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Abdus Samad, was born in Nalanda in Bihar in a Zamindar family, on 18 July 1952. He was a science student but later on he shifted to Arts and did his BA (Hons) in Political Science, and topped in his MAaccreditation in Magadh University (1973).
His journey into the land of literature started, as early as, when he was 15, when he wrote a short story that was published. His first award came in the form of Uttar Pradesh Urdu Academy award in 1981 for his collection Bara Rangonwala Kamra, when he was in his late twenties. Quickly followed another award from the Bihar Urdu Akademy for his Pas-e-Diwar in 1983. Soon to follow were many awards in Urdu for his book Do Gaz Zameen, in 1990; "The novel is significant for its characterisation, its lucidity of style and portrayal of problems. For its perception of cultural identity as shaped by emotional intellectual and historical compulsions, this novel is regarded as an outstanding contribution to Indian literature in Urdu". Thus reads the award citation.
To quote Mohd Hasan's words "Around 1980, Samad's writing, underwent a significant transformation. Suddenly he gave up highly symbolic and abstract short stories and took to more socially significant and more politically related contemporary issues. The writer seemed to be perturbed by the events around him- communal riots, corruption, destitution, poverty and the distressing debasement of human values. Undoubtedly, this period was extended to a much earlier decade, which witnessed the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971- 72, the creation of Bangladesh and the resultant uprooting of the migrants of that country, euphemistically called Biharies. This accentuation of human suffering touched the author. His novel Do Gaz Zameen narrates the story of this suffering, which incidentally marks the maturing of an 'experimenting' abstract artist into a responsible and committed writer."
This well acclaimed novel has been translated in 21 languages. It was also approved for a serial by Door Darshan.
The novel got exceptional reviews from a wide variety of audience.
To quote from Anwer Azeem, Patriot, Delhi, " A daring choice of extremely complex canvas 'with a remarkable range of characters and situations, Samad's novel "Do Gaz Zameen" will long dominate the intellectual scene for its robust and deft treatment of the apocalyptic experience of our times. What provides the fictional matrix in its developmental narration is an outstanding example of restrained take off. The writer has painted no flowers, stars or skies. He has not even bothered to depict the fields under a plough, the fragrance of the 'virgin soil upturned', no frills and embellishll!ents. He is conscious of the magnitude and variety of men and women and their destiny in all their complexities in a heightened socio-political situation plagued by some evil forces yet invisible to the readers but inexorably perceptible to the writer. And therein, lays the naked power of miraculous creativity."
His another novel in Urdu, Khwabon Ka Savera, was published later. It was translated into English by Ms Mehr Afshan Farooqi , and acquired a rare review from none other than Dr A P J Abdul Kalam himself, "Dawn of Dreams , is indeed a thought provoking novel."
His book, National Movements and Indian Constitution also has been a notable contribution. He has liberally extended his
support to his Home State by being a Member of Number of State Level Committees Govt of Bihar, Bihar Urdu Academy and has also represented India at an International Meet at Almaty, Kazhakistan, in August 1995.
After being an award recipient of Sahitya Akademi, he served as the Convenor, Urdu Advisory Board and Member, Executive Board ofthe SahityaAkademi, New Delhi from 1993 to 1997.
He was in the Board of Prestigious Jnan Peeth Award Committee, New Delhi ( 1994-1996).
He has been a member of the Syndicate of both Magadh University, Bodh Gaya(l995-2002) and B.R.A Bihar University, Muzaffarpur ( 1997-1998).
He was also the Chairman of Board of Editors ofthe English Journal "Uttara" New Delhi (1997-1998), published by Sahitya Akademi.
He has given a good number of talks, discussions and interviews which were broadcast and telecast on different AIR and TV stations ofIndia. Noteworthy ofthem is a serial named "Manzil" by Patna television.
A SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY
Collections of short stories:
Barah Rangonwala Kamra Pas-e-diwar 1980
Seyah Kagaz Ki Dhajian Musical Chair 1983
Aag ke ander rakh 1995
Novels
Do Gaz Zameen 1988
Mahatma 1992
Khabon Ka Sawera 1994
Mahasagar 1998
Dhamak 2008
Others
National Movement and Indian Constitution (Urdu) 1985
Muslim Mind in India (English) 1995
Chronology
18th July 1952 Birth
1973 MA
1967 First story was published
1981 UP Urdu Academy Award
1981 Bihar Urdu Academy
1985 Bihar Urdu Academy
1990 Bihar Urdu Academy
1990 Sahitya Akademi
1990 UP Urdu Academy
1998 Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad
1996-98 Principal, R.N. College, Hajipur
Since 1998 Principal, Oriental College, Patna
From Face Book :
Dr. Abdus Samad is an Ex-Principal of Oriental College, Patna City, and his International fame novel DO GAZ ZAMEEN” got Sahitya Academy Award in year 1990 He belongs to Andwas, a village in the State of Bihar. This happened to be an influential village of zamindars during British period. Many huge buildings & graves bear testimony to this typical village of Zamindars... This village has produced this novelist, famous for his 'Do Gaz Zameen' ('A Strip of Land Two Yards Long') and “Khwabon Ka Sawera”, subsequent Sahitya Academy Award & Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad Award.
ABDUS SAMAD is a doctorate in Political Science, and has occupied various prestigious positions as a teacher, lecturer and principal, published four novels, one of which won the Sahitya Akademi Award and three collections of poetry. In 1998 he won the Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad Award.
Abdus Samad is known less as a teacher of political science and more as a famous Urdu fiction writer. Starting his literary career with short story writing, he later began writing novels. All five of his novels are accounts of the politics of twentieth-century Bihar. The first, Do Gaz Zamīn (Two Yards of Land, 1988), deals with the politics of the partitions of the Indian subcontinent (first of India in 1947 and then the dismemberment of Pakistan in 1971) and depicts its impact on a declining Muslim feudal family of Bihar Shareef, roughly from the 1920s to the 1970s.It earned great praise from Urdu literary critics and in 1990 received the prestigious Sahitya Academy Award. His second novel Mahatma (The Great Soul, 1992), the least appreciated of his novels critically, is a pessimistic account of the deep decline in the quality of higher education. His third novel, Khvābōñ kā Savērā (Dawn of Dreams, 1994), is the most critically acclaimed in terms of theme, technique, style, treatment, and so on. It deals with Muslims and their engagement with (or place in) the secular democracy of India in an increasingly communalized polity and society. In a quote appearing on the cover of his fourth novel Mahasgar (The Ocean, 1999), he is very explicit about why he gives primacy to the subject of politics in his writing.
Mahāsāgar is a fictional depiction of the communally charged decade of the 1980s (when the Ayodhya dispute spawned serious communal polarization in the civil society throughout most parts of India). In his fifth novel, Dẖamak (Rumblings, 2004), Abdus Samad depicts the subtle details pertaining to the way in which corrupt and opportunistic power politics is maneuvered. This has been portrayed through the depiction of a Dalit politician associated initially with the ideologically emancipator politics of the Naxalite groups; the tactical/ideological conflicts within the Naxalite groups push him into the dirty world of corrupt, opportunistic power politics. It is said that in Abdus Samad is novels there is a specific style of subtle protest against the oppressive and corrupt system, which raises some questions in reader’s minds, leaving them at liberty to be ashamed, irritated, or silenced/shocked or to rise in protest against the ills depicted in the novel.
Prof. Abdus Samad’s Urdu work was published in 1994 and its English translation by Dr. Mehr Afshan Faruqi came out in 2001. The novel depicts the gloomy and dismal picture of Partition. The objective of the seminar was to probe the interface of the translation and the original and to explore the various aspects of translation both as a practice and as a phenomenon.
The inaugural session of the seminar began at 10.45 am. Former Dean, Arts Faculty, University of Kashmir, Prof. Zaman Azurda gave the Keynote Address and former Vice-Chancellor of Mangalore University, Prof. B. Sheikh Ali, was the Guest of Honor. Chief Guest, Dr. K. Javeed Nayeem, Director, Bibi Ayesha Milli Hospital; Prof. Rajesh Sachdeva, Director-in-Charge, CIIL; Dr. P.P. Giridhar, National Translation Mission; Dr. G Vijayasarathi, Coordinator of the event, were among the dignitaries present.
Scholars from across the country presented papers on various aspects of translation in general and translation of the Urdu novel in particular during six academic sessions of the two-day event.
There was a separate session “Meet the Author”, in which the author of the novel, Prof. Abdus Samad addressed and interacted with the audience.
Location
"212-A,Rajni Gandha appt,Sadaqat Ashram, New Patna, Bihār, India 800010"
Awards
Sahitya Akademi in 1990
Bhartiya Bhasha Parishad in 1998
UP Urdu Academy in 1990
Bihar Urdu Academy in 1990
Bihar Urdu Academy in 1985
Bihar Urdu academy in 1981
Personal Information
Name : Mohammad Abdus Samad
Date of birth : 18th July 1952(Bihar Sharif, Nalanda)
Education : M.A Ph D. (Pol. Science)
Profession Experience : Professor, Pol Sc.
Teaching : (i). worked as U.G.C fellow for research and teaching depatt. of Pol. Science Magadh University, Bodh Gaya (Jan 1977 to Nov 1979)
(ii). Joined as a lecturer in Oriental College, Patna city in 1979
(iii). Promoted to the rank of reader in 1989.
(iv). Promoted to the rank of professor in 1997(Merit)
Administrative : (i). Principal R. N. College, Hajipur-2 years
(January 1996 to January 1998)
(ii). Principal .Oriental college, Patna city-5 years
(iii). Chairman, Urdu Advisory Committee, Govt. of Bihar in the rank of a minister of state (1991-1999)
(iv). Member, high level committee headed by the governor of Bihar for assistance to writers and artistes. (1992-1994)
(v). Member, high level committee headed by the member, board of revenue, for recruitment of translators and typists (Rajbhasha), govt. of Bihar (1992-1994)
Publications : (i). Six novels
(ii). Six collections of short stories
(iii). Two books of pol. Science
(iv). Two works of translations
Association : (i). convener, Urdu advisory board and member, executive committee of the Sahitya Akademi,New Delhi,(1993-1997).
(ii). member, Jan Peeth Award Committee, New Delhi (1994-1996).
(iii). Chairman, board of editors of the English journal ”UTTARA”, New Delhi,(1997-1998).
(iv). Member of a number of state level committees, Govt. of Bihar like ,15-point Programme Implementation Committee for minorities,Hindi Pragati Samiti, executive committee, Bihar Urdu Academy.
Others :
(i). Chancellor’s nominee in the screening committee of the Patna University, Patna.
(ii). Represented india at n international meet at Almaty,Kzhakistan in august 1995.
(iii). Sahitya aKademi published award winning
Novel “DO GAZ ZAMEEN” in English ,bangla ,hindi, Punjabi,kashmiri, telugu, kannad and dogree.Published in other Indian languages soon.
(iv). Mac-Milan India published novel ”KHAWBON KA SAVERA” with the tittle: - DAWN OF DREAMS.
(v). Sahitya Akademi arranged its prestigious programme “meet the author” with the collaboration of university of Hyderabad at Hyderabad on 18.08.09.
(vi). “central institute of Indian languages”, Mysore (a central government organization)held a two-day national seminar at Mysore on the novel “DAWN OF DREAMS”(translated version of “Khabon ka Sawera”) on 20th and 21st Oct 2009.
(vii). Associated with a number of literary and social organizations.
Contact Info
Phone 093049 99098
Email drabdus.samad@yahoo.in
ٖFaceBook:https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dr-Abdus-Samad/222482391120282
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