There are some poets who are known for one or two couplets or one or two poems. Hasan Abidi has been for me a poet of few couplets and ghazals. His latest collection "Farar Hona Huroof Ka" has, however, changed the whole complexion for me.
May be I was in absolute minority when I looked at Hasan Abidi the way I have described him - a poet with a few ghazals. No one would contest me if I say that he is a man of few words as well. There are quite a few of my contemporaries who would call it 'poor judgement' on my part. Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion and so am I.
Anyhow the publication of Hasan Abidi's latest collection "Farar Hong Huroof Ka" shows that a good poet is a good poet and the opinion about one-tenth of the iceberg could hold good for the rest of the hidden part of the iceberg too.
As I said in my paper at the inauguration of the collection at Karachi Gymkhana the collection is, as a whole, of a high-quality poetry. Abidi's voice is soft, low-pitched but effective. He has dealt with themes which only the progressive poets in our part of the world have used to good effect. In a country where the fairytales have ruled over our imagination for too long, it takes undue courage to dilate on common people's problems touching on their hopes, disillusionment's and fears. The traditional poets would regard such themes as falling outside the parameters of poetry.
Hasan Abidi has successfully proved that every aspect of our trials and tribulations was capable of proving itself 'poetic' if it is touched by the magic wand of the poetic muse. It is strange that there are some writers in our midst who do not agree with this contention. They think that it is only the private - very inward - emotions - as advocated by 'the Art for Art sake', advocates, which could be termed poetic as any 'shadow' of socio-economico-political undertones was thema - non - grata for poetry. Quite a prejudiced view point of those who regard progressive poetry as something netting in its fold non-literary aspects. It means that the 'autonomists' have earmarked the literary and non-literary Zones of our literature.
I think that all of those who believe in the division of literature into 'literary and non-literary' should read Khwaja Manzoor Husain's book Urdu Ghazal Ka Roop Behroop which has convincingly demonstrated that every Urdu poet - from Wali to Ghalib - has portrayed the pleasant and unpleasant aspects of his age. How could the socio-political events remain insulated for these currents. Khwaja Manzoor Husain has traced the socio-political impact on poets' sensibility and made my task very simple. All I have to do is to say that we should avoid being categorical in our tone and look for 'good poetry' even in poets who don't enjoy the overall reputation of being good poets.
The ghazal is a genre which has immortalised some couplets of run - of - the - mill poets. Even some couplets of unknown poets have become immortal. Literature should, ideally, be judged on the criterion whether the marriage between its content and form has been consummated or not. It ought to be secondary whether it is the work of a progressive or a non-progressive poet.
Hasan Abidi gets full mark for being a good and poet. He believes in the social accountability of a poet. And these two qualities, taken together, make him for me a poet whose progress, from now on, has to be watched with interest.
MODERN SINDHI LITERATURE: Syed Mazhar Jamil's magnum opus work "Jadeed Sindhi Adab" as I said in my last column, got a splendid welcome at its launching ceremony a short while ago Presided over by Dr Hamida Khuhro, Sindh's Education Minister, the ceremony saw some big names of Sindhi and Urdu literature paying tributes to the - labour of love this work has been to its author.
The keynote paper was read over by Dr Fahmida Husain, Head of Shah Latif Chair at the University of Karachi. The book was formally introduced by Sahar Ansari. This new function was quite innovative and one should examine what this 'addition' to the launching ceremonies means. Perhaps the 'introducer' doesn't have to be critical. Actually the whole ceremony has to be a long panegyric and there is no need for this innovation.
As one who has taught Perspectives of Pakistani Languages & Literature for 20 years at the University level I think that Jadeed Sindhi Adab is a laudable effort. It's price is quite low. A 1600-page book could be priced at Rs 1,500 but the publisher has brought it down to Rs 700. Perhaps the overall desire of the author and publisher is to see this book on the shelves of all educated homes of the old and new Sindhis to apprise them all of the integration level of the two important Communities of Sindh. It is no more a time to discuss whether they could co-exist. They co-exist and there is no way out except to co-exist and the sooner this fact is accepted, the better for Sindh and Pakistan.
Syed Mazhar Jamil's work - along with the works of some more New Sindhis - is an atonement for decades - long mistrust or distrust between the two communities. It is our good fortune that a New Sindhi, who happens to be a first generation New Sindhi, has proved his dedication to Sindh and Sindhi literature. This feeling seems to have percolated downwards with much more intensity. More of it so as time passes. No one is winning or losing the War on Mistrust. Perhaps everyone is winning it.
Syed Mazhar Jamil deserves our congratulation. Anjuman Taraqqui Pasand Musannaffin, by lending its sponsorship, has proved that it is conscious of its role of bringing together people and languages. I wish no one gains by depriving oneself of the far-reaching impact of integration.
After all the old Sindhis are not a compact racial group. Other languages such as Thari, Pushto, Gujrati, Punjabi and Seraiki are also spoken in Sindh. Urdu reached Sindh well before the Urdu-speaking immigrants in 1947 as the Urdu-schools in Karachi in the pre-partition days speak volumes for it. The All-India Muslim League fought 1936-1937 and 1946-47 elections on a Manifesto which accorded the status of 'National' language to Urdu. These are hard facts and there is no harm in keeping them in view.
However, there is no denying the fact that Sindhi is the language of Sindh and it has to maintain its official position along with Urdu. No linguistic group should rule out the other. The languages have an emotional appeal and the emotional people are known for their less analytical and cool disposition. All of us in Sindh have to prove that we are an intellectually stable and normal people who know what is beneficial and what is injurious to us.
BALOCHI LITERATURE: Going through Tahir Muhammad Khan's two books on Balochistan - Subai Khudmukhtari Aur Qaomi Masala - one on contemporary history and the other on literature entitled Baluchi Zaban Aur Adab, I am happy that the politician and civil activist in him has provided ample space to the writer and historian in him.
I would talk about his books with a view to inviting readers to go through these books. Tahir Muhammad Khan has done justice to contemporary Baluchi situation in Balochistan - Subai Khudmukhtari Aur Qaomi Masala and there is a lot of depth and perspective to benefit from. Nowadays the Baluchi issues are being dealt with in a roughshod manner and the general public is to be educated in the long and tedious history of these issues so they could be a bit more demanding of their politicians. I believe that very few politicians were aware that the people stood a better chance of getting a lot more of the 'cake' if it could be bigger and bigger. There is a need for broader consensus that economic development is essential provided it takes the indigenous people along with it. Maximum opportunities should be provided to the Baluchi people to benefit from the economic development of the province and I hope that just principle will be given due weight and consideration.
Tahir Muhammad Khan's second book Baluchi Zaban Aur Adab is a notable addition to the corpus of Baluchi language and literature. The writer himself admits that the contemporary scene of Baluchi literature, has brought in new 'faces' and this book is confined to the period up to 1960-1970. It is equally important even today to know the views of an important writer up to any stage of the development of contemporary Baluchi literature.
"Baluchi Zaban-o-Adab", published by Qalat Publishers, Quetta, is a commendable addition to the literature of a language whose many genres where in the formative stage of development.
Tahir Muhammad Khan's style is lucid and he excels in the art of reaching out his readers. He is not a pretentious writer. He could add one or two chapters on the contemporary scene of the '80s and '90s and declare that the job was done. But this work is quite specific about the period it covers and the period it leaves out.
Comments
Comments are closed.