We have failed to protect our culture: Prof Mohammad Zaman Azurdah

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Aug 7:

Over-indulgence in communication technology has eroded our cultural values, renowned Urdu poet and Kashmiri writer Prof Mirza Mohammad Zaman Azurdah opined at a function in Odisha’s capital city on Wednesday.

“While people are now able to keep in touch with their kin staying abroad, they have no time to interact with their neighbours. This disturbing trend is the outcome of our sheer inability to protect our own culture,” he said addressing the first Jyotshna Routray Memorial Lecture, organised by the Jyotshna Routray Memorial Trust at Jayadev Bhawan on Wednesday.

“There is nothing wrong in taking the help of technology. But overindulgence on technology is an act of foolishness,” he said.

Stating that there has been a drastic change in the manners and body language of the people now-a-days, Prof Azurdah said contrary to our culture in which people generally address their fellow beings as ‘you’ (aap, tum and tu), the children of the present age are now addressing their father as ‘yaar’ (friend).

Citing another instance, he said while people generally greet each other physically on festive occasions like Holi, Eid, Shivratri, Dussehra etc, the greetings are confined to either e-mails or SMSes these days.

“The day is not far away when we would forget out pristine culture and celebrate only Valentine’s Day and Friendship Day,” he observed.

Addressing the function, the chief guest and eminent story-teller Prof Bibhuti Patnaik, said the writing of Jyotsna Routray had focused on the nature, man and family.

In his address, Dr Gourahari Das, guest of honour and convener of Kendra Sahitya Akademi, Odisha branch, said apart from her own literary creations, Jyotsna  Routray had translated a whole lot of Hindi, Bengali and English literature into Odia.

He urged the members of the Memorial Trust to publish the translated works of Routray in English and Hindi.

The chief guest Prof Bibhuti Patnaik released the anthology of stories authored by Routray and compiled by her son and daughter.

Celebrated poet and Jnanpeeth awardee Padmashree Ramakanta Rath in his brief address paid glowing tributes to  Jyotsna’s literary talent.

Eminent Odia poet, columnist and critic Haraprasad Das presided over the function.

Well-known litterateur Sarojini Sahu and senior journalist and editor of Eastern Media Ltd’s English news portal www.odishasuntimes.com Sampad Mahapatra were felicitated on this occasion for their remarkable contribution in their respective fields.

Jyotsna Routray’s journalist husband Jimut Mangaraj, publisher Banoj Tripathy and Dr Arabinda Ray, who organised  the event were also present on the occasion.