Hyderabad: Perhaps the most noted Urdu poet from Hyderabad in recent times Shaz Tamkanat lived in the Mallepally area. Close to the house of Shaz lived the famous poet Allama Hairat Badayuni. The Allama used to receive Urdu journals, magazines, and newspapers by mail almost on a daily basis. Shaz who was in his mid-teens was into reading literary magazines but perhaps he had no resources to buy them.
To satisfy his urge to read magazines that were addressed to the Allama, he hatched a plan. He pleaded with the postman to allow him to read the magazines for a day or two before delivering them to the Allama. Looking at the interest of the charming teenager the postman started allowing him the first reading of some of the periodicals.
The Allama, being a worldly-wise man, soon realised the game and one day he caught hold of Shaz when he was returning some magazines to the postman. Instead of cajoling him, he made an offer to Shaz that the young man could not refuse. The Allama said that his doors were opened to the boy for coming in, sitting in his deewankhana (drawing room) and sift through whatever he felt like reading.
This interesting story from Shaz’s early life was told to a select audience on Wednesday night by social activist Ashhar Farhan. Ashhar who is co-founder of Bazm-e-Sukhan, an organization that is into promoting Urdu literature among people. The other founder of the Bazm is Amir Ullah Khan, a well-known development economist.
Dr Rafia Begum, Assistant Professor of Urdu at the University of Hyderabad, read out a research paper on Shaz wherein she informed the audience about the life and works of the poet who was worked as a Reader in the Urdu Department of Osmania University. Born in 1933 Shaz made his way through a maze of services before joining the University at the insistence of his close friends and well-wishers. She informed that Shaz had done his Ph D Maqdoom Mohiuddin, the literary giant and communist leader from Telangana.
Begum gave insight into the growth of Shaz as a poet known across the Urdu world by talking about his poems and ghazals.
Syed Inamur Rahman Ghayur, a multifaceted personality, introduced Shaz to the audience through his meetings with the poet and readings of his works. He recited several well-known poems from the collections of Shaz to big applause from the audience.
Amir Ullah Khan and a few others read out some selected poems and ghazals written by Shaz.
This was the second meeting organised by the Bazm in the last about four years on Shaz. But the audience felt there is more to be learned about Shaz who took the Urdu literary world by storm during his heydays.
