27/02/2024
Congratulations Gafruddin Mewati Jogi bhai for the Sangeet Natak Akademy Award. You deserve this and many more. I remember the day in May 1996 when I met you in an Auto Rickshaw while we both were going from Bhagat Sign Circle to Bakhtal Choraha in Alwar. Looking at you I asked you, are you an artist, and you looking at me asked the same question, am I an artist. I think we both were wearing something uncommon (artistic). Our auto rickshaw ride became our introduction and grounded a lifelong friendship. When I was the culture secretary of the student union of RR College Alwar I was invited to the international college festival Damroo as my guest. You were the music maestro of my all family functions. You and Saharukh (your son) came to render the music of my Diploma Production Aab-E-Zindagi, based on excerpts of Bhagwad Geeta and written by Rudradeep Chakrabarti. In 2012 we both started a project to safeguard your tradition of Pandun Ke Kadde. 2016 we both created our dream project Jogiyar Mahabharat with our wonderful friends Deu Khan Manganiyar and Swatee Miittal to promote and preserve Pandun Ke Kadde. I have many more stories of our time together in Jaipur, Delhi, and Gurgaon in WADE ASIA -Women in Design Architecture Art Construction Engineering, Kanpur BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus. I am proud to have you as a friend and can say that you have walked a long way. Congratulations again my friend.