The narrow lanes, old fashioned houses and shops of Rai market reminded Kishwar Naheed, of old Lahore and Peshawar, she saw during her childhood days, according to a report by the Times of India.
The 64-year-old the poetess from Lahore, was so passionate to walk around in the old city, that she could not wait to complete the check in formalities in the hotel after her arrival on Sunday afternoon.
Naheed is one amongst the only two poets from Pakistan, who have come to participate in the Indo-Pak Mushaira, being held at local SD College auditorium.
Blaming stricter visa norms for low turn out of participants from her country, Naheed however expressed hope that things will brighten improve in future. “We are happy that India and Pakistan have signed new agreement that will ease the visa restrictions.
The day is not far when literary people and others from different walks of life would be able to visit the two neighbouring countries more frequently as happened in past,’’ she said.
Attired in a Punjabi suit, the poetess who had been to India a number of times in the past said she was nostalgic while interacting with locals and shopkeepers in the city who reminded her of her salad days in Lahore.
“My long cherished dream of visiting the old Ambala city has been fulfilled. I am visiting the city for the first time, but I find it no different from the old areas of Lahore. “Ohi boli, ohi bazaar (same dialect, same market) Insshallah same kind of shops and shopkeepers,’’ she said. The Indo-Pak Mushaira is being held to revive literary ties between the two countries.
Earlier on Sunday, after a long wait of nearly 13 years, Ambala once again reverberated with some delightful poetry by renowned Urdu and Hindi poets at a “mushaira,” — “Karvan-e-adab” — here late on Sunday evening. Around a dozen poets from India and Pakistan including Gopal Das Neeraj, Surjit Patar, Rahat Indori, Munnawar Rana and Kishwar Naheed participated.
The “mushaira” was organized by the Haryana Institute of Fine Arts with a view to strengthen Indio-Pak relations. Poets from both the countries also made a passionate written appeal to strengthen ties between the two countries, to the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan through Union culture minister Kumari Selja, who was the chief guest at the event.
“We have appealed to start constructive efforts to strengthen the cultural ties between the two nations by introducing a liberal visa agreement, especially for artistes of both the nations, including multi-entry and non-police reporting visa.
We have also mooted for common celebrations of Independence Day of both the nations,” said Pakistan-based poet Munnawar Rana.
Acclaimed poets shared their poetry in Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi languages. During the festival all the coveted shayars and poets participating made an appeal for a new liberal visa agreement especially for artistes of both nations including multi-entry and non-police reporting and cultural relations between India and Pakistan to be strengthened, to the authorities of both nations to pay heed to their voice.
“For this a new liberal visa agreement especially for artists of both nations, including multi-entry and non-police reporting should be introduced without delay,” said Shakti.
Haryana Institute of Fine Arts (HIFA), a cultural organization of North India will be organizing the event as a part of its ongoing initiative, ‘JAFFIAN’, an effort to promote Indo-Pak friendship and peace. The event will commence by 6.00 pm on Sunday.
