iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
The Metro Washington, DC, chapter of the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin hosted the Fifteenth Annual Mushaira-Kavi Sammelan 2023 at the Central Library in Arlington, Virginia.
“Events like this not only serve as platforms for poets to share their work but also contribute to the preservation and promotion of languages and their poetic traditions. They help bridge the gap between generations and cultures by showcasing the timeless beauty of Urdu and Hindi poetry,” said Jag Mohan, Minister for Community Affairs, Embassy of India, while inaugurating the event. Along with the minister, the First Secretary at the Embassy of India in Washington DC, Aditi Walunj, also attended the program.
The Aligarh Alumni Association, Washington DC (AAA-DC) started the annual Mushaira-Kavi Sammelan program to celebrate the Independence Day (Yaum-e-Azadi) program with the collaboration of Global Organization of People of Indian Origin of Metropolitan Washington (GOPIO-Metro) in 2008.
The Mushaira Kavi Sammelan brings together poets and enthusiasts of both languages to showcase their literary talents and celebrate the Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb. The annual event has become a hallmark of cultural activities in the Metro Washington area and its growing popularity is evident from the number of community organizations joining it every year. The Embassy of India which has been supporting the event since its inception, hosted the First Bilingual Poetry recitation program with the AAA-DC and Metro-GOPIO in 2011.
During the event, a tribute was paid to Dr. Sofia Abdullah, one of the founding members of the AAA-DC and the wife of Dr. A. Abdullah. She had been a strong motivator and supporter of the Association throughout her life. Dr. Sofia Abdullah died on 15th August 2023. The program started with a brief introduction of the Aligarh Alumni Association by its president, Aisha Khan. She apprised the audience about its establishment in 1975 with the main objective of providing financial assistance for education to the needy and meritorious students associated with the university. Another prime objective was to connect the South-Asian community in America through art and culture.
The Mushaira and Kavi Sammelan were presided over by retired Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer Dr. Ashok Narayan who is based in the Washington DC area now. A. Abdullah, Abdur Rahman Siddiqi, Anis Chaudhary, Ashok Narayan, Astha Naval, Aziz Qureshi, Daler Deol Aashna, Gulshan Madhur, Jamal Qadri, Kiran Nath, Madhu Maheshwari, Marghub Alam, Mohammed Akbar, Narendra Tandon, Preethi Govindaraj, Razi Raziuddin, Sabiha Saba. Sarwar Iqbal, Sukesh Chopra, Vandana Singh, Vinita Tiwari. Vishakha Thakar and Yusuf Rahat were among the poets who presented their poetries at the event. Senior poets of the Metropolitan Washington area Abdur Rahman Siddiqi, Ashok Narayan, Aziz Qureshi, and Gulshan Madhur were felicitated for their valuable contributions to literature.
“We have been hosting Mushaira-Kavi Sammelan since its inception 14 years ago,” said the founder president of the GOPIO-DC, Dr Renuka Misra. “An important aspect of this annual event is to recognize local literary figures by providing a platform to showcase their work.”
