JEDDAH — The North Indian Fraternity Forum (NIFF) organized an “Adabi Nashist” (poetic evening) to honor Indian Urdu-language poets — Jarrar Akbarabadi, Mahsher Afridi, Imran Pratapgarhi, Nuzhat Anjum and Saba Balrampuri –– last week at a local restaurant here. NIFF President Fuzail Ahmad welcomed the gathering after which, compère Waquar Ahmad invited Nasir Berney to introduce other local poets like Sayeed Akhtar, Irfan Barabanki, Mahtab Qadr and Afsar Barabanki, who set the mood by reciting their compositions early in the evening. The poetic evening came to live when Balrampuri presided over the dais and captured the audience's heart with the following couplets –Charaghe mohabbat jalane se pahle, dua kijiye dil lagane se pahle. Mere ai muqaddar teri meharbani, giri bijliyan ghar banane se pahle. Meri maut ne hi meri laaj rakh lee, qalam ho gaya sir jhukane se pahle. Afridi's poetry was a glimpse of his deep thoughts and pathos. His poetry resonated different feelings from the audience when he recited Uski gharaee pe shak hone laga hai mujhko, samandar jo hari kaee se khush hota hai. Wo us gharhe ki jo mitti thi, ab nahi milti, yeh baat soch lo, dariya ko paar karte hue. Zameen ne uske liye badduaein kee hongee, woh us ghuroor se guzra, ghubar karte hue. Anjum's thought provoking poetry which had the audience mesmerized were as follows – Aa ke mere paas baitho; guftgu mujhse karo; main tasawwur se tumhare, kab talak batein karoon? Jab teri yaad mere dil mein utarjaat hai, ek khushboo see fizaon mein bikhar jatee hai. Jee mein aata hai tera naam pukaroon lekin, aate - aate meri awaz thaher jaati hai..!! Seemingly popular poet Pratapgarhi's poetry is the voice of a common man as it highlights India's contemporary and political issues. A few of his couplets which evoked the audience's emotions were – Chaak hai jigar phir bhi, aayen hain rafoo karke, jayenge haqeeqat se tumko rubaroo karke. Pyar ki badhi isse aur misaal kya hogi, hum namaz padhte hain, Ganga mein wuzoo karke. Akbarabadi, the senior most poet of the evening, took over the stage at the end to recite some of his favorites – Pooch to leti mere deeday tar se pahle, neend kya soch ke aayi hai, sahar se pahle. The successful evening would not have been possible without the support of Moahmmed Shahzad, Shavez Khwaja, Rehan Khan, Armaan Ahmad, Shuja, Salman Moin, Prakash Rana, Feroz Khan, Ghazanfar Mumtaz, Iqbal Siddiqui and Khwaja Nasir Jamal. –– SG
