Arts Council President Ahmed Shah highlighted the atrocities in Palestine, especially in Gaza and the Kashmir issue on top in Aalmi Urdu Conference

“We are with the people of Palestine,” Ahmed Shah

He also asked the government to increase the education budget and set up language centres in universities so that the learned folks also learn to respect each others’ cultures.

Big and bad bouncers are for keeping guard outside private parties or nightclubs, which being nice and decent Pakistanis, we have rarely seen in real life and usually get to see in the movies, but at the 16th Aalmi Urdu Conference at the Arts Council of Pakistan۔

Mind you, there was no cabaret or anything of the sort taking place inside. They were keeping people from attending literary sessions. Their reason: “House full hai!”

On Sunday, the final day of the conference, there was a stampede-like situation outside Auditorium No. 1 when folks with programme booklets in hand just were refrained from entering the hall to listen to the great Indian poet, lyricist, screenwriter and author Gulzar Sahab.

And when one session was over, he wouldn’t allow the people inside to come out as his response to them was to use the exits near the stage, which was jam-packed as well.

Not one to be cowed down by such things, the greatest showman of the Urdu world, Anwar Maqsood, engaged in a monologue, which included Gulzar Sahab and his beautiful verses, and also his predicament of trying to engage with Pakistani audiences from India.

The concluding session with all the senior writers, poets, critiques and academics taking stage ended with the traditional reading of resolutions by the Arts Council President.

The guest from Lahore, writer Mustansar Hussain Tarar, who had the centre chair of honour on stage, spoke of Sir Henry Rider Haggard’s character ‘She’, who steps into fire to become young again. “Similarly, every year, we come here to attend the Urdu Conference to refresh our souls and feel young again,” he said.

Pashto poet and writer Prof Dr Abaseen Yousafzai said that the conference added to the beauty of December every year. “December with its chilly winds is a romantic month for us poets and the Urdu Conference adds manifolds to it,” he said.

Urdu and Punjabi poet and translator Sarwat Mohiuddin said that she enjoyed the diversity of the Conference. “It may be called the Urdu Conference but we also get to hear so much of Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto and Balochi along with other regional languages of Pakistan here. It is a melting pot of all languages and we get to learn so much about each other’s language and customs here,” she said.

Poet and scholar Prof Dr Peerzada Qasim, Sindhi dramatist Noorul Huda Shah and Dr Huma Mir of the Arts Council also spoke on the occasion.

Finally, the resolutions were read out in which Arts Council President Ahmed Shah highlighted the atrocities in Palestine, especially in Gaza and the Kashmir issue on top. “We are with the people of Palestine,” he said while also reminding of another tragedy in India-occupied Kashmir where Muslims are also being targeted.

He also asked the government to increase the education budget and set up language centres in universities so that the learned folks also learn to respect each others’ cultures. He said that the trade of books between countries should be open and the costs of books should also be brought down so that the masses may enjoy them.

“There should be a subsidy on paper for book publishing,” he said, while also reminding the government to look into the care and maintenance of old books in libraries and the building of more libraries. Finally, he said that Pakistan should worry about publishing more books, not currency notes.

The evening came to its conclusion with a classical dance performance by Amna Mawaz titled Iss Paar Ya Uss Paar [This side or that side].

But this write-up will not be complete with mention of the Conference audiences who thoroughly enjoy all sessions and have been making this annual Urdu Conference a success year after year.

And soon the person seated next to them, however introverted, would also open up and share his or her understanding of what they saw or heard on stage. That’s how the four days of literary gatherings including poetry reading sessions, critiquing sessions, talks and book launches ended too soon.

(Thanks DAWN)