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NEW DELHI: Indian President Pratibha Patil inau gurated on Friday a major international conference here to celebrate the birth centenary of Faiz Ahmed Faiz.
“There are only a few people who have striven to cross the confines of their respective countries to promote the cause of humanity without borders. Faiz was one of them,” she said at the conference attended by a number of Pakistani intellectuals, including the poet's family members.“On this beautiful occasion, my message to Faiz's friends and admirers is to use his memory to embark on a journey of global peace, brotherhood, friendship and equality.”
President Patil's speech kicked off a two-day officially sponsored celebration of the poet's centenary which links up with dozens of private initiatives across the country that have seen seminars, documentaries, poetry recitation and musical soirees coming toge- ther in universities, schools and public auditoriums.
Friday's inaugural session was followed by a musical tri- bute to Faiz by Indian and Pakistan singers Jagjit Singh and Tina Sani. There is a view gaining ground here that Arshad Mehmood's composition of a Faiz poem in Raag Durga — 'Bahaar Aaee' sung by Ms Sani — could overtake Noorjehan's interpretation of 'Mujhse pehli si muhabbat' as the new national anthem for the lovers of Faiz's poetry.
