By Zafar Iqbal
The annual mushaira organized by the Aligarh Alumni Association of Metropolitan Washington (AAA) has become a literary and cultural icon of the area. This event attracts a large number of Urdu connoisseurs from Maryland, Virginia and nearby states. More than 700 people came to listen their favorite poets from India, Pakistan and North America at the 33rd annual mushaira held in spacious auditorium of a High School in Gaithersburg, Maryland on 3rd November 2007. It must be very pleasing for the AAA workers to see the ever growing popularity of the Washington mushaira. The poets who participated in this year’s mushaira included Haneef Akhgar, Rahat Indori, Khwamakhah Hyderabadi, Zakia Ghazal, Akhtar Shumar, A. Abdullah, Shoeb Qidwai, Shahida Kazmi, Akram Mahmood, Qamar Kazmi, Razi Raziuddin, and Zaheer Parvez. Himayat Ali Shayer and Sabiha Saba could not come due to certain unavoidable circumstances.
[Photo: L–>R Maqbool Kazmi, Professor Tirmizi, Zakia Ghazal, Shoeb Qidwai, A. Abdullah, Haneef Akhgar (on microphone), Masood Farshori, Akhtar Shumar, Akram Mahmood, Shahida Kazmi, Rahat Indori, and Khwamakhwah Hyderabadi.]
The AAA president-elect, Dr. Fazal Khan invited Dr. Ayub Yusufi to start the program with recitation from Holy Quran. Dr. Rahat Khan, association’s preseident welcomed the poets and audience. Chief guest Professor Masoom Ali Tirmizi, former vice-chancellor of Karachi University reminisced about his days as a student and then a teacher at Aligarh Muslim University. Ever green nazim, Dr. A. Abdullah conducted the mushaira with Janab Haneef Akhgar presiding it.
Haneef Akhgar, a very well known and senior poet in North America, writes classical poetry and recites with mesmerizing voice. A sample of his presentation:
Is tarah ahed-e-tamanna ko guzare jaeey
Unko khamoshi ke lahje meiN pukare jaeey
Dekhiye ruswa na ho jae kahin rasm-e-junooN
Apne deenwane ko ek patthar to mare jaeey
ChaRhte sooraj ke pujari, kal key sooraj ko na bhool
Who bhi sooraj thaa, utrs, chaRha, utra gaya.
Rahat Indori has been participating in mushaira at international level for long time. He senses the pulse of the audience and knows how to convey the message with voice and actions.
Yeh qainchian hameN uRne se khaak rokeiN giN
Ki ham paroN se nahiN hausloN se uRte haiN.
Khusk daryaon mein halki si rawani aur hai
Ret ke neeche abhi thoRa paani aur hai.
Jo dar badar the who deewaroN ke maalik ho gaye
Mere sab darban, darbanoN ke maalik ho gaye
Jo aaj sahib-e-masnad haiN, kal nahiN hoN ge
Kirayedar haiN zaati makan thoRi hai
Sabhi ka khoon shamil hai yahanN ki miTTi meiN
Kisi ke baap ka Hindustan thoRi hai
zindagi kiya hai khud hi samach jaao gey
baarishoN maiN patangen uraaya karo
khauf bikhra hai dono simtoN main
teesri simt ka dabaao hai kiya
Humor and satire are an integral part of Urdu literature and Khwamakhwah Hyderabadi knows it well how to keep the audience involved and still convey the trials and tribulations of life.
Hamari zindagi go ranj aur gham se ibarat hai
Magar khushioN se moonh moR lena himaqat hai
Zarafat khwamakhwah fun hi nahiN hai, ek saadat hai
Hansa kar gham kisi ke baanT lena bhi ibadat hai
Na hoti gar naee tahzeeb to kitna maza aata
Jo chal jaati meri tarkeeb to kitna maza aata
Meri qismat meiN eik biwi aur do saaseN haiN
Ulat jaati joy eh tarteeb to kitna maza aata
Zakia Ghazal’s poetry is as appealing as her voice. The audience enjoys her style of recitation with interest.
Woh dosti meiN Ghazal hadd se gir gae lekin
MaiN dushmani ko nibha kar bhi apni hadd mein hooN
PaRh likh kar mere des ke beTe des meiN the bekaar
Apne des meiN jo roTi milti kyoN aate is paar
Akhtar Shumar participated in AAA mushaira for the first time and he impressed the audience with his poetry.
Yaa apne paoN par mujhe girne se rok de
Ya meri laghzishoN ko ibadat shumar kar
Kaash umr-e-rawaN Thaher jaey
Koee muR muR ke dekhta hai mujhe
Shoeb Qidwai has been writing poetry for a long time, but he rarely participates in mushaira. He has a deep insight into life.
DoosroN se juda chalan apna
Shaikh apna na Brahman apna
Jaane kal us pe kis ka qabza ho
Koh apna, na hai daman apna
Akram Mahmood’s poetry reflects emotions of life.
ChhoRna ho ga zamane bhar ko tere waste
Aur mere paas phir tu bhi kahaN rah jae ga
It is always a pleasure to listen to host poets that included A. Abdullah, Shahida Kazmi, Razi Raziuddin, Qamar Kazmi and Zaheer Parvez .
The event concluded with a vote of thanks by the AAA Secretary, Masood Farshori. An encouraging sign regarding increasing popularity of Urdu was noticed by the demand of books and CDs of participating poets and recordings of previous years’ mushairas. The Washington community is pleased to have the privilege of participating in these literary events.