Poets hold mirror to society

Poets and relevance :An evening of poetry with a focus on daily happenings 

There was a hint of warmth in the air as winter was on its way out in the city. Anwarul Uloom college in Mallepally presented a spectacle that prompted not just students but everyone else to make a beeline to it. Women with babies in arm and men in night attire sauntered into its premises and stayed put till late in the night.

It was the second Nawab Shah Alam Khan mushaira that drew Urdu aficionados. The open ground in the college filled to capacity in no time and those who came late had to stand and witness the concert.

The mushaira was different in more ways than one. The verses recited here held a mirror to society with poets focussing on the political situation in the country.

Poets like Rahat Indori and Lata Haya were a big hit as they took on the powers that be in their characteristic way. The drama, style and flavour associated with them was in full display.

Kaun zalim hai yehan, zulm huva hai kis par

Kya khabar ayeegi akhbaar ko tai karna hai

Apne ghar main mujhe kya khana pakana hai

Ye mujh ko nahin, sarkar ko tai karna hai

Rahat Indori’s pun-laced verse on beef politics went down well with the audience and they demanded more of it. At this he punned on Gabbar Singh’s famous line from Sholay - jab tak tere pair chalenge tab tak uski saans chalegi. “As long as you respond I will keep reciting”, he remarked.

Baat mun ki khaen ya watan ki khaen

Jhoot bole to aawaz bhaari rakhaen

Aap ke pass choron ki fehrist hai

Sab par daste karam bari bari rakhaen

When Lata Haya took the mike there was an air of expectancy in the crowd. And the Mumbai-based poetess didn’t let down the people.

Bahut aasan hai nafrat, muhabbat karke dikhlao

Idhar dil udhar dunya, baghwat karke dikhlao

There was some comic relief when local shayar Waheed Pasha Qaudri took the stage. He regaled the audience with a parody of the famous Mohd Rafi song from Haqeeqat :

Kha chuke sari janta ka dhan sathiyo

Ab tumhare hawale watan sathiyo

He drew huge applause when he recited some verses interspersed with English words. Sample this:

Lagi dil pe goli slowly slowly

Wo I love you boli slowly slowly

Bahu aaee ghar main to ronuq bhi laee

Magar zahr gholi slowly slowly

Young poet, Iqbal Ashhar of Delhi, cast a spell with his poem Urdu hai mera nam. He spun a wonderful nazm using names of stalwarts of Urdu shayari.

Urdu hai mera naam main Khusro ki paheli

Mai Meer ki humraz hun Ghalib ki saheli

Other poets like Manzar Bhoopali, Abrar Kashif, Waseem Barelvi, Mohsin Jalgoni, Shahid Adili, Charan Singh and Ashok Sahil also won accolades from the audience.


Nawab Mahboob Alam Khan, the mushaira organiser, urged the generation next to keep the flame of Urdu burning by developing interest in the language.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in The Hindu

Dated March 1,2018