By Dr. Syed Ahmed, for TwoCircles.net,
Imphal: Renowned Manipuri Muslim writer Mohd. Abdur Rahman (78) was awarded ICRA Lifetime Achivement Award 2014 for the extraordinary contribution he has made to Manipuri Literature over the years at a function organized jointly by Writers Union, Manipur (WUM) and Islamic Cultural & Research Association (ICRA), Manipur at Manipur Press Club, Imphal on June 28, 2014.
The function was attended by Vice-President of Jawaharlal Nehru Dance Academy Prof. Nongmaithem Tombi Singh, Retd. Director of DDK Dibrugarh Sagolshem Indrakumar Singh, Retd. Additional Director, Higher Education (U), Manipur, Prof. M.A. Janab Khan, and Vice-President of ICRA Maulana Mubarak Ali attended the function as Chief Guest, Guests of Honour and President respectively.
The award included a citation, a shawl and an amonut of rupees ten thousand. Some of the poems written by Rahman were also read out. Many of the speakers spoke on the life and works of Rahman.
Rahman was born in 1935 at Keikhu Muslim Awang Leikei in Imphal East district to Sifatullah and Zuhra Bibi. He cleared Matriculation exam conducted by Gauhati University in 1951. He then enrolled for IA at D.M. College, Imphal. However, he fail to complete the course due to financial problem. He was well-versed in Urdu, Hindi and English.
Rahman became an employee of Post Office in 1953 and was posted at Jorhat. He soon left the job and joined Agriculture Department, Government of Manipur in 1955 as LDC. He got married to Amina Khatun, the daughter of the prominent Manipuri Muslim Sanajaoba Kazi in 1954. They have 5 sons and 2 daughters. He retired as an Accountant Officer in Agriculture Department.
Rahman started writing prose and poetry which were published in some of the popular journals like Thoudang, Payame Islam, Mingsel, Ritu, etc. He published his first work of poetry Thamoigi Khollao in 1980. His published works includes Pangalgi Khunung Esei (Edited with Kayamuddin Pukhrimayum, 1986, Pelle Taibang (poetry, 2000), Eraldubu Karino ? (poetry, 2002), Sahir-Salima Luhongba (2004), Ngaklaba Punshi (2007) and Echel amasung Khonjel (poetry, 2011).
Rahman also published some Islamic literatures, which included Roja (1986), Yusuf-Julekha (1987), Eid ani (1987), Muharram amasung Karbalagi lan (1992), Islam (1997), Dunya Akiratki Lourokpham (booklet, 1999), Khangpham thokpa farz khara (2000), Lankon (2003), Leiramle (booklet, 2006) and Khutwatul Wada (2009).
Rahman has also over the years contributed numerous articles on the history, society and culture of the Manipuri Muslims in some of the reputed journals of the State. He has also presented papers in seminars and conferences.
Interviewing Mohd. Abdur Rahman
Rahman has been associated with many literary bodies, namely Cultural Forum, Imphal, Liberty Publishing Association (served as President for many years), Islamic Cultural and Research Association (ICRA, founder President) and Writers Union, Manipur (founder member).
Acknowledging his literary contributions, Rahman was awarded Sahitya Bhusan by the Manipur Sahitya Parishad, Imphal in 2003, Writer of the Year by the Naharol Sahitya Premi Samiti, Imphal in 2004 and Certificate of Honour for Dedication in the field of Literature by the State Central Library, Imphal in 2009.