By OUR STAFF REPORTER
DEHRADUN, 16 Nov: At a session of the Valley of Words Literature festival today, the Hindi translation of ‘Aap Yaad Aate Hain’ written by renowned industrialist, educationist and social worker Dr. S. Farooq was launched in the presence of several eminent persons of Dehradun. After the launch, Dr. Farooq, in conversation with author and journalist Dr. Jaskiran Chopra, spoke about this biography of his father S. Rasheed Ahmed whose life and times he has written about at length in the book. He said that he wanted his entire family, especially the younger generation, to know about his father and the values of simplicity, patience, frugality, humility and hard work which were followed by him throughout his life. He said that a person can never forget his place of birth and his parents. Also, one cannot change these two things about life. “The rest of the things can be changed but not these”, said Dr. Farooq who turned emotional at many moments during the session. He also recited a nazm in memory of his father. The book, published by Samay Sakshya, is full of life lessons for the new generation. Respect and affection for one’s elders, love for one’s siblings and attachment to the extended circle of family and friends is highlighted in this book. The author’s deep love for his parents can be felt vividly by the readers. The influence of his father on his own personality can also be understood through the book that also features Urdu poetry written by S. Rasheed Ahmed ji who is addressed as “Abbajaani” throughout the book. The warmth and affection in the writing style makes the past come alive in a beautiful way. Nostalgia dominates the work. A large number of people of the Doon Valley were present at the session. Family members and friends of Dr. Farooq were present. Dr. B. K. Joshi, MLA Ganesh Joshi and Ranu Bisht participated in the discussion on the book.
