Urdu Academy held a literary evening on January 17, 2010, to honor two great Urdu poets, Pandit Daya Shankar Naseem and Ravish Siddiqui. The event was presided over the a veteran journalist, Abdus Sattar Ghazali. Brigadier Shiv was chief guest of the evening at the Chandni Restaurant, Newark, CA.
The program began with the narration of the story of the epic (masnawi gulzar-e-naseem) of Pandit Daya Shankar Naseem by Prof. Aftaab Iqbal. This masnavi has a very complex storyline but the reason that this masnavi is considered the best in Urdu is because of its use of language. The language is representative of dabistan-e-lucknow.
(Picture shows from left: Arshad Rashid, Brig. Shiv, Abdus Sattar Ghazali wile Dr. Tahir Mahmood is speaking.)
Abdul Razzaq Adenwala, Asim Bajwa, Professor Aftab Iqbal, Dr. Tahir MahmoodMisbah Rehman, Nagesh Avadhany and Syed Iqbal Ahmed presented parts of the msnawi.
Abdus Sattar Ghazali presented the following ghazal of Pandat Daya Shankar Naseem:
Jab Na Jeetei Jee Mere Kaam Aegee
Kiya Ye Dunya Aaqbat Bakhshegi
Tashie Zaheer gave a talk on “M’aarka-e-Chakbast O Sharar ” (the literary rivalry between Chakbast and Sharar).
Second session of the literary evening was devoted to the life and work of Ravish Siqqiqui. 
Arshad Rashid introduced the great poet.
The following literary enthusiasts included recited Ravish Siddiqui’s ghazals:
Syed Iqbal Ahmed
Sawaal-e-hashr par taa hashr chup rehna paRha mujh ko
Har ik ilzaam ko haNstey hooey sehna paRha mujh ko
Khalid Rana
Us se baRh kar to kooi be saro-samaaN na mila
Dil mila jisko magar dard-e-ghareebaaN na mila
Misbah Rehman
Ishq dushwaar naheeN, khush nazari mushkil hey
Sehl hey kohkani, sheesha gari mushkil hey
Javed Umerani
Farogh-e-gul sey alag, barq-e-aashiaN se alag
Lagi hey aag yahaN se alag, wahaaN se alag
Asim Bajwa
Ye kaun shareek-e-anjauman hey
AankhoN ko bhi hairat-e-sukhan hey
Nagesh Avadhany
Umar-e-abad se Khizr ko baizaar dekh kar
Khush hooN dasoon-e-nargis-e-beemaar dekh kar
Professor Aftab Iqbal
Havas-e-khalwat-e-khursheed o nishaaN aur sahi
Door hey subh, to ye khwab-e-garaaN aur sahi
Dr. Tahir Mahmood
Pasheman hain tarke-mohabat ke baad
Bardhein uljhanein aur fursat ke baad
See more pictures Page II Page III
