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Mushaira planned in Dubai to pay tributes to Joan Eliah

DUBAI - An international Urdu mushaira will be organised in October by the Majlis-e-Farogh-e-Urdu Adab in Dubai in memory of the poet Joan Eliah, according to Shahida Jafri, chief organiser.

Billed as 'Mushaira Bayaad-e-Joan Eliah,' the event will be held to pay homage to the distinguished poet who died in Pakistan recently.

"Joan Eliah had a special rapport with Dubai where he was very popular with the lovers of Urdu poetry," she said. "In fact, he was one of those 14 top poets who were honoured at the annual mushairas here known as 'Jashn' from 1986 to 2001. The mushaira, called 'Jashn-e-Joan Eliah', was held in 1990."

She said that poets from both India and Pakistan would recite their verses at the mushaira which would be different in the sense that the poets would come together to 'honour' a poet who is no more.

"True to the late Salim Jafri's mushaira tradition, this time also we would try to maintain the best standards in organsiation and selection of the participants," Shahida said.

She said the work on selection of partners and sponsors had already started and those interested in the event could contact 050-6500762.

A special souvenir in memory of Joan Eliah would be published on the eve of the mushaira, general secretary of the Majlis Malik Aslam, said. "It will be an entirely different effort this time as we will publish selected writings of prominent poets and writers on a variety of topics, making the magazine an excellent reflection of the contemporary Urdu literature," he said.

Shahida said that their organisation had put together mushairas in honour of Qumaar Barabankvi, Ahmed Faraz, Kunwar Mehander Singh Bedi Sehar, Joan Eliah, Qateel Shifai, Jagan Nath Azad, Mehshar Badayuni, Kaifi Azmai, Dr Pirzadah Qasim, Ali Sardar Jafri, Shehzad Ahmed, Bashir Badr and Amjad Islam Amjad during the past 16 years. The first mushaira was held in memory of Faiz Ahmed Faiz in 1986.