Urdu lovers mesmerised by contemporary poetry

A variety of known and young Urdu poets from different countries recently enthralled the audience at City Centre Rotana Doha. The 24th annual International Urdu Mushaira (poetic symposium), organised by Majlis-e-Frogh-e-Urdu Adab (MFUA) Qatar, once again gave an opportunity to the Urdu lovers living in Qatar to enjoy and appreciate the works of contemporary poets. Hundreds of people from Indian and Pakistani communities in Qatar attended the event and relished the creative, inspiring and spell-bounding poetry.Shabib Bin Arar al-Noaimi, Director at Qatar Poetry Centre, Diwan ul Arab, and Kaltham Abdul Rehman Mohammad, Section Head of Culture Department at Ministry of Culture, were the chief guests at the event. Professor Dr Tehsin Firaqi, Professor Shafey Kidwai, and Professor Abbas Tabish were the guests of honour. Professor Dr Pirzada Qasim, Vice Chancellor of Ziauddin University Karachi and a known poet, presided over the event.In the first session, MFUA presented its 22nd annual Almi Frogh-e-Urdu Adab Award to two prominent men of letters, including Professor Dr Mazhar Mahmood Shairani, from Pakistan, and Syed Muhammad Ashraf, from India, for their long time services for the promotion of Urdu language and literature.The organisers also presented special awards to notable personalities in Qatar for their outstanding services for the promotion of Urdu language, literature and poetry. The awardees included, Hassan Abdul Karim Chougule, Chairman of Anjuman Mohibban-e-Urdu Hind Qatar; Saif-ur-Rehman, In-charge of Qatar Urdu Radio Service; Azim Abbas, Chairman of Karwan-e-Urdu Qatar; and Kamran Rehmat, Editor Community, Gulf Times.The poets who recited their poetry on the occasion included, Tahir Faraz, Manzar Bhopali, and Abrar Kashif from India; and Dr Tehsin Firaqi, Professor Abbas Tabish, Shakil Jazib, Syed Suleman Gilani, and Dr Fartash Syed. Other poets included, Ehsan Shahid from UK;, Khalid Sajjad Ahmed from Kuwait; and Atiq Anzar, Farzana Safdar, and Roase Mumtaz from Qatar.Mohammad Atiq, Chairman Board of Patrons MFUA, while welcoming the gathering said, “We have dedicated the mushaira to late Mushtaq Ahmad Yusufi, a legendary writer, scholar, satirist and humourist from Pakistan, who passed away on June 20, 2018. We are especially thankful to HE Salah bin Ghanim bin Nasser al-Ali, Minister of Culture and Sports, Qatar, as he and his staff extended their full support in organising this event.”Remembering Yusufi, he said, “Yusufi was a patron of MFUA. He was a source of inspiration and guidance for us. We have dedicated this mushaira to his name for his invaluable service to Urdu language and literature. I appreciate the award jury committees in India and Pakistan. My team and Urdu lovers in Qatar have also contributed a lot in making this event happen.”M S Bukhari, a noted Indian businessperson and social worker in Qatar, said, “I appreciate the audience for making the event successful every year. I congratulate the organising committee for holding the mushaira for 24 years. I also extend my gratitude to the jury committees for nominating jewels of Urdu literature for the awards every year. I especially appreciate Azim Abbas for he has been associated with BFUA for a long time.”Hafiq Junaid Ahmed Sial, Community Welfare Attaché at Embassy of Pakistan, said, “I have regularly been attending the events of MFUA. For me, attending the poetic symposiums is itself a very positive activity. Listening to the creative ideas of the poets activates positive energy in us. The educational and literary activities provide us opportunities for our catharsis. It is very encouraging to see that the audience have gathered here in large numbers just to express their love for Urdu. There are many languages that are fast fading away. In this time, the mergence and growth of Urdu as one of the most prominent language in our region is very encouraging. I congratulate the award recipients and the organisers of the mushaira.”Talking to Community, Rashid Manika, who hails from Pakistan and has been working in Qatar for seven years, said, “Earlier I had no interest in Urdu poetry. Since I started attending MFUA mushaira three years ago, I have developed an interest in it. I am very happy to see and meet different well-known poets from India and Pakistan. It is really a treat to listen them live.”