The Indian Panorama

Tag: Madhu Maheshwari

  • Seventeenth Annual Mushaira–Kavi Sammelan Celebrates South Asia’s Shared Heritage in Washington, DC

    By Dr. Zafar Iqbal
    The session was presided over by Dr. Harish Naval, an acclaimed satirist and author of more than 40 books, as well as a recipient of the Yuva Jnanpith Prize.

    ROCKVILLE, MD (TIP) The Metro Washington chapters of the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO-Metro Washington) and the Aligarh Alumni Association (AAA-DC) jointly hosted the 17th Annual Mushaira–Kavi Sammelan on Saturday, September 6, 2025, at the Montgomery County Executive Building Auditorium in Rockville, Maryland. The program was co-sponsored by several local literary and cultural organizations, including the Association of Indian Muslims (AIM), the Hyderabad Association of the Washington Metro Area (HAWMA), the Montgomery Nawabs (MONA), the Global Beat Foundation (GBF), the Bazm-e-Harf-o-Sukhan (BHS), and RR K Biosciences.

    Origins and Growth

    Program Coordinator Dr. Zafar Iqbal welcomed the audience. He recalled the event’s origins in 2008 as a forum to commemorate Yaum-e-Azadi (South Asia’s Independence Day) through poetry in both Urdu and Hindi. Conceived by Drs. Renuka Misra and Zafar Iqbal (GOPIO-Metro Washington) and Dr. A. Abdullah (AAA-DC), the Mushaira–Kavi Sammelan has since become an annual tradition celebrating South Asia’s shared Ganga–Jamuni cultural heritage.

    Mr. Vivek Chaudhary, First Secretary at the Embassy of India, Washington, D.C., and Dr. Renuka Misra at the Mushaira- Kavi Sammelan

    A milestone was reached in 2011, when the Embassy of India joined GOPIO and AAA-DC to host the first international bilingual poetry recitation—an initiative inspired by Dr. Virandar Paul (my colleague from the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi), then Minister at the Indian Embassy in Washington. This recognition solidified the event as a platform for cultural diplomacy.

    This year, Mr. Vivek Chaudhary, First Secretary at the Embassy of India, applauded the organizers for presenting an inspiring and meaningful program. 

    Literary Contributions

    A defining feature of the Mushaira–Kavi Sammelan has been its encouragement of literary talent in the diaspora, often marked by book launches of both emerging and established writers. Over the years, the stage has hosted acclaimed authors and poets such as Prof. Satyapal Anand, Prof. Asghar Wajahat, Dr. A. Abdullah, Dr. K. Mohan, Raj Kumar Qais, Anadi Naik, Dr. Astha Naval, Dhananjaya Kumar, Rashmi Sanan, Farah Kamran, Surinder Deol, Daler Deol Aashna, Salman Akhtar, and Prof. Gopichand Narang.

    The 2025 session featured an impressive lineup of poets, including A. Abdullah, Astha Naval, Harish Naval, Madhu Maheshwari, Mohammed Akbar, Mohammed Jaweed, Narendra Tandon, Nisha Narayan, Preethi Govindaraj, Razi Raziuddin, Rizwan Ali, Sarwat Parvez, Sarwat Zehra, Shamsa Najam, Sneh Sudha, Sukesh Chopra, Tabassum, Uday Kamath, Vinita Tiwari, Vishakha Thaker, and Yusuf Rahat.

    A view of the audience

    Highlights of 2025 Program

    The session was presided over by Dr. Harish Naval, an acclaimed satirist and author of more than 40 books, as well as a recipient of the Yuva Jnanpith Prize. He enriched the proceedings with his literary observations.

    The program was conducted with elegance by Mohammed Akbar, who also introduced poets with verses of his own.

    Dr. Mohammad Haziq served as master of ceremonies, and Dr. Salman Rashid delivered the vote of thanks.

    The gathering also paid warm tributes to late senior poets of the Washington area—Professor Satyapal Anand, Aziz Qureshi, and Rakesh Khandelwal—as well as to eminent Urdu scholars Professor C.M. Naim (University of Chicago) and Professor Tahsin Siddiqi (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor).

    Guests and Partners

    Special guests included representatives of partner organizations and the Embassy of India. Recognized for their continued support were Ms. Ariena Rashid (AAA-DC), Dr. Renuka Misra (GOPIO), Mr. Kaleem Kawaja (AIM), Mr. Mir Zahid Ali (HAWMA), Dr. Mohammad Akbar (MONA), Ms. Nuzaira Azam (GBF), Dr. Arif Mahmood (BHS), and Dr. Qazi Hamid (R K Biosciences).

    Another view of the audience (Photos : Courtesy Aslam Azad and Mohammad Haziq)

    Cultural Impact

    By bringing together poets from both Urdu and Hindi traditions, the Mushaira–Kavi Sammelan bridges linguistic divides and highlights the deep interconnections between vocabulary, idiom, and poetic form. Over the years, it has drawn audiences ranging from students and families to immigrants, longtime residents, and diplomats, fostering interfaith understanding and intergenerational bonds within the diaspora. Its continuity and inclusiveness ensure that South Asia’s literary heritage remains vibrant in the Washington, DC area.

    The author gratefully acknowledges Mr. Aslam Azad and Mr. Mohammad Haziq for providing photographs.

  • 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