Venkat Raman
The poetic and phonetic beauty of Urdu and Hindi was a matter of celebration at the Ghazal Night held in Auckland last month.
Organised by the Urdu Hindi Cultural Association at Fickling Convention Centre, the event witnessed an assembly of Urdu and Hindi scholars giving vent to their literary and singing talent, fostering the spirit of goodwill and harmony.
Among them were Association President Roopa Suchdev, Vice-President Dr Mirza Taimoori, Syed Mujeeb Hyderabadi, Suman Kapoor, Nasir Mirza, Kanika Deish, Arvinder Vasudeva, Professor S D Madhur, Arif Zia, Gopal Kishan, Joyti Virk and young singers Arya and Jatin.
The event also had the presence of Members of Parliament Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi (Association Patron), Melissa Lee, Dr Parmjeet Parmar and Michael Wood and community leaders Ella Kumar, Jeet Suchdev and Anne Degia Pala.
Entity of Bards
Describing the Urdu-Hindi Cultural Association as one of the best of its type in New Zealand, Ms Suchdev said that Mushaira, Kavi Sammelan and Sham-E-Ghazal formed the core of its activities.
“I am grateful to the Members of the Association for electing me to the post of President. As well as conducting Urdu and Hindi classes for children and others who are keen to learn the languages, the Association publishes ‘Dhanak,’ in three languages (Urdu, Hindi and English) every year. Rich in literary content, it covers a wide range of subjects,” she said.
Roshni Chadha was the Master of Ceremony at the event organised by Ghouse Majeed and Syed Mujeeb.
A bridge across times
Since its establishment in 2009, the Association has become an effective bridge between the past and the present, encouraging the learning, teaching and usage of Urdu and Hindi.
Auckland Mayor (then Leader of the Opposition) Phil Goff said at the launch, “Language is the greatest unifying force among people and a great source of cultural and social identity. While we are all partners in New Zealand’s progress and prosperity, we should also be conscious of our cultural tree, of which language is an important branch.”
Photo Caption:
- Labour MP Michael Wood with (from left) Syed Mujeeb Hyderabadi, Preeta Vyas, Tahseen Sultana and Roopa Suchdev
- Association President Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi (third from left) with (from left) Michael Wood, Melissa Lee, Jeet Suchdev, Dr Parmjeet Parmar, Suman Kapoor and Syed Mujeeb Hyderabadi at the Ghazal evening.
(Pictures supplied)
