By Abdul Gani, TwoCircles.net,
Guwahati: In a bid to propagate and promote the writings of noted literary figure and educationist Fatehul Mannan, a website on his name was launched in Guwahati. The website which was formally inaugurated by his long time friend and president of Asam Sahitya Sabha (ASS), apex literary body of Assam Imran Shah will carry all the details of his life and works for the global readers.
One of the pioneers in education sector in Assam and especially in upper Assam who died on February 11 in 2006 at Dibrugarh has also a major contribution in the literary field of the state.
Asam Sahitya Sabha president Imran Shah delivering a lecture during the formal launch of the website in Guwahati [Photo by: Manas Das]
“We are missing you so much after your departure. We never had to realise it when you were present among us. He was a straightforward man who never compromised with his ideas in life but unfortunately he did not get the due recognition during his lifetime,” paid a tribute by these lines by Imran Shah, one of Mannan’s close friends after formally launching the website http://www.fatehulmannan.com.
He was born on January 3 in 1935 at Dhai Ali in Sivasagar district. He did his post graduation degree from Gauhati University in 1965 before starting his career as a teacher at Sivasagar Town High School.
Along with noted writer and childhood friend Imran Shah and several local enthusiasts he started a junior college in the year 1993. He was the founder vice—principal of this institute which went on to become Arunodoi College thus fulfilling a long felt need for a higher education centre in the locality.
Rifat Mannan, Fatehul Mannan’s son who took the initiate to spread the work of his father for the global readers said that it’s the time that the Assamese literature to go global. “I feel that the works by the Assamese literary persons including my father should reach to the global audience,” said Rifat, a medicine practitioner who lives in Kuwait.
He has also a number of literary works under his belt. Baharistan-e-Gaibi is a rare historical masterpiece accounting Mughal forays into Assam, Bengal, Cooch Behar, Bihar and Orissa. Originally written in Persian by Mughal general Mirza Nathan, the book was translated into English by noted Assamese scholar Dr. Moidul Islam Bora.
File photo of Fatehul Mannan
Mr. Mannan translated it into Assamese and a part of it was published in his lifetime in 1999.After his death, the work was completed by Dr. Krishna Kumar Mishra and Mr. Sonaram Barua and the entire work was published in 2010.
Islamor Porishoy, an Assamese translation of ‘Towards understanding Islam’, originally written by Maulana Abul Ala Maududi was another contribution towards the Islamic literature of Mannan. Some other Islamic literature includes life on noted saint Ajan Fakir, Status of Women in Islam and others. Besides, he also wrote short stories, poetry and children literature.