Members of Hamari Urdu Mohabbat during a demonstration. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Tributes to Mahatma Gandhi come in a variety of forms, often including hymns that he enjoyed and the principles for which he stood. Hamari Urdu Mohabbat (HUM) will celebrate Gandhi Jayanti this year with a one-hour program Dear stranger, which combines poetry, music (Sufi songs and ghazals), and commentary honoring Gandhi, his work, and Urdu, a language he loved.
Lokesh Jain, Syeda Hameed and Rene Singh. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The show is organized by the Telangana and Andhra Pradesh chapters of Sarvodaya International Trust. “Sarvodaya Trust, a pan-India organisation, was formed to spread the ideals and teachings of Mahatma Gandhi,” says Aruna Bahuguna, secretary of the trust and a former IPS officer. We try to reach out to students and youth throughout the year through various programs. On every Gandhi Jayanti, we commemorate the life of Gandhi in some way or the other. This year, we have our Urdu Mohabbat group presenting a story using poetry, music and commentary.
travel forward
Syeda Hameed Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Hamari Urdu Mohabbat is a Delhi-based group founded by Begum Zakia Zaheer to bring together Urdu lovers on a literary platform. Pyar Parai Jaane Re It stars three actors – Syeda Hameed, Sufi singer Rene Singh and theater artist Lokesh Jain. “The story brings forth Gandhi’s journey through poetry, prose excerpts, short excerpts from his speeches, songs and recitations,” says Syeda Hameed.
breaking the language barrier
Rene Singh Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Apart from the presentation of poems by famous poets like Faiz Ahmed Faiz, an important part of the show included classic poems by poets who wrote in Urdu and were not Muslims. One such poet is Tilok Chand Mahroom. “Tilok Chand’s poetic name ‘Mehroom’ means ‘the one who is humble’ and he wrote the most beautiful Urdu poetry about Gandhi. It completely eliminates the linguistic barrier between Urdu and Hindi. And that’s what Gandhi wanted,” says Syeda, adding, “We’re kind of blurring these boundaries.”
She recalls that Mahatma Gandhi had asked Maulvi Abdul Haq where he could learn Urdu and he was advised to read the poetry of Hali (Altaf Hussain Hali). “Hally wrote about women’s empowerment in 1874, how women were never given status and rights in any religion, including Islam. Speaking of Hindu-Muslim unity, Hali had said, “For the welfare of your country, you must first consider yourselves as one human family.”
The program begins with ‘Purab Se Surya Jag Tara’, a musical presentation followed by excerpts on Gandhi. The group also presents the bhajans ‘Vaishnav Jan To’, ‘Avwal Allah Noor Upaya’, a Shabad Gurbani and Shamin Karhani’s poem ‘Jagao Na Bapu Ko Neend Aa Gayi’. “This unique experience is a tribute to Gandhi through music and poetry.”
Peer Parayi Jaane Re, a musical tale on the life of Gandhi, will be staged at Ashina Conference and Banquet Centre, Banjara Hills from October 1, 5 pm onwards.
published – September 30, 2024 02:08 PM IST
