Saeed Haider

Saudi Gazette

 

Khul ke milney ka saleeqa aapko aata nahi

Aur mere paas koi chor darwaza nahi

(You don’t have the etiquettes of meeting with an open heart; And my heart does not have a secret door)



A TRUE punch on the hypocrisy, artificiality and dishonesty of the present society reflects in the verse by legendary Urdu poet from India, Waseem Barelvi, and it set the tone of the International Mushaira (poetic session) held in Al-Khobar last week to pay tribute to the Poet-Philosopher of the East, Allama Sir Mohammed Iqbal.



Organzied by the Human Abilities Development & Advancement Foundation (HADAF), the Mushaira was a befitting tribute to Allama Iqbal, as it was conducted in a true Urdu tradition with a fine blend of Awadhi (Perso-Arabic dialect) and Deccani (Urdu dialect of Deccan Plateau) culture.  Although the organizers opted for only select poets from the Indian subcontinent and a couple of local renowned poets, the Mushaira was carried into the wee hours of next day with an audience of nearly 600 people glued to their seat, showering loud praises of wah wah (bravo, great, wow), Subhan Allah (Glory to God) and Muqarrar Irshad (Please recite again).



Set in the backdrop of the Arabian Gulf beside Half Moon Beach, the Mushaira created a perfect ambience of romanticism and surrealism. Safi H. Jannaty, member of the governing council of HADAF, welcomed the audience and highlighted the purpose and motto of HADAF in organizing the Mushaira. He gave a brief description of HADAF and its role in the growth and development of human mind and abilities. He also listed the achievements of HADAF. Safi introduced all the poets and invited them on the stage.



Shiraz Mehdi Syed, member of the governing council of HADAF and a popular young poet who conducted the Mushaira, initiated the proceedings with his own poem. His couplets, “Woh jis may dekh kay kul shakhsiyat sanwar jai; Woh ankh kaii ayinon say behtar hai (The thing in which the whole personality gets brightened; That eye is better than many mirrors) and; Faiz tinkey say bhi mil jai toh nemat jaano; ek bhi aankh khuli ho to ghanimat jano (If you get something from a tiny element, it is a blessing; It suffices even if just one person has open eyes) set the ball rolling. While conducting the Mushaira, Shiraz interacted with the audience seamlessly and punctuated his invitation to the poets with subtle humor and a eulogy to the poet.



The first to be invited was Baqar Naqvi a, young poet from Jubail whose poetry is in line with the classical tradition of great poets like Nazeer Akbrabadi, Faiz Ahmad Faiz and Ahmad Faraz. His words were simple and easy to understand for the younger generation, which is not ingrained in classical literature, but at the same time hits the very basic chord of human existence:



“Bhook mujh say sawaal karti hai; Tu ne school mein padha kya;”

(Hunger questions me; what did you study in the school)

Jin mein insaniyat ka daras nahi; Unn kitabon se faida kya

(which do not give the lessons of humanity; what is the use of those books).

Sohail Saquib, a poet hailing from Karachi and well known in Saudi Arabia, then took the stage. His mild demeanor was in total contrast to his poem when he said: “Baat sach hai to sar ankhon pe lekin; Hum ghalat baat gawara nahi karte sahib

(Truth we accept with all humility; But could not tolerate sir unjust and unfair assertions”)

His couplet, “Nazar kaise milaon patharon se; Tabiyat mil gai sheesha garon se”, truly reflected his rebellion with the pseudo and hypocritical norms of the existing society.



Iqbal Ashhr, a popular Indian poet, mesmerized the audience with his disarming smile and extremely subtle sarcasm.



A very strong proponent of classical Urdu poetry, Ashar was in absolute communion with the audience.



He brought the audience under his spell with his unique style and pun. With just few couplets the entire hall was at his command.



He brought the audience to its feet when he recited: “Sitam to yeh ki hamari saffon mein shamil hein; chiragh bujhte hi khaima badalne wale log” (The tragedy is that those people are on our side; who change sides in the darkness of nights).



The political relevance of this couplet in Indian context has actually universal value and a deep historical background.



His couplet, “Na janey kitne chiraghon ko roshni mil gai; ek aftab ke bewaqt doobJane par”, narrated the tragedy of our time when vested interest takes precedence in every walk of life.



He described the dilemma of human mind and the uncertainty borne out of the materialistic world when he said: “Ab is tazabzub se thak chukka hoon; ab ek taraf hona chahta hoon; Ke muddaton se wajood mera na dhoop mein hai na chaon mein”



Through his couplet, “Who shakhs ek hi lamhe mein toot photo gaya; Jisse taraash raha tha mein ek zamane se”, he reflected the human agony and the brutality of the existing society.



The audience never wanted him to finish. On popular demand and calls for encores Iqbal Ashar finally recited his famous Urdu Nazm (thematic poem) “Urdu”, which was more in the form of elegy (Marsiah) in which he lamented the gradual fall of Urdu, which once produced great poets like Ghalib, Mir, Dagh and Iqbal.



To break the serious atmosphere created by Iqbal Ashar, Shiraz invited Sirdar Asr, a master of satire and humor from Hyderabad. Sirdar is a lecturer of English literature in a reputable college in Hyderabad and primarily writes poetry in English. But on this day he regaled the audience with his Urdu verses that sliced through the thick, somber atmosphere created by the earlier poet. He got the audience to erupt into rapturous laughter, and enthralled the audience with his Deccani dialect of Urdu.



Although on the face of it most of his poems were satirical and humorous but their soul was tinged with tragic reflection of a decaying society. The audience enjoyed the most was: “Woh Chahe Joota ho ke belan; hamari ahliya pakke nishaani wali hai” (My wife has an excellent aim ; be it shoe or a wooden roller to roll dough).



Now the stage was all set for a musical feast without any instruments. Audience were all ears to listen to the melodious Tahir Faraz, who he created near pandemonium with his famous Nazm “Bahut Khoobsurat Ho Tum” (You are very beautiful).



On the other hand, he brought tears to many eyes with his extremely emotional poem (Nazm) “Mai” (an eulogy to mother). He was one poet who appealed to the young, elderly, males and females alike. An extremely popular poet, he narrated poems that would evoke emotive empathy from the crowd as he understood the pulse of his audience.



However, his couplet, “Tumhe ajnabi sheharon mein milgaye apne; Humein watan mein koi humwatan nahi milta”, expressed the eternal loneliness in a materialistic urban population.



The entrance of Waseem Barelvi was the moment the entire audience had been waiting for. Shiraz, amid thunderous applause, invited the epitome of classical Urdu poetry who has fought all his life to retain the soul of classical literature — Barelvi — to the centerstage.



He started with a message of unity and a world without any boundaries lambasting people who try to divide the land.



“Zameen to jaisi hai waisi hi rehti hai; Lekin Zameen bantne wale badalte rehte hain” (The land always remains as it is; but, the people who divide them keep changing)



He portrayed the agony and miseries of life and the spreading corruption in society when he recited his couplet: “Kitni gunahgaar hai raaton ki zindagi; Dekho kissi chiragh ki ankhon maein jhank kar.”



Some of his couplets, which shook the audience to the core, were: Khul ke milne kas saleeqa aap ko ata nahi; aur mere paas koi chor darwaza nahi  “Mein uss se nazarein milate hoye bhi darta hoon; ki ankhon ankhon mein who zehan padhne lagta hai”. (I fear to look into his eyes; as he reads me through looks)



“Ja dikha duniya ko mujh ko kya dikhata hai ghuroor; Tu samandar hai to ho, mai to magar pyaasa nahi” (Go and show your pride to the world; You might be an ocean, but, I am not thirsty)



Mujhe junoon tha heera tarshne ka to phir; Koi bhi raah ka pathar youn utha liya maine”



“Jale to haath magar haan hawaa ke hamlon se; Kisi chiraagh ki lau ko bacha liya maine”



The audience wanted Barelvi to continue reciting his Ghazals and Nazm but time constraints brought the curtain down on the event.



But before the conclusion, the president of the Mushaira, Nayeem Javed, recited his poem, which spoke of the ills in which Muslim society lives.

 

Asre hazir ka shahkar

insaan hoon, mera israar hai mai musalmaan hoon;

Maine boodhon ki aah-bukaah bhi suni, bebsaon bekasi ki sadaa bhi suni;

Gaahe maqtool ki iltejaah bhi suni, Daastan-e-alam sunke anjaan hoon;

Mera Israar hai mai musalman hoon



(I am masterpiece of the contemporary world, I insist that I am a Muslim, I have heard the cries of old people, I have heard the feeble voice of the oppressed, I have heard the appeal from the execution stand, Yet, I am silent and indifferent, I insist that I am a Muslim).



Earlier, Barelvi released the souvenir marking the International Mushaira in memory of Allama Iqbal. The organizers also honored people with awards for their social work and promotion of Urdu literature. Those awarded were Meraj Ansari, Anis Bakhsh from Jubail; Ghouse Mohiuddin from Khafji, Mirza Zaheer Baig and Rasheque Ahmed from Dammam.



HADAF also acknowledged the dedication of Aslam Baquer, a Bahraini national for his painstaking work in converting and preserving the expansive work of Allama Iqbal in digital format.



Shoaib Nagrami, was presented with the “Life Time Achievement Award”. Earlier Nayeem Javed, founder of HADAF, emphasized the need to understand and put into practice the philosophy of Iqbal to improve one’s personality and achieve higher goals and places in society. He narrated incidents as to how Iqbal influenced Western rulers and intellectuals using the examples from the life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).



Mohammed Asgharuddin, vice president of HADAF, stressed the need of the Muslim community to aim for higher positions in the Indian Administrative Services and reflected on the plans HADAF has drawn to provide them financial and moral support. He announced that the main goal of HADAF is to identify hidden talents in the community and support them.



HADAF also acknowledged the contribution and support of all of its sponsors and recognized Saudi Gazette, Hasoub, Khalifa Advertising Agency, Focus Softnet Solutions, Red Tag, Azmeel Travels, Atlas Travels, Mohammed Ahmed Malabari Est. and Tala during the event.