ON Saturday, August 22, MLA Amna Shah, MLA for Surrey City Centre, joined members of Surrey’s Urdu-speaking community for the Canada Urdu Association’s (CUA) annual Mushaira, celebrating Urdu language, poetry and the individuals who have dedicated themselves to preserving and promoting the language in British Columbia.
Held at Fleetwood Community Centre in Surrey, the event brought together community members, poets, cultural leaders and guests for an afternoon of Urdu literature and recognition. Shah was joined by Waqas Ahmed, Deputy Consul General at the Consulate General of Pakistan in Vancouver.
Established in 1997, the Canada Urdu Association is a registered non-profit society based in Surrey dedicated to the education, celebration, and promotion of the Urdu language. Over nearly three decades, the association has worked to create opportunities for Urdu speakers and literary enthusiasts to connect through language, poetry, and cultural programming.
The program began with welcoming remarks from CUA Acting General Secretary Farzana Alam, who highlighted the association’s journey, developments, and achievements.
A central part of the afternoon was the awards ceremony, recognizing individuals whose contributions have helped advance Urdu language and literature.
Waqas Ahmed presented several of the awards before Shah was invited to the stage to recognize the remaining honourees. Among those receiving Appreciation Awards were Dr. Zareen Naqvi, Qamar Waheed, Farzana Alam and Afshi Aijaz.
The association also presented a Lifetime Achievement Award to Hardev Sodhi Ashk and the Farogh-e-Sukhan Award to Harsimran Singh. The Rafiq-e-Urdu Award, the association’s most prestigious honour, was presented to Huma Shoaib for her exceptional service to the Canada Urdu Association and her work promoting the Urdu language.
For Shah, an Urdu speaker herself, the opportunity to participate in the ceremony underscored the importance of recognizing the people who help keep language, literature and cultural traditions thriving in the community.
The awards were followed by the much-anticipated Mushaira, a traditional Urdu poetry gathering. Hosted by Shoaib, the literary portion of the event featured poets presenting selections of their work, with the audience responding enthusiastically throughout the afternoon.
The program also featured special guest Amna Murad from the United States, who delivered a presentation on renowned philosopher and poet Allama Iqbal.
The Canada Urdu Association credited its members and volunteers, including Adnan, Mustafa and Nasheman, for helping organize the event, from preparing the stage and seating arrangements to welcoming guests and providing refreshments.
For the Canada Urdu Association, Shah’s participation alongside the Deputy Consul General was an important part of an afternoon dedicated to celebrating the people and traditions that continue to advance Urdu language and literature in Canada.
The association extended its appreciation to Shah and Ahmed for attending, as well as congratulated all of the award recipients recognized for their contributions to the promotion of Urdu.
(Contributed)
