By Abdus Sattar Ghazali
The Urdu Academy of North America held its monthly literary session on April 16, 2017 at the Chandni Restaurant, Newark, CA. The first session of the event was dedicated to the life and work of a prominent Urdu poet, Naresh Kumar Shad.
The event was presided over by Habibullah. Poetess Kausar Saiyed was MC. She presented a well-researched maqala on the life and work Naresh Shad.
As usual, a number of Urdu well wishers recited the poetry of Naresh Shad which included: Khalid Rana, Mukesh Kacker, Moiz khan, Shaan Sehgal, Zafar Khan YousufZai, Tassaduq Attari and Abdus Sattar Ghazali. Kausar Saiyed perhaps stole the show with her melodious presentation of a popular ghazal of Naresh Shad.
:KatoN Se MeiN Ne Piyar Kiya Hai Kabhi Kabhi
PhooloN Ko Sharm Saar Kiya Hai Kabhi Kabhi
Naresh Kumar Shad was born in Ahiyapur, Urmar Tanda, District Hoshiarpur on December 11, 1927. His father Nauhariya Ram Dard Nakodari was a prominent and well known Urdu journalist and poet writer. Having born to a Bhalla family of Nakodar a small town in Jallandhar, he inherited fluent use of Urdu and Persian from his father.
Naresh Kumar Shad did his high school from Govt. High School Chunian, and got Government job and was posted at Rawalpindi and later on transferred to Jallandhar.
He was only 22 years old when his first poetry collection book named Dastak was published in Jallandhar in August 1950. 
Earlier on he used to write under the pen-name of Shad Nakodari, Nakodar being his hometown but later he chose Shad as his pen-name. His first book named Dastak was very popular in Urdu poetic circles and Shad got instant shot at popularity with its success.
He was a contemporary of Sahir Ludhianvi.
Naresh Kumar Shad was a disciple of Labhu Ram Josh Malsiyani (1883-1976) who was a disciple of Nawab Mirza Daagh Dehalvi.
He wrote ghazals which had become very popular but his forte was Qat'aa and Rubai. His two collections of poetry, Qashen and Kalaam e Muntakhab were published during his lifetime. After his demise Naresh Kumar Shad Memorial Committee in the year 1970 published Shad Namah that contained his poems and articles appraising his literary output. Later on, Shad ki Shayari Shad aur Akhtar ki shayari and Adabi latife (Literary humorous stories) came to light.
[Rare 1965 photo-print of an informal gathering of poets/writers at the residence of Zia Fatehabadi.Seen left to right :- Naresh Kumar Shad, Kailash Chander Naaz, Talib Dehalvi, Khushtar Girami, Balraj Hairat, Saghar Nizami, Talib Chakwali, Munavvar Lakhnavi, Malik Ram, Jainendra Kumar, Zia Fatehabadi, Rishi Patialvi, Bahar Burney, Joginder Pal, Unwan Chishti and Krishan Mohan. Wikipedia]
