By Muslim Mirror News,
Lucknow, April 17: “To make what is unknown, known to the world is the key function of Travel literature”, said Prof. Khalid Mahmood, Former Head, Department of Urdu, Jamia Millia Islamia in his keynote address at the national seminar titled, Travel Literature: Literary, Historical, and Cultural Perspective organized by the Lucknow campus of Maulana Azad National Urdu University here last week.
In his intensive address, Prof. Mahmood encompassed the history of travelogues quoting amply from the travelers of different nationalities emphasizing on the experiences of Kambalposh as described in his travelogue about Europe.
Prof. Mohammad Muzammil, VC, MJP Ruhilkhand University and Prof. Shah Abdus Salam, former Head, Department of Arabic, Lucknow University presided over the inaugural function. Mr. Rizwan Ahmad (IPS) was the chief guest at the function. Prof. Shah Abdus Salam in his address mentioned some of the interesting facts about the life style of people in the time of Navab Asifud Daula as depicted in various travelogues. Prof. Muzammil in his presidential address threw light on the urge for knowledge and experience in Columbus’s life and motivated the students.
The inaugural was followed by the first academic session which was presided by the Additional Advocate General of UP, Mr. Zafaryab Jilani. Dr. Sanaullah from AMU and Dr. Syed Akhtar Husain from JNU presented their research papers in this session.
In addition to the faculty members of the campus, Prof. Umar Kamaluddin from Lucknow University, Dr. Hasan Abbas from Banaras Hindu University, Dr. A.Naseeb Khan from Jamia Millia Islamia, Mr. Pusp Ranjan from EFLU, Dr. Rukhsana Lari from Karamat Husain PG College and Dr. Sabeeha Anwar were some of the other noted scholars and academicians who presented their research papers.
In the inaugural function, Dr. Abdul Quddoos, in-charge MANUU, Lucknow campus formally welcomed the distinguished guests and the audience. He gave a formal introduction of the campus and also mentioned the importance of such academic meets. Dr. Abdul Quddoos also thanked the scholars who have come all the way from different parts of the country to present their research papers in the seminar and said that such an endeavor of theirs will definitely make the seminar a great success. This was followed by the formal introductory note on the seminar presented by the coordinator of the seminar, Dr.S.Mohammad Fayez. Emphasizing on the importance of the topic of the seminar he said, “The first international travel writing conference “Snapshots from Abroad” was organized in 1997 in the University of Minnesota. It was here that the International Society for Travel Writing was founded”.