Hasya Mantra leaves audience roar into laughter

By Kaushalendra Singh - Many social, political and economic issues were raised in a lighter vein by six poets from India at Al Bustan Palace Hotel on Friday. The hasya kavi sammelan (humourous poetry recital) titled Hasya Mantra made the people of Muscat roar with laughter. The event was graced by eminent poets like Visheweswar Sharma, Pradeep Chaube, Vishnu Saxena, Rajesh Chetan, Dinesh Bawda and Sunil Jogi. Oman Establishment for Press, Publication and Advertising (OEPPA), publishers of Oman Daily Observer and Arabic daily Oman, was the media sponsor of the event.
Conducting the event, Sunil Jogi seemed to overtake many Indian political figures in race of humour including former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati in an “exercise to keep his flocks together.” Earlier, while inaugurating the meet, Indian Ambassador to the Sultanate, Anil Wadhwa, said: “Humourous poetry relieves us from many kinds of tension that we carry in course of day-to-day work.” He also found the event an opportunity to recite a poem which gave an insight into husband-wife relationship and their sweet and sour moments in day-to-day affair.
Addressing the poetry lovers, the ambassador said poets of humour and satire were a rare breed of people who use their intellect, not only to make people laugh but also compel them to reflect on social evils within the society. Dr Satish Nambiar, Honorary Chairman of the Indian Social Club, said: “Laughter is the best medicine and you can get it free without a prescription.” He gave his speech in Hindi, which was appreciated by one and all. He termed the annual event one of the most popular events among expatriate Indians in Oman.
Giving a certificate of perfection to Dr Nambiar over his knowledge of Hindi C M Sardar, Honorary Convener of the ISC’s Hindi Wing said: “Hindi is not only a language but it is our national language. He thanked the people of Indian community for extending all possible support for making the annual event a success.” Once all the poets were seated on the dais, Jogi, who was the moderator, started off in right earnest. Addressing the convener of the Hindi Wing CM Sardar, he shook the hall with ripples of laughter when he remarked over his Sardar sir name: “Yahan par CM Sardar to wahan (in Delhi) PM sardar” (Here you have a CM Sardar and there we have a PM sardar).
It was a clever play on the word ‘sardar’ which in one case is a name but in the other case alludes to India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. In Hindi, the term of reference for Sikhs is ‘sardar’. Dinesh Bawda kept the audience roar into laughter with his simple but sarcastic poems. He took a dig into social, educational and political mismanagement in India. Rajesh Chetan termed the Muscat audience to be the best. Talking about the greatness of India said: “Bharat ek desh nahi vichar hai. Ye kahin bhi ho sakta hai aur mumkin hai ki Bharat me bhi na ho (India is not only a country, it is an ideology which can be present anywhere or maybe it is missing in India).”