By TCN News,
Jubail (Saudi Arabia): The Indian community in Jubail recently held a mushaira, or poetry reading, which included leading Indian politicians as guests and several outstanding poets.
The event was ‘Ek Shaam Imran Pratapgarhi ke Naam’ – An evening with Imran Pratapgarhi, organized by Arabian Spar Limited, owned by an NRI family from Siwan Bihar at Sabic Beach Camp in Jubail on January 8 evening, a release said.
Imran was at his best, delivering lyrics after lyrics nonstop for over three hours, invoking pride, dismissing aggression of every kind and challenging the marginalization of Muslims in India, with his trademark poetry, delivered in sublime melody.
Condemning the carnage at Peshawar, he made the audience cry and gave him a standing ovation with his latest lyrics ‘Tere Naam ka lai ke jhootha sahara, jinhone hai maasoom bachchon ko maara, Haqeeqat main Imaan wale nahin hain, wo Pakeeza Quran wale nahin hain …. Yun mazhab ko badnaam karte nahin hain, Mujahid to yeh kaam karte nahin hain, … Abhi keh raha hun aainda bhi kahunga, darinde hain unko darinda hi kahoonga’ (Falsely hiding behind your name, those who killed the innocent children in Peshawar, they have nothing to do with Islam and cannot be the follower of the pious Quran, Those who fight in the name of Allah cannot defame the religion like this, I am saying it today and will always say, they are devils and will always be called devils).
Accompanying Imran was Bollywood script & song writer A M Turaz of the songs ‘Tera Zikr’, ‘Udi’ and ‘Kabhi Jo Badal Barse’ fame on his maiden overseas trip, winning the heart of everyone present with piercing and thought provoking verses delivered with vigor and passion.
In between the IAS officer and well known veteran poet Akhilesh Mishra enthralled the audience with his awe-inspiring style. Reading from one of his poems, he said ‘Main karun vandana or tumhe lage ki wo naat hai’ signifying prayer is same in every religion. The ADM was all praise for the hospitability extended by the people of Saudi Arabia. Commenting on the program, he said: “I am perhaps the only non-Muslim in that gathering of 1200+, but I still felt very much at home.”
Local poets who entertained the audience with their Ghazals were Mujeeb Hyderabadi, Shiraz Mahdi Zia, and Iqbal Ahmad Qamar. Nayeem Javed presided over the event, which was assiduously conducted by Baqar Naqvi.
Abdul Bari Siddiqui, senior Rashtriya Janata Dal leader, was the chief guest at the event, Shahid Ali Khan, Janata Dal United, current Cabinet minister in Bihar government and Z Ahmed, retired senior police officer, were the guests of honor.
Arshad Siddiqui, Bihar Pradesh Janata Dal United youth general secretary, also graced the occasion. The duo Siddiqui of RJD and Khan of JDU together attended the high profile function, which can been seen as a positive sign of development of unification of Janta Parivar.
Abdul Bari Siddiqui, senior Rashtriya Janata Dal leader, from Bihar, highlighted the role of the mushaira/kavi sammelan in helping to bring people together. “Cultural bonding in a highly fractured society is the need of the hour,” he said.
Shahid Ali Khan said Mushaira & Kavi Sammelan across the ocean reflects, how much we respect our motherland and our core values and help in promotion of Urdu language.
The mushaira was the brainchild of philanthropist Shibli Siddiqui, chairman of SPAR Limited. Parvez Siddiqui, managing director of SPAR United Arab Emirates, thanked the poets, organizers and guests for the success of the programme. The duo have been organizing these events to build a strong and vibrant community of Indians in Saudi Arabia by promoting their educational, cultural, social and business aspirations.
The key members of the organizing team included Meraj Ansari, Asif Ali Siddiqui, Naseeruddin Ansari, Aziz Siddiqui, Mufeeduzzaman, Khaled Parvez, Mohammed Farooque, Abdul Haleem, Habib Shaikh, Mateen Khan, Aftab Alam and Faiz Akram Siddiqui.