Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Feb 21: Union Ministers Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Dr Jitendra Singh and former Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad jointly inaugurated All India Urdu Mushaira at Dr. Ambedkar International Center here, amidst cheers and applause from the audience in a jam-packed auditorium. The event was organized by the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs.
Being the first-ever such poetic symposium to be held in the national capital after a gap of nearly one year on account of COVID pandemic constraints, there was huge enthusiasm among the participating poets as well as the audience.
Some of the prominent Urdu poets of national repute who recited their Ghazals and poems included Manzar Bhopali, Wasim Barelvy, Aqeel Nomani, Sikandar “Gadbad”, Mumtaz Naseem, Khursheed Haider, Saba Balrampuri, Surendra Singh “Shajar”, Naseem Nikhat, Alok Shrivastava, Shabeena Adeeb, Nayyar Jalalpuri, Popular Meerthi and Col V P Singh.
The Mushaira, which lasted for over four hours, was heard with rapt attention amid frequent bursts of applause by an enthusiastic crowd which consistently sat throughout the event.
Speaking to the media about the event, Dr Jitendra Singh said, Delhi has always had a rich tradition of Urdu poetry and has been the land of great literary wizards including Mirza Ghalib. While the tradition of holding regular Urdu poetry symposia was religiously patronised by the Mughal dynasty, he said, even after the independence, Delhi has consistently followed an uninterrupted tradition of holding regular Urdu Mushairas and particularly the Urdu Mushaira held annually on the eve of the Republic Day was always keenly awaited for. He regretted that the lovers of Urdu poetry were constrained to starve themselves because of a protracted spell of COVID pandemic.
Dr Jitendra Singh complimented Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Union Minister of Minority Affairs for having taken the initiative to break the pandemic jinx and host a poetic feast for all the connoisseurs of Urdu language. He also praised Ghulam Nabi Azad for having spared time to sit throughout the entire event.
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