By Bushra Alvi Razzack for TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: The 51st edition of Shankar Shad Mushaira, an annual meet of poets from India and Pakistan, will be held here on March 05, 2016 at the Sir Shankar Lall Hall, Modern School, Barakhamba Road.
This unique Mushaira, a one of the oldest and most prestigious Mushairas in India will be organised by Shankar Lall-Murli Dhar Memorial Society close on the heels of three major Urdu events in Delhi – the Jashn-e-Bahar Mushaira, Jashn-e-Rekhta Urdu festival, and the Jashn-e-Jamhooriyat Mushaira – all held in February 2016.
The Shankar-Shad Mushaira, which has over time carved a niche among poets and Urdu poetry aficionados, is an initiative of DCM Shriram Industries Limited and has been promoting Urdu Mushaira as a genre of literature and the art of oration since 1953. This annual get-together is a legacy to commemorate the memory of Sir Shankar Lall and Murli Dhar of the DCM Conglomerate, who were known for their contribution to the social, educational and cultural life of New Delhi and patrons of Urdu poetry.
Dr Rakhshanda Jalil, Member, Governing Board, Shankar Shad Mushaira said that this Mushaira which is also known as Indo-Pak Mushaira, has continued even when relations between the two countries have varied between frosty and tempestuous.
“India and neighbouring Pakistan share a common base of culture and literature and what better way to spread the message of love and peace as well as to strengthen ties than through a literary medium”, Jalil said.
Talking about the annual fiesta, Madhav B. Shriram, Chairman, Shankar Lall-Murli Dhar Memorial Society and Director, DCM Shriram Industries Limited said, “The rich and vibrant culture of Delhi was dominated by Urdu for 500 years and I believe Urdu is more than just a language; it is a culture in itself. This language and culture in its entirety along with the art of oration need to be preserved and nurtured against the face of extinction.”
“ In recent years, we have seen the revival of the language on a big scale with various literary festivals and events that are being organized and are delighted that we have been able to contribute in keeping a small slice of this tradition alive through our endeavour of the Shankar-Shad Mushaira,” Shriram added.
Many renowned Urdu poets from both the countries are expected to grace this year’s poetical evening. Some of these are Pirzada Qasim (Karachi), Kishwar Naheed (Islamabad), Amjad Islam Amjad (Lahore), Aziz Nabeel (Doha Qatar), Abdullah Sahib (USA) and Farhat Shahzad (NJ, USA) along with celebrated poets from India; Javed Akhtar (Mumbai), Anwar Jalalpuri (Lucknow), Munawwar Rana (Lucknow), Prof. Waseem Barelvi (Bareilly), Dr. Popular Meeruti (Meerut), Iqbal Ashhar (Delhi), Dr. Gauhar Raza (Delhi), Iffat Zarrin (Delhi), Nawaz Deobandi (Deoband), Kunwar Ranjit Chauhan (Delhi), Dr. Malikzada Manzoor Ahmad (Lucknow) and Bekal Utsahi (Balrampur).