srinagar’s Sobhay Sobhay program is available on YouTube, ans is a must watch for us.

On July 8, Jalaluddin Sahib, a social activist of Kashmir, wrote the news of his death on his Facebook post. The eyes got wet and memories surrounded us all. Meanwhile, Aazim Sahib’s relatives performed his Fatiha Khawani on July 12 at Hari-Watnoo village in Tangmarg.

Associations and individuals associated with different sections of the society and schools of thought described the death of Muzaffar Aazim as a great loss to the literary world.

Apart from this, people paid their tribute via print, electronic and social media. Social worker Nazir Ahmed Qadri said that Muzaffar Azim was not just an individual but a moving institution who has rendered selfless service to literature and language.

Adbi Markaz Kamraz, Professional Students Guild Tangmarg, Higher Secondary School Chandilura Alumni, Gulshan Cultural Forum Kashmir prayed for the soul of Muzaffar Aazim.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author.

The facts, analysis, assumptions and perspective appearing in the article do not reflect the views of GK.

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