Jeddah, Feb 1: Indian expatriates here have praised the North Indian Fraternity Forum (NIFF) for hosting a play on the life of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.
The play, scripted and directed by M. Sayeed Alam and performed by famous Indian actor Tom Alter, impressed people at the Indian International School-Jeddah recently. It was held to celebrate India's Republic Day.
Fuzail Ahmad, the NIFF president, said the event had added meaning because it was being staged in the land where Azad was born, and that "remembering Maulana through this play is to highlight the genius and caliber of the well-known scholar and politician.”
He said the NIFF was committed to highlighting the contribution of the country's freedom fighters and showcasing India's cultural, social and political dimensions.
Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, the Indian consul general, and his wife Kausar, also came to watch the play.
Kidwai congratulated the NIFF for putting on the show. “Maulana Azad was a great scholar and a unique symbol of patriotism, unity, secularism and modernity. The play, which gives an insight into Maulana’s personal life, is a tribute to this great leader,” he said.
The play unfolds with Azad dictating notes to Humayun Kabir for his book, with digressions on political issues, white Jasmine tea, the Taj Mahal, music, poetry, cigarettes, Ahmedabad prison, Cheeta Khan and the death of his wife.
Those present included the NIFF General Secretary Khwaja Nasir Jamal, Press Consul Irshad Ahmad, academic Athar Farooqui, NIFF Vice President Prakash Rana, Consul P.K. Jain, NIFF patron Zia Nadwi and NIFF Treasurer Iqbal Siddiqui.
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