Full marks to Ataul Haq Qasimi's Al-Hamra International Literary and Cultural seminar which covered segments of fine arts in Lahore with great enthusiasm. Lahore attracted celebrities from all over Pakistan to present their papers on all genres of Urdu literature. Besides literature, painting, classical music, ghazal gaiki, drama, folk music, the role of government in the development of arts also got a full session.
The inaugural session was presided over by Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa, Senior Minister of Punjab. In this session, Life Achievement Award was given to Ustad Ghulam Husain Shagan (Music), Qavi Khan (Acting), Abdullah Husain (Literature) and Khalid Akhtar (Painting).
The first session was presided over by Professor Shamim Hanafi of India and its topic was Urdu Shaeri Ke Classical Dareechay. Professor Akhtar Abdul Wasay from India talked on Iqbal, Professor Aslam Ansari on Mir Taqi Mir and this writer on Ghalib. The other speaker of the session was Professor Tehsin Firaqi who talked on Globalisation. He highlighted the West's imperialistic motives behind the concept of "Global Village".
The second session entitled Pakistani Musawwiri Ke Maimar was presided over by Mian Ijazul Hasan. The speakers of the session were Dr Ijaz Anwar, who talked on Sadequain brilliantly, Shahnawaz Zaidi and Rahat Naveed Masood.
Pakistan's classical music was also an interesting topic. Presided over by Ustad Fateh Ali Khan, Ustad Ghulam Haider, Sarwat Ali, Shafqat Ali Khan, Ustad Badruzzaman and Pervaiz Paras spoke on different aspects of music in this session. The last programme of the first day was a Jadeed Urdu Nazm Mushaira. This event was a historical one. I have not heard about any Mushaira exclusively for Nazm poets so far. However, Anjuman Punjab's Mushairas on "Nazm" in the latter half of the 19th century were the only venues where Nazm was sought to be popularised through such Mushairas.
It was presided over by Mehmood Sham, a well-known journalist and poet, while the chief guest of the Mushaira was Khaleel Mamoon, a poet from Bangalore, India. The poets who took part were Kishwar Naheed, Asghar Nadeem Syed, Tabassum Kashmiri, Jayanant Parmar (India), Ehsan Akbar, Azra Abbas, Anwar Sen Roy, Ali Akbar Abbas, Dr Waheed Ahmed, Shakeela Shaam, Shabnam Ishai (Sri Nagar, Kashmir), Fahim Jozi and Rabia Rehman and Abdul Rehman Abd, etc.
The next day's (15 May) sessions were on Urdu Novel Ke 100 Saal, Pakistan Mein Ghazal Gaiki Ka Mustaqbil, Urdu Shaeri Classic Se Jiddat Tak, Pakistani Musawwir Ki Nai Jahatain, Drama Nigari Ka Urooj-o-Zawal. There was an interesting exchange of arguments between Khwaja Muhammad Zikriya and Abdullah Hussain. Khwaja Zikriya had mentioned in passing that Abdullah Hussain's novels, in particular, have made greater use of "invectives" and slangs which didn't make him a novelist for Shurafa (The noble people). Abdullah Hussain was quick in his repartee. He said that novel-reading was not for gentry (Shurafa). The hefty applause of the audience served as an endorsement to the reply of Abdullah Hussain.
In the session on Novel, short story writer and critic Mubin Mirza, Dr Anwar Ahmed, Dr Shamim Hanafi and Dr Siddiqur Rahman Qidwai got responsive audience. The session on "Urdu Shaeri Classic se Jiddat Tak" was presided over by Dr Saleem Akhtar. Zafar Iqbal, Siddiqur-Rahman Kidwai, Dr Tabassum Kashmiri, Kishwar Naheed and Dr Asghar Nadeem Syed and Azra Abbas spoke. The other session which received an enthusiastic response from the audience was on "Urdu Afsanay Ke 100 Saal".
Dr Shamim Hanafi is given to comparing Urdu novel and Urdu short story with the novel and short story being written by Indian writers in English and regional languages of India. It is known that he is an autonomist in literature and doesn't like the interdisciplinary approach for the appreciation of literary works. I think that every society has its own reasons and artists choices for their styles and techniques. It is not for being different in stylistic predilections and techniques that a literature has to be preferred to another. It is the content which opts for a "form". Anyhow, Dr Hanafi can advocate any style or technique he likes but comparisons should be made between similar styles and techniques.
The hallmark Al-Hamra Conference was Nazm Mushaira, drama, drama & music sessions followed after day long sessions. Almost more than 100 celebrities attended this conference. As far as Nizamat, Dr Asghar Nadeem Syed did more than justice to his reputation. Now in the end, a necessary suggestion. Not more than three sessions should be programmed for a day so that the participation of the audience, by way of questions and answers, could be ensured. Ataul Haq Qasmi and his team, however, deserves accolades for the great feast of intellectual discussions day after day.