In-person Bazm-e-Sukhan meetings take place on the second Wednesday of each month at the cultural space Lamakan, and feature appreciation of poets and poetry. , photo credit: special arrangement
Urdu Lion (couplet), whether composed by a classical or modern poet, is likely to acquire a contemporary nature in view of the subject to which it relates, and its structure. After all, in a time when a social media post is the object of applause and abuse, compassion or passion that Lion Examples can fit nicely into a 140-character tweet. located in hyderabad Bazm-e-Sukhan (The Gathering of Celebrating Poetry) seeks to appreciate poetry while maintaining in-person meetings, taking advantage of simple techniques , and publications.
“If you look, 140 characters is perfect for a Lion. A gamut of feelings can be expressed in Lion, Contrary to popular belief, technology does not sound the death knell of art. When there is a rise in technology, a rise in interest in literature and art is seen,” says development economist Amir Ullah Khan, co-founder of Bazm. “It has also helped Bazm connect with Urdu lovers around the world.”
The idea germinated four years ago when Mr Khan and his friend Ashar Farhan sat down to think about how Urdu poetry could be appreciated, especially by people whose mother tongue is not Urdu. As a result, after consultation, individual poetry appreciation meetings were held once a week, where participants recited their couplets. or journeys of his choosing to a splendid and praiseworthy Wow from the audience.
But, in 2020, came the COVID-19 pandemic. Like all meetings, the buzz went online. This was when it really went global. Poetry lovers from Europe, America and West Asia participated in it. He read, recited and learned.
As per Bazm’s tradition, Colonel Ramesh Chugh, a lover of Urdu poetry, started reciting. He chooses Shahid Kabir: “ The eyes are open from sleep, what is there now / see what the world is like in a while. We are tied to our home with some gold / otherwise what is our relationship with our brother-in-law.
Bazm is now a collaborative effort of the Digital Empowered Foundation (DEF), an Osama Manjar-led organization that seeks to bridge the digital gender divide alongside the open cultural space LaMakaan and the Center for Development Policy and Practice (CDPP) . Mr. Khan says that while DEF looks after Bazm’s digital initiatives and presence, in-person meetings are held at Lamakan, and CDPP is tasked with publishing.
“We’ve been persistent. Every Tuesday night at 10 p.m. there’s an online Buzz meeting attended by people from all over the world. Once a month — on the second Wednesday — there’s an in-person meeting at Lamakan. And once a year , we publish a book,” says Mr. Khan.
was the first publication I remember the times gone by An autobiographical account of Ram Pal Joshi, who began his career as a caption in the Second Emergency Commission of the Indian Army and retired as Additional Director General of Police in Punjab. The author describes his life and introduces couplets who have an experience within them.
For example, the author recalls that as part of his training, he had to run for 10 hours with few short breaks. In a conversation with his Captain, Mr. Joshi expressed his astonishment at the hardships the human body could endure, and summed it up with a couplet: The one who hits the mountains is called a storm / The one who hits the storm is called a human [One who braves the mountains is known as storm/ One who braves storms is known as Insaan (human)] (Author’s translation). The book is full of such delightful and touching examples and couplets written by poets like Ghalib, Muhammad Iqbal and Pandit Mela Ram Wafa.
Alfaz Ki Mehfil, by Satya Prabhakar, a business leader, is a book of Urdu poetry and its English interpretation.
And what about mentorship? Bazm seeks guidance from Prof Ashraf Rafi, Laxmi Devi Raj, Anees Ayesha and Tasneem Johar. Another patron is Syed Ainul Hasan, Vice Chancellor of Maulana Azad National Urdu University.
This year, Bazm announced that it would encourage new and young poets. 12 poets will be selected, will be brought to Hyderabad next March. After analyzing their work, the first three will be rewarded. The top three will be awarded ₹1 lakh, ₹50,000 and ₹25,000.
The founders believe that Bazm is a celebration of all that is inherently India – diversity, and roots in the arts.