Indo-Pak mushaira disrupted in Delhi

NEW DELHI, APRIL 30: An Indo-Pak mushaira at the Jawaharlal Nehru University here on Saturday night was disrupted by a section of the audi...

NEW DELHI, APRIL 30: An Indo-Pak mushaira at the Jawaharlal Nehru University here on Saturday night was disrupted by a section of the audience who did not allow the famous Pakistani poet Ahmad Faraz to recite his poems.

Organised by the JNU students union, the mushaira almost broke up when Faraz rose to recite his poems. The protests apparently were sparked by a poem on the nuclear blasts by the two countries last year, recited by Fahmida Riaz, a leading woman poet from across the border who is known for her sensitive expressions on social and political issues. Some of the protesters were roughed up by the students.

The three Pakistani poets had to leave the mushaira in the face of the vociferous protests which threatened to turn violent. "A section of the audience did not take very kindly to my poem on the needless nuclear tests carried out by the two nations," said Riaz.

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The three poets were escorted away by their Indian friends from the literary diaspora even as the police moved in to control the situation. The Pakistani poets were in the Capital to attend the mushaira organised on the sidelines of the first SAARC Writers Conference here.

The audience hooted and did not allow Faraz to take the mike. Faraz said he saw people picking up chairs to disrupt the literary gathering which also drew some of the top Indian Urdu poets.

"I have a great admiration for India. The people in this country are known for their tolerance," said Riaz, who lived in Delhi for seven years following troubles with the Pakistani establishment over her poems.