Literateurs call for peace

NEW DELHI: Aimed at celebrating and shaping a receptive climate for poetry and storytelling was the first edition of Ambassador Book Club. The event was held at Sujan Singh Park’s Ambassador, New Delhi – IHCL SeleQtions, in association with Rama Theatre Natya Vidya Foundation (RATNAV). The foundation is working towards preservation of traditional oral arts. 

Participating authors were Dr Balswaroop Raahi, Dr Laxmi Shanker Vajpayee, Mukesh Manas, Renu Shahanwaz  Hussain, Sangita Menon Malhan and RATNAVB founder Rama Pandey. The event, featuring a diverse mix of poems and stories in Hindi, English, Urdu, and German, began with lyricist Dr Raahi’s mesmerising shayari that set the mood for the rest of the evening. This was followed by Pandey reciting her collection of poetry depicting the importance of new relations in the family and the joy they bring in. She dedicated her poem Ma Se Ma Tak to her mother. 

Hussain raised the storytelling aspect of the event with her story Gunti based on the animal metaphors while Dr Vajpayee presented his ghazals like Humari Har Kahani Main Tumhara Naam Aata Hai and Chupayen Raaz Kitne Dein. Menon gave a multi-dimension touch to the event with her English and German Poem Smithereens that talked about increasing violence. She also recited her Urdu written poem Nazdikiyaan portraying the emotions of love and hate in a relationship. This was followed by Manas presenting his collection of love stories. 

Appealing for peace, Pandey said, “Delhi is known as the ‘‘heart of people’’ and despite riots it will stand firm and continue to make its path to the heart of the people. Through ‘Ambassador Book Club, we wish to write a new aspect of Delhi in this iconic and heritage hotel, Ambassador, New Delhi – IHCL SeleQtions, and I hope more and more people will make this initiative bigger than ever.”