“While Pakistan is celebrating the 70th anniversary of its cordial, political, social and cultural relations with Japan, we must learn from the swift progress made by Japan and see the reasons why we are lagging behind. Haiku has cemented the cultural relations between the two friendly states’’.
This was stated by Mahmood Shaam, the veteran Urdu poet and a seasoned journalist, while addressing the Pak-Japan Cultural Association organizes the 35th Annual Urdu Haiku Mushaaira (poetry recital), held under the auspices of Pak-Japan Cultural Association (Sindh), at the Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi. He had also enthralled the audience by reciting his own Haiku. Earlier, selected poets presented their masterpieces in the form of Haiku, a 3-line Japanese verse, adapted with great enthusiasm in Urdu, like others, long ago.
The Mushaaira was held under the patronage of the Consulate General of Japan, Karachi, as the Arts Council provided coordination in its organizing. Mrs. Khushbakht Shujaat was the Chief Guest, while the Honorable Deputy Consul General of Japan, Mr. Yasushi Nakagawa had kindly accepted the invitation to grace the occasion and surprised the audience with his fine Urdu conversation. Representing the Arts Council, Dr. Huma Mir, a well-known TV artiste presented a bouquet to the Deputy Consul General of Japan.
Another surprise for the participants and the people witnessing was the Urdu Haiku recital of Kazunori Matsuda, PhD, the Coordinator, deputed at the Karachi Consulate General. Moreover, both the Japanese diplomats, as well as, Mr. Muhammad Azmat (Shigeyuki) Ataka (the man behind that entire venture; a former Advisor to the Consul General of Japan, Karachi) expressed their views in Urdu, with written text in Urdu script. That’s the most unforgettable point for those who are dying to support the Roman-script for the national language.
A select number of poets, including Safdar Siddique Razi, Dr. Shadab Ahsani, Zahid Husain Zahid Jauhri, Salman Siddiqui, Shahabuddin Shahab, Wazahat Nasim, Khalid Moin, Akhtar Saeedi, Dr. Rukhsana Saba, Sarwat Sultana Sarwat, Nasim Nazish, Khalida Uzma, Meraj Jami, Amna Alam, Rubeena Tehseen Beena, Sehar Ali, Sohail Ahmed Siddiqui, Shahzad Niaz, Dr. Abida Ghanghro (in Sindhi), Shazia Alam Shazi, Kamran Nafees, Shabbir Nazish and Alauddin Khanzada contributed fine pieces of Haiku poetry and received encouragement and round of applause from the audience. Senior poet and broadcaster, Mr. Shahabuddin Shahab and prominent poetess, Dr. Rukhsana Saba discharged the duties of compering, excellently.
Earlier, Shahzad Niaz, a Japanese-knowing poet rendered Urdu translations of famous Japanese poetess of the 17th century, besides her life-history. Sohail Ahmed Siddiqui presented a complimentary copy of his Haiku anthology; Khushkun hai PatjharPleasant (or pleasing) is the autumn to the President of the Mushaaira.
It may be recalled here that the most captivating creative activity of Haiku poetry was initiated by the Japan Cultural Center of the Consulate General of Japan, Karachi, in 1983, at the advice and recommendation of prominent littérateur and academician, Professor Dr. Syed Abulkhair Kashfi, who had returned from Japan, after discharging his academic duties. It was later patronized by the Lahore-based Consulate, the Embassy in Islamabad and the honorary Consul General in Quetta.
Haiku was introduced to Urdu, in 1922, besides other Japanese genres; yet, it took some 50 years to the original Haiku poem writing, while famous poets spent time in experiments, during 1930s, 1940s and 1960s onward.
Iqbal Haider (d. 2020), one of the most senior versatile Urdu poets and former Senior Producer, Pakistan Television earned fame as the ‘Ambassador of Haiku’, a title given to him by the then Consul General of Japan in Karachi for his untiring efforts in promoting Haiku in Urdu and several regional languages.
Haiku International appeared in 1998, as the Pioneer & ONLY Multi-lingual Haiku journal in South Asia introduced works of some 300 Urdu and numerous foreign, as well as regional language poets. The brainchild of Sohail Ahmed Siddiqui created world records of publishing Haiku-related and other material in 15 languages in a single issue, while publishing the same in 25 world languages; both records are still unbroken around the globe.
Report by Sohail Ahmed Siddiqui, Founding Editor of Haiku International-Karachi, Pakistan.
