DOHA: More than 1,100 Indian and Pakistani expatriates and other Urdu-lovers descended on Radisson Blu’s spacious Giwana Hall late on Thursday to hear their favourite poets who had come from India and Pakistan.
The organisers of the ‘mushaira’ (Urdu poetic symposium) said this was the first time an event of Urdu of such a large magnitude was held in Doha on the occasion of Qatar’s National Day.
“Yes, never in history do we remember an Urdu poetic event of this magnitude was held here to mark Qatar’s National Day,” said Ateeq Anzar, founder-President of India Urdu Society-Qatar.
Advisor to Qatar’s Ministry of Arts, Culture and Heritage, Moosa Zainal Moosa, was the guest of honour and he spoke in Arabic about Qatar’s brief history and the National Day.
Extempore translation of his speech was provided by Haseeb Rehman, a member of India Urdu Society-Qatar, briefly known by its abbreviation IUS, organizers of the event.
A dozen Urdu poets had arrived for the ‘mushaira’ from India and Pakistan. Among the Indian poets were Rahat Indori, a celebrated name in Urdu poetry in the sub-continent, and professor Waseem Barelvi. Pakistan was represented by Abbas Tabish.
The poetic session began at 7.30pm and lasted until 2am. “The ‘mushaira’ was a huge success,” Anzar said.
The Peninsula
