The Indian Panorama

Tag: Dr. A. Abdullah

  • Aligarh Alumni Association-Metro Washington Organized 15th Annual Yaum-e-Azadi Mushaira-Kavi Sammelan

    Aligarh Alumni Association-Metro Washington Organized 15th Annual Yaum-e-Azadi Mushaira-Kavi Sammelan

    Dedicated to the memory of Dr. Sofia Abdullah

    Poets and organizers

    ARLINGTON, VA (TIP): “Events like this not only serve as platforms for poets to share their work but also contribute to the preservation and promotion of languages and their poetic traditions. They help bridge the gap between generations and cultures by showcasing the timeless beauty of Urdu and Hindi poetry,” said Mr. Jag Mohan, Minister for Community Affairs, Embassy of India. Mr. Jag Mohan was inaugurating the Fifteenth Annual Mushaira-Kavi Sammelan on Sunday, September 20, 2023 at the Central Library in Arlington Virginia. He expressed his appreciation for the organizers of such a unique literary event. Along with Minister Jag Mohan, Ms. Aditi Walunj ji, First Secretary at the Embassy stayed for the entire program.

    The Aligarh Alumni Association, Washington DC (AAA-DC) started the annual Mushaira-Kavi Sammelan program to celebrate the Independence Day (Yaum-e-Azadi) program with the collaboration of Global Organization of People of Indian Origin of Metropolitan Washington (GOPIO-Metro) in 2008. The Mushaira Kavi Sammelan is a wonderful cultural event that brings together poets and enthusiasts of both languages to showcase their literary talents and celebrate the Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb. This annual event has become a hallmark of cultural activities in the Metro Washington area and its increasing popularity is evident by the number of community organizations joining hands. It is very gratifying to see that other community organizations are also supporting this program. This year, three more associations, namely the Association of Indian Muslims (AIMS), the Hyderabadi Association Washington Metro Area (HAWMA), the Montgomery Nawabs, and the American Society of Science Engineering & Technology (ASSET) supported the event. The Embassy of India has been supporting the event since its inception. The Embassy also hosted the First Bilingual Poetry recitation program with the AAA-DC and Metro-GOPIO in 2011.
    A rich tribute was paid to Dr. Sofia Abdullah, one of the founding members of the AAA-DC and the wife of Dr. A. Abdullah. She had been a strong motivator and supporter of the Association throughout her life. Dr. Sofia Abdullah died on 15th August 2023.

    The program started with a brief introduction of the Aligarh Alumni Association by its president, Ms. Aisha Khan. She apprised the audience about the motive behind its establishment, which was started in 1975 with the main objective of providing financial assistance for education to the needy and meritorious students associated with the University. Along with this, one of the objectives was to connect the South-Asian community in America through art and culture.
    On behalf of the GOPIO-DC, its founder president Dr Renuka Misra welcomed the audience and said that we have been doing a combined program of Mushaira-Kavi Sammelan since its inception 14 years ago.
    An important aspect of this annual event is to recognize local literary figures by providing a platform to showcase their work.  Several poets and authors in the past have released their books on our programs. Some of them are Professor Satyapal Anand, Professor Asghar Wajahat, Dr. A. Abdullah, Dr. K. Mohan, Mr. Raj Kumar Qais, Mr. Anadi Naik, Dr. Astha Naval, Mr. Dhananjaya Kumar Mrs. Rashmi Sanan, Mrs. Daler Deol Aashna, and Mr. Surender Deol, Dr. Salman Akhtar, Professor Gopichand Narang, and Surinder Deol to mention a few of them.

    The Mushaira and Kavi Sammelan were presided over by retired Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer Dr. Ashok Narayan who is based in the Washington DC area now.

    Poets who presented their poetry were; A. Abdullah, Abdur Rahman Siddiqi, Anees Chaudhary, Ashok Narayan, Astha Naval, Aziz Qureshi, Daler Deol Aashna, Gulshan Madhur, Jamal Qadri, Kiran Nath, Madhu Maheshwari, Marghub Alam, Mohammed Akbar, Narendra Tandon, Preethi Govindaraj, Razi Raziuddin, Sabiha Saba. Sarwar Iqbal, Sukesh Chopra, Vandana Singh, Vinita Tiwari. Vishakha Thakar, and Yusuf Rahat, Senior poets of the Metropolitan Washington area Abdur Rahman Siddiqi, Ashok Narayan, Aziz Qureshi, Sarwar Iqbal, and Gulshan Madhur were felicitated for their valuable contributions to literature.

    Afzal Usmani did the nizamat of the poetry recitation session with remarkable literary skill. His interjection of appropriate poetry while introducing poets was very effective. Aslam Azad, President-Elect of AAA-DC, thanked the participating poets, volunteers, and the audience for their support. He also appreciated the cooperation of the Arlington Central Library for providing the venue for literary activities.

    Dr. Zafar Iqbal (iqbal.zafar1509@gmail.com) coordinated the program.

    Audience

     

  • Baad Muddat ke Yeh Ghari Aayee: on Aligarh Alumni Association Eid celebration

    Baad Muddat ke Yeh Ghari Aayee: on Aligarh Alumni Association Eid celebration

    Audience

    MARYLAND (TIP): The Aligarh Alumni Association, Washington DC, organized an Eid Milan Party on 6th May 2023 after a hiatus of over three years. The community could not meet in person due to Covid-related health regulations. The Eid Milan party provided an excellent opportunity to foster a feeling of community and friendship. It was a very well-attended event, with families coming from far distances.

    The party was held at Bohrer Park, Gaithersburg, Maryland–a popular venue in Metropolitan Washington. The ballroom was beautifully decorated with colorful banners, balloons, ribbons, lanterns, and flowers, giving a festive look to the event. Excellent lighting and sound systems enhanced the overall ambiance of the party.

    The program started with a recitation from the Holy Quran, followed by a welcome speech by the Association’s president, Ms. Aisha Azim Khan. She thanked and reminded the audience about the Eid Milan events the Association used to organize in the past, emphasizing children’s participation. It was considered important to familiarize children with our heritage, language, and culture. She was pleased to note that many of those kids are now adults, and some now contribute to the scholarship program.

    The audience witnessed an emotional display of affection and love for their Alma Mater by alumni in a chorus rendition of the famous Aligarh AMU Tarana Yeh Mera Chaman Hai led by Masood Farshori.

    The Emcee of the event, Afzal Usmani, briefed the audience about the history of the Association and its role in community building as well as doing charitable work, especially the scholarship program at Aligarh Muslim University, India. “The Association is a non-political, non-profit, tax-exempt, charitable, educational, social, and cultural organization striving for educational upliftment of deserving underprivileged students and to foster cultural values of the Subcontinent in North America,” he said. He also apprised the audience that AAA-DC took a bold step to change the name of Aligarh Old Boys to Aligarh Alumni Association. Another first begun by the Association was the establishment of International Mushaira in the Western Hemisphere. This annual mushaira tradition has continued for over four decades in the Metro Washington area, and other Aligarh Alumni in North America are organizing such events.

    It was impressive and heart-warming to see the special recognition of the founding members of the Association. The Association was started in a meeting held in 1975 at the home of the late Mr. Tufail Ahmed. The founders present in tonight’s event were Dr. Abdullah, Mr. Azim Khan, Mrs. Aisha Khan, Mr. Tariq Farooqi, Mrs. Farzana Farooqi, and Mrs. Salma Ahmad (wife of Late Tufail Ahmad, founding president of the Association in 1975). In addition, the Association acknowledged current office bearers, the organizing committee, members of the core group, volunteers, and supporters of the Association.

    It was pleasing to see the active participation of children under 14 in games arranged for them. Hafiz Salahuddin and Aminah received prizes as the winner and runner-up in these games.

    There were several musical and cultural performances. Khursheed Bilgirami, Karamat Ali, and Mohammad Hamid entertained the audience with beautiful music singing everlasting songs and ghazals. Dr. A. Abdullah recited a poem on Eid and Masood Farshori recited Bekal Utsahi’s famous nazm Taj Mahal and Dlawar Figar’s humorous nazm Ishq ka Parcha in his style. The guests enjoyed a sumptuous dinner with a variety of dishes, including sewain (vermicelli)—a traditional sweet dish on Eid.
    (Report by Afzal Usmani and Zafar Iqbal. Dr. Iqbal can be reached at raabta.india@gmail.com and 240-328-0162)

    A group of children at the celebration
    A group of volunteers

  • Annual Sir Syed Day Annual International Mushaira held using Zoom technology last Sunday, 21st November

    “Thaekzamana ki sab chaand tare apne the”

    Remembering the old days, chief guest Dr. Salman Akhtar recited a portion of his ghazal at the international Sir Syed Day mushaira using Zoom technology on Sunday, 21st November 2021. Salman—a psychiatrist by profession-belongs to the family of literary giants. He has authored more than one hundred books on diverse topics in Urdu and English. Following is a portion of the poetry he recited:

    Qusoor jitney bhi the vohhamareapne the          FarebkhaehaiNjin se vohsaareapne the

    Zamin pe haqnaraha, aasmaN ki kiyakahiyeThaekzamana ki sab chaand tare apne the

    Jo baatchhupaeehai sab se                                      Voh un se chhupaanimushkilhai

    Bahar ki kahaniasaanhai                                           Under ki kahani mushkil hai.

     The Aligarh Alumni Association-DC (AAA-DC) started the tradition of mushaira in the United States in 1975. It gained popularity with time. Sister Aligarh Alumni Associations and other literary organizations in the USA and Canada followed it. Although mushairas have become popular events, the AAA-DC mushaira has become the most sought-after event in the Metro Washington area. Last year, the AAA-DC started another practice of inviting the participation of senior, stalwart, and iconic poets with decades of literary experience. Amjad Islam Amjad, Javed Akhtar, Iftikhar Arif, Zehra Nigah, Pirzada Qasim, and Munibur Rahman participated in it previously, using Zoom technology because of the pandemic. It was pleasing to see that other organizations made use of this successful experiment by arranging events with senior poets.

    This year, the AAA-DC experimented with the idea of inviting young and rising poets from the Subcontinent. The participating poets included: Abdullah, Abhishek Shukla, Aleena Itrat Rizvi, Ammar Iqbal, Azhar Iqbal, Sabiha Saba, Saher Ansari, Salman Akhtar, Sarfraz Nawaz, and Tahzeeb Haafi. The program was conducted using Zoom technology and was simultaneously aired on YouTube and Facebook. Hundreds of literary enthusiasts enjoyed the event and encouraging comments were posted on the media. A recording of the event is now available on Youtube    https://youtu.be/9HIy1hdbvdw .

    It was a joint venture and many literary organizations participated in this year’s mushaira. They include Aligarh Alumni Associations of Atlanta, GA; Birmingham, AL; Chicago, IL; Cleveland, OH; Delhi, India; and Washington, DC; Association of Pakistani Physicians of North America (APPNA); Jashn-e-Urdu; Mohibban Urdu of North America; and Urdu Markaz International, Florida and Los Angeles.

    Legendary nazim Dr. A. Abdullah, who is known for his ability to mesmerize the audience with his literary skills and professional style of introducing poets, conducted the mushaira.

    A tribute was paid to Mr. Habib Mohammad Farooqi—a senior member of the community and benefactor of the association—who passed away on Saturday, 20th November 2021 in Virginia.

    The organizers gave Lifetime Achievement Awards to Drs. Salman Akhtar and Saher Ansari for their contributions to the Urdu language and literature. Aligarh Alumni associations’ functions are incomplete without the famous Aligarh Tarana written by the well-known poet AligarianMajazLakhnavi. The AAA-DC has proven true the line of the Tarana, “Jo abrhahaN se uTTHegaasaarejahan pe barsegaa.”

    Selected poetry recited at the event

    Abdullah Abdullah ne apninazm Ehsas sunaee. Us ki chandlineiN

    Na terehaathmen Iqrar ka kangan

    Na mere paaon men waadon ki zanjeeren

    Magar ehsaas k bandhan ne hum ko baandhrakh-kha hai

    Abhishek Shukla’s poetry reflects Ganga-Jamuni Tahzeeb and he beautifully represents Lucknow culture.

    Hisaab-e-dilmeinabhi tum zarakachche ho         Qareeb aao to phirjoDnasikhatahoonmsiN

    Aleena Itrat Rizvi has a background of English literature and her poetry reflects its impact.

    Fiza ki zardrangatbadalbhisaktihai       Bahar aane ki sooralnikalbhisaktihai

    Ammar Iqbal’s poetry is influenced by English literature; he teaches Urdu and English and has published ten books in Urdu, English, and Hindi languages.

    Aks kitneutargaemujhmeinPhirnajaanekidhargaemujhmein

    Kiya huathazarapata to chaleWaqtkiyathaghaDibanatehuey

    Respecting abrupt intervention by the Sadr-e-Mushaira, Ammar Iqbal did not continue reciting his poetry.

    Azhar Iqbal—a recognized TV anchor, script writer, theatre artist, and with English background is a rising star in Urdu poetry.

    GhuTansi hone lagiuskepaasjaatehuey              Mein khud se rooThgayahoonuseymanatehuey

    Sabiha Saba-a neuroscientist by profession started her poetic career from AAA-DC mushaira decades ago and is a regular participant since then. Lamenting on the apathy about the Urdu language in the Subcontinent she said:

    Sab ilaqezabanoNkenaamoN par haiNEkilaqa jo mansoob-e-Urdu nahiN

    Sarfraz Nawaz is an educator at the Jamia Millia writing poetry in English and Urdu. His poetry reflects the current social and cultural status surrounding him.

    Paude jo lagaemeiN ne to do alagaeMeiNjantahoon ki kiyahaitanhayioN ka dukh

    Tahzeeb Haafi is a popular scholar of the Urdu language and his poetry conveys fresh ideas.

    Jis se eikshakhs ka pardanahiNrakhajaata          Ab mazeed us se yeh rishtanahiNrakhajata

    Kabhi kabhivohKhuda ban kesaathchaltahai    Kabhi kabhi to vohinsaanbhinahiNlagta

    Saher Ansari, who taught Urdu in Pakistan and other countries at the university level and served on educational committees and supervised poets, and was a recipient of national awards. Presiding over the mushaira, Dr. Ansari appreciated the efforts of the Aligarh Alumni Associations in furthering the mission of the late Sir Syed Ahmed Khan for the promotion of education in the community. He recited a few ghazals and couplets. Mein hava ki tarahThehratha sire shakh-e-gulaabvohbhiapne jism ki Khushboo se pehchanagaya.

    Comments

    Audiences from Bahrain, Canada, Ethiopia, India, KSA, Pakistan, Qatar, UAE, UK, and the USA posted their comments on Zoom as well as on FaceBook appreciating the mushaira and expressing thanks to the organizers. A message was conveyed that while it was a good idea to encourage young poets, the participation of some senior and famous poets would have enhanced the quality and attracted a bigger audience. They also noticed the absence of humorous (mazahiya) poetry. The disappointment was also expressed as poets did not address the social issues in the Subcontinent.

    Surinder Deol-an accomplished writer and translator of Urdu poetry, conveyed that it was a remarkable success given the limitations of having poets from across the world on the Zoom platform. Dr. Abdullah did an excellent job as a facilitator, managing time, introducing poets, and maintaining the flow. I was surprised by the quality of work shared by young new poets. This is a good omen for the future of Urdu poetry. Overall, it was a wonderful experience and I would like to thank the organizers.

    Mohsin Alikhan, president of the Hyderabad Association of Metropolitan Washington Area enjoyed the Mushaira. He said that Abdullah Saheb as usual was excellent in his role as anchor. Also, either the number of Shayar’s be reduced or more time is given for the program to appreciate Shayar’s kalaam. It feels, as if, just as they are warming up, their time is up! When Shayar’s were reciting with Taranum it was hard to hear and follow. There was no mazahiyashayar, who would have provided a good break in between.

    Dr. Renuka Misra—a well-known scientist at the NIH commenting on Dr. Abdullah’s nizamat said that he was outstanding as usual. She observed that his command of the Urdu language is the introduction of poets were getting better year after year. The poets respected their allotted time and presented well. I liked  Sarfaraz Nawaz and Tehzeeb Haafi. in particular. Dr. Abdullah’s poem “Ahsas”. was outstanding and I wished he had continued. Another noticeable and admirable thing was the technology—the way participating organizations were presented. My congratulate and best wishes to all those who put their efforts into making the Mushaira very enjoyable.

    Photographs and Youtube links are courtesy of Mr. Khurshid Usmani

    (Based on a press release issued by Zafar Iqbal, Ph.D. He can be reached at

    raabta.india@gmail.com  /  Phone: 240-328-0162)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HIy1hdbvdw&authuser=0

    (Advertorial)