The Yudhir Foundation on Saturday informed that the presentaiton of prestigious 23rd Yudhvir Memorial Award to Smt Suraiaya Hassan Bose has been postponed to May 1 in view of elections on April 30.
The award has been conferred to Smt Suraiya Hassan Bose for her contribution to the revival of handlooms of the Deccan and for the welfare and education of the families of handloom weavers. Eminent social activist and author Smt Bilkees Latif will present the award and deliver a lecture on “Our people…Tragedy and Triumph” at the KLN Prasad Auditorium, FAPCCI House, Red Hills, on May 1 at 6.30 PM.
The 23rd Yudhvir Foundation Memorial Award recipient is Smt. Suraiya Hassan Bose, an Indian citizen who has greatly contributed to the revival of handlooms of the Deccan and worked tirelessly to improve the standards of living and education standards of handloom weavers, farmers and their families.
Suraiya Hassan Bose, fondly called Suraiya Aapa is credited with single-handedly reviving the nearly extinct Nizami-Persian techniques for Himroo, Paithani, Jamavar and Mashroo fabrics. She has also worked extensively in the village of Kanchanpally, close to Warangal, encouraging the local weavers to use their skill to make durries. Today, over five hundred weaver families in Kanchanpally make their living through durries and other weaves. In addition, several hundred other local Andhra families visit Suraiya’s workshop at Dargah Hussain Shah Wali, a village on the outskirts of Hyderabad, to learn the intricate art of weaving Himroo, Mashroo and Paithani, weaves alongside Ikat and Kalamkari techniques.
She also runs the Safrani Memorial School at Raidurgam for children from poor households.
Suraiya Hassan Bose comes from a family of Gandhian freedom fighters. Her father Badrul Hassan set up the first khadi unit in Karimnagar and it was in front of her home that Gandhiji lead the Swadeshi movement in Hyderabad and a bonfire was lit with imported fabrics.
Suraiya was married to Subhash Chandra Bose’s nephew Aurbindo Bose. After her wedding she moved to Delhi where she worked with the department of handicrafts and handlooms and then with the Cottage Industries Emporium. She returned to Hyderabad many years later following the death of her husband.
Gandhiji has been Suraiya’s idol and she gives great importance to Gandhi’s ideals of preserving traditional handlooms. She cherishes the Gandhian dream of “A loom in every home”. (INN)