Kolkata: Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim paid tribute to doyen of Urdu poetry Mirza Ghalib at Bayaad-e-Ghalib, a five-day-long programme commemorating the poets visit to Kolkata that saw its inauguration on Friday. "We are lucky that we are commemorating poet Ghalibs visit to Kolkata. Kolkata is a city which has given respect to deserving persons. Starting from Rabindranath Tagore to Ghalib or Kazi Nazrul Islam, all have kept their feet in the City of Joy. Earlier, Urdu language was deprived of respect. I am grateful to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for making Urdu a 2nd language officially," said Hakim, after releasing the books Diwan-e-Ghalib and Ghalib Monograph and a commemorative stamp on Ghalib at Calcutta Madrasah (Aliah University). Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Md Nadimul Haque was also present on the occasion. The state government has accorded second language status to Urdu, especially in those areas where over 10 percent of the population is Urdu-speaking as per the 2001 census. "From the land of Tagore, we are offering rich tributes to Mirza Ghalib, one of the greatest Urdu poets of all time," said Haque. Ghalib stayed in Kolkata between February 21, 1828 and October 1, 1829. During his stay in a North Kolkata neighbourhood as a tenant, he participated in several mushairas (soirees) in the city.

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