The Hyderabadees of the greater New York area have launched a cultural association to celebrate and preserve the Hyderabadi culture.
In the 1980s the Hyderabadis of the greater New York- New Jersey area would periodically arrange regular gatherings and functions. These types of gatherings had not been held on a regular basis for more than a decade.
Recently the Hyderabadeees of New York decided to build a platform to gather the Hyderabadees again and they launched the cultural association.
The launch took place on Long Island on May 19th. Janab Zahid Ali Khan, editor-in chief of Siasat was the key note speaker. The gala function had many prominent Hyderabadees present among the 200 guests. Sherwanees, Sarees, khada dupattas and Hyderabadi biryani and khubaani the mittha were in abundance.
Janab Zahid Ali Khan reminded that the most important characteristic of the harmonious (ganga-jamni tahzeeb) Hyderabadi culture was the “sharafat” (nobleness). He congratulated the New York area Hyderabadees on keeping the Hyderabadi culture alive. He advised them to remain united and to preserve the Urdu language because without the language the culture cannot exist. He also reminded the audience that due to systematic discrimination the Muslims of Hyderabad, who once enjoyed high literacy and employment rates, have been disempowered. He spoke of the various projects Siasat has embarked upon to help Muslims advance educationally and economically. He also talked about the various humanitarian projects as well as campaigns to strengthen the pluralist ethos of Hyderabad and India.
Some of the glimpses of the functions can be viewed through these photos taken by Saeed Ahmed:
