Rauf Parekh was a great poet and a high-ranking prose writer: Professor Khaled Mahmood

A Centenary Celebration of Rifaat Surosh Held, Literary Services Paid Tribute

New Delhi. A dignified and memorable literary ceremony was held at the India Islamic Cultural Centre, New Delhi, to mark the centenary of the birth of Rifaat Surosh, a prominent Urdu poet, renowned prose writer, and multifaceted literary personality. The event was attended by a large number of scholars, university teachers, researchers, poets, and literature enthusiasts.

The ceremony was conducted by renowned writer Dr. Shafie Ayub with great finesse, fluency, and literary flair. At the outset, Dr. Shabana Nazir presented a comprehensive and effective introduction to Rifaat Surosh's life, literary journey, and creative aspects. On this occasion, Dr. Shabana Nazir was congratulated on the launch of Rifaat Surosh's book "Regni Gandha".

The ceremony included a research paper written by Dr. Razia Hameed, which was read out by Dr. Azra Naqvi in an excellent manner. The paper highlighted the intellectual, aesthetic, and cultural aspects of Rifaat Surosh's poetry and prose in a detailed manner.

Eminent critic and teacher Professor Khaled Mahmood said in his address that Rifaat Surosh is a reliable and authentic name in Urdu literature, who holds a unique position due to his multifaceted creative personality. He was a great poet and a renowned prose writer at the same time. He successfully experimented with both ghazal and nazm genres, while also showing his deep interest and intellectual insight in the fields of novel, short story, critical, and reflective essays. He also gave dignity and sublimity to drama writing. In this regard, Rifaat Surosh was a multifaceted personality in the literary world, whose creative personality was adorned with beautiful qualities. He referred to Rifaat Surosh's travelogues and said that he had a deep and heartfelt connection with Bhopal, which is evident in his writings. He also congratulated the organizers on the centenary celebrations.

Renowned poet Professor Rehman Musawir expressed his views, saying that Rifaat Surosh's ghazals have been impressing readers and listeners from the very beginning. He said that in the present era, the popularity of the Urdu language has increased, and people who are not familiar with the script and are reading Urdu in Devanagari are also getting connected to Urdu literature. According to him, Rifaat Surosh's poetry is still meaningful for today's reader, as he maintains a deep connection with his land, culture, and life in his poetry. His language is simple, straightforward, and effective, and he has rediscovered words in a new semantic context. In his poetry, life appears as a continuous struggle, hard work, and action.

The ceremony was presided over by Dr. Syed Farooq, while the guest of honor, Professor Tahir Mahmood, praised Rifaat Surosh's literary services in a brief but meaningful manner, saying that he was a reliable and powerful voice in Urdu literature, whose poetry and prose are marked by intellectual depth, cultural awareness, and linguistic refinement.

An important part of the ceremony was a ghazal session, in which poets presented selected couplets from Rifaat Surosh's ghazals. The presentation of couplets filled the gathering with a special literary flavor and enthusiasm, and the audience paid tribute to Rifaat Surosh's poetic greatness with applause. On this occasion, Naved Surosh and Javed Surosh also expressed their views.

This centenary celebration of Rifaat Surosh proved to be a grand and memorable expression of his literary greatness, intellectual breadth, and the cultural majesty of the Urdu language, which will remain fresh in the minds of the attendees for a long time.