Members of the organisation release their annual souvenir at the festival.

By Umer Nangiana


One of the oldest literary community organisations in town, Bazm-e-Urdu Qatar recently hosted its 13th International Seminar on Nazm (poem), Annual Mushaira (poetry symposium) and Bait Bazi (a verbal game based on Urdu poetry).
The two-day literary festival started with the international seminar on December 10 and ended with the mushaira on December 11 at Sapphire Plaza Hotel.
The programme was presided over by MS Bukhari, the Managing Director SATCO Group and the chief patron of Bazm-e-Urdu. Renowned poet and scholar from India, Professor Irteza Karim was the chief guest, while Professor Safdar Imam Quadri and Habibun Nabi (deputy chief patron) were the guests of honour.
Professor Karim and Professor Quadri delivered a lecture on Nazm and its contribution to the richness of Urdu literature. In their lectures, the two elaborated the socio-cultural impact that poems have on society.
Professor Karim is the Head of Department of Urdu at the University of Delhi and the General Secretary at R-S Gandhi Research Institute, where he works to promote the Urdu language and literature. He has published more than 150 research papers on different topics.
Professor Quadri is an educationist, teaching at the College of Commerce at Magadh University Patna, and has supervised multiple students in their doctorate and post-doctorate research.
Bukhari is a successful businessman, a well-known social worker and Urdu lover. He is also the patron of many literary and social organisations. Speaking at the occasion, he said he was feeling proud to see so many Urdu intellectuals gathered together.
The idea of Bait Bazi at the festival came from Bukhari and was aimed at involving the audience with the poets. Captain Nasser al-Suvaidi and Faisal Hudawi from the Ministry of Interior graced the evening as special guests.
The guest poets who attended the annual mushaira included Professor Safdar Imam Quadri, Amjad Sarwar, Shafiq Akhtar, Fartash Syed, Aziz Nabeel, Syed Ahmed Ashfaq, Nadeem Mahir, Ijaz Haider, Ferzana Safdar, Qaisar Masood, Ashfaq Deshmukh, Zawar Hussain, Reza Hussain, Athar Zia, Sadat Ali, Tahir Jamil, Raqim Azmi, Anwar Kareem and Wasi Ahmed Wasi.
Bazm-e-Urdu’s annual magazine and its quarterly Urdu publication Sadaf were also released during the festival.
Established in 1959, Bazm is one of the oldest Urdu literary organisations of Qatar with members from India, Pakistan, Nepal and other countries. The organisation has played a key role in the promotion of Urdu language and literature in Qatar.
From 1991, the forum has been holding objective seminars on legendary maestros, such as Mir (1991), Iqbal (1992), Ghalib (1993), Afsana (1994), Amir Khusro (1995), Mir Anis (1996), Akbar Allahabadi (2003), Hali (2006), Zauq (2007), Nazir Akbarabadi (2009) and Bahadur Shah Zafar (2011).