On the 16th death anniversary of the renowned writer, Prof. Alam Shah Khan, a seminar was organised by Alam Shah Khan Memorial Committee and Manikya Lal Verma Shramjeevi College. Chief guest, Mr.Ved Dan Sudhir, said that Professor Khan's literature presents the truth that is the bitter reality of the life of the common man. His characters were the people living in the alleys of his neighborhood, and his language was their language.
His writing was always targeted towards bringing positive changes in the society. Prof. Sudhir said that Khan Sahab also used to get angry, but his anger was targeted towards the prevalent disharmony ,discrimination and disorder in the society. He never wished to hurt or harm anyone through his works, but aimed at bringing changes in the society. He once said that he speaks and writes in Hindi, teaches Rajasthani, and reads English and Urdu.
Dr. Manju Chaturvedi, special guest, said that Professor Khan's literature ultimately produces compassion, which is the hallmark of great literature. The characters of his stories are those who awaken human sensitivity in the midst of disparities. Their pain and the biased system arouses anger in the reader's mind, but this does not stop here, it goes further and creates compassion in the heart towards the deprived class.
In the beginning of the seminar, Professor Chandaliya, professor in English literature, spoke about Prof. Khan's contribution towards Hindi literature. He said that Professor Khan is one of those rare authors who made Hindi language a tool for social change. His writings depict the realities of life, and he wrote with great sensitivity towards the underprivileged. Dr.Indira Jain, Associate-professor in Hindi department at Meera Kanya Mahavidyalaya, discussed his a collections of stories including "Kiraye Ki Kokh," "Ek Gadhe Ki Janm Kundli," and "Saanson Ka Revad" in the literary event. The event also featured a narration of Proff. Khan's story "Parai Pyaas Ka Safar" by his daughter, Dr. Tarana Parveen. Noted critic Associate Prof. Himanshu Pandya praised Professor Khan for his contribution towards parallel story movement , although he noted that Prof Khan had also written many other stories beyond this movement. Professor Sadashiv Shrotriya referred to Khan as a fearless writer and a courageous person. Renowned lyricist Kishan Dadhich discussed his personal relationship with Professor Khan. Dr. Indraprakash Shrimalli spoke about the broadcasting of Khan's stories on the radio, where he had recorded his own, Narendra Modi's, and Professor Khan's voices. Senior journalist Dr. Ugrasen Rao and Dr. Shrikrishna Jugnoo also shared their musings. The program was hosted by Professor Hemendra Chandalia.
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