Saaiin A. J. Uttam (1923-2004)

[Gul Agha <agha@CS.UIUC.EDU>]

From: hotumalani das ghansham <hotumalanighansham@rediffmail.com>
Date: 3 Jan 2005 07:07:03 -0000

THE PIONEER OF SINDHYAT AND SINDHI LITERATURE SHRI  A.G.UTTAM
PASSED AWAY

It will be a shocking news for lovers of Sindhi literature that one of
triumvirate of Sindhi Movement in India Shri Assandas Jethanand
Uttamchandani popularly known as A.J. Uttam passed away early morning
in Mumbai on January 3rd. He was 82 years old.

Shri A.J. Uttam was born on 16th December 1923 in Hyderabad Sindh.  He
was in the fore front in the struggle of recognition of Sindhi
Language in the 8th schedule of Indian Constitution.  He worked as
co-editor of Naeen Duniya, a progressive monthly magazine, from
1950. From 1957 till his last breath, he continued to publish it
regularly.

He visited Sindh, Soviet Union, Japan, Hong Kong and China.  He has
about 15 books of essays to his credit.  These books contained
critical appreciation of the works of Shah Latif, Sachal, Sami, Guru
Nanak Kalidas, Meera Bai,Sant Gyaneshwar,Tagore, Munshi Premchand,
Sharat Chandra, Mahatma Gandhi and Lenin. The Sindhi Kahani, Natak
ain Tanqid (Sindhi Story, Drama and Criticism) a famous book of Shri
Uttam, is an excellent work of historical and critical evaluation of
stories, drama and criticism in Sindhi language.

A real tribute to A.J. Uttam  is Rukmini Chainani's compilation on
him, Sindhyat Jo Upasak(2002).

The members of Sindhyun Jo Sansar and The Indus Valley Research
Institute express deep shock and grief on the departure of a sincere
son of Sindhyat and condolences with Dadi Sundari Uttamchandai and his
two daughters. And prays the Almighty to put an innocent and pure soul
of Shri A.J.Uttam in His lotus feet.

[editors note:

For Saaiin Uttam's lecture at Karnataka University in 1998 in which he
discusses the role of Sindhi magazines and Naeen Duniya in particular
in preserving Sindhi language in India, please see:

http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Workshop/3223/Sindhi_Mags_India.html
]