LAHORE: Glowing tributes were paid to theatre director Madeeha Gauhar and human rights champion I.A. Rehman at an international online memorial meeting.

The meeting was organised by Ajoka Theatre to mark the third death anniversary of its founder, Madeeha Gauhar, who passed away on April 25, 2018.

Human rights campaigners and theatre professionals from Pakistan, India, Canada, the US and the UK attended the event.

The participants from Pakistan included retd Justice Nasira Javed Iqal, Hussain Naqi, PNCA Director General Fawzia Saeed, poet and playwright Asghar Nadeem Syed, former chair of the Commission on the Status of Women Khawar Mumtaz, Dr Muhammad Waseem, actor Savera Nadeem and leading labour rights activist and socialist Farooq Tariq.

The speakers from India included feminist scholar and activist Kamla Bhasin, theatre director Neelam Mansingh Chowdhry, Chair of Sangeet Natak Academy, Punjab and founder of Manch Rang Manch theatre group, Kewal Dhaliwal, theatre scholar Arvinder Dhaliwal and theatre actor and director Sahib Singh.

The guests also included Third World Solidarity founder Mushtaq Lashari CBE and Barrister Huma Price from London. Those who joined from the US were human rights campaigner Marvi Sarmad, former Ajoka actor and PTV Producer Furqan Majeed, Madeeha’s friend and economist Zeba Hyder and musician and former diplomat Lewis Elbinger. Actor Hina Tariq from Canada and human rights scholar and Madeeha’s niece Neha Gauhar from Switzerland also joined.

Others who spoke in the meeting included Ajoka’s chair Zara Salman, General Secretary Sohail Warraich, Arzoo Ali Gauhar, Shoaib Sultan, Naseem Abbas and Madeeha’s son Sarang Nadeem.

The speakers shared their memories of both I.A. Rehman and Madeeha Gauhar and the profound impact of the two icons on the causes of democracy, peace and cultural freedoms. They highlighted their contribution to peace with India and steadfast opposition to the menace of fundamentalism in Pakistan.

Ajoka’s directors Shahid Nadeem and Nirvaan Nadeem hosted the event. A video showing images of I.A. Rehman’s support for Ajoka and Madeeha’s work was also shown.

The event ended with the screening of extracts from PTV’s landmark drama serial, Neelay Hath, which was inspired by Madeeha’s activism during the times of General Ziaul Haq. She also played the lead role in the serial.

The event was held on Zoom and also livestreamed on the Facebook.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2021