Appreciation Dinner for my poetry friends in Urdu and Hindi language

Appreciation Luncheon and Dinner for Poetry friends
Website: www.UrduHindi.net

Click the pictures to see large version.

An open heart surgery was scheduled for me on 11/12/13 – that did not happen, thanks to my friends Dr. Harbans Lal and Dr. Amer Suleman who encouraged and facilitated an alternative; a balloon and the stent. I was in and out and Dr. Taysir Jarrah was incredibly efficient, and I did not even feel that something was done to me. Last Friday, I had my check up and Dr. Taysir Jarrah said all looks to be fine, I am breathing better, lungs are taking full air, and the EKG showed even heart beat.

I had luncheons to appreciate the friends who have been good to me all these years and then a dinner to appreciate my friends from the poetry circles. I have written enough about it, and now the pictures. 

Thanks to Zia Khan my friend for taking and sharing these pictures. I am posting the pictures I have recieved, I know several more pictures are missing. If any one has pictures other than these, please share.

The dinner turned out to be a good poetry session. Here are the pictures from Dinner and I appreciate each one of the poet for sharing their poetry.  Attached below is a write up by Saeed Qureshi Saheb.

Click the pictures to see large version. 

thanks to friends

 D. D. Maini

  

 Yasmeen and Mike Ghouse

 Mike Ghouse

 Javed Rashid

 Dr. Shamsa Qureshi

 Dr. Hyder

 Shah Alam Siddiqi

 Masood Qazi

 Muhammad Ali

 Dr. Kundawala

 Aditya Singh

 Zohra Chisti

 Maliha Durrani

 Mike Ghouse

 Anand Punjabi

 Noor Amrohvi

 Surinder Mittal

 Samina Ali

Younuz Ijaz

 Dr. Harbans Lal

Dr. Amer Suleman

 Group Picture taken as an after thought.

Thank you, please mark your Calendar for Saturday, March 29, 2014 for another Mushaera/ Sammelan on Pluralism theme. The details are above on the right hand side column.  This website is www.UrduHindi.net  

Saeed Qureshi Saheb writes this:

Appreciation Dinner for Poetry Friends

Reported by Saeed Qureshi

www.uprightopinion.com 

This was the logo of the dinner-cum Mushaira hosted by famous humanist Jinab Mike Ghouse on the evening of November 6 instant at the Funasia Asia cultural center. He had invited a select circle of his friends and well-wishers to this very enjoyable and culturally rich assemblage. This was the second Mushaira hosted by Mike Sahib. It was blazoned with such illustrious themes as pluralism, humanism and unity in diversity. The third Mushaira in the row is due in March next as was also announced this evening. 

The proceedings lasted till midnight and came to a close on the group photo session. A sumptuous dinner was served before the start of the much waited Mushaira. The menu of dinner among other delicious items had an additional dish that we call “curry” in our Urdu or Hindi diction. It was very deliciously and diligently cooked. It was the most sought-after item of that splendid and enjoyable evening. 

Those among poets who turned out to attend this unique evening were Yunus Ijaz, Shah Alam, Qazi Masood, Saeed Qureshi, Zohra Chishti, Dr Shamsa, Mrs. Nadir Durrani, Dr. Amir Suleman, Javed Rashid, Noor Amrohvi, Mr. S.K.Mittal and D.D. Maini. A local famous female poetess Naheed Shah was incidentally in Pakistan so his husband Mr. Ali read some the verses from her poetry. Zahid Akhtar Khanzada, a prominent journalist was also present on this auspicious occasion.

There was no ascending or descending order as is usually followed in the traditional Mushairas. According to that order, the poets are called to the podium by virtue of their seniority or fame in poetry. So such order starts from the junior most and ends at the senior most. But delightfully this strait jacket was set aside and that was the most alluring hallmark of this also a very enchanting Mushaira. 

Besides poetry presentation there was a joke and tidbits’ session that injected a jovial, buoyant and rather piquant feature into the already vibrant environment of this pleasant company. Dr. Harbans Lal’s joke was outstanding and unleashed a roar of laughter among the audience.

I would mention the salient points of the speech of the host Mr. Mike Ghouse in which he thanked the guests for coming all the way to attend this function. He spoke at length describing the ordeals through which he had gone as a result of a sudden heart attack last July. He thanked Dr. Suleman for a timely arrangement for the surgery that was instrumental in saving his life. His next bypass surgery is schedule in November next year. The speakers one after another, complimented Mr. Mike for a new lease of life and prayed and hoped that like many survivors of heart attack, he would also live longer for many years.

Let me add that Mr. Mike Ghouse is a reputed and celebrated participant in TV talk shows and a popular speaker in religious and social congregations and conventions from time to time. He is an embodiment of civility and humility and is soft spoken. His profile as given in his blogs is quite impressive and I have the honor to reproduce a part of that hereunder.

“Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, peace, Islam, Israel, India, interfaith, and cohesion at work and social settings. He is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com. Mike has a strong presence on national and local TV, Radio and Print Media. He is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning News, fortnightly at Huffington post, and several other periodicals across the world. His personal site www.MikeGhouse.net indexes everything you want to know about him.”

Examples of pluralism poetry in Hindi and Urdu

Thanks for the inquiries and clarifications about pluralism theme – let me sum up my work of 20 years, “If we can learn to respect the otherness of others, and accept the genetic uniqueness of each one of the 7 billion of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge.” Pluralism is simply an attitude.   

Some samples of poetry thus far;

I would encourage you to write on different issues where our attitudes determine the   pluralistic attitudes of acceptance of the other. Pluralism is not limited to religion, it is applicable in social, cultural, food, clothing, and linguistic, nationalistic, and ethnic aspects of life. Let’s face them with an attitude of an acceptable solution without aggravating the situation, and instead of keeping inside and poisoning the blood, lets discuss them in poetry format.

• Naheed Shad’s poetry is going to be focusing on samajik issues, and I am pleased to hear that. It would be a breath of fresh air.

• Ravi Kumar has included "bhook" in his poem ( this would be a good format – roman English and Hindi/Urdu- to benefit all readers – we request the poets to write the roman english in their own words, as others may mess it up).

saaraa aalam hee rotaa ho, jab bhookha koi sotaa ho 
सारा आलम ही रोता हो, जब भूखा कोई सोता हो

• Taj Hashmi wrote on universality of righteousness

     Sab ke chhatoN par aur kehtoN meiN pani barsata hai 
Khuda Woh to yeh nahiN poochhta, “Tu ne mujhey aaj  yaad kiya hai ya nahiN”?

When He showers rain, it happens on every rooftop, no garden is out of its way

God never asks the silly question: “Did you remember me today?”

•  Shah Alam Asar writes,

Pandito, Rahibo, Mullao meri baat suno
Ibne Adam hain sabhi, Farq jatate kion ho

(It’s a good take on Vasudhaiva Kutumbukum – the whole world is one family, what does it matter to prove the differences?)

• Saeed Qureshi concludes his poem

Mazhabi azadiyaan, ilm o masawat o amal
so taraqqi yafta qoumon ka a ayeen hai.

( freedom of religion, equality are the hallmarks of progressive societies)
15 More poems on their way!

CULTURAL PLURALISM

Some of us may have bias towards skirts, sarees, shalwar kameez, dhoti, Arab gear, pagdi, hat, topi, Hijab, pallu….does the bias contribute towards a well functioning society? Applying pluralism means – accepting each custom as unique, but not inferior or superior. You wear and feel good about your skirt, and I feel good about my Saree.  Humility builds bridges and arrogance destroys the relationships.

FOOD PLURALISM 

If you like Gulab Jamun and I like Ras Gulla – would we listen to a dietician, nutritionist, doctor, scientist, food connoisseur or any one -  if they say Gulab Jamun is better than Ras Gulla? You probably would  say – Chal, hut, bhaag yahaan say! 

LINGUISTIC PLURALISM

Back in Bangalore in the late 60’s – people have killed each other on the silliest of things – it is the size of the  cut out  pictures of Dr. Raj Kumar, Kannada film actor and M.G. Ramachandran, his counterpart in Tamil films. The fans were vying with each other to build the taller cut out for their idol - they went from 25 feet and all the way upto to 60 feet tall, rioting was common – all they had to learn was Raj Kumar means everything to the Kanndigas and MGR means everything to the Tamilians, so what?

PLURALISM IN BEAUTY

Because I am a guy, I am sharing my perspective – in college days we argued vehemently over who is more beautiful; Hema Malini, Waheeda Rahman or Rekha. We kept forgetting that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder,  and we would have saved the anger and a mukka - two of them become bitter towards each other, they were trying to force each other to believe either Hema or Waheeda was more beautiful. I said, so what you cannot even get an audience with them - Those guys envy me,  I had the luxury of sitting and talking with both the most beautiful women of India, and I was in hog heaven!

PLURALISM WITH SPOUSE

Please note, I will not use the language pluralism with wife – spouse means either wife or husband and in no particular order, as neither is above the other. Does it bother you that your spouse wears a dark green suit (male or female)? Is that a source of conflict every time you go out?  Why do we have to push the other to wear what we want,  and wear what is not comfortable to them... let them wear and be happy. A happy companion is better than the grouchy one waiting to get even.

Pluralism is simply an attitude – necessary to keep the conflicts in every aspect of life to a low level.

PLURALISM IN HINDI AND URDU

I attended the meeting at Urdu Ghar tonight, and I just could not believe the environment of pluralism there…   I am a life member of the International Hindi Association, a great secular organization, and I was looking for a similar secular and a pluralistic organization in Urdu – eureka, I found it.  I will write more about it.

We were working on finding a word in Urdu for pluralism -  many words were considered, but most of them agreed on the word “Bahimiyat” proposed by Dr. Amer Suleman, and now its his turn to explain Bahimiyat in a quartet or a full Nazm as an introduction in the program – like wise, the word Anekant vaad does not fully represent the breadth of the word Pluralism, and Anand has floated Anekta may ekta… we need another word to fully describe pluralism,  and I ask Anand Punjabi to write a quartet as an introduction or we ask  Nishi, Sushila jee, Fateh or Chini Saheb propose and write multiple words.

There was a good song in a film called “Do Kaliyan” which talks about dropping the Urdu-Hindi ka Jhagda – if you have time, it is a good song- by my mentor Kavi Sahir Ludhianavi.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQuBmwOUFpU

Please feel free to call me or any one of our team members – you can text me and give me the time to call back.  (214) 325-1916. I have a perfect record of returning every call and every email that asks me a question despite the amount of emails and calls I receive.

We are looking for someone to sponsor tea/soda/ pakora/samosa…. And some funding for producing the book – you can contribute from 50-500, all funds will be accounted and listed. You can go to: http://americatogetherfoundation.com/donate/

 More at : http://urduhindimushaeraonpluralism.blogspot.com/

Thank you.

Mike Ghouse
(214) 325-1916/ text

....... Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, peace, Islam, Israel,India, interfaith, and cohesion at work place. He is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com.