Tasneem Kausar and her short story collection "Bonsai"

Today is International Women's Day. Therefore, I thought, why not mention, on this occasion, a determined woman born in Haider Nagar, a village in Purnia district of Bihar, whose entire life is a testament to her continuous struggle. The literary, fictional, and broadcasting world knows her as Tasneem Kausar. My first meeting with her was in the late 1991 or early 1992 at Akashvani Patna. I was already part of the panel as a news reader, and Tasneem Kausar joined the panel after me. It was there that she introduced me to her husband, Dr. Anwarul Haq Tabsam, who was a professor in the history department at Oriental College, Patna City. Later, he retired from the same college. Tasneem Kausar later became a news anchor at Doordarshan Patna, where I was already associated with the news department. At one time, Arun Kumar Verma was an officer in the Information Service and a news editor at Akashvani Patna. Everyone was impressed by his intelligence. In April 1989, he started the Urdu news at Akashvani Patna, and at 3:30 pm, the first news bulletin was read by the famous poet Shanur Rehman, and Dr. Tariq Fatmi translated the Hindi news into Urdu. Until a formal panel of news readers was formed, Shanur Rehman continued to read the news. After many days, a panel of news readers was formed, which included me, Dr. Tariq Fatmi, Tasneem Kausar, and several other young people, including Mohammad Manwar Alam, who passed away a few months ago in Delhi. Tasneem Kausar quickly established herself as an excellent news reader at Akashvani and Doordarshan Patna. I had the opportunity to work with her at both broadcasting institutions for a long time. I have closely observed her intelligence, ability, dignity, and honesty. Over time, my relationship with Tasneem Kausar and her husband, Professor Anwarul Haq Tabsam, deepened and strengthened, which, by the grace of God, continues to this day. Currently, they reside in their village, Haider Nagar, in Purnia. Tasneem Kausar has also opened a school for children in her village and is nurturing the new generation. Additionally, she is associated with the women's literary organization "Banat". Tasneem Kausar is the name of a capable and determined woman. She knows the art of keeping the lamp lit in the face of adversity and maintaining her existence with full force in a society dominated by men. However, unfortunately, despite all her talents, she could not withstand the injustices of a male-dominated society for long and could not utilize her pen and abilities as she should have. She also showcased her talent in short story writing, writing many good stories that were published in reputable newspapers and magazines. Her first collection of short stories, "Bonsai", was released in 1995 and received considerable acclaim. It was expected that she would continue her journey, but circumstances did not spare her. Not only did she not publish another collection of short stories after "Bonsai", but she also stopped writing short stories altogether. I am confident that anyone who has read Tasneem Kausar's stories must still be wondering why she stopped writing. When her collection of short stories was launched in Patna, the participants in the event highly appreciated the emerging woman short story writer. Anyone who has read "Bonsai" acknowledges Tasneem Kausar's abilities. Let us learn about the opinions of some intellectuals regarding Tasneem Kausar on this occasion. Professor Wahaab Ashrafi (critic, intellectual, litterateur) says, "Tasneem Kausar is very sensitive when it comes to language. Her creative language is vivid and captivating, making her stories even more elegant." Shafiq Mashhadi (litterateur, poet, short story writer) writes, "Tasneem Kausar is a short story writer and a very good one. Her stories reflect contemporary sensibility, social awareness, and a sense of empathy." Dr. Abdul Samad (Sahitya Akademi Award-winning novelist) believes, "Tasneem Kausar's stories possess social awareness to the utmost degree. She belongs to the new generation of short story writers who emerged around 1990, and her dignified presence at the beginning of her journey is a testament to her bright future." Professor Shamshad Hussain (psychologist, poet) writes, "I have read most of her stories, which portray the disappointments, deprivations, and bitterness of life, as well as the conflicts of the human mind, in a manner that has left me impressed." Dr. Rizwan Ahmed (journalist, short story writer) says, "Tasneem Kausar knows the art of storytelling. She is a storyteller and is well-versed in the elements of storytelling. Her stories have novelty, individuality, and contemporary sensibility." From these valuable thoughts of intellectuals, you can gauge what kind of short story writer Tasneem Kausar is. If she had continued her journey, she would have been a renowned and established short story writer in Bihar today, and her name would have been very prominent on the literary scene, but alas!