ROORKEE: “It was one of the best days of my life. The organisers of the program called me the “great son of Roorkee”. The compliment was followed by a long applause,” said noted Pakistani author and broadcaster Raza Ali Abidi while recalling a 1992 event held in Roorkee's town hall. The felicitation event was organised by noted Urdu poet Afzal Manglori in Abidi's honour.
Born in Roorkee in 1936, Abidi says the memories of his childhood days and the rented accommodation he grew up in Roorkee are still fresh. He studied in Roorkee's government-run inter college till Class IX before his family migrated to Karachi (Pakistan) in 1950. “Our rented property in Roorkee is an integral part of my memories associated with the city. My family lived there between 1934 and 1950. The memories of Roorkee run in my veins like blood,” said the 86-year-old former director of BBC Urdu Service.
Currently based in London, Abidi had last come to Roorkee in 2019. At present, the house he grew up in is owned by a Jain family. Priyanka Jain, 42, who currently lives in the house, said, "Our elders told us that a Muslim family lived here before the Partition. A senior member of that family visited our house a few years ago but we didn't know him."
In a recent telephonic conversation with TOI, Abidi recalled his childhood days. “My father Sayyad Akbar Ali was a teacher of machine drawing at Thomason Engineering College (presently IIT-Roorkee).
He retired in the mid-1930s. Thereafter, he opened a shop in the BT Ganj locality where he sold gramophones. Initially, our business was doing good but as the Partition date came closer, sales went down. While most of my relatives had moved to Pakistan, we stayed back in Roorkee till 1950 in anticipation of better times. Later, we moved to Karachi,” said Abidi.
The celebrated author, with 42 Urdu books to his credit, has written about his pre-Independence memories of Roorkee and its people in three of his literary works -- Mujhe Sab Yaad hai, Apni Awaz and Jaan Saheb. These works have detailed descriptions of Roorkee's “Barf Khana” and “Company Bagh” along with Abidi's friends -- Faiz Mohammad and Ghulam Sabir.
Abidi also shares a special bond with Roorkee-resident Yunus Halwai. Talking to TOI, Mahmood, Yunus Halwai's grandson, said, “After leaving India in 1950, he (Abidi) first came to Roorkee in 1982. During his visit, he met with my grandfather and his other friends.” The 56-year-old laboratory technician at IIT-R added, “Abidi last came here in 2019 when he stayed with us for a week.” Since moving to Pakistan in 1950, Abidi has come to Roorkee on five different occasions. However, his 1992 visit holds a special place in his heart due to the town hall event. “I will be thankful to Roorkee and its wonderful people till my last breath,” said Abidi.
