Shankar Shad Mushaira: When poets hold a mirror to turbulent times

Thokoron ko bhi nahin hoti har ek sar ki talash, bhaanp leti hain kise aata hai sajda karna… (Even stumbling blocks read hardships do not seek out every head; they sense exactly who knows how to bow). Prof Waseem Barelvi’s profound couplet exploring resilience and spiritual depth captures the atmosphere of the 57th Shankar-Shad Mushaira. Amid escalating global tensions and a geopolitical landscape that feels complex and tragicomic, New Delhi’s Modern School recently turned into a poetic sanctuary.

The evening began on a poignant note, as well-known poet and host Iqbal Ashhar set the stage with timeless verses from Sahir Ludhianvi’s poem Jung that argues that war itself is the problem rather than a solution to any conflict: Jung toh khud hi ek masla hai, jung kya maslo’n ka hal degi; Khoon apna ho ya paraya ho, nasl-e-adam ka khoon hai aakhir.