Biyad-e-Ghalib Event Celebrates Life and Legacy of Mirza Ghalib

By: Aziz Khatri

 Karachi: Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi organized a commemorative literary event titled “Biyad-e-Ghalib” at Haseena Moin Hall to pay homage to the legendary Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib. Renowned poet Zehra Nigah and eminent scholar and critic Dr. Khurshid Rizvi delivered insightful talks on Ghalib’s personality, intellectual depth, and lasting literary legacy. The session was moderated by President Arts Council, Muhammad Ahmed Shah.

The event was attended by a large number of prominent literary and cultural figures, including Fatima Hassan, Shahid Rassam, Huma Mir, Amjad Shah, Mazhar Abbas, and others associated with the fields of arts and literature.

Speaking on the occasion, Zehra Nigah said that Mirza Ghalib is a poet recognized across the world, with more than three hundred books written on his life and work. She remarked that Ghalib’s greatness is universally acknowledged, adding that every word in his Diwan demands deep contemplation. “Even today, I feel that I have not fully understood Ghalib,” she said.

Zehra Nigah noted that Ghalib had unfulfilled personal aspirations, including a desire to attain the status of a Nawab, which remained unrealized due to the circumstances of his time. She said Ghalib’s letters provide a vivid historical account of the 1857 era, and the hardships he witnessed became a source of strength for his poetry. She emphasized that Ghalib did not receive the recognition he deserved during his lifetime, yet his work remains eternally relevant. “As long as new ideas are born, Ghalib will remain alive,” she remarked.

Dr. Khurshid Rizvi, in his address, described Mirza Ghalib as a towering and unparalleled figure in Urdu literature. Expressing his personal emotional connection with Ghalib, he said he regarded him as greater than Shakespeare. Dr. Rizvi observed that while intelligence cannot always be measured, its greatness becomes evident through its expression, as seen in Ghalib’s work.

He highlighted Ghalib’s unique command over both poetry and prose, stating that no other Urdu poet matches his stylistic individuality. Referring to Allama Iqbal, he said that Iqbal had also acknowledged the freshness and continuous evolution of Ghalib’s thought. Dr. Rizvi emphasized Ghalib’s rare ability to convey profound meaning with brevity, often narrating entire stories within a single couplet. He added that the most natural, spontaneous, and engaging prose in Urdu literature is found in Ghalib’s letters, marked by simplicity and immediacy. He further noted Ghalib’s exceptional mastery of Persian and his visionary imagination that extended beyond his time.

Addressing the gathering, President Arts Council Muhammad Ahmed Shah said the event was a tribute to the greatest and first stylistic poet of Urdu literature. Quoting renowned researcher Rasheed Hasan Siddiqui, he remarked that the Mughals gifted India three priceless legacies: the Urdu language, Mirza Ghalib, and the Taj Mahal. He stated that Ghalib was the first poet to present classical Urdu poetry to the world in a modern, intellectual form.

Muhammad Ahmed Shah added that Ghalib broke away from conventional poetic traditions and carved a distinct path in both poetry and prose. He said Ghalib’s letters are not merely correspondence but serve as a complete autobiography. He further observed that the social and moral weaknesses often attributed to Ghalib were, in fact, the elements that elevated his poetry and secured his eternal place in literary history.

During the event, Zehra Nigah also recited selected verses of Mirza Ghalib, holding the audience spellbound. The ceremony concluded with Muhammad Ahmed Shah presenting bouquets to Zehra Nigah and Dr. Khurshid Rizvi on behalf of the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi.