By Syed Mussarat Khalil
Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH — Well know literary and cultural organization “Majlis-e-Ilm-o-Adab” held a literary evening with renowned Indian poet Rabab Rasheedi, Shahjahanpuri at the residence of Mohammed Mujahid Syed, founder of the organization, recently.
Rabab Rasheedi chaired the gathering. While Syed Sarfraz Ahmed a distinguished member from Tabuk community and senior poet of Saudi Arabia Dr. Naeem Hamid Ali Al-Hamid were guests of honor.
Other guests were poet Faisal Tufail, writer Mohammed Amanat ullah, Syed Tashfain, Syed Baber and Faizan.
It is an idea of Majlis-e-Ilm-o-Adab to promote literary abilities in young children therefore, teenagers Syed Mubisher, Syed Mohsin Tashfeen and Syed Mohammed Tashfeen recited few verses from Holy Qur’an while Syed Mustafa Faizan, Syed Tariq and Sayada Marzieh offered Naat before the start of the program.
Mujahid Syed welcomed guests and participants. He gave a brief introduction of Rabab Rasheedi.
He said Rasheedi was born in 1940 in Shahjahan district of India. His real name was Salman Ahmed. His father was Hakim Ghulam Ali Jilani. He started writing poetry around 1954 under the supervision of noted poet Rasheed Rampuri.
He highly appreciated his efforts for promoting Urdu poetry and language in India.
Dr. Naeem Hamid Ali and Faisal Tufail presented their ghazals and were greatly applauded.
In his speech, Rabab Rasheedi discussed in detailed about the descent of Urdu literature and indicated the reasons for the decline of Urdu in India. He said nowadays mushaira (poetry evening) are becoming commercial in India which are damaging the actual promotion of Urdu literature.
“Literary sittings are becoming extinct, he said as another reason for the decline in Urdu literature. In fact poets and writers are inspired by literary gathering and mushaira (poetry evenings) and these events encouraged them. But their numbers are dwindling,” said Rasheedi.
He praised the devotion and commitments of Mujahid Syed for providing a lively platform to scholars, poets and writers in Saudi Arabia.
