It was an awesome moment for the University of Hyderabad fraternity to have celebrated poet Janab Monnawwar Rana on campus in a programme “Ek Shaam Monawwar Rana Ke Naam” in the DST Auditorium on the night of 14th September 2015.
As Chief Guest of the Hindi Divas function of the University of Hyderabad in the late afternoon at School of Humanities Auditorium, he recited the following:
Lipat jaata hoon Maa se aur Mausi muskurati hai
Main Urdu mein Ghazal kehta hoon Hindi muskurati hai
Sagi behnon ka rishta hai ye Urdu aur Hindi mein
Kahin duniya ki do zinda zabanon mein nahin milta
Janab Monawwar Rana is a well-known contemporary poet having penned many poetry collection like Ghazal Gaon, Mor Paon, Peepal Chhaon, Badan Sarai, Maa, Kaho Zill-e-Ilaahi se, Sukhan Sarai, Muhajir Nama and Shahdaba along with some collection of prose like Baghair Naqshe ka Makaan, Safed Jungli Kabootar, Jungli Phool, Dhalaan se Utarte Hue, Phunnak Taal etc.
He is recipient of the Sahitya Akademi award for the year 2014, the highest literary award of the Government of India for his book Shahdaba.
The University organized a programme named “Ek Shaam Monnawwar Rana Ke Naam” in honour of the poet. The programme started at 9:30 pm in the jam-packed DST Auditorium and continued for more than two hours. The programme was chaired by the Vice Chancellor of the University Prof. R. P. Sharma. Dr Mrs. Shreegyan Mote, Hindi Officer of the University welcomed the guest and the detailed introduction of the guest was given by Dr Md. Zahidul Haque, Assistant Professor in the Department of Urdu. The programme was witnessed by all sections of the university fraternity including students, teachers and non-teaching staffs in large numbers followed by an interactive session with the poet. The University of Hyderabad has a tradition of calling poets, writers, artists and socio-cultural activists on campus for these kind of interactive sessions since its establishment but in the history of the University of Hyderabad first time an evening with a poet has been celebrated in this grand way.
Janab Monawwar Rana shared his ideas, views and thoughts with the university community especially the young generation and recalled his days as a young student of Calcutta University. He also discussed some of the current burning topics and presented his views in the form of Ghazal and its couplets.
Chalti phirti huii aankhon se azaan dekhi hai
Main ne jannat to nahin dekhi hai Maa dekhi hai
Maula ye tamanna hai ke jab jaan se jaaoon
Jis shaan se aaya hoon usi shaan se jaaoon
Zinda agar dekhegi to Maa cheekh uthegi
Kya zakhm liye peeth pe maidaan se jaaoon
Faqeeron ki ye kutiya hai farawaani nahin hogi
Magar jab tak rahoge haan pareshani nahin hogi
Monawwar mein yaqeenan kuchh na kuchh to khoobiyan hongi
Ye duniya yunhi us paagal ki deewani nahin hogi
Bulandiyon ka bade se bada nishan chhua
Uthaya god mein Maa ne tab aasmaan chhua
Main dahshatgard tha marne pe beta bol sakta hai
Hukumat ke ishaare pe to murda bol sakta hai
Bahut si kursiyan is mulk mein lashon pe rakhi hain
Ye wo sach hai jise jhoote se jhoota bol sakta hai
He especially thanked the Vice Chancellor and the entire University of Hyderabad community for extending huge love and affection to him with this couplet:
Bas teri mohabbat mein chala aaya hoon warna
Yun sab ke bula lene se Rana nahin aata
-Dr Zahidul Haque, Assistant Professor in Urdu, University of Hyderabad