Novel "Basra Ki Galiyan" included in Guru Kashi University’s M.A. Curriculum

Jalandhar: Novel "Basra Ki Galiyan" penned by city-based noted Hindi author Dr Ajay Sharma has been included in Guru Kashi University’s M.A. Curriculum.  As such, the author’s literary journey continues to set new milestones day by day. This achievement is not only a matter of pride for Punjab but for the entire nation.

It is often said that literature created today will speak out years later. But Dr. Ajay Sharma is an exception to this. A testimony to this is that this year his novel `Basra Ki Galiyan’ has been included in the M.A. curriculum of Guru Kashi University.

This is his seventh novel to be included in the curricula of various universities. He has become the first contemporary novelist whose seven novels have been incorporated into university syllabi.

Moreover, `Basra Ki Galiyan’ alone has been included in the M.A. curriculum of three different universities — a truly unique distinction.

So far, he has written 17 novels, 6 plays, and a short story collection. Out of these, 7 novels are part of the syllabi of different classes in various universities.

The greatest achievement is that over the span of 20 years, `Basra Ki Galiyan’ has now been included in the M.A. curriculum of a third university. His novels have been the subject of 29 M.Phil. and 7 Ph.D. dissertations.

Several of his novels have been translated into various languages. `Basra Ki Galiyan’ has already been translated into Punjabi, English, and Arabic. The Arabic translation is currently under publication.

It is said that it takes years for a writer to gain recognition. But if we talk about contemporary writers, Dr. Ajay Sharma is one who made his mark at a young age.

His novel `Basra Ki Galiyan’ was published in 2004 and was included in the M.A. syllabus of Guru Nanak Dev University by 2006 — marking the first step of his academic recognition.

Soon after, `Basra Ki Galiyan’ was also included in the M.A. curriculum of Punjabi University. It is the first time that a novel by a contemporary author has been part of the syllabus in three different universities.

It is said, those who have fire within never stop. Dr. Ajay Sharma’s journey continues relentlessly. One after another, he kept writing novels.

To date, he has written 17 novels, 7 of which are part of academic curricula across different universities and classes.

The biggest recent achievement is that after nearly two decades, `Basra Ki Galiyan’ has been added to the M.A. curriculum of Guru Kashi University this year.

Speaking on this, Dr. Ajay Sharma said, “Achievements like this are no less than an award. They inspire you to keep moving forward. When I wrote this novel, a war was going on, and Saddam Hussein hadn’t been captured yet. At that time, critics and literary magazines regarded Basra Ki Galiyan as the world’s first fiction based on that war. I myself didn’t expect the novel to gain such recognition. It received immense love from readers. After that, I wrote Kharhkiyv ke Khandhar (The Ruins of Kharkiv), based on war again — the first such effort by any writer.”

So far, Dr. Ajay Sharma has received Punjab’s highest literary honor `Shiromani Sahityakar Award’, the `Sahityik Saurabh Samman’ from the Government of Uttar Pradesh, and a national award from the Central Hindi Directorate for his novel `Kagad Kalam Na Likhanhaar’.