Most revered Professor of English Dr MQ Khan passed away on January 16 due to cardiac arrest. He was born on January 24, 1938.
Dr Khan has left a rich legacy behind him. He was professor and HOD of PG Department of English, Revenshaw College, Vice Chancellor, Berhampur University and was finally elevated to the rank of Professor
Emeritus of English, Revenshaw College, in1998-2000. He also taught at Angul College, BJB College, Khalikote College and was Director, Orissa State Bureau of Text Book Preparation and Production.
His academic activities and achievements were amazing. He presided as the sectional president at the Annual Conference of All India Association for American Studies and All India Association for English Studies at Trivandrum (1983), Haridwar (1985), Pune(1984), Nagpur(1986), Rajgir and Patna (1988). He was the Director of All India Seminar on Contemporary Critical Theory, 1987 and had delivered many extra mural lectures in numerous colleges and varsities and had organised innumerable important national seminars in Revenshaw College and in many varsities across the country. He was Chairman, Syllabus Committee, Board of Secondary Education , Cuttack, Chairman, Board of Conducting Examination, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar ,Member, Advisory Committee, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, Member, Orissa Wakf Board, founder-member and convener, Orissa Urdu Academy, Member, Board of Studies in English, Berhampur University.
Prof Khan had travelled extensively on academic exchange programmes and had been to Amsterdam and other places in Holland, Heidelberg University, Bikham University and other places in Germany, Belgium, Tokyo, Japan, Kualumpur, Malaysia, Moratuea, Coloumbo, California, USA, Ottawa, Canada, Mecca, Madina, Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
His monumental contribution ‘Eastern Contribution to European Renaissance’ is epoch making and has been widely acclaimed by scholars. He has also co-authored the seminal works like ‘Mysticism: A Literary Quest for Ultimate Reality’, ‘Studies in Post-Colonial Literature’, and ‘Changing Faces of Women in Indian Writing in English’. He was the founder Editor of “The Critical Endeavour,” an annual literary critical journal devoted to world literatures in English.
His book in Urdu highlights the influence of eastern civilization and Islamic culture on the western civilization. He had also attended several international conferences as key-note speaker and presented pedantic research papers in English literature. As the President of
Researchers’ Association, Odisha, he had worked for the growth and development of English language and literature in Odisha. As many as 45 research scholars have been awarded PhD under his direct supervision and guidance. Besides, a large number of teachers were still working under his guidance including two UGC research fellows and they are likely to be awarded soon.
His publications and compilations for the young students are many and varied. He is survived by his wife and three sons. Prof Khan was a deeply religious man too, who used to offer Namaz three times a day without fail, but he was not a bigot.