Lucknow: The launch of a GROW Campaign for a hunger free world

'Eminent producer director Muzaffar Ali, lent his support to the campaign in Lucknow, ' ''I am really concerned about the lack of development of the people, who need to be taken care off. '' Presently, there is only a one-sided development,'' he said

Mr Ali said the number of hungry people in the world has passed the billion mark for the first time in history. ''One in four of the world's billion hungry people live in India. Despite doubling the size of it economy between 1990 and 2005, the number of hungry people in India increased by 65 million - more than the population of France - because economic development excluded the rural poor and social protection schemes failed to reach them,'' he added.

The highlight of the creative expressions in all the centres was the launch of the theme song, Roti Roothi by   Sandeep Shrivastav. In Lucknow Biswajeeta Tripathi, an Odissi dancer and a member of Oxfam family performed to the tune of the haunting melody. A group of women farmers of cultural group Savera presented a song focusing on the problems and struggles of women farmers. The song also raised the need to establish and accept the recognition of women as a farmer. The presentation got a huge applause by the audience.

The event was taken forward by a theme based play, Bhookh, presented by a cultural group JOSH. JOSH is a group of youth coming together to raise their voice on social causes through creative skills. The play covered many issues like unequal distribution of food, hunger, poverty, migration, lack of awareness in villages and hunger death etc. Audience highly enjoyed the famous song ‘mehngai dayan’ in the play.

Mushaira, a renowned form of poetry rendering in Lucknow was a big draw. The mushaira comprised of 19 Urdu poets coming from different parts of the country.

Talking about the theme, Sarvat Jamal said “bas kuch din kheti bhi kissa ho jaye, kheti aur kisani par bhi likhenge”.

He further said “ye theek hai ki apki khurak badh gayi, lekin humare muh ka niwala kahan gaya”.

Another one was “ghareebi bhukhmari berozgari maut sab to hai, magar sarkar ka dawa hai badhali nahi milti”

Mansoor Usmani expressed his concern as “ek shakhs apni laash uthaye hue mila, gurbat ki ek missal bhi aisi nahi mili

Humne khuda ke bare mein use kiya sawal, usne diya jawab ki roti nahi mili”

The moment Dr. Rahat Indori, star of the mushaira, known for his distinct style and presentation, came to recite his poetry, audience and his fans greeted him with standing ovation. He said “tajalliyon ko naya daayra banaane me, mere charagh lage hain hawa banana mein

Ade the zid pe ki sooraj bana ke chodenge, paseene choot gaye ek diya banane mein”.  

A photo Exhibition was also inaugurated by Muzaffar Ali in Lucknow. It involved the theme related photographs by Oxfam. An addition to it in Lucknow were the photographs on the theme of food and hunger clicked by slum children. They were trained in a photography workshop organized by Oxfam India and facilitated by Ehtisham Husain. Participants were also awarded with a certificate and a token of appreciation by Hon’ble Governor, Muzaffar Ali, Meera Ali, Suresho Saini and Nand Kishor. Hon’ble Governor visited and appreciated the photo exhibition.