Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages (JKAACL) organised a condolence-cum-tribute meeting at the Conference Hall of Tagore Hall in memory of noted Kashmiri poet, writer, journalist and filmmaker Fayaz Dilber. The gathering brought together writers, poets, artists and scholars who paid emotional homage to the celebrated cultural figure.
The event opened with Fateh Khawani for Dilber’s eternal peace, after which Additional Secretary of the Academy, Ideel Saleem, delivered the inaugural address. He said the Academy is committed to honouring literary and cultural figures who have significantly contributed to the promotion of Kashmiri language and arts, and described such commemorations as both a moral responsibility and an institutional mandate.
The session was presided over by writer and academic Prof. Majrooh Rashid. Other members of the presidium included Prof. Farooq Fayaz, Shabir Mujahid, Ayash Arif, Ideel Saleem and Jawaid Iqbal. The programme saw the participation of a large number of writers, filmmakers, producers, journalists and intellectuals.
Speakers described Fayaz Dilber as a multidimensional creative force — a sensitive poet, conscientious writer, visionary filmmaker and journalist of integrity. Many remembered him as “an institution in himself,” whose life-long commitment to art, truth and human values left a profound impact on Kashmiri literature and media.
In his presidential address, Prof. Majrooh Rashid said Dilber’s short stories capture the emotional and social landscape of Kashmiri life with depth and subtlety. He noted that Dilber’s creative span, which included journalism, theatre and cinema, has left an irreplaceable void in the cultural and intellectual sphere of the Valley.
Other speakers highlighted that Dilber’s works reflect a strong blend of artistic expression and social consciousness, making him one of the defining voices of modern Kashmiri prose. Prominent personalities including Mohammad Amin Bhat, Imdad Saqi, Rahim Rehbar, Naushaad Ghayoor, Gulfam Barji, Prof. Bashar Bashir, Shamshad Kralawari and Inayat Gul shared personal recollections and literary insights from their association with the late writer.
The proceedings were conducted by Dr. Gulzar Ahmad Rather. Offering a vote of thanks, Editor (Kashmiri) Jawaid Iqbal Khan expressed gratitude to all attendees and reaffirmed the Academy’s commitment to preserving and promoting the legacies of Kashmiri literary icons. He said Fayaz Dilber’s writings, marked by a harmonious blend of Kashmiri sensibility and universal human values, will continue to receive recognition through future publications and cultural initiatives.
