I have always felt attracted towards Adeeb Sohail, a poet, writer and successful editor of monthly 'Qaumi Zaban', an organ of Anjuman-i-Taraqqui-i-Urdu. He is a self-effacing genuine writer. His two books - "Gham-i-Zamana Bhi Sahal Guzra" (an autobiography in verse) and the latest collection of poetry "Kuch Nazmain Aisi Hoti Hain" - are impressive.
His autobiography in verse is a moving one. Apart from the fact that has used the verse form to the best effect, it is his simple life and the romantic attachment with his love which grips the readers. What an effective expression he employs. I couldn't resist being dejected for some moments and this is what makes the whole exercise so important.
It rings true. It means that even an autobiography in verse is possible these days provided the person narrating his life-story could make it ring true. I am not comparing this autobiography with any other work of similar nature. Some poets have written about their 'love' effectively but Adeeb Sohail has succeeded in making his experience shareable with his readers. His life emerges as the sum-total of a tragedy of uncommon implications.
I shouldn't be considered going a little too far if I conclude that much of what Adeeb Sohail is today has actually been shaped by his early life: Partition riots and the Bangladesh holocaust.
I think that much has been said by him in less and less words. One may call it a real demonstration of economy of words arranged like a beautiful cascade of poetic diction.
The other book is, Adeeb Sohail's collection of poetry "Kuch Aisi Nazmain Hoti Hain". Adeeb Sohail emerges as a beautiful poet in this collection. Very few readers know that Adeeb Sohail has a good taste for music and he has written a great deal on this subject as a knowledgeable person. He started off as a short story writer. One of his short stories 'Zakhm Aur Qahqaha' was published in 'Khayaban' Bombay which was edited by Rajinder Singh Bedi, Akhtar-ul-Iman and Miraji.
He took to poetry in 1948. In 1997, Quarterly 'Seep' brought out a section on Adeeb Sohail and Quarterly 'Kehkashan', Karachi also provided a good space to commemorate Adeeb Sohail's literary contribution.
Calcutta and Delhi have played important roles in the life of Adeeb Sohail. Who knew that a young teenager who used to read, books from 'Kahani Khanas' 'Thelas' will one day rise to the position which he now enjoys.
I discovered Adeeb Sohail as a reader in the 60s. It was only after his shifting to Karachi from Rawalpindi that it became possible for me to know him from close quarters. He achieved respect and admiration from all those who came into his contract.
SYED TARIQ MASOOD:
Some poets are not discovered unless someone attracts our attention towards them. My dear friend Dr Anwar Nasim gave me a collection of poetry - Syed Tariq Masood's Bar-i-Amanat and asked me to find some time to go through the collection. It was a casual hint but having nothing to do that evening I went through it hurriedly. At certain places Syed Tariq Masood's poetry resisted me like a good painting. Good poetry - even if looks simple, resists. It is only after we overcome resistance that it lets us in.
Syed Tariq Masood appears to me a technically sound practitioner who is influenced by the great of greats - Ghalib. Much of the freshness which is evident in his poetry comes from the fact that being a Potohari he doesn't feel a tradition-bound poet of the Delhi or Lucknow school.
Therefore some strange images come darting his way and the poet clothes them in innovative diction. It could be said without any doubt that his status as a poet is not commensurate with his due place. Perhaps he paid little attention to the publication of his poetry. We are living in times when it is equally important to dish out one's creations as and when they come. Sahir Ludhianvi's 'Parchaian', if it was published today, would have been an ordinary poem. It is the appropriate and specific space-time context which has rendered this poem as one of the most beautiful poems of our time.
Distanced from their proper milieu and contexts, poems become a little jaded, if not dwarfed. Syed Tariq Masood's poetry is a poetry which should be read in its context. I think that poems and ghazals included in his collection should have had the year of their composition. Quite a great deal of socio-political currents come alive and poetry opens new windows of perceptions.
I think that Majid Siddiqui's and Iftekhar Arif's observations about Syed Tariq Masood's poetry are quite apt and it is heartening to see the publishers' effort to bring out this book.
Syed Tariq Masood's poetry is conspicuous for its being different. It gives a good feeling for taking one's readers seriously. I am sorry that a good number of poets are trifling with their readers these days by dishing out stale and jaded stuff.