Keepers of the Faith - a love story set out in Udaipur | Book Reading and interaction with Shaukat at Seva Mandir
Keepers of the Faith is the first novel based on Udaipur... a must read and a must attend event at Seva Mandir for book lovers and social scientists, thinkers and writers.
Feb 20, 2020, 17:13 IST
A love story set in the era of social boycott within a small Shia'a community - which led to India's biggest Social Revolution
Seva Mandir, Udaipur, is conducting its first ever Book Reading and Talk Show on February 21 with Shaukat Ajmeri.
About the Author
Shaukat Ajmeri, the author of “Keepers of the Faith” was born and brought up in Udaipur and currently resides in Ontario, Canada. He was educated from Udaipur and Mumbai and did a course in Journalism. Ajmeri has worked in international newspapers in Kuwait and Dubai. Two decades ago he launched the first website on the progressive Bohra reform movement with a vision to create global awareness of the social scenario in the Dawoodi Bohra community.
“Keepers of the Faith” is his maiden venture and is a story right out from the heart of Udaipur.
"It is no easy task to survey and present a comprehensive view of the contemporary history of a close-knit Shia Muslim community to a broad public audience without compromising on the scholarly rigor demanded by the subtle nuances of that history. In an ambitious endeavor to do precisely that, Shaukat Ajmeri masterfully executes just such a task in "Keepers of the Faith", an inspiring and provocative novel. Ajmeri deserves full credit for his lucid style and thoughtful and philosophical reflections over the bewildering events that unfold. All the scenes vividly narrated come alive before the readers eyes like a beautiful tableau painted by a skillful master painter..." Ismail K. Poonawala, Professor Emeritus, Arabic and Islamic Studies, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
About the Book - "Keepers of the Faith"
“Keepers of the Faith” is a love story of two people in the 1970s from Udaipur, Akbar and Rukhsana. Their love story which begins in Udaipur transcends into separation, pain and sorrow. The pair belong to a closely knit Shia’a community in Udaipur.
The novel boldly and lucidly transforms the reader into the virtually simulated atmosphere of the early 1970s in Udaipur. Akbar and Rukhsana face twists and turns in their fortunes as their small community is exploited through the harsh and severe weapon of ex-communication (social boycott) by the high priest of the community.
This ex-communication was a result of the demands made by a large section of people of the community – demands for social and economic freedom, demands for accountability and demand for democratic administration of the community affairs, all of which are rejected by the high priest. Instead this section of the community is ex-communicated.
The protagonists of the semi-fiction, Akbar and Rukhsana are not the only ones who are affected by this. Their families, friends and innumerable members of the community are affected with similar separation and sorrow.
“Keepers of the Faith” was officially released in Udaipur at the 16th All World Dawoodi Bohra Conference on 14 February.
The Book Reading at Seva Mandir will be a public release of the book in Udaipur.
This event is a must-attend for those interested in social science and is truly mandatory for those who read and write about social revolutions, social boycott and other social evils in society at the hands of those in power – religious, economic or administrative.
Event Details:
Date: Friday , 21 February
Time: 4PM
Location: Seva Mandir Auditorium, Fatehpura, Udaipur
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