Abdul Wasim Ansari/Bhopal

Urdu poet and writer Dr. Anjum Barabankvi was surprised to find that Prime Minister Narendra Modi liked his eulogy on Lord Ram after he received a letter from him.

Barabankwi is a Muslim by faith and hails from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. His Ram-ghazal presents the personality of Shri Ram, a symbol of India's cultural heritage and faith, through Urdu poetry.

Anjum Barabankvi’s ghazal created a buzz in the literary world. Anjum Barabankvi is compiling an anthology of 50 ghazals and wants to present it to Prime Minister Modi.

He says he was inspired by the Prime Minister showering praise on him.

Anjum Barabankvi expressed her happiness over the praise she received from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He said, "It is a matter of pride for me that Prime Minister Modi has appreciated my ghazal. It is a great honour for me that the PM of the country has recognised my hard work and appreciated my ghazal."

Anjum believes that his poetry and ghazals are important not only from a literary point of view but also in the context of cultural and religious beliefs.

Asked for the motivation behind this Ghazal Anjum Barabankvi said, "More works should focus on the character of Ram. He is an important part of our country's religious and cultural heritage. Many great poets before me have written on Ram and Krishna. However, for the first time, I have written a ghazal on Shri Ram."

He has written 10 ghazals on Shri Ram during the last year and he plans to write 50 ghazals and publish these in the form of a book by November 25. He wants to present it to the Prime Minister.

Dr. Ajnum Barabankvi at a poetry Symposium

Anjum said that the character of Ram as a brother, husband, and son serves as an inspiration to all. "I am a Muslim, and when I write on our prophet, I write with deep emotions. Similarly, while writing about Ram, I have respect for and faith in him. Religion does not come in the way," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a warm letter to Anjum Barabankvi praising her ghazal. In the letter, the Prime Minister wrote, "Thank you very much for expressing your happiness on the completion of one year of Pran-Pratishtha of Lord Shri Ram in Ayodhya Dham by writing 'Ram Ghazal'. You have beautifully expressed your love for Lord Shri Ram in 'Ram Ghazal'." Prime Minister Modi acknowledged the beauty of Shri Ram's personality through the ghazal and said "Lord Shri Ram is the living embodiment of religion and duty. For us, Ram's ideal teaches us to maintain patience, perseverance, courage, truthfulness, and equanimity in every situation."

When poet Anjum Barabankvi was asked why he wrote a ghazal on Shri Ram, she replied, "Ram is a character that should be written on. He is an important part of our country's religious and cultural heritage. Many great poets before me have written on Ram and Krishna. However, for the first time, I have written a long ghazal on Shri Ram."

He also said that he has written 10 ghazals on Shri Ram from 2024. He plans to pen down 50 more Ghazals, compile a book of these by November 2025, and present them to the Prime Minister.

Anjum said that the character of Ram a brother, husband, and son lives by ideals and is therefore inspirational.

A Ghazal is generally associated with a lover's pinning for his beloved or her praises. It is an Arabic love poem with a recurring rhyme and a limited number of stanzas.

"I am a Muslim, and when I write on our Prophet, I write with deep emotions. Similarly, while writing about Ram, my respect for and faith in him are important." He says religion does not come into it.

In the letter, the Prime Minister wrote, "Thank you very much for expressing your happiness on the first anniversary of Pran-Pratishtha of Lord Shri Ram in Ayodhya Dham by writing 'Ram Ghazal'.

You have beautifully expressed your love for Lord Shri Ram in 'Ram Ghazal".

Prime Minister Modi acknowledged the beauty of Shri Ram's personality through the ghazal and said "Lord Shri Ram is the living embodiment of religion and duty. "Ram's ideal teaches us to maintain patience, perseverance, courage, truthfulness, and equanimity in every situation."