Hyderabad to host world Urdu editors conference

Hyderabad: 


Editors of Urdu newspapers from India, Pakistan and other countries will participate in the World Urdu Editors Conference to be held here Dec 30-31.

The two-day event, being organised by Urdu daily Siasat, will discuss the problems faced by Urdu newspapers and Urdu journalists.

"It is the first conference of its kind aimed at bringing Urdu newspapers to a common platform," Siasat editor Zahid Ali Khan told a news conference here Monday.

To be inaugurated by Vice President Hamid Ansari, the conference will be attended by editors and other journalists of 40 newspapers.

Editors from Pakistan, Middle East, Britain and Canada would also participate in the conference, which will discuss the challenges faced by Urdu newspapers.

It will discuss the idea of bringing Urdu newspapers under one umbrella, efforts to promote the readership and to take up various problems with the authorities.

Siasat, which is working to promote Urdu and is also engaged in social activities like helping poor students, providing relief to cancer patients and guiding students and youth in obtaining jobs, is also working on a project to link Urdu newspapers across the country.

"Under the project launched on experimental basis, 12 Urdu newspapers have joined hands with us. We are providing them content in Urdu from here," said Khan, who plans to rope in many others.

According to conference convenor Aijaz Farrukh, four editors from Pakistan have confirmed their participation. Mehmood Sham, group editor, ARY, Sohail Waraich of daily Jung, Tanveer Qaiser of Express group and Ayaz Badshah of Mashriq would be among the delegates.

Khan said the editors conference was part of the efforts initiated by Siasat with World Urdu Conference in 2006 to unite people who speak, read or write Urdu.

As part of the conference, an exhibition would also be organized. The organisers said 160-year-old Urdu newspapers would also be displayed.


source: http://www.ummid.com/ Home> National / by IANS / December 26th, 2011

Permanent Ghalib showcase opened on poet's birth anniversary

New Delhi:

The legacy of Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib got a permanent niche in the capital with the inauguration of a showcase of memorabilia connected to the poet and his work at his house in old Delhi to coincide with his 214thbirth anniversary Tuesday.

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit inaugurated the exhibition at Ghalib's restored "haveli" at Gali Qasim Jaan near Ballimaran, one of the alleys of Chandni Chowk, in the old city.

An august gathering of poets, writers and fans of Mirza Ghalib, led by Dikshit, Tuesday marched from the Town Hall to Ballimaran where the chief minister unveiled the Ghalib collection.

The participants included poet Gulzar, author and diplomat Pavan K. Varma, Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan, a musician from the Delhi Gharana, musicians and several leading artists.

Ghalib, born in Agra in 1797, stayed at the house in the last years of life between 1856 to 1869.

The permanent exhibition, a collaboration between the Ghalib Memorial Movement, Indian Council for Cultural Relations, the Delhi government and the India Islamic Cultural Centre, coincided with a three-day cultural fest "Yaadgar-e-Ghalib" Dec 26-28.

The celebrations began with a mushaira Dec 26. On Dec 28, the Peirrots Troupe will present "Ghalib in New Delhi", a comic Urdu play at the India Islamic Centre.

"The highlight of this year's celebrations is the remarkable transformation of Ghalib's haveli with a new permanent exhibition," ICCR director general Suresh Goel said.

"The objective was to make the haveli an important marker on the heritage tourism trail," he said.

"Special care was taken to put together historic letters and other memorabilia of the legendary poet," said Uma Sharma, founder of the Ghalib Memorial Movement.

Last year, the chief minister had installed a bust of Mirza Ghalib, sculpted by Ram Sutar, at the haveli.

source: http://www.TwoCircles.net / by IANS / December 27th, 2011

In Agra, Ghalib is a fading memory

On his 215th birth anniversary, Urdu literature's famous 
personality seems forgotten in his birthplace

Agra:

As his immortal poems and couplets continue to draw aficionados of Urdu literature to Mirza Ghalib even 215 years after he was born, the bard's beginnings in Agra are being sadly ignored.

The city of the Taj Mahal celebrated the poet's 215th birth anniversary yesterday but the haveli (mansion) in Agra where Ghalib was born is now a junior college for girls. The people of the Kala Mahal locality of inner Agra where the mansion is located have no knowledge that the great poet was born there.

"The whole world may revere Ghalib and hold him in awe and admiration but the locals seem to have no regard for him," lamented television personality Kartar Singh, who is from Agra.

For the past two weeks, Singh had been practising hard to present Ghalib's choicest ghazals (lyrical compositions) at a programme to mark the day.

For years, admirers of Ghalib and lovers of Urdu shayari (poetry) have demanded a fitting memorial to the poet in Agra, but the culture departments in Lucknow and New Delhi have not responded.

"When foreign tourists ask to be taken to Ghalib's birthplace, we feel apologetic and embarrassed," said Sandip Arora, former president of the Agra Hotels and Restaurants Association.

"The central and state governments should jointly build a fitting memorial and a library in Agra where Urdu poetry lovers can spend time and enlighten themselves," he said.

Mirza Asadullah Khan "Ghalib" was born in Agra in 1797. He moved to Delhi where his poetic talent blossomed and found new expression at the time of the last Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, himself a poet of no mean standing.

"Surely, Agra should have a fitting memorial and the Agra University should establish a Mirza Ghalib Chair for research into Urdu literature," said Surendra Sharma, president of Braj Mandal Heritage Conservation Society which yesterday celebrated Ghalib's birthday with the lyrics and poetry programme Jashn-e-Ghalib.

Syed Jaffrey, director of the Mirza Ghalib Academy in Agra, said: "Agra has given so much to Urdu culture. It should have a decent memorial for the poet.

source: http://www.GulfNews.com / by IANS /  December 28th, 2011

No longer a wedding venue, Ghalib haveli now houses his memories

New Delhi       “Puchte hain woh ki Ghalib kaun hai, Koi batlao ki hum batayen kya.”

The narrow bylanes of Chandni Chowk in 19th century, leading to a narrower Gali Qasim Jaan, the lane full of bangle and sweatmeat shops in Ballimaran, housed a two-room ‘haveli’ of Asadullah Baig Khan. For the man, who was known to the world as Mirza Ghalib, the traditional shama would be placed in the courtyard — the place where the then not-so-famous poet recited this nazm expressing his life’s dilemma.

Over the years, the Ghalib haveli fell into neglect, so much so that it was rented out for marriange ceremonies by the caretakers till a couple of year ago. It was then that Indian Council for Cultural Relations along with Delhi governmentt, filmmaker and poet Gulzar and Kathak danseuse Uma Sharma made efforts to preserve it and started the Ghalib Memorial Movement.

On Tuesday, to mark the 214th birth anniversary of Ghalib, Gulzar led a candlelight procession from the Town Hall to Ghalib haveli — amid much chaos and traffic congestion. The refurbished haveli was opened as a museum and the shama, fuscia in colour with a faux antique look, was placed.

“Hum har saal yahan itna dhakkampel kar ke pahuchte hai (Every year we reach this place after so much chaos). Once the people of this country realise the importance of its heritage, the government will come forward for conservation,” said Gulzar.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshitt, who also attended the event, said, “I had visited this place many years ago and then there was nothing here except for some wooden pillars. But I am glad that some memorabilia has been added. However, the next time, such programmes should be organised elsewhere, at a more open space, where it is not this crowded and is easier to reach.”

But the memorabilia — which is being touted as “priceless exhibits” and includes old clothes, utensils, letters, compilations of Ghalib’s ghazals and nazms — are all replicas. Nothing in the museum is “real”, and nothing belongs to Ghalib.

“All of the Ghalib’s personal belongings and original works are at Ghalib Academy or National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language. The original ones can’t be brought here because of security reasons,” said Suresh K Goel, Director of ICCR. He said there are plans to make the haveli an important marker on the heritage tourism trail.

The three-day celebrations, which began with a mushaira at India Islamic Research Centre on Monday, will conclude with an Urdu comedy titled Ghalib in New Delhi produced by Peirrot’s Troupe on Wednesday.

source: http://www.ExpressIndia.com / by Suanshu Khurana 

posted: December 28th, 2011