Session ignores local Urdu poets
Dear Sir,
The Doha-based forum Anjuman Muhibbane Urdu Qatar  organised its ninth All-India Urdu Mushaira (poetry session) last month (February 20).
The yearly session is held, it is claimed, to mark India’s Republic Day (which falls on January 26). Urdu played a vital role in India’s independence struggle and it is a good gesture to mark the country’s National Day by organising a poetry session. We do appreciate the Anjuman for organising events like these.
A number of poets were invited from India to attend the session. However, locally only a very few Indian Urdu poets, who are either members or supporters of the Anjuman, recited their works at the session. There are many good Indian Urdu poets residing in Qatar, who are famous across India. None of them was given a chance to present their poems at the recent session. In an all-India mushaira, one expects a much larger participation of poets chosen on the basis of merit and not on the basis of relation and contacts. This is an example of the dirty groupism among the so-called patrons of Urdu.
At a time when Urdu is on a decline in India,  unhealthy groupism of associations and poets is adding to the worries of Urdu lovers. One wonders whether the name of these sessions should be changed to a mushajera (squabble session).
Almost a century ago, Poet of the East Dr Allama Iqbal commented the following about Urdu poets and writers from the subcontinent: “Alas, their writings are focused on only exploiting the beauty of women.” Had he been alive today, perhaps he would have mentioned that their focus is now on fame.
It is time to celebrate for the common man of Urdu (Urdu ka Aam Admi) and I consider the Urdu-speaking people as great patrons of the language as they care for teaching Urdu to their children. No matter whether these people have no entry to the grand all-India mushairas held in five-star hotels, but they are the real heroes of Urdu.
To celebrate Urdu sessions, marking the anniversary of  the world’s largest democracy, let us not ignore the voices of the common people. We must  learn to uphold merit in art and literature. I hope all Urdu groups in Qatar will open their eyes and hearts and not stoop to exploit and spoil Urdu for their fame and game.
AD
(Full name and address supplied)

Learn to accept people as they are
Dear Sir,
This is in reference to the article, “Why some people choose isolation over connection?” (Gulf Times, March 22). The way people have been brought up is a reason for their choosing isolation. A couple with two sons resided in a house next to ours several years ago. Their father was very strict with the two and hardly did he take them out. Their mother was a woman of few words. However, the children studied very well and are well placed now. But, they continue to live in loneliness. They attribute it to their father’s strict upbringing and lack of friends when they were young. Though they liked to have friends then, their father was against it because their neighbourhood was synonymous with uneducated, brutal people.
There are people who are very shy and hence do not socialise. They prefer isolation.
I  remember a psychologist once saying that people should not try to change their individuality by seeing others. In our world, there are both introverts and extroverts. There are people who always keep somebody company and  those who like loneliness. We should accept them as they are. Never should we mock them for being so.
As a matter of fact, we ought to comprehend and acknowledge the different nature of each individual.

C Robinson
robin_son_ch@yahoo.co.in