World Urdu Conference and World Urdu Mushaira to be held in Bangalore on Dec 29, 30

Bangalore - The much awaited World Urdu Conference and World Urdu Mushaira, the first-of-its kind in the history of KARNATAKA will be held Insha Allah on the 29th and 30th December 2010 respectively.

CONFERENCE:

The Conference will be attended by a galaxy of eminent scholars, writers, poets, social thinkers, journalists and other intellectuals from different parts of India as well as from foreign countries like USA, UK, Canada, Pakistan, Bangladesh etc.

This conference will deliberate on the factors that have made Urdu spread across the globe yet witness a gradual downward swing in the country of its origin as far as the number of people learning it in India is concerned. Based on the deliberations, the Conference will formulate a broad framework of guidelines to be adopted for promotion and protection of the language and culture associated with it.

The Conference will be inaugurated on 29th December 2010 in 'The Capitol Hotel', Raj Bhavan Road, Bangalore at 10.30 am by His Excellency, The Governor of Karnataka, Shri H.R.Bhardwaj. Shri N. Dharam Singh, MP and former Chief Minister of Karnataka will preside over the Conference. Moulana Mufti Mohammed Ashraf Ali Baqavi, Ameer-e-Shariat, Karnataka and Dr. K. Rahman Khan, Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha will be the Chief Guests. Mr. Gopi Chand Narang, Former Chairman, Sahitya Academy, will deliver the keynote address and thereafter papers on the theme of the Conference will be presented.

MUSHAIRA:

The Mushaira will be held in the evening on 30th December 2010 in Shivajinagar Stadium, Bangalore from 8.30 pm and will last till the early hours (upto 2.30 am) of 31st December 2010. Many Urdu poets of International repute from different parts of India as well as from abroad will attend the Mushaira and recite their poetry before a responsive and appreciative audience. Some of the poets invited from abroad are,

Janab Zafar Iqbal, Janab Intezaar Hussain, Janab Amjad Islam Amjad & Janab Asghar Nadeem Syed from Pakistan. Janab Taqi Ahmed from Canada. Janab Muzaffaruddin Faruqi from Chicago, USA. Janab Obaidur Rahman Arif, Janab Sahir Shevi & Mohtarama Sufiya Anjum Taj from UK. Janab Ahmed Iliyas, Janab Ashraful Haque Babu, Janab Syed Afzal Hussain & Janab Mohammed Hasan from Bangladesh. And a few others from other countries from whom confirmation is awaited.

Some of the prominent poets from India who would take part in Mushaira are,

Janab Hasan Kamal & Janab Rahat Indori from Mumbai. Janab Anjum Barabankvi from Bhopal. Janab Nawaz Deobandi & Mohtarama naseem Nikhat from Lucknow. Janab Aleem Saba Naveedi from Chennai.

Janab Sardar Ayagh & Janab Maher Mansoor from Bangalore. Janab Akram Naqqash from Gulbarga. Janab Gowhar Tarikere from Chickmagalur. Janab Suleman Khamar from Bijapur etc.

The Hon'ble Chief Minister of Karnataka, other Cabinet Ministers, MP's, MLA's, MLC's & a few top bureaucrats and other dignatories are expected to attend the Mushaira. The objective of the World Urdu Conference is to provide a platform for the luminaries of Urdu to exchange ideas with regard to the status of Urdu in India and abroad, discuss various measures to be adopted for protection of the language and the culture associated with it, deliberate on the promotion of the Urdu literature and the problems encountered in doing so, devise methods to make the language technology-friendly and so on.

In addition to these, the Conference aims to convey that the efforts are some vested interest groups in associating Urdu with Muslims is misleading as the language is the lingua franca of the masses in India and has survived despite all odds and would continue to thrive. The papers presented in the Conference would illustrate that on account of its charm and sweetness the language has travelled beyond shores and today it is a global language spoken and loved by many in Gulf countries, America, Europe, Malaysia, Australia. All said and done, the Conference would try to drive home the fact that Urdu, like every language and its culture has not only been inherited by us from the preceding generations but has borrowed from the future generations and preserving it for them is our duty.

Bhatkallys News Bureau, 26 Dec 2010