Faiz Centennial: ‘People should take lead in Indo-Pak ties’

Indian actress Shabana Azmi says rulers from both sides should see people want peace and friendship.

LAHORE: The people of India and Pakistan must set their own agenda of love, peace and friendship rather than leave this to their governments, according to Indian actress and social activist Shabana Azmi.

The rulers of both countries should see that their people want peace and friendship, she told The Express Tribune on the sidelines of the Faiz Aman Mela at the Bagh-e-Jinnah Open Air Theatre here on Sunday. She said she would take a message of peace and love back with her to India. The Mela, organised by the Faiz Foundation Trust, was held at Bagh-e-Jinnah for the first time since 1985.

The Indian actress was welcomed warmly by the audience when she went on stage for her speech. “I am delighted to see the way people are celebrating Faiz’s centennial here,” Azmi said. “My father [poet Kaifi Azmi] once wrote ‘Koi to soud chukai, koi to zimma lay, is inqilaab ka jo aaj tak udhaar pay hai (Someone needs to guarantee, even start servicing the debt that is the revolution owed to us). I think that the Faiz Foundation here is working to bring the revolution my father talked about.”

Azmi sang Bol, a famous Faiz poem, by popular demand and received loud applause.

Indian singer Ila Arun said that she was lucky to be here to celebrate Faiz on her first trip to Pakistan.

Acclaimed Indian writer Atul Tiwari said he was delighted to see red flags at the mela. “This is the colour of revolution. I don’t remember any poet being celebrated this way in India,” he said.

Indian actor Lubna Saleem said she had received more love and affection in Pakistan than she had expected.

“It’s been an amazing experience to be at the birthday celebrations of Faiz Saheb,” she said.

The Mela also included performances by folk artists from all over the country. Sain Nasir started these off with a drum performance. The Jutt Brothers performed a nautanki of Gudda Guddi. Malik Ghulam Mustafa played flute while Sain Yousaf presented a folk musical performance. Malku, Tarannum Naz, Nida Faiz, Sumbal Raja and others also sang Faiz poems.

Later on Sunday night, Tina Sani sang various Faiz poems at a function at Alhmara, concluding the week-long celebrations of the poet’s centennial by the Faiz Foundation Trust.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 14^th, 2011.