When I think of AICUWA, the All India Christian Urdu Writers Association, my mind goes back to the year 1967 (October, 22) when a small group of Christian Urdu writers met in Lucknow under the patronage of the Literature Committee of the Henry Martyn Institute of Islamic Studies. It was decided by the participants to form an association of all the Christian Urdu writers and poets to bring them on one platform.

I remember the Late Rev. S.S. Hanson, Rehani Lucknawi, a foremost Christian poet and writer who suggested that an all India Urdu Conference and a Mushaira should be held in Delhi and all Urdu writers and poets belonging to different Churches be invited.

The first All India Urdu Cnference and Mushaira was held on October 14th 1979, at 8 PM. The venue was the Parish Hall of the Christ Methodist Church, Near purani Sabzi Mundi, Delhi

The late Bishop Aziz William of the CNI was the Guest of Honour and also presided over the conference session. We needed a large sum of money for the conference and the Mushaira. We approached some Christian organizations for funds and I am very happy to inform you that the following organizations helped us generously.

1. Henry Martyn Institute of Islamic Studies.

2. National council of Churches of India, Nagpur.

3. World Vision of India, Chennai.

4. The Council of Christian Education, Methodist Church in Southern Asia, Jabalpur.

Some Urdu Loving Christian friends living in UK also helped us. Their names are given here below.

1. Mr Griffin Jones Sharar, Luton, UK.

2. Mr. James Shera, UK

3. Mr. Victor John Sidhu, UK.

4. Mr. Edwin Zarrin, UK.

5. Bahar-E-Adab Charran Joseph Gill, London UK.

The late Captain Victor Kaifi, a well known poet and writer, chaired the Mushaira. The following states and cities were represented at the conference and the Mushaiara: Himachal Pradesh , Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Utter Pradesh, Indore, Delhi, Gujrat and Andhra.Pradesh. Fortytwo Poets and writers took part in the program. Four poets sent their compositions because they were not able to come.

This was the background out of which "AICUWA" came into existence. Now AICUWA has many members and has completed 25 long years of its existence. Its Annual conferences and Mushairas have been regularly held in Cities like Delhi, Dehradun, Ludhiana, Budaun, Bareilly, Allahabad, Agra, Ghaziabad, Madras, Jhansi, Shimla, Jabalpur, Raipur and Ahmadabad.

AICWA was fortunate to have its first chairman like Dr. Sam V. Bhajjan (Talib Shahabadi) of the HMI. He is one of the founders of AICUWA At the end of his term Mrs. Ghulam Qadir of the Bishop Ghulam Qadir Foundation, Chandigarh, was elected by the Executive Board to hold the reins of AICWA as its chairperson. She is still holding the chair.

The late Mr. D.A. Harrison Qurban Muradabadi served as AICWA's General Secretary till his sad demise on 14th of July,2004. Now the admintrative work is been handled by (The Lion) Mr. David Lal of Delhi and Mr.Shuaq Jalandhari of Raipur, Chhatisgarh..

AICUWA members have published many books both in Poetry and in Prose and some of them have won state Awards.

Every Year AICUWA also gives Cash and literary awards to some selected Christian Urdu writers and poets.

I, the writer of this brief historical note on AICUWA, now working as the Urdu Translation

Coordinator of the International Bible Society (India), would fail in my duty if I do not mention that some members of AICUWA helped the IBS as members of its Urdu translation committee. This committee supervised the Urdu translation of the Holy Bible Known as the NIV. The new Urdu translation (NIUV) has been published by the (IBS) and is ready to be released for distribution. It was printed in UK.

Two members of AICUWA (Rev. Dr. Sam Bhajjan and Xavier Roshan Zamir) played an important role in bringing out a new Urdu translation of the NT done direct from the Greek language by Dr. Eugene Glassman, formerly of the United Bible Society. Ten thousand copies of this NT have been printed by the Gospel Mission of India and are available for distribution. These two members were also involved in translating and Proofreading of an Urdu Illustrated Life of Christ, based on St. Mark's Gospel. Twenty thousand copies have been printed by IBS for free distribution.

Some AICUWA members are engaged in translating the books written by world renowned American Evangelist Joyce Meyer and Warren W. Wirsbie, a famous Bible Scholar of the USA. This is just to let our donors know that the members of AICUWA are engaged in the Gospel Work also besides writing Urdu poems / Ghazals , Plays, Novels, Essays and Short Stories etc.

We need your prayers, help and guidance.

I will finish this account by thanking all the Christian organizations for their financial and moral support, which, I hope and pray, will continue.

All praise to God, our Heavenly Father, Who gave us His Word in the Person our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen!

Respectfully submitted by,
Through the Kind Courtesy of Dr. Sam Bhajjan
Founder of AICWA

For Additional information on AICUWA contact: Roshan Zamir. Email: Maraapnajahan@indiatimes.com