The launching ceremony of Baqar Naqvi’s ‘Nobel Amn Kay Sou Baras’ was held at the Karachi Gymkhana on March 16. It was presided over by Prof Saher Ansari, one of the leading Urdu poets.
The hardbound Nobel Amn Kay Sou Baras, spread over 1104 pages, has been published by Academy Bazyaft and priced Rs 3,000 per copy.
“It’s a voluminous book, not a travelogue. It is a pure labour of love. It is a momentous effort. Baqar Naqvi has done a terrific work by conceiving the different philosophies and cultures of the various Nobel Peace Laureates and having profiled them so nicely in the typically fluent style of his own,” Prof Saher Ansari remarked in his presidential address.
He lauded Baqar Naqvi for his resilience and described his new book as an invaluable addition to Urdu literature.
Mubeen Mirza of Academy Bazyaft delivered a brief welcome speech in which he threw light about the significance of the book.
Baqar Naqvi, an eminent Urdu writer and poet, having relocated in the United Kingdom, hoped that the readers will gain knowledge by reading his book which him more than two years to compile.
“There were moments when thoughts of abandoning the book crossed my mind during these two years. But finally I was motivated to complete it by the enormity of subject. Now when the book has seen the light of the day I hope it would help in enlightening people with the accomplishments of the Nobel Peace Laureates,” he observed.
Ambreen Haseeb Amber conducted the proceedings in a delightful manner as she narrated the highlights of the book precisely and crisply in between introducing the three speakers.
Alfred Nobel, in 1895, had signed his last will and testament, giving the largest share of his fortune to a series of prizes, the Nobel Prizes. As described in Nobel’s will, one part was dedicated to “the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses”. 92 Nobel Peace Prizes have been awarded since 1901
Henry Dunant, founder of the Red Cross, shared the first Nobel Peace Prize in 1901 with Frédéric Passy, a leading international pacifist of the time. In addition to humanitarian efforts and peace movements, the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded for work in a wide range of fields including advocacy of human rights, mediation of international conflicts, and arms control.
