Urdu Academy of North America presents humorous poetry
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali
The Urdu Academy of North America dedicated its September 17, 2023 literary event to satire and humorous literature in Urdu.
The event was held at the Chandni Restaurant, Newark CA.
MC Qazi Habib presented a well researched maqala on satire and humorous and funny literature in Urdu language.
As usual a number of Urdu enthusiasts presented humorous poetry: Qazi Habib presented Mirza Ghalib FilmsazoN meN, Syed Mohammad Jafri and Akbar Allahabadi. Tasadduq Attari (Anwar Masood), Zafar Yousufzai (Zia ul Haq Qasmi), Mahmood Hasan (Dilawar Figaar), Abdul Sattar Ghazali (M. Arif & Salman Khateeb), Ra’ana Quresh (Raja Mehdi Ali Khan), Suraiya Jabeen (Khalid Irfan), Mah Talat Shazi (Anwar Masood), Riaz Niazi (Dilawar Figar), Anjum Zishaan (Syed Zamir Jaafri), Arshad Rashid (Popular Meerthi) and Dr.Ghazala Ansari (Khamkha Hyderabadi).
Mobeen Khalil read Mushtaq Yusufi’s khansama.
Tashie Zaheer, President of the Urdu Academy of North America gave concluding remarks.
Humor and Satire are an integral part of all forms of literature; and when the tragic part of a drama/story becomes unbearable, humor/satire provide a much needed diversion and relief.
In Urdu literature humor and satire are conspicuously observed for the first time in the letters written by Mirza Ghalib where frank humor and offhandedness are quite domineering. Ghalib was blessed with dual attribute of being a poet and a prose writer. Humor was a part of his nature, that’s why Hali called him “ Hewann-e-Zareef” (Humorous animal). His Humor is pious and pure. He smiles at the occasions when people are whining and crying. [1]
In his letters, instead of using loud and sharp colors, he uses a beautiful blend of light colours of Humor. The elements of satire are more specific in the literature contributed by Deputy Nazir Ahmad
The names of Mullah Ramuzi, Rasheed Ahmad Siddiqui, Farhatllah Baig, Azeem Baig Chughtai, Patras Bukhari, Shaukat Thanwi and Falak Pema, etc. are worth mentioning here. In Farhat Ullah Baig’s style, there is a wonderful fusion of seriousness and Humor.
Although Patras Bukhari has less contribution (in volume) but whatever he wrote gives him a prominent place in Urdu literature. His study is very vast and he has a great appreciation & understanding of international and especially English literature. There is a touch of delicacy, liveliness and good taste in his Humor.
He creates Humor with situations more than words. He is good at parody writing but repartee is his special technique. He does not laugh at the individuals but at the groups and classes. Sayed Abdullah writes about him that the essence of his Humor is based on integrity, uprightness and sincerity more than sympathy and kindness.
Some of the literary writers were those who were not basically humorists but their writings reflect the sweetness of Humor and satire. Some salient names of such writers are Mehdi-ul-Afadi, Abualkalam Azad, Mehfuz Ali Badauni, Maulana Zafar Ali Khan, Qazi Abdul Ghaffar, Khawaja Hassan Nizami, Abdul Majeed Salik, Majeed Lahori, Ibrahim Jalees and Abdul MajDaryabadi etc. The eminent names among modern Humor writers are: Colonel Muhammad Khan, Shafeeq-ur-Rehman, Kanhaiya Lal Kapoor, Ibne Insha, Mashkoor Hussain Yaad, Attaul Haq Qasmi, Sadique Salik, Yousaf Nazim, Khawaja Abdul Ghafoor, Mujtaba Hussain, Younas Butt and Mushtaq Ahmad Yousafi. The most prominent name among them is Mushtaq Ahmad Yousafi who is a natural Humorist. [2]
From Akbar Allahabadi onwards, one can witness a sea change in the level of flair and competition among writers in the form of Urdu satire. Mid-20th and the 21st century have witnessed the rise of Jawalla Parshad Barq, Sajjad Hussain, Machu Baig Sitamzareef, Rasheed Ahmad Siddiqui, Tarbhon Nath Hijjar, Mullah Ramuzi, Farhat Ullah Baig, Abdul Majeed Lahori, Patras Bukhari, Azeem Baig Chughtai, Mujtaba Husain, Falak Pema, Anwar Maqsood and Syed Aijazuddin, Popular Meeruti among others as excellent satirists. [3]
References
[1] Urdu literature in the 20th century. The Dialogue 185 Volume VII Number 2
[2] Ibid.
[3] Urdu and satire by Urdu Bazar
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