the 5th Yaum-e-Azadi (Independence Day) Mushaira-Kavi Sammelan here recently.
The multilingual poetry recitation program held on July 23 at spacious auditorium of The Universities, Rockville, Maryland.
The goal of this Mushaira-Kavi Sammelan activity was to provide a forum where people could get together transcending political, religious, regional and geographical boundaries promoting Ganga-Jamuni culture of the Subcontinent. Coordinator of the program Dr. Zafar Iqbal started the program greeting participants and audiences and invited presidents of participating associations Mrs. Shakila Raza of AAA and Dr Renuka Misra of GOPIO to formally welcome the audience and the participating poets. Both presidents emphasized the significance of cultural harmony and inherent desire of the community to promoting shared culture of the Subcontinent. They received thunderous applause for their short and sincere comments.
The dignitaries attending the function included Dr. Natwar Gandhi, Chief Finance Officer of the District of Columbia, presidents and office bearers of Indo-Pak organizations and community leaders. The Embassy of India was represented by Dr. Virander Paul, Minister for Press and Information and Dr. Ranbir Singh, Counselor for NRI. In his address, Dr. Paul appreciated the efforts of organizing associations to work for bringing the poets of two languages under one roof. He also said that with the help of Dr. Zafar Iqbal and Dr. A. Abdullah, he at the Embassy of India organized the first-ever Kavi Sammelan/Mushaira in June this year. He mentioned that the Embassy was very pleased with the success of that program and he was encouraged to organize similar activities in the future.
In keeping with the tradition of releasing of a recently published book, this year Ab Saher NahiN Hogi, by Uzma Sehar was selected for the event. Dr Satya Pal Anand, a well known literary personality living in this area gave a brief description of the book and the poet, Uzma, who came to USA as a child with her widowed mother Naiyar Jahan from Bangladesh soon after fall of Dhaka. He said it was amazing to see that a child who grew up in this country had such a good command over language and good grasp of the culture of the Subcontinent. Dr. Anand admired Naiyar Jahan, who collected poems from Uzma’s school note books and personal diaries and got it published posthumously. Dr Anand said it was a befitting tribute to a talented young poet jo bin khiley murjha gayi. Mrs. Naiyar Jahan, affectionately known as Naiyar Apa, the Secretary-General of Urdu Markaz International, Los Angeles, CA released the book by presenting a copy of the book to Dr. Anand.
An additional attraction of this year’s function was the release of a CD GooNgi AwazeN produced by The Urdu Markaz International, Los Angeles. The CD has nazms of six female Urdu poets living of North America. These poets have distinguished themselves by dealing with a variety of topics such as immigration, cultural harmony, changes in woman’s body with age, and ecology etc. The commentary on the CD and introduction of poets is narrated by Dr. Abdullah and poems are presented in combination of tarannum (by Nuzaira Azam) and tahet (by Dr. Abdullah) in a unique and effective way. Since Nuzaira Azam was in Chicago attending her hospitalized mother, there was no live presentation from the CD; instead the introduction of the CD and a poem by Uzma Sehar Jila Watan was played on CD player for the benefit of the audience. The presentation was very well received. Naiyar Jahan released the CD by presenting a copy to Mr. Frank Islam, Chairman and CEO of FI Investment Group.
The second session of the program was dedicated for Mushaira/Kavi Sammelan. A large number of poets representing Urdu, Hindi, Gujarati and Panjabi languages participated in the poetry recitation session, which was presided over by Mrs. Naiyar Jahan.
Those poet who participated in the function include, A. Abdulla, Akram Mahmood, Astha Naval, Aziz Qureshi, Delar Deol, Gajinder Sign Ahuja, Haris Hasan, Harvinder Kamna, Kiran Nath, Naiyar Jahan, Narendra Tandon, Natwar Gandhi, Panna Nayak, Rakesh Khandelwal, Razi Raziuddin, Saad Hadi, Satyapal Anand, Suman Vardhan, Vandana Singh, Vishaka Thakar, and Zaheer Parvez.
Sample of poetry recited at the event
Yaad jati nahin is dil se, tere jane se Naqsh mit-te nahin tasvir ke mit jane se
Is tarah dil se mere tera nikalna mushkil jaise paani ko nikale koi teh-khaane se
Hadi Syed
Mere ghar roz aati hai ek nanhi si chidiya / Dana chugti hai, aangan mein matakti hai/ Kisi ki aahat sun, Phurr se udd jati hai
Kayi baar intzaar karti hun uska/Par vo mere rehte kabhi aati hi nahi Jab jab main chup chup kar use dekhti hun
Uspe mugd hoti hunTab tab mujhe khud mien Meri maa nazar aati haiWo bhi to dekhti thi
apni dono chidiyon ko aise hi mugd hokar/wo Phurr se udd gayi hain uske aangan say
Astha Naval
Nishan – e – bay nishani bhe waheiN par choR aaya hoN Mein in aankhoN ka pani bhe waheiN par choR aaya hoN
Woh ranj – e – ra’aygani saath lanay say bhe kia hota Tere apne kahane bhe waheiN par choR aaya hoN
Nah tha mumkan keh woh dehleez apnay saath lay aata BazorgooN ke nishane bhe waheiN par chorR aaya hoN
Akram Mahmood
Chalo, parivartan ko apna-ain Har pal badhte paani me milke dubki laga-ain
Samay ki jhari dono hathon ki oak mein bhar pee lain Abhisaar ke reshmi saye mein ji lain
Daler Deol
Bhaav hain shabd kaa spersh paa jaayen ham Geet ban kar ke hothon se jhar jaayen ham
Tere haathon kee menhadee banen n banen Aalataa ban pagon men sanwar jaayen ham
Rakesh Khandelwal
Rakh dii kyun khaak pe jabiN aye dil, Tujh ko kis baat pe nadaamat thii
Jiss ko samjhay thay haadsaa barsoN, Qurb-e-mehshar kii woh alaamat thii
Hashr mein aur hogii rusvaaii, Muflisii kam koii qayaamat thii
Haris
Wo gaoN, wo gali, wo ghar yaad aata hai Chhor Aaye Hain Jahan Bachpan Wo Shaher Yaad Aata Hai
Leti hai yahaN zindagi har roz naya imtihaan BuzurgoN ki duaoN ka wo asar yaad aata hai
Vandana SinghVandana
Tere pyar meN mere humsafar, hum kahaN kahaN se guzer gae Tughe apnaa banane ki chaah meN, gum-e-do jahaN se guzer gae
Meri zindagi ek saraab thi, kaheiN manzilaoN ka gumaN na tha Tera saaya tha mera pasbaaN, hum har gumaN se guzer gae
Tu naseeb hae mere khawab ki, tu wafa shiyar rafiq hae Mere dil se aa’ee teri sadaa, hum jahaN jahaN se guzer gae
Teri har adaa meN hae dilkashi, tu sarapa noor hae dil-nasheeN Teri chaahatwoN ke suroor meN, Zaheer dil wo jaaN se guzer gae
Zaheer Parvez
watan se duur, apnoN se duur/ghair our ajnabiyoN ke beech/jab apnoN ke yaad aa jaati hai
tab, kisi tanha goshe meM ro leta huun/jaise kisee tape meM bhare manzar erase kar hooN meN/par aisa hota tou naheeN
Narendra Tandon
Rang-e-mahfil dekhta, aur unk tewar dekhta Dekhne wala magar donoN barabar dekhta
Door se to the suhane Dhol sunne ke liaye Jo paRi uftaad mujh par koi aakar dekhta
Dekhte hi dekhte pahunche sab kahaN se kahaN Eik meiN hi rah gaya bas zindagi bhar dekhta
Aziz Quraishi
Ab mauj-e-samandar toofaaN hai, baaNdhoN sey na rokaa jaaye-gaa!
Fir’aun jo baithey mahloN meiN, yey un-ko bahaa ley jaa-ye-gaa!
ab zaalim na mazloom ko’ee ab haakim na mahkoom ko’ee
ab khalq-e-Khuda ka raaj yahaaN, jo tum-bhee ho, aur maiN bhee hooN!
Razi Raziuddin
bari taizi sey badla hai zamana/ waqt key chakkar ney ham ko ek naii duniya dekhaii hai
kahaN wo apne bachpan ki kheyaali daastaneN/kahaN yeh scincy tahzeeb
jismeN bank haiN/qarzoN pe mubni ek maeeshat hai
jaha arboN key soadey computer pe hote haiN/yahan har koii uljha hua hai kagzi daulat kamaaney meN
A. Abdullah
Hindi Couplets
Yahi galiaN haiN, yahi shehr ke rastey merey Bikhrey dikhtey haiN sabhi rahoN pe chehrey merey
aaj to drishti se khali haiN, par kal sooraj thay: Chamaktey kaanch nahiN aankhoN ke heerey merey
Jeebh kaTti hai, maiN kis sandarbh meiN weh naam loon Aur yeh sambhav nahiN to is ghazal se kaam looN
Is bharey meley meiN phirta hooN maiN boraaya hua Gum huey balak sareekha, haath kiska thaam looN
Zehr hai, madira hai, aansoo haiN, ki dilka khoon hai Kuchh mujhey maaloom paR haye to main bhi jaam looN
Short Urdu poem Title: QURBANI.
Band ho ja sitaar, peechey se /Teri taanoN mein khud ko khoye huey/Taanpura jo baj raha hai, usey/ Mujh ko sunana hai/
Is haqeeqt ka/Mujh sy barH kar kisey pata hai koyi /Peechey reh kar bhi apna saara wajood/ Saari mehnat, tamaam fikr-o-amal
Khud se kuchh aagey rehney waaley par/Kaisey qurban karta rehta hai.
Satyapal Anand
Kuchh paththar jaise logon se phir sheehe jaise rishte haiN Ehsaas ke nazuk aNchal meiN hum kirchaiN chune jaate haiN
Eik eik tamanna ko dil meiN the karke hum yuN rakhte haiN Jaise maange kapReNaiyer, ghar aa ke sambhale jaate haiN
Hum deewanoN ki hajat nahiN sahraoN ki Hum ne shahroN mein hi veerane basa rakhkhe haiN
Naiyer Jahan
Picture:
(L–>R) Dr. Zafar Iqbal, Dr. A. Abdullah, Mrs. Naiyar Jahan, Dr. Satya Pal Anand, and Mr. Frank Islam.