Gul Hai Ranga Rang event draws large crowd

By Abdus Sattar Ghazali

The Urdu Academy of North America's monthly literary sessions are usually dedicated to the life and work of one or two prominent Urdu poets. In this format, the Urdu enthusiasts are provided poetry of the poet to recite. However, sometimes, the Urdu Academy provides an opportunity to the Urdu lovers to recite the poetry of their choice. Such literary sessions are held under the banner of "Gul Hai Ranga Rang."

The July 19, 2013 literary event comprised of two sessions. The first session was "Gul Hai Ranga Rang" while a mini-mushaera was held in the second session. 

Zafar Afaq Ansari presided over the first session while Mohammad Sahjahan, a retired senior executive of Habib Bank, was the guest of honor.

English writer William Hazelitt says poetry is the language of the imagination and the passions. It relates to whatever gives immediate pleasure or pain to the human mind. Hazelitt also calls poetry a fiction, made up of what we wish things to be, and fancy that they are, because we wish them so, there is no other nor better reality. If poetry is a dream, the business of life is much the same. This was best reflected in the poetic selection of reciters. There was a long list of reciters in "Gul Hai Ranga Rang" which included: [Picture shows from left: Ahmar Shahwar, Zafar Afaq Ansari, Mohammad Shahjahan and Tashie Zaheer]

Afaq Ansari, Aftab Iqbal, Arvind Kumar, Abdus Sattar Ghazali, Hatim Rani, Irshad Khan, Ishaq Nagpurwala, Jawed Umerani, Kausar Saiyed, Kamal Shaney, Khalid Ahmed, Nagesh Avadhaney,  Shahzad Basir, Salma Arastu, Sarwat Jahan, Seyedeh Fashandi, Syed Misum, Moosavi, Muzaffar Warsi, Dr. Tahir Mahmood,  Talat Jabbar, Tasadduq Attari, Tashie Zaheer, Waqar Khan.

Seyedeh Fashandi perhaps stole the show with her presentation of Persian ghazal of Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi with translation in English.

Here under is poetry selection of each reciter which reflects what Hazelitt said about poetry:

Afaq Ansari (nazm Ibn e Insha - “kuch dey usey rukhsat kar”)

Aftab Iqbal (ghazal of Qateel Shifai - “ye udaas udaas thandak jo aseer hai pawan main + kaheen bijliyan na bherdey kisi gosha e chaman main”

Arvind Kumar recited a ghazal of his father Parwaz Ambalvi

Abdus Sattar Ghazali (mazahia ghazal - a parody on Ahmed Faraz's ghazal - "suna hey sab usey chashmey laga ke dekhtey hen")

Hatim Rani (ghazal of Makhdoom Mohiuddin " zindagi maution ki dhalakti lari, zindagi rang e gul ka bayaan dosto")

Ibrahim Siddiqui (nazm of Munir Niazi - "bohat hi der kar deta hoon men.")

Irshad Khan (ghazal of Shahid Mir)

Ishaq Nagpurwala (nazm of Ghulam Ali Jinan - “kab tak men tarpon maahi e be aab ki tarah”)

Jawed Umerani (ghazal  of Ghalib - "dekh to dil ke jaan se uthta hey.")

Kamal Shaney (ghazal of Mir Taqi Mir - "ulti ho gaeen sab tadbiren, kuch na dawa ne kaam kiya")

Kausar Saiyed (ghazal of Zaheer Hussayn Jafri Zaheer - “dil hey khud raaz magar waqif e har raaz bhi hey + be sada hey magar is saaz men awaaz bhi hey”

Misum Moosavi (ghazal of Saeed Shaheedi - “ab kya ghazal sunaa'on tujhe dekhne ke baad, + kaise sukoon paa'on tujhe dekhne ke baad")

Nagesh Avadhaney (ghazal of Tashie Zaheer - "ghaneem e jaan, tira hansna hansana aakhari hey"

Naseer Humayun ( ghazal of Munawwar Jamil - " kisey khabar thi keh dil ka ye haal hona tha"

Salma Arastu (nazm of Faiz Ahmed Faiz - “tum mirey paas raho”)

Sarwat Jahan (n’aat of Muzaffar Warsi - “mera to sab kuch mera nabi hey”)

Seyedeh fashandi (ghazal of Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi - "inja kasist penhan, damaan e man girifteh + khud ra sapis kashideh, peshaan e man grifteh")

Shahzad Basir (nazm of Faiz Ahmed Faiz - " iraani talab'a ke naam"

Talat Jabbar (ghazal of Ahmed Faraz - “har koi dil ki hateli pe hey sehra rakkhey + kis ko seraab karey wo kisey paisa rakkhey”

Tasadduq Attari (ghazal of Khalid Ahmed - “tark-e-taluqaat pe roya na tu na mein +  lekin ye kia ke chain se soya na tu na mein”)

Dr. Tahir Mahmood (ghazal of Farhat Ehsas -  “kabhi khuda kabhi insaan rok leta hey + men jab chaloon , koi darbaan rok leta hey” AND nazm of Zameer Jafri “men rozey se hoon”)

Waqar Khan (nazm  of Amjad Islam Amjad - "alamiah")

Urdu Academy of North America’s mini-mushaera

Bay Area, to the surprise of many Urdu lovers, is blessed with a crop of talented poets. The second session of July 19, 2013 literary event proved a show case of indigenous  poets.

Poet Tashie Zaheer presided over the mini-mushaera. Afsar Beg was the chief guest.

Poet Ahmar Shahwar was MC of the mushaera. He appeared at the Urdu Academy gathering after a long absence. However, I believe that Shahwar compensated his long absence with the introduction of a new young poet, Misum Moosvi, to the Academy. Misum Moosvi is not only an emerging thought provoking poet but captivates the audience with his melodious voice.

The poets who presented their kalam included: Mobin Khalil, Sabir Chishti, Waqar Khan, Salma Arastu, Arshad Rashid, Misum Moosvi, Salman Siddiqui, Naseer Humayun, Ahmar Shahwar and Tashie Zaheer.

The literary program ended with a vote of thanks by Nagesh Avadhaney. He particularly thanked Syed Sarwat, the owner of the Chandni Restaurant for patronizing the Urdu Academy.

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