Poetry in praise of Hazrat Fatima Zahra

A poetic meet was organised in the historic town of Amroha where the poets recited their couplets in praise of the daughter of Prophet Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Him.

The event was known as Jashn-e-Fatma Zehra. Poetry and Urdu couplets praising Fatima [RH] were recited at the Urdu poetry recital session. Other than literary meets, such poetry sessions where poetry is rendered exlusively in praise of Prophet, Hazrat Ali, Bibi Fatima or Muharram, are common in Urdu-speaking areas in the sub-continent.

While Sunnis organise Natiya Mushairas, the Shias mostly hold poetry sessions where religious figures including Hazrat Ali, Bibi Fatima, Hazrat Imam Husain and the events leading to Yaum-e-Ashurah are the topic of poetry.

Some of the couplets at the poetry session:

kyaa tajallii hai ki Khurshiid-e-falak chakkar meN hai
nuur hai markaz pe lekin roshni manzar meN hai
[Shamim Amrohvi]

Zahra haiN yuuN khayaal-e-suKhanwar ke aas paas
khushbuu-e-paak jaise gul-e-tar ke aas paas
[Nausha Amrohvi]

nahiiN voh be-wafa ho hii nahiiN saktaa zamaane meN
tere Ghaazi kaa jo parcham uThaaye Fatima Zehraa
[Saahil Amrohvi]

mil gayii haii mujhko jurrat, ho gayaa be-baak bhii
madahat-e-Zahraa ne baKhshii quvvat-e-idraak bhii
[Haji Abid Amrohvi]

There are just a few sample asha’ar recited at the poetry session. Several other poets also read out their verses and received hearfelt applause from the audience.

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Habib Tanvir: Doyen of Indian theatre dead

Obituary

Habib Tanvir who dominated the Indian theatre scene for nearly half-a-century is no more. He died in Bhopal at the age of 86.

Tanvir’s role in keeping Indian theatre close to the masses is second to none. Agra Bazar and Charandas Chor are universally acclaimed as among the most popular plays in post-independent India.

Tanvir, who was born in Raipur in 1923, had leftist leanings from the beginning. He wrote poetry in Urdu and adopted the ‘takhallus’ or pen name Tanvir.

He blended theatre, folk art and poetry with finesse. The artistes whether the fakirs of Delhi or the villagers from tribal dominated Chhattisgarh, remained with him like his family members.

With a firm conviction to expose the bigotry and fundamentalism in the society, he kept penning plays that often rubbed on the wrong side of the right-wing BJP-led governments.

His play ‘Ponga Pandit’ drew the ire of the BJP and its sister organisations. But Tanvir remained unperturbed. A crusader against communalism and a champion of communal harmony, Tanvir’s legacy will be carried by his daughter Nageen.

Read ‘Habib Tanvir and his play Agra Bazar based on Nazir Akbarabadi’s poetry’ at the link.

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Tribute to Kavish Badri: A unique Ghazal

Renowed Urdu poet Kavish Badri died in his native town, Ambur, in Vellore district of Tamil Nadu recently. One of the masters of Urdu poetry, Kavish Badri was among the most prominent Urdu writers in South India.

One of his ghazals with a unique ‘radeef’ is being posted here. It’s just a glimpse to the master craftsman who enriched Urdu language and literature for decades.

He was 84. Kavish Badri was published in Urdu journals across the world. His ghazals were a permanent feature in literary magazine, Shabkhoon.

Vellore has a subtantial Urdu speaking populace. In fact, one of the pioneers of Urdu ghazal, Vali Vellori (not to be confused with Wali Dakhni) also hailed from this town.

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Ghulam Nabi Azad criticised for oath in English, Urdu speakers upset

Ghulam Nabi Azad

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad has faced criticism from Urdu speakers for taking oath in English.

Azad, a former Union Minister and an ex-Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, was expected to take the oath in Urdu, the official language of the state which he belongs to.

Besides, Indian Muslims predominantly speak Urdu and are emotionally attached to it. The Urdu Development Organisation (UDO) has condemned Azad’s decision to take oath in English, which is not his mother tongue either.

UDO office-bearer Bahrul Uloom has urged other Muslim leaders who are supposed to take oath during the next cabinet expansion, to express their love for Urdu, which is one of the official languages of India.

Azad was sworn in as a cabinet minister by president Dr Pratibha Patil after the recent Lok Sabha elections gave a decisive victory to Dr Manmohan Singh-led Congress government. In the past, Muslims have generally taken oath in Urdu.

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Sajid Sajni: The last poet of Rekhti

First an astonishing Urdu couplet:

talaaq de to rahe ho ataab-o-qahar ke saath
meraa shabaab bhii lauTaa do mere meher ke saath

[Sajid Sajni]

While Classical Urdu ghazal was called ‘Rekhta’, the poetry written in woman’s voice by men was termed as ‘Rekhti’. In the late 18th and early 19th century, in a deadent sultanate of Oudh, poetry in woman’s voice was penned by poets as a form of protest.

It was promptly dubbed Rekhti (opposed to Rekhta). Sa’adat Yaar Khan Rangin is credited as its creator. Though Insha, Jurat and Jan Sahib were other exponents.

In this genre, men wrote poetry in a feminine voice, using the idiom of women (begumati zubaan) and addressed another woman (bhabhi, baaji, aapa, ammi, saheli et al).

It gave a voice to women to express their grievances in their own language, except that it was written by men. Later it degenerated and was never recited in genteel soirees or homes. The genre died in the middle of 19th century

But Sajid Sajni revived it and refined it. He gave it a healthy direction apart from his sharp wit, satire and humour. Sajid Sajni was born in Lucknow in 1922 and settled in Bhopal in 1946.

[Article courtesy: Nasir Kamaal]

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Eminent Urdu poet Mazhar Imam’s literary journey

rashk karte haiN jeetne vaale
hamne is taraH maat khaaii hai
[Mazhar Imam]

Here is a selection of some of the couplets of eminent Poet Mazhar Imam:

Renowned poet Mazhar Imam has been one of the leading Urdu poets of the sub-continent for over half-a-century.

He was born in 1928 in Bihar’s Darbhanga district. His father Syed Amir Ali was a post master. Imam did his post-graduation in Urdu and Persian before going to Pune for diploma from TV and Film Institute.

In 1951, he joined a daily newspaper Karvaan that was published from Kolkata (then Calcutta). He remained jobless for sometime before he became a schoolteacher for Rs 60 per month. Later he joined All India Radio and remained associated for over three decades. Mazhar Imam is considered the founder of Azad Ghazal genre in Urdu poetry.

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