Last Friday night’s event at Fickling Convention Centre, Three Kings, brimmed with music, food, and the presence of a host of dignitaries. 

Organised by the Urdu Hindi Cultural Association of New Zealand (UHCANZ), the ghazal night titled Mehfil -E- Saaz Aur Awaaz saw attendees enjoying soulful performances by singers Khalid Hussein, Vidya Teke, Mukta Paranjape, Nisar Mirza, Mandy Grover and Kiranjit Singh, among others.

 Renowned community leader and Founder and Chairperson of Bhartiya Samaj Charitable Trust, Jeet Suchdev, was bestowed with the Life Time Achievement Award. 

 An emotional Suchdev said, “I am so humbled to have received this award. I want to thank the Urdu Hindi Cultural Association of NZ for bestowing this honour. I am grateful that such a prestigious organisation has recognised my work. 

 

“It is one of my most significant professional achievements. I want to continue serving the community till my last breath. This award is not mine but of all the community and people I work with, including other ethnic community organisations.”

 

Another highlight of the event was the release of UHCANZ’s trilingual literary magazine Dhanak by former member of parliament Mahesh Bindra.

The event saw the presence of notable guests such as Minister of Transport & Workplace Relations and Safety Michael Wood, National Party MP Melissa Lee, Supreme Sikh Society NZ President Daljit Singh and President of the Auckland Indian Association Dhansukh Lal, among others.

Ghouse Majeed, event manager of UHCANZ, said, “I am overwhelmed to see the great turnout at our event. I thank everyone who helped and participated in this event to make it a grand success. It was great to see our guests enjoying mesmerising ghazal performances and relishing great food amidst beautiful ambience.”