Waseem Barelvi’s Collections of Poetry

Two collections of ghazals and Nazms of Waseem Barelvi have been released recently.

‘Aankhon Aankhon mein rahe’ and ‘Meraa Kyaa’ has brought the best of Waseem Barelvi.

The articles of master poets of the past including Nushoor Wahidi, Shamim Kirhani and Firaq Gorakhpuri on Wasim’s poetry have been included.

Nushoor Vahidi has written that from Meer to modern day poets, there is meloncholy in voice of varying degree in the ‘kalaam’ of various poets but the sadness in Waseem’s couplets is not only enchanting but is also sweet to an extent.

maiN bujh gayaa to hameshaa ko bujh hii jaauungaa
koii chiraaG nahiiN huuN ki phir jalaa legaa

Critics have largely ignored Waseem Barelvi but for masses he is a great poet. Read his ghazal at Best Urdu Ghazals and Nazms

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Two more Urdu monthly digests stop publication

The closure of two more monthly Urdu digests has not been noticed in mainstream Urdu press, as they were magazines that catered to popular interest.

The two Urdu digests, “Sadha Rang’ and ‘Talash’ ceased publication. Earlier, Chahar Rang, Hazar Rang, Aalami Digest, Aatish-e-Gul and Nikhat-e-Gul disappered from the market due to decline in readership.

Now Huma remains the only digest along with Pakiza Anchal of the same group. Two other women-oriented digests Mashriqi Anchal and Mashiriq Dulhan are still publishing. But the trends suggest that their days are also numbered.

In the 80s, suddenly digests had appeared in the market and due to the collection of international stories that were translated in Urdu, they achieved success. In the past there were Shabistan and Mehrab among other digests.

Critics may not take these magazines and digests seriously but it is Jaraem, Pakiza Anchal, Khtoon-e-Mashriq, Biswin Sadi and similar popular magazines that are the first step of reader towards acquiring the literary taste.

Even literary magazines are gasping for breath. Among the few surviving are Ajkal, Aiwan-e-Urdu, Shair, Insha, Kitabnuma, Naya Daur, Naya Waraq and Zehn-e-Jadid. Though Sahara group’s ventures and the publication of Arindam Chaudhary’s The Sunday Indian in Urdu have brought fresh hopes.

But the sad truth is that unless there is a commercial viability, nobody is going to publish Urdu magazines. The cost of paper is rising and advertisements re hard to get for Urdu periodicals/newspapers. With fewer Indians (read Muslims) familiar with Urdu script and the figures dwindling fast, the future is not at all bright for Urdu publications.

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Jolt to Urdu-lovers in Mumbai: Closure of Maktaba Jamia

Urdu lovers are shocked with the news that the Maktaba Jamia’s Mumbai branch will be finally closed on November 30. For six decades Maktab that had a vast treasure of books, was a centre for Urdu-lovers and had become an institution under Shahid Ali Khan.

Reacting to the decision, Nida Fazli said that Government should take the branch in its custody. ‘The names of Nehru, Azad, Zakir Husain and great personalities of yore have been associated with it’, he said.

Once it used to be a sort of pilgrimage for aficionados of Urdu literature to walk from Iqbal Chowkk to Mohammad Ali Road that had shops like Alvi Book Depot, Kitabistan, Haneef Book Depot, Usmania Book Shop, Iqbal Book Depot and other bookshops.

Almost all the important Urdu poets and writers gathered at Maktab Jamia Urdu’s branch. Nadeem Siddiqui says that from Maulana Shahab Malerkotvi to Abdul Ahad Saaz, this place has seen every literary figure of Uroos-ul-Bilad (Mumbai).

Yusuf Nazim recalls how Surendra Prakash, Baqar Mehdi and Sikandar Ali Wajd would arrive at the shop and sit for hours, discussing literature, art, politics and the young generation of writers learnt the nuances of writing and poetry by listening to these discussions.

Former General Managers of Maktab, Shahid Ali Khan and Yusuf Khatri have also expressed shock. Khan recalls that he used to get Rs 7,000 per month and it was a branch in profit. He wondered that how it could be in loss now when the present General Manager gets Rs 30,000 per month as salary.

In Inquilab Urdu daily, Inayat Akhtar has written that there was hardly a famous Urdu writer in the country who hadn’t visited the place. It was here that my political, social and literary consciouness developed like hundreds of other youths of my generation.

‘aajizi sikhi, GariiboN se mohabbat siikhi
yaas-o-hirmaaN ke, dukh-o-dard ke maanii siikhe’

He recalls how most of the collection of Anjuman Taraqqi Urdu which was burnt during the riots after partition and the remaining books were purchased by the Jamia. All those books were rare even in 1947 but if the price mentioned was Rs 3 on a book then the same price was charged even in 1967 by Shahid Ali Khan unlike other shops that revised prices.

The annual earning was Rs 1 lakh which went up to Rs 10 lakh during his period. Even today Maktaba Jamia has 2.5 million cash (Rs 25 lakh) in the form of Fixed Deposit in bank. From Sardar Jafri, Akhtarul Iman, Sahir Ludhianvi, Jaanisar akhtar, Krishan Chander, Aziz Javed, Mahendra Nath, Rajinder SIngh Bedi and Aziz Qaisi to Abdus Sattar Dalvi, Sardar Irfan, Haidar Asad, Ibrahim Rangla, Sabir Dutt, Anwar Qabar, Sajid Rashid, Fuzail Jafri, Tasadduq Seoharwi, Anwar Khan, Ali Imam Naqvi, Abu Bakr Merchant, Mahmood Chhapra and hundreds of others were frequent visitors to the place that was a galaxy of writers and literature.

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How to speak English fluently?

In a way this post doesn’t conform with this blog that focuses on poetry and literature. But in another way it does, as people from South Asia, especially India and Pakistan who speak Urdu and want to improve their fluency in spoken English, pose this question at most websites and forums.

It’s true that spoken English is different from the bookish English which they learn. It also needs a bit of confidence for you to speak fluently in English as it is not your mother tongue. But there are ways to master the language.

Like watching English movies with sub-titles on TV (HBO, Star and other channels) andlistening to conversations, debates and chat shows on television. There are 100 free mock conversations covering all topics–from a chat with a shopkeeper to seeking a doctor’s advice or talking about technical things at the website: Engspeak

Click for 100 free lessons

For tips for effective English conversation click here

For ways to deal with the hesitation in speaking English click here

Unique Mushaira: Non-Muslim Urdu poets enchant audience at historic Sholapur mushaira

A unique Mushaira was organised in Sholapur in Maharashtra recently where only the non-Muslim poets of Urdu recited their poetry.

Mahendra ‘Ashk’ presided over the Mushaira and gave an introductory speech about Urdu language, literature and the tradition of Mushairas. Shyama Singh Saba, a poetess, recited the Naat.

She read out a few ghazals also including the particular verse with the couplet:

dar-badar kyuuN bhaTaktaa hai aakhir
chaaNd bhii kyaa koii bhikaarii hai

Ashok Sahil’s couplet received huge applause from the audience:

Urdu ke chand lafz haiN jab se zabaan par
tehzeeb meherbaan hai mere khaandaan par

And when he recited this couplet, thunderous applause enlivened the atmosphere:

merii Urdu ko dahshatgard jisne bhii kahaa hogaa
use to apnii maaN kaa doodh bhii kaDvaa lagaa hogaa

The poet from Muzaffar Nagar, won over the audiences. Archana Nigam from Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh) got praise for her ghazals. Her couplet:

faqat nazar se nazar milii hai, zabaaN se kuchh bhii kahaa nahiiN hai
badan meN kyuuN kaundhti hai bijli, abhi to usne chhuaa nahiiN hai

And then veteran poet Mahendra Ashk, who hails from Bijnore, rendered his couplets:

jise navaazaa usii shaKhs ne jaDeN kaaTiiN/shajar kaa saaya ghazab ho gaya shajar ke liye
meraa bigaaDegii kyaa tez dhuup raste ki/gharibi oDh ke niklaa huuN maiN safar ke liye

Ved Diwana, who came from Punjab, rendered romantic ghazals.

Khushk aankheN ho gaiiN, gham bhii puraane ho gaye
aa tujhe dekhe hue kitne zamaane ho gaye

And Archana Shrivastava, the poet from Seoni (Madhya Pradesh), came up with humours lines. Devendra Kafir also recited humououes poety and changed the mood. Kafir’s couplets:

ishq ek aasmaan hai pyaare
apnii apnii uDaan hai pyaare
husn to dunyaadaari sikh gayaa
ishq ab tak paThaan hai pyaare

He was followed by Taruna Sagar who recited her ghazals. She came from Amravati.

guloN kaa rang jal gayaa, mazaa nahiiN bahaar meN
taDap rahii huuN raat din tumhaare intezaar meN

After the culmination of the first round, the second round started that continued till well after midnight. Earlier, former Karnataka Chief Minister Dharam Singh inaugurated the mushaira. He lit the ‘Shama’ (lamp).

Dharam Singh who is son-in-law to Sholapur, spoke at length and recited several couplets. A host of dignitaries were present. The Urdu Hindi Ekta Manch had organised the event. Earlier, in the presence of Union Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde the Manch that had come in existence early this year.

(Report courtesy Muhib Kausar)

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BBC Urdu promoting ‘Your Edition’ at Lucknow, Bhopal and Hyderabad

The BBC Urdu team visited three cities in India recently to promote its website. At all the three places the response was overwhelming. It was a good initiative despite lack of adequate preparedness at local level before organising the event.

Still, people came in large numbers in all the cities. Many were not familiar with web. But they came and showed interest in the initiative. People were informed about the proposed ‘Your Edition’ of BBC Urdu website.

The team led by Waheed Mirza, the familiar voice from India Shakil Akhtar, Aliya Nazki and Nadia, Notwithstanding the problem of font on the website, bbcurdu.com remains a leader and has been getting millions of hits.

The website should continue its efforts and hold such programmes in India in future also. India has tremendous potential for Urdu site as Urdu-speakers are now getting computer-literate, albeit slightly late. Hoping that BBC will organise similar programmes in future also.

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