Staff Reporter
National Language Promotion Department (NLPD) on Sunday organized ‘National Bedil Conference’ in connection with the 300 years death anniversary of the great Persian Sufi poet Mirza Abdul Qadir Bedil Dehalvi.
An introductory ceremony was also held for Akhtar Usman’s book, ‘’Bedil: Aik Mutalaiha’. Addressing to ceremony, eminent poet Iftikhar Arif said that Ghalib and Iqbal remembered Bedil and wrote poetry on him adding that Many poems and ghazals relate to Bedil. Hardly ten to twelve books have been published on Bedil in Pakistan, he added.
He stated “Abu al Kalam Azad’s book ‘’Ghubar-i-Khatir’’ on bedil was a prominent writing. Iftikhar Arif further said that Bedil has sixty seven thousand verses to his credit.”
He said that Iqbal wrote distinctively about Burgusan and Bedil. Praising Akhtar Usman’s book ‘’Bedil: Ek Mutaliha’’, Iftikhar stated that Urdu translation of Bedil’s poetry has been attempted for the first time in Pakistan, in this book. Dr. Rauf Parekh, stated that the National Language Promotion Department has taken precedence in celebrating Bedil among five countries and has the honour of being the first to commemorate the 300 years death anniversary celebrations of the great poet in the Indo-Pak sub-continent. He said that Persian was connected with our culture and heritage. He said that translation of the Quran was first done in Persian and then in Urdu. He said that one, who does not have knowledge of Persian, does not know Urdu either. He said that efforts in this regard by Iftikhar Arif and Dr. Rashid Hameed were applausable.
Akhtar Usman stated that whenever I came across material about Bedil, it was either in English or Persian. He said that” It was my wish to translate it into Urdu and the first portion is thus before you”. He said that my study was based more on ‘’Ghazals’’ as compared to ‘’Masnavis’’.
He said that since the last thirty years, whenever I read Bedil, his foremost quality seemed to be his love for the people.
He said” his sensitivity and consciousness towards community is so supreme that no other poet can stand his ground before him.” He stated that through his principles, Bedil has created a universe of his own. He said that the various subjects and aspects of his poetry were so well-defined that even after three centuries, they appeared novel.
He said that his great poetry would survive forever. Renowned poet Talib Hussain Talib expressed the view that Bedil’s poetry was not only the spiritual and poetical imagery of the universe and its life but also encompasses the poet’s philosophy.
