Ghalib Remembered On His 220th Birth Anniversary

Firoz Bakht Ahmed

The writer is grandnephew of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, and is a social commentator

The inimitable and renowned poet Mirza Ghalib was commemorated on his 220th birth anniversary by the people in Delhi. A candle march was organised to mark his remembrance starting from Town Hall, Chandni Chowk of the old Delhi walled city of Shahjahanabad to his Gali Qasimjan haveli. The candle march was joined by Kathak maestro and Ghalib lover Uma Sharma, educationist Ashok Pratap Singh, heritage activist and the grandnephew of Maulana Azad, Firoz Bakht Ahmed, bureaucrat Suresh Goel, diplomat Dr Madhup Mohta, Delhi government Mohalla clinic health in charge Dr Nimmi Rastogi, vocalist Ustad Iqbal Ahmad Khan of Dilli Gharana and actor Badrudduja Siddiqui Najmi. The three day carnival titled ‘Ghalib’ was also organised on December 24, 28 and 29  to pay homage to the king of shayari. Mirza Ghalib was born on December 27, 1797.

Restoration Struggle

At the haveli, while paying homage, Uma Sharma narrated how the struggle to restore Ghalib mansion began with activist Firoz Bakht and Ghalib Memorial Movement two decades ago – a time that she started visiting and conducting programs at Ghalib haveli. Uma also praised the efforts of Manish Sisodia, Delhi’s deputy chief minister and Vineet Palliwal for helping her ideas take concrete shape. Suresh Verma stated that the glorious thing about Ghalib is that his poetry never fitted into watertight compartments because his world in the ghazals was too vast and too contradictory.

Ghalib’s Poetry

Ashok Pratap Singh said that Ghalib’s poetry is unique, not only for the intensity of feelings but also for the exquisite charm and profound thoughts that are part of his beautiful world and that the government must help artists like Uma who are trying to revive poets like Ghalib.

Bakht opined that poetry is a dying art and the children of this era do not know who Ghalib was and therefore, the government of Delhi must make it a point to take Ghalib to schools for the heritage tours to his Gali Qasimjan haveli. Besides, he also emphasized that the Haveli-e-Ghalib, instead of being a dead monument, must be a living one by starting a reading room and an evening session to begin Urdu computer classes here so that the local community benefits.

Proper Restoration Needed

Madhup Mohta, a poet and diplomat stated that Ghalib’s name was misused for vested interest but nobody bothered about preserving his mansion or poetry. Badrudduja, a resident near Ghalib’s mansion lamented that after the lighting on his birthday December 27, the haveli is engulfed in darkness for rest of the 364 days. He said that nobody bothered that heritage tours to old Delhi must also be brought to this place. The commemoration completed with Farid Ahmed Khan’s ghazals on Ghalib. After that, a programme was conducted at Kucha Pati Ram’s Dharampura Haveli. Dr Nimmi Rastogi was of the view that the need of the hour was to convert Ghalib’s haveli into a cultural centre and that she would put forth the proposal before Sisodia.

HPU Girls Win

 Himachal This Week

Himachal Pradesh University emerged as winners in North Zone Women Inter University handball Championship held in Bilaspur. They grabbed the title with three consecutive victories in the Super league matches. In the final match, they defeated Lovely Professional University by 27-11. HPU Vice Chancellor Rajendra Singh Chauhan honoured the girls in the closing ceremony.  The team defeated Chandigarh University, Punjabi University, Patiala and Lovely Professional University, Phagwara in the super league matches. Nidhi scored 11 goals assisted by Priyanka with four goals while Pooja scored five goals for the losing team.

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