Renowed Urdu poet also an Ambassador

New Delhi, Dec 16: A renowned 19th century Urdu poet whose work has regaled generations is also an 'ambassador' of India, Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh said last night.

Inaugurating a seminar to celebrate Mirza Asadullah Beg Khan, Ghalib, Mr Singh said the poet is widely appreciated in societies and Capitals where Urdu and Farsi or Persian are in use.

He listed such neighbours as Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Iran and Pakistan and said Ghalib has been an 'ambassador' of India.

Mr Singh earlier gave away awards to seven Ghalib scholars including Prof Hamidi Kashmiri, Prof Kabir Ahmad Jaisi, Prof Aslam Parvez, Balraj Komal, Izhar Asar, Shahid Anwar and Aleem Saba Naveedi.

Famed Pakistani ghazal singer, Gulshan Aara Syed, charmed audience with her rendition of such works as 'Yeh na thi hamari kismat.' The Minister recalled the 1954 film 'Mirza Ghalib' made by the late Sohrab Modi which was a record success, and, more recently, a popular television serial on the poet.

Mr Singh said Ghalib's work has been admired for almost two centuries by everyone-- irrespective of their station in life.

Haryana Governor A R Qidwai congratulated the Ghalib Intitute for having organised the event.

Ghalib has been described as a voice of sanity and tolerance and as important to Urdu speakers as Shakespeare is to English speakers.

According to a published account, his last works included 'Dast-Ambooh,' a diary of the 1857 revolt, and Ud'e Hindi, a collection of letters published in October 1868, a few months before he died.

UNI