PESHAWAR: Poets and writers gathered here on Sunday to mark 40th anniversary of Bazm-i-Bahar-i-Adab and pledged to continue their efforts for promoting literary activities in the provincial capital.

In this connection, a function was arranged at Rana Academy Sinkandarpura. Literati and book lovers from parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Lahore turned up at the function and shared their views with the participants.

They said Bazm-i-Bahar-i-Adab turned Peshawar city into a distinct Urdu school of thought as writers from across the country would become guests in the literary events arranged under its banner.

Speakers highlighted salient features of the organisation, its background, history and contribution to Urdu language and literature. They said that the organisation groomed up several generations of poets and writers during the last decades despite unfavourable environment.

Peshawar event marks 40th anniversary of Bazm-i-Bahar-i-Adab

They said that Prof Nasir Ali Syed, Prof Nazeer Tabassum, Aziz Ejaz and Saeed Gilani were inspired by Bazm’s activities and presently most of them motivated another galaxy of Urdu writers.

Azeem Niazi, chief of the organisation, in his opening remarks said that Ghulam Ghuas Naz Sethi, a reputed writer, along with his three other bibliophiles had founded Bazm-i-Bahar-i-Adab way back in 1980 in the provincial capital with an objective to promote literary activities. Though informal sessions and gatherings had started much earlier but Bazm-i-Bahar-i- Adab had launched its formal literary events in 80s, he added.

Akhtar Mehmood Seemab, joint secretary of BBA, stated that for almost two decades the late founder of the organisation used to arrange all kinds of events at his residence where Khatir Ghaznavi, Ahmad Faraz, Farigh Bukhari, Raza Hamdani, Ghulam Mohammad Qasir, Prof Mohsin Ehsan, Prof Taha Khan and Prof Nazeer Tabassum used to hold different literary activities including book launches, talk with guest writer, debate and weekly sessions on critical evaluation of works of poets and writers.

He said that BBA preserved record of decryption of its literary events in about six volumes, which would be made public for budding poets and writers. He said that the written record would also benefit research scholars and literary critics.

Mr Niazi stated that number of young poets, writers, literary critics and scholars comprising university and college graduates and teachers swelled up over the last few years that showed deep interest of people.

The first session was followed by Urdu poetry recitation in which local as well as guest poets participated. They paid poetic tributes to the founding members and early contributors of Bazm-i-Bahar-i-Adab.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2024