The second Bazm-e-Sadaf Symposium and award ceremony in Doha sees a
congregation of finest Urdu writers from different parts of the world. By Umer Nangiana
Literature buffs gathered in great numbers to celebrate the second Bazm-e-Sadaf Symposium and award ceremony. In a grand ceremony held at Retaj Residence Al Corniche Hotel, eminent speakers and literary personalities from India shed light on aspects of Urdu literature. For the first time in Doha, the literary event featured a complete session on Dastan Goi (storytelling).
The play was organised by Bazm-e-Sadaf International and was performed by Jawaid Danish from Canada. The skit was very well appreciated by the audience. The 60-minute long play kept them captivated. It involved more than five characters with different dialects of Urdu from different parts of India. Ambassador of India to Qatar P Kumaran was the chief guest at the occasion while M S Bukhari, the chief patron of Bazm-e-Sadaf International, presided over the session.
General secretary Ahmad Ashfaq invited the dignitaries and poets on the stage. Mohd Habibun Nabi, deputy chief patron, welcomed the entire guest. The ambassador of India thanked Bukhari for inviting him to the function and that he was impressed with the level of poetry. “I learned Urdu through Arabic when I was posted in Egypt and am still trying to learn more. I congratulated the entire Bazm-E-Sadaf team for organising such an amazing function,” said the ambassador.
The programme was in three parts. In the first session, international seminar on Mahjari adab aur Urdu ki nai bastiyan (migrated Urdu literature and its new horizons), was the topic. Prof Irteza Karim (director, National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language- NCPUL) presided over the function and M S Bukhari was the chief guest.
In this session, the participants who spoke on Mahjari Adab, were prominent scholars and drama and fiction writers, Jawed Danish from Canada, Basir Kazmi from UK, Anwar Zaheer, Germany and Taslim Arif, India and from UAE, Prof Safdar Imam Qadari was the anchor for this session. Malikul Zahur Ul Islam, Aziz Katib and Hasan Abdul Kareem Chougule were guests of honour and citation for award-winners were read by Nadim Mahir and Aziz Nabil.
Prof Karim shared the latest update with minister of HRD (India) that shortly international mushairas and seminars will be arranged by NCPUL and award of Indian rupees (five hundred thousand) in literary and Urdu fields will be given. He added that Bazm-E-Sadaf International is included in the list to organise such functions.
Karim also advised that there are many other points under discussion and shortly the full details will be on the NCPUL website. He also requested M S Bukhari, chief patron, Bazm-E-Sadaf International to write a letter for accepting Qatar as a country for holding the first international function of NCPUL and requested the Indian ambassador for his support and consent.
The awards were presented at a grand ceremony. Dignitaries present were ambassador P Kumaran, Prof Irteza Karim and M S Bukhari. In this session the Bazm-e-Sadaf International Urdu Literary Award and Bazm-E-Sadaf Nai Nasal Award 2016 were presented. The 1st Annual Bazm-e-Sadaf International Award 2016 was conferred to Jawaid Danish who received a memento and a cash prize of one hundred thousand Indian rupees. The Bazm-e-Sadaf Nai Nasl Award 2016 was conferred to Dr Wahid Nazir (India) who received a memento and cash award of fifty thousand Indian rupees.
The mission of Bazm-e-Sadaf was spelled out by Shahabuddin (chairman of Bazm-e-Sadaf International) and he explained the future plans and briefed the audience the work accomplished in the last year. M S Bukhari thanked the ambassador of India for accepting their invitation and gracing the function and he expressed in his speech the standard of Urdu poetry in Doha is very high.
“People loved the poetry and from the crowds inside the venue, I could say the Urdu skit was a big hit in the function,” says Bukhari, who himself recited few couplets from the poetry of Allama Iqbal. He thanked all the guests and poets from different countries.
After the award ceremony, the international mushaira started and Nizamat was done by Anjum Barabankvi. The other poets who participated were Jawed Danish, Basir Sultan Qazmi, Safdar Imam Qadri, Wahid Nazir, Vijay Tiwari, Anwar Zaheer and Tasleem Arif.
The mushaira was attended by a large audience and enjoyed the poetry of all poets and especially by Basir Kazmi and Vijay Tiwari, whose Naat recitation was very well appreciated.
Nizamat of Anjum Brabankavi was well co-ordinated and the audience thoroughly enjoyed the poetry for all the poets and gave them full appreciation of what they deserved. Ten different organisations, involved in Urdu promotion were felicitated and mementos were given to them. All the poets were also felicitated and the mushiara concluded at 12 midnight. Mohd Habibun Nabi presented the vote of thanks, followed by dinner.


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