Thousands attend Ahad Zargar day at Narwara

Staff Writer - Greater Kashmir - Kashmir, India
Saturday, August 12, 2006

Srinagar: People today gathered in the downtown locality of Narwara in Srinagar to celebrate Ahad Zargar Day. The people had started assembling right from the morning and by after-noon the gathering had swelled to about fifteen to twenty thousand. The entire area wore a festive look and people enjoyed various cultural programmes based on the kalam of the late Sufi poet.

The Ahad Zargar day had been jointly organized by the Department of Information and Public Relations and Ahad Zargar Memorial Committee. Held at the native place of late Ahad Zargar at Narwara, the function was a treat to watch and hear as the audience repeatedly appreciated the artists who presented musical programmes based on the kalam of the late Sufi poet. Gulukar Association had also extended its collaboration in making the event a great success.

Renowned poets, intellectuals, writers, art lovers and people from various areas of the capital city and other places of the valley were present on this occasion.
Prominent among these included Director Information, Kh. Farooq Renzu, Director Commercial Broadcasting Service, Bashir Arif, Deputy Director Radio Kashmir, Rafiq Raz, Prof. Rehman Rahi, Shad Ramzan, Aziz Hajini, Zareef Ahmad Zareef, Mehraj-ud-Din, Muzaffar Kashani, Imdad Saqi, Nazir Ahmad Nazir, Ghulam Rasool Akhoon and Iftikhar Kamili.

On this occasion, the Director Information inaugurated a photo exhibition depicting various phases in the life of the late poet. People evinced enormous interest in the photo exhibition and highly appreciated the efforts of the Information Department to bring some valuable pictures of the late poet before them.
Speaking on the occasion, Director Information Kh. Farooq Renzu dwelt at length on the efforts made by the Information department to bring the poetry and other writings of the eminent poets and writers of the state before the people. He said the creations of the poets and intellectuals of the past need to be brought to the new generation. This, he said would be a great service to the poets and intellectuals of yore. He said the department brings out several literary and development magazines like Alove, Kasheer, Kashmir Today, Tameer, Yojana and Loo and the writings and poetry of the intellectuals of the state find ample space in these publications.

Director Commercial Broadcasting Service Bashir Arif also spoke on the occasion.
Earlier, artists of Information Department, Radio Kashmir, Cultural Academy, Doordarshan and other organizations presented several musical programmes that left the audience spell bound.