By Faisal Fareed, TwoCircles.net,
Lucknow: The prestigious Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Award of the Uttar Pradesh Urdu Academy for the year 2011-12 would be given to eminent Urdu fiction writer, critic and journalist of the city, Abid Suhail. The award carries a cash award of Rs 5 lakh. This announcement was made by the executive committee of the academy.
Suhail is a noted Urdu and English journalist and has been associated with both Urdu and English newspapers since 1979. He has penned more than a dozen books in Urdu language, which include some literary works like books Gardish, Gulab and Jeene Wale. In the past he has been honored with National Award of All India Literary Conference of Maharashtra, Ghalib Award, National Urdu Award besides awards of Punjab and Bihar Urdu academies.
The executive committee of UP Urdu Academy has announced some other annual awards for 2011-12 also.
The academy has seclected Zafar Gorakhpuri from Gorakhpur for the Amir Khusro Award which covers cash award of Rs 1,50,000 while Azeemuddin Siddiqui of Amroha has been selected for the Prem Chand Award consisting a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh.
The names of Alam Naqvi (Print) and Sunil Batta (Electronic) have been seclected for The Abdul Majeed Daryabadi awards of Rs 50,000 each for journalism
For overall literary services five persons have been selected for awards which consists Rs one lakh each. Those selected for the honour include Dr Iqtedar Husain Farooqui of Lucknow for contribution to Science, Basheer Farooqui of Lucknow, Anjum Usmani of Deoband, Qazi Afzal Husain of Aligarh and Athar Masood of Rampur.
“The executive committee has announced the awards. A formal function would be held after Diwali festival,” S Rizwan, secretary of the academy said.