Shamsur Rahman Faruqi plagiarises Dr. Abu Mohammad Sahar’s book


Shamsur Rahman Faruqi plagiarises
Dr. Abu Mohammad Sahar’s book

Shamsur Rahman Faruqi may be a big name in Urdu criticism but a new book has exposed him over the matters lifted by him to write his books and articles. It is alleged  Shamsur Rahman Faruqi has been lifting material from various articles and books and then presenting them in somewhat new shape to own credit of the original idea. The most glaring example, is lifting of matter from the famous book of Dr Abu Mohammad Sahar titled “Urdu Imla Aur Uski Islaah’.The plagiarism came to light when Shamsur Rehman Faruqui’s book “Urdu Ka Ibtidai Zamana” was published. Soon after, literary persons of Bhopal raised a hue and cry over the matter. Some people even wanted to sue Shamsur Rehman Faruqui for copyright infringement but Dr Abu Mohammad Sahar, who was a saintly person, prevented them doing so. Interestingly, Shamsur Rehman Farqui had admitted that his book “Urdu Ka Ibtidai Zamana”  is akin to the book of Dr Abu Mohammad Sahar. He had made this admission in the year 2003 in a letter to Dr Saifi Sironji, the editor of trimonthly Intesab, published from Sirong. This letter has been published in Sada-e-Urdu, Bhopal, edited by short story writer Naeem Kausar. In the letter, Faruqui had written that he did not know that a similar book by Dr. Abu Mohammad Sahar was in existence and he came to know of it only after publication of his (Faruqui’s) book. He said that he would make a mention of it in the book being published in E0nglish (Which he later did, though under pressure after being exposed). Here is the transliteration of the letter by Faruqui, admitting his plagiarism, which throws light on plagiarism-like activities of Faruqui, who has been unfortunately bestowed with top Urdu literary awards in India, Pakistan and abroad. Due to his manipulations and manoevring Faruqui has established himself as a ‘great’ writer and critic. But in the process he has stooped too low. This is despite that fact he Faruqui was most vocal against Gopichand Narnag, whom he had alleged of plagiarism.

Shamsur Rehman Faruqui to Dr Saifi Sironji.

Aap ka taaza shumaara abhi mila. Is shumare ke sufha number 204 par aap ne bradaram mukarram professor Abu Mohammad Sahar ki kitab par tabsira karte huey bilkul durust likha hai ke unhon nay is kitab mein Urdu-Hindi ke mas’ale say muta’alliq baaz haqaaiq meri kitab “Urdu ka ibtidai zamana” kay shaya honay say pehlay bayaan kar diye thay. Koi shak naheen ko baaz baton mein un ko awwaliyat haasil hai. Meri kotahi aur laa ilmi thi ko mein nay unkaa mazmoon us waqt na padhaa tha jab wo awwalan shaya huaa tha aur unki kitab mein nay tab dekhi jab meri kitaab chhap chuki thi. Main nay apni kitaab kay angrezi roop mein (jo zer-e-taba hai) Abu Mohammad Sahar Sahib ko munasib khiraj-e-aqeedat pesh kar diya hai. Meri kitab ka zer-e-bahas hissa “shab khoon” mein chhap chukka tha. Lekin Abu Mohammad Sahar Sahib ki be-niyazi dekhiye ko unhon nay us waqt mujhe mutawajjah na kiya ke tum meri tehrir to dekh lo. Ab kitab milnay par main nay un say ihtijaaj kiya to us mard-e-darwesh ne kaha ke koi baat naheen. Aap munasib mauqe par eiteraaf kar dein. Eitezaar ghair zaroori hai.
(Taken from monthly Intesab, volume 43 December 2000).