Ale Ahmad Suroor

Ale Ahmad Suroor (1911-2002) was an Urdu poet, critic and professor from India. He is best known for his literary criticism. In 1974 he was honoured with the Sahitya Akademi Award by the Government of India for his literary critic work, Nazar aur Nazariya. In 1991 he was also awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian award. He was awarded a special gold medal by the President of Pakistan on the centenary of the birth of Muhammad Iqbal.

Philosophy

Suroor's autobiography, Khwab Baki Hai (Dream Still Remain), states, "Criticism takes the help of science but it is not a science; it is a branch of literature". Regarding poetry Suroor states that poetry does not bring "revolutions" but it creates right environment to make sudden change in mind, it is not "sword" but the "lancet".

Books Suroor authored many books. The following is an incomplete list of Suroor's books. Nazar aur Nazariya (Sight and Perspective) (1973): Critic work which won Sahitya Akademi Award of Government of India in 1974. Tanqidi Ishare (Critical Signposts) (1942): It was Suroor's first collection of critical writing. Naye aur Purane Chirag (New and Old Lamps) (1946) Tanqid Kya Hai? (What is Criticism?) (1947) Adab aur Nazariya (Literature and Perspective) (1954) Jadidiyat aur Adab (Modernism and Literature) (1967) Masarrat se Basirat tak (From Pleasure to Insight) (1974) Urdu aur Hindustani Tehjib (Urdu and Indian culture) (1985) Afkar ke Diye (The Lamps of the Mind) (2000)

The following are some of books written by Suroor on Iqbal's legacy. Iqbal Samman by Government of Madhya Pradesh (2001)