SAARC Festival of Literature – Uniting writers from South Asia

To my delight I had received an invitation to attend the SAARC Festival of Literature last year. None but Ajeet Cour, the chief organiser and patron of the festival, sent me the invitation and I felt obliged to accept it. It was a dual attraction–to meet the writers of the SAARC Region and also to see Lucknow, the historic city built by the Nawabs. It was both a pleasant and useful experience that I would cherish long and recapitulate fondly. Hence, this year, when Ajeet Cour sent me a similar invitation my heart jumped in joy. This year the festival was held in Agra during 10, 11, 12 March. Agra, another historic city that bears the marks of Mughal Rule in India, is world famous for Tajmahal. Although I studied engineering in India and travelled quite extensively some twenty-five year ago, I never had a chance to see
Tajmahal.
The precedence for organising SAARC Festival of Literature dates back to the autumn of 1987, just one year after the formation of SAARC, when Ajeet Cour took a personal initiative to organise a congregation of writers from two neighbouring countries, India and Pakistan. These two nations, hostile and suspicious of each other for political reasons, have the same literary and cultural heritage. She deeply felt that in the proclamation of SAARC, the cultural and historic linkages of the region have been overlooked. That was a modest beginning but made a clarion call for ‘people-to-people contacts’. At a time, disturbed by political animosity, she floated her brave boat in a turbulent sea with what she called ‘a mad dream of catching that elusive golden sparrow called Peace’ through cultural and literary exchanges in the region.
The first SAARC Writers Conference was launched in April 2000. Since then this festival is regularly organised by Ajeet Cour and her team. This famous novelist of Punjabi literature was born in Lahore. In her heart she carries sweet and nostalgic memories of the Garden City and craves for unity of the people, more than that of the writers. For a single person, organising such a large event is unthinkable. Arpana Cour, a famous painter and daughter of Ajeet Cour came forward to help her mother realise the dream. As all good initiatives receive applause and support, the hard work of Ajeet Cour received the recognition of SAARC as its Apex Body for literature. Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) joined hands to make it happen.
The festival in Agra was inaugurated by Dr. Suresh K. Goel, Director General of ICCR. Each year several writers and poets receive SAARC Literary Award for their works and contribution to literature. This year the recipients are Daya Dissanayake from Sri Lanka, Abhay K. from India, Farheen Chaudhary from Pakistan and Abdul Khaliq Rashid from Afghanistan.
The morning and afternoon sessions remained full with presentations of papers on the festival theme. Like last year, the theme this year was ‘Environment’. FOSWAL feels that the writers have a great role and responsibility towards building awareness about environmental degradation and they should pioneer the struggle towards ensuring that we leave Planet Earth a safe place for our future generations. After the afternoon tea, sessions are allocated for poetry recitals that usually end in cultural programs. In Agra, due to the curtailment of the program by a day, cultural program was limited to one day. The festival came to a close with the cultural show. In Lucknow I have seen a band of singers from Pakistan who dances frantically with drum-beats. These `Whirling Darveshs’ with long hairs and clad in black dresses are quite popular with the organisers. This year the same band, called the Malangs, from Shah Hussain’s Mazaar in Pakistan performed on stage. Although their spirit and energy seems to be endless, I found their performance rather monotonous. Other performers were Wahid Bukhsh, a Sufi singer from Pakistan, Kavita Dwibedi, reputed Odissi dancer and Pabal Baul, one of the leading Baul singers of India.
Typically the festival is held for three days, the fourth day reserved for sight-seeing. In Lucknow we visited Bara Imambara, Choto Immambara, Rumi Darwaja and the tombs of Nawabs. This year it was curtailed to two days, the third day took us to the grand premise of Tajmahal. Viewing Tajmahal is surely a lifetime experience. Now I know why Tajmahal is regarded as one of the seven wonders of the middle-age. Although we were supposed to see the Agra Fort, but time didn’t permit us. We had to remain satisfied looking at the high walls of this magnanimous fort, built with red sandstone, from outside.
In Lucknow, the Bangladesh contingent was quite large with eminent writers like Syed Shamsul Haque, Khondakar Ashraf Hossain, Syed Manzoorul Islam, Fakrul Alam, Mohammad Nurul Huda, Mostafa Zaman Abbasi, Shafi Ahmed, Jharna Rahman, Papree Rahman joining. Some young writers like Alfred Khokon, Marzia Lipi and Pavel Partha also joined. This year the team was small, only six poets and writers came to Agra. They are Mohammad Nurul Huda, Bimal Guha, Shafi Ahmed, Jharna Rahman, Marzia Lipi and me. This year, both from Nepal and Pakistan, larger teams joined. Contingents from some SAARC countries like Maldives, Bhutan and Afghanistan are usually small. Needless to say, the host country India has
the largest participation in each event.
One observation about the poetry recitals of North India and adjoining Pakistan poets is that those are not modern in their form and expression; rather they are still dwelling in the ages of Mirza Galib. These short, two-line compositions are recited with repetition in front of the audience who applaud them with ‘marhaba’ or similar words of appreciation. These verses soaked with some sort of philosophical overture and directed towards love, death and similar subjects, is more of creating a stunt among the audience present. They are neither modern nor possess the depth of a fuller poem with essential ornaments of poetry. The immediate feedback from the audience creates a false pride and wraps the poet’s work in lazy creations. This has also affected the poetry of bordering Nepal, which has the same Debnagari scripture for
writing and a similar root of language.
What is striking about this festival is that it is very much like a family congregation with Ajeet Cour playing the role of the mother. She is so deeply revered that all the writers behave like her children and she truly adores them and touches them affectionately like a mother. A lot of hugs and kisses show that this a tight-knit family and nobody from outside can imagine that these are writers from different parts of South Asia, not brothers and sisters. As a regional forum this is a remarkable success; it not only brought the writers to a common platform, but has also built strong bondage among them. Knowing about the literature and writers of other parts definitely help and many joint works in the form of translations ensue.
Like last year, I carry the fond memories of the Festival and friendship of fellow writers; my camera is full of beautiful photos. The hospitality, food and accommodation are great. Credits go to Ajeet Cour and ICCR for hosting this gala event every year in pomp and grandeur. Her love for literature and compassion for the writers of neighbouring countries has helped realise this dream that seemed impossible in the beginning. As a novelist and writer Ajeet Cour has enriched Punjabi literature and attained a great height which has secured a permanent place among her readers. What will rekindle her memories among the writers of SAARC region is this unique initiative, excellent organisation and boundless compassion for fellow writers. Her work is, I strongly believe, tantamount to winning a Nobel Peace Prize. The wonderful friendship and feeling of fraternity that SAARC festival is building among the nations of South Asia, who often engage in pointless political debates, will go a long way in bringing back the truth and realisation that historically we all were the same.

The author is a poet of the 80s. Besides poetry he also writes short stories, articles and columns. He has 11 published book of poems and one book of short stories to his credit. He is a teacher by profession, and is currently engaged with East West University