Finding home in the Idara
C. Yamini Krishna
My engagement with the Idara-e-Adabiyat-e-Urdu first began as a researcher seeking out material for a historical project on Hyderabad. While sifting through old papers, magazines, and manuscripts, and interacting with Rafiudddin Qadri Sahab (Rafi), who very generously helped all the researchers who entered Idara, I was drawn into the institution and the man behind it, Dr.Syed Mohiuddin Qadri Zor. My ties with the Idara grew stronger due to the love towards Hyderabad, and the Deccan, which I shared with Dr. Zor and Rafi Sahab.
Rafi Sahab and the Idara represent a different idea of knowledge, which is deeply rooted in generosity, kindness, and sharing. It was in an attempt to give back to the archive, that I embarked on digitizing the Sabras magazines edited by Dr. Zor, with the help of the SSAF-AAA grant. The process of digitization and archiving, helped me acquaint myself with the body of work of Dr. Zor and its significance to the Deccan region.
There were two central objectives for the archival project, to preserve the body of work of Dr. Zor, and to bring it back into discussion and circulation. This website is curation of works related to Dr. Zor from various archives, including the digitization project. The second objective has taken many new lives. I have made a film titledIlm ka shehar(City of knowledge), which interrogates the changing idea of knowledge through the story of Dr. Zor. There is ongoing work on translation, curation, and historically locating Dr. Zor’s work through a book project.
The project was generously supported by Shergil Sundaram Arts Foundation- Asia Art Archive grant. Sneha Raghavan has been a very supportive grant manager who encouraged the project throughout.
The Khidki Collective- Anant Maringanti, Mohammed Ayub Ali Khan, Sarah Waheed, Eric Beverley, Swathi Shivanand have supported the SSAF-AAA grant application. Prachi Deshpande, has helped thinking through the project during the SSAF-AAA evaluation process. Mohammed Ayub Ali Khan first pointed me towards the Idara. Anant Maringanti helped getting the project started. Thrinaina Informatics Pvt Ltd, carefully digitized the delicate archival material in its first phase. Living Labs Network & Forum has helped in creating and hosting this digital archive. Huma Namal has helped in translation of some of the material. Abdul Gaffar Sahab who currently manages the office of Idarahas been helpful throughout the project.
The film Ilm ka sheharwas born out of the discussions at the Oral History Association of India Conference held in Hyderabad, 2023. The film and its multiple contributors have enriched understanding the twentieth century Hyderabad and its multiplicity of literary projects.
Challenges during the project
The biggest challenge for the project was to create a digital space for the archival material. The material being in Urdu, created substantial challenges for creating metadata, as there were very few people who could navigate technological and linguistic complexities together.
Living Labs Network (LLN), and Shreyas Srivatsa have been instrumental in arriving at the current form.
Some critical decisions
I imagine the digital space only as a supplement to the physical space of Idara and the kind guidance of Rafi sahab. In that sense, the true experience of this archive can only be achieved when seen along with the engagement with the physical space of Idara.
In according with this vision, the archive is open but needs access through registration. This is to ensure that Rafiuddin Qadri sahab is involved in the decision-making processes of access of the material.
Outcomes of the project
A collaborative essay on the Idara with Sarah Waheed in Himal Magazine.
Film:Ilm ka Shehar
Digital archive
Future directions
Translation of selected works of Dr. Zor
A book project understanding the Deccani identity through the body of work of Dr. Zor and his contemporaries.
Archiving of personal letters of Dr. Zor