ILASA organises a mehfil of ghazals with Khushbir Singh Shaad
Indian Literary and Arts Association of Australia (ILASA) is now more than seven years old. With an aim to create a literary platform, ILASA, a not-for-profit organisation has congregated a select following made up of writers, poets and literature lovers in Australia. With state chapters in place the association has also published anthologies of poets from Australia ”“ ”˜Kangarooyon ke desh se’ ”“ poems of 11 writers and is planning a couple of more book projects that are in the pipeline.
With Rekha Rajvanshi at its helm as the co-ordinator ILASA is a flag of Indian literature that is being generated by local Indian writers. It also has from time to time welcomed distinguished writers from India. At times they are parents of children settled here and at other times there are writers just visiting down under.
Recently in February ILASA had welcomed a poet from Telngana Dr Andesri who is known for his poetry which has been picked up by films. Dr. Andesri is famous for his poetry on Telangana and its freedom. He says he never ever went knocking at any producers door. “They just picked up my poems and produced film songs,” said Andesri when he was welcomed by ILASA and few Sydneysiders who know him and his exceptional talent. Dr. Andesri said that he has desire to visit at least ten well known rivers of the world since all his poems centre around the most essential element of life that is ”˜water’. “Without water we as a species cannot exist,” as he read his poems to ILASA audience.
The literary platform in March also organised a Holi program where new emerging poets and some past writers such Dr. Shailja Chaturvedi, Abbas Raza Alvi also read their poems. Organised in a garden setting the meeting of minds took place at Lilian Fraser Garden in Pennant Hills. Rekha Rajvanshi conducted the jam session where poets of all ilk Jasbir Singh Ahulwalia, Ajoy Ghosh, Arunesh Seth, Ajay Bajaj, Pradeep Upadhyay, Jyoti dixit and young Kunwar Manish Rana Rasik read their poems. There were funny ones and there were serious ones as well. Dr. Murali Venkatraman sang couple of beautiful ghazals. Attended by over 50 poets and poetry lovers the evening was a success as all enjoyed an atmosphere and felt at ease with Holi couplets.
ILASA is planning another mehfil ”˜Shayari Ki Ek Shaam’ with a renowned poet of India Khushbir Singh Shaad on 24th of April at Epping Leisure Centre from 2 to 5pm. It promises to be a great ghazal mehfil as Mr. Shaad has been entertaining many a mehfils around Sydney. You are all welcome to come along!
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