When only words suffice
ZIYA US SALAM
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The Shankar-Shad Mushaira delighted the discerning with poetry to please the ear, touch the heart.
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Since 1954 eminent poets of the Indo Pak literary circle have been gracing the mushaira
FROM THE NEIGHBOURHOOD Zakia Ghazal from Pakistan stole the show at the mushaira.
Zameen ke jo Khuda hain
Usko bhoole hain jo
Har urooj ko zawal deta hai
It is not every day that connoisseurs of Urdu get treated to poetry that goes beyond shama and parwana, poetry that pleases the ears even as it touches the heart. Not quite Progressive, but still carrying a subtle message in a manner becoming of the most skilled of wordsmiths. Pakistani poet Zakia Ghazal's couplet was but a little ripple in the ocean of heart-warming poetry at the 44th Shankar-Shad Mushaira in New Delhi this past week. Keeping Zakia company was fellow Pakistani Ahmad Faraz.
Then there were Munawwar Rana, Tahir Faraz, Papular Meeruti, Sagar Khayyami and Shaharyar, all respected names in their respective spheres. Not to forget Habib Hashmi making a comeback to the Delhi mushaira circles after seven years through the DCM Shriram group-sponsored event.
Incidentally, going back to 1954 when the Shankar Lall Murli Dhar Memorial Society was set up, eminent poets of the Indo Pak literary circle have been gracing the annual mushaira on a regular basis. And over the years the Shankar-Shad Mushaira has assumed the stature of a literary institution of vital importance in Urdu literature
Hashmi's moments
If Zakia stole the limelight with her mixture of ashaar and dohe, Hashmi provoked many to think with words far removed from the romantic poetry youngsters often come looking for. Two of his gems stay with the faithful:
Hairat hai kisi haath mein pathar bhi nahin, aur shaher mein mehfooz koi sar bhi nahin.
If this one drew applause with requests for an encore — incidentally there were similar requests made to Zakia too, who had to come back for another round at the conclusion of her kalam — Hashmi's other couplet was a mirror to many people's experience in everyday life.
Us shaqs ko kuchh log badhane mein lage hain jo shaqs mere qad ke barabar bhi nahin.
It was not quite poetry about the have-nots, but it still carried a punch. Well meaning, well received.
Much like most of the kalam of Shaharyar and Waseem Barelvi. Ahmad Faraz, though had a mixed bag. His first round came too soon for anybody's liking. As people trooped in quietly, the gathering was merely gaining momentum, the mood being gradually built by the likes of Malikzada and Khayyami. Then came Faraz, probably unprepared for such an early start. The applause was muted. However, it all changed when he came back in the wee hours, with the gathering appreciating the nuances and subtleties of his craft.
For those timeless moments, a little after sunset, a little before sunrise, it was time to pamper oneself. With nostalgia. With love. With care. Now, who will complain if a poet sums it all up as:
Lag ke saahil se jo behta hai use behne do, aisii dariya ka kabhi rukh nahin mora karte, waqt ki shaakh se lamhen nahin toda karate... Never mind that much earlier in the same gathering, one heard, "Har koi mujhe chahta hai, jaanta koi nahin, main bhi is mulk mein Urdu ki tarah rehta hun. A few more such events, and it might all change.
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