Seminar on 17th century Urdu poet held

M S University (MSU) and Gujarat University researchers apart from local writers got together at the Sardar Patel Memorial Hall on Saturday for a daylong seminar on the life of 17th century Urdu poet Vali Gujarati. Held under the aegis of Akhil Bharatiya Sadbhavna Trust,the seminar threw light on several hidden aspects about the poet’s life. The meet was sponsored by the National Council for the Promotion of Urdu Language and the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

M G Bombaywala,director of Hazrat Pir Mohammed Shah Library and Research Centre,said the new generation researchers should come forward to highlight the works of Vali,believed to be the pioneer of modern ghazal. He said it was an irony that it took a French Orientalist,Garcin de Tassy (1794-1878),to introduce to the world the genius of Vali.

Several papers were presented on Vali’s attempt at filtering the Ghazal of erotic elements,which was in vogue among poets before him; the fate of innovation in his poetry and its treatment at the hands of succeeding generations of writers; use of Hindi words and expressions in his writings; the row over his original birth place; and an overall critique of his works.

Shabbir Hashmi,chairman of the Akhil Bharatiya Sadbhavna Trust,said the next seminar would be on popular Urdu poet Nazeer Akbarabadi,which will be held in Vadodara on January 21.