Prestigious “Maulana Mohd Ali Jauhar Award” for Journalism was conferred upon Syyed Mansoor Agha, at the 26th Annual Ceremony of MM Ali Jauhar Academy, which marked the 136th birth anniversary of the eminent freedom fighter, journalist, orator and poet Maulana Mohd Ali Jauhar of Rampur. The function was chaired by Mr. Nasim Ahmad, IAS, Chairman National Commission for Minorities of India and former VC of Aligarh Muslim University Aligarh. Justice (Rtd) M. Suhail Siddiqi, Chairman NCME and Sirajuddin Qureshi, Chairman India Islamic Cultural Centre were the Chief Guests.
Mansoor Agha, born in a farmer family in a remote village Johri of District Baghpat, UP, in 1943, who started his schooling from a Maktab, attended Primary School in his native village and Upper Primary School in the neighbouring village Jiwana, was sent to Muslim Inter College Asara for High School Education. He graduated from Meerut College, Meerut and then went to AMU for Post-Graduation in Pol. Science.
Mr. Agha joined Daily Dawat after Emergency. He edited Weekly Dawat for four years, then moved to Hindustan Publications and translated over a dozen books into Hindi and Urdu, including Al-Halal Wal Haram fil Islam of Allama Yusuf Qardhavi and Introduction to Islam by Dr. Hamidullah. He joined Daily Qaumi Awaz in 1984 and retired in 2005 as Chief S. Editor. He writes weekly column published in a large number of Urdu papers around the globe. He also contributes articles to Radiance Viewsweekly, edits www.qaumiawaz.in, and is Vice President of All India Educational Movement. Father of five daughters and three sons, he lives in New Delhi.
The function was held at India Islamic Cultural Centre on 10 December 2014. In the same function eminent social activist Teesta Seetalwad was awarded “Bee Amma” Award, and Professor Talat Ahmad, VC Jamia Millia Islamia; Syed Anwarul Huda, IPS, DGP Andhra Pradesh; and Tom Aluster, Stager Artist with MMA Jauhar Awards for their distinguished works in their respective fields.