Sri Lankan diplomat publishes book of poems
A.L.A. Azeez, a longstanding career diplomat and Sri Lanka's former envoy to Austria and Deputy Permanent Representative at the Sri Lanka Mission to the UN, has just published a collection of 75 poems in Tamil titled "Aynthu Kandangalin Mann" (Soil from Five Continents).
The verses are described as poetic expressions of the experiences and insights gained by the author, during his visits to, and assignments in,several countries over two decades, including Austria, the US, Australia, Nepal and Switzerland. The book has been written under the name H.A. Azeez.
In the countries he had visited, Ambassador Azeez had met hundreds of people from different walks of life in places of cultural, historical or geographical importance. The poems touch on a range of themes from humanity, equal status for women, environmental protection, social inequities, reconciliation and mutual accommodation, peace and security, violence-free society, anti-corruption etc.
The book was formally launched recently at the Colombo Tamil Sangam. The guest speaker at the launch was Prof. M.A. Nuhman, who himself is both a poet and a Tamil literary critic.
Different themes of the book were commented on by Dr. Sumathy Sivamohan, Thampu Siva, Kaappiyakko Jinnah Serifudeen and Dr. Thassim Ahamed. Richard Tomlinson from the UK and Attorney at Law A.M. Faaiz introduced the author. Mohamed Raafi of 'Aprasas' music fame in the 1990's sang one of the popular Tamil songs "Sooravali" (cyclone of 1979) written by Azeez in the 1980s. A.R.M. Jiffry, a well-known Tamil media personality, conducted the book launch ceremony.
Azeez is currently serving as a Senior Director General in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in charge of EU, Commonwealth and Multilateral Treaties.