Pak Tea House » Activism, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Literature, Pakistan, poetry, Urdu » Two Faiz celebrations in Lahore
Two Faiz celebrations in Lahore
Ammar Aziz has sent this exclusive piece for Pak Tea House on the recent centennial celebrations held for the great poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz. We are posting this without prejudice as debate on such important public concerns is vital. However, the views expressed here are not necessarily those of the PTH team. We would welcome rebuttals on this space. Admn
Lahore’s Mall road was as crowded as always. Behind the modern age vehicles – coming violently from the both sides of the road- and amongst the old silent trees, I saw him, walking very slowly on a footpath. The old man was holding a little red flag. Those ragged dusty clothes, lengthy gray hair, wrinkled mystic face and small piece of scarlet; there was something very dramatic about that old man whose appearance reminded me of the realist Soviet paintings. He was heading towards the building of Alhamra Art Complex which was covered with the life sized posters of the Socialist poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz. The poet’s centenary celebrations were about to begin and the car parking was almost full.
The old man stood there for a short while and looked at the smiling photograph of the poet. He then entered the main gate and headed towards the hall. One could find a lot of ‘cultured’ men and women, walking with an attitude towards the hall. All of those well-dressed, well-spoken people started entering the hall, but the old man kept standing there. The guards were not letting him enter. He remained there until the gates were closed and the hall echoed with the radical words of Faiz, Hum Dekhaingey – We shall see, We shall see…but the old man never saw anything! He could not afford to buy a ticket for a thousand rupees to celebrate Faiz day!
What an ordinary incident, isn’t it? It did not make any difference at all. It rained heavily that evening. The cars kept passing on the mall. All the people came out of the hall cheerfully. They were excited to see the VIPs from Bollywood. I heard, an aged gentleman saying, ‘We’ll drink tonight till late. Its Faiz’s birthday after all!’ But the old man kept sitting there on stairs. ‘They asked to buy the ticket. I don’t have a thousand rupees’, said the poor working class admirer of the working class poet. He added, ‘I came from Faisalabad to celebrate the 100th birthday of our beloved poet.’ Rahmat was an oppressed power loom worker, who – like thousands of other people – could never afford to enter that high-class intellectual gathering dedicated to the proletarian poetry of Faiz Ahmed Faiz.
The centenary celebrations of the man who fought against class-system all his life was clearly divided into classes. The next day was supposed to be an ‘Awami Mela’ known as Faiz Peace Festival. This event is being organized every year by the Progressive Writers Movement with an affiliation of the left-wing organizations at the open air theater of the Lawrence garden. But unlike every year, this time the organizers (Faiz’s family) – who were the organizers of the elitist event mentioned above – decided to organize the Peace Festival as well. It was open to all so it was truly filled with thousands of people, the workers and activists, who are the real family of Faiz. PTV was given the exclusive rights to cover the event.
Hundreds of red flags, Socialist slogans, working women and men – the ambiance was extremely radical. The program began with a couple of folk performances and later on pop singers started performing. They sang everything, the songs of love and breakups, the songs that commodify feminity, the songs that Faiz never wrote and never sang! Faiz’s struggle was not only against the unequal distribution of wealth but also against the limitation of art for the sake of art. His poetry was the poetry of life and his words were the celebration of people’s struggle. There was no one at the Faiz Peace Festival to sing those songs that have been the anthems of resistance since decades. Instead, the whole day was dedicated to lovey dovey songs and cheap attempts of entertaining the ‘poor ignorant masses’. The people kept waiting till late but there was no one to reflect real essence of the poet.
As Faiz said, ‘ab yahan koi nahin koi nahin aay ga..’
Imagine! Different Faiz days for different classes! An intellectually mature event, with performers like Tina Sani, and speakers who reflected the real Faiz, only for a certain class and saucy songs, cheap comedy for the people who understand and can relate to the poet more than the drawing-room intellectuals. Who has a right to underestimate the common people like this? The organisers of Faiz festival killed the centenary celebrations, that are being celebrated around the world with great respect. They valued Faiz Ahmed Faiz for Rs. 1000/person! I wish they could take some time out from the U-fone and Coca-Cola campaigns or they should not have claimed to own the poet.
However, the real family of the poet, the oppressed working class, continue to live and celebrate the poetry of Faiz in their daily lives.
Filed under: Activism, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Literature, Pakistan, poetry, Urdu · Tags: celebrations, Lahore, prejudice, public
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its of course not just the mullahs..
this “liberal” class is another hindrance to liberalism in Pakistan.
“I saw him, walking very slowly on a footpath. The old man was holding a little red flag. ”
“We shall see, We shall see…but the old man never saw anything!”
Pathos. Masterful images that encapsulate the class divide.
Faiz, though had a message to everyone – not just the poor.
Tilsim,
I think his message to the poor was to reclaim their dignity and their rights.
And his message to the rich was to tame their ego and respect others less privileged, to join them in their struggle for a more just order.
Aman
Ammar,
Thanks for this excellent portrait. Somehow, though, with respect to the Hashmi’s and other pretenders to the Faiz legacy, I think it’s just more water off a duck’s back. If these people see no shame nor contradiction in helping to sell packaged milk distributed by a large multinational (Engro’s Olper), I somehow doubt that they still retain the sensitivity needed to understand the irony and sheer tragedy of these incidents.
Let’s try to organise the celebration of Faiz that would truly honour his life and his struggles.
Aman
I attended Centennial Celebration of Faiz Ahmed Faiz held at Karachi Press club on 19th Feb, 2011, organized by Progressive Writers Movement.
I saw the two classes, poor workers and well heeled liberals attending the meeting. None of them were mixing with the other, sitting in separate groups. Liberals in Pakistan, instead of being involved in real, popular, working class struggles, just organize and attend such such seminars, workshops, to have gup-shup with with each other and show that they are indeed ‘progressive’.
I, along with several fellow members of International Socialists (Pakistan) had set up a books, magazines stall at the venue.
A young MBA student from IBA-Karachi recited a poem by Faiz from the stage. Afterwards, he came near out stall. I literally engaged him in a converation and invited him to see books in our stall. The mere mention of the word ‘socialism’ and ‘capitalism’ brought a look of disbelief in his face. He wrapped up the discussion rather quickly and kept his distance from our stall.
Those coming to our stall showing clear class basis in their reactions. Most educated, well dressed people either didn’t come or when they did chance to come near, just passed thru with a look of ‘boredom’ or ‘cynicism’. Only some Baluch, Sindhi or Pashtoon students or lower middle class persons showed interest when i attempted to start a conversation on ways to bring collective change in Pakistan.
Actually, well heeled liberals, have tried to
This is bogus.
What is the writer trying to say? That a ghazal night should not have been organized? That Tina Sani should not sing Faiz? That all events celebrating Faiz should be free?
The Faiz Foundation like every other non-profit group has the responsibility of organizing events to promote the poet and create awareness and reach out to people. The Faiz Foundation is not the cornerstone of the socialist party, it is only there to give the public access to Faiz, his memorabilia, which is displayed for FREE at the Faiz Ghar, the discussions by leading intellectuals which has free entry and his poetry which is available to everyone through his books.
There is no free lunch. And you can’t have it all.
You can’t call Tina to sing Faiz and also expect the event to be for free. You can’t hold the event at a respectable, and secure hall and expect the event to be free. If the author or his cronies are so interested in giving the poor kissans access to Faiz’s poetry, why not fundraise and do it yourself. What is stopping you?
The committee of the Faiz Foundation has members that a) Teach in academic institutions b) Volunteer for the Faiz Foundations activities c) promote the poetry and d) Create linkages with learning institutions.
The Faiz family hasn’t got exclusive rights over Faiz, he is a national poet. Anyone can promote his cause based on their own interpretation of him. Attacking them and their profession is not only a depraved act it also shows the general attitude Pakistanis have of never appreciating what has been done, instead criticizing in rather shoddy pieces about what ought to happen.
There has been no greater awareness of the poet, at the government level and the level of the general public than there has been this year. Besides it’s not as much the common people who need to read Faiz, it’s the elite who have much to learn from him.
This piece should really not have been carried by PTH. This is not a debate it’s an attack, based on armchair politics.
Inshallah, centennials of all such great Communist poets wud be celebrated in this manner.
Regards
@ Aisha Sarwari,
Your comments actually prove the point that Mr. Ammar Aziz has made here. This is the real side of the anti-humanistic side of your class.
The first paragraph of your illogical criticism is sheer non sense. The writer never said, it should not have happened. He only suggested it should have been for everyone.
You say,
” You can’t call Tina to sing Faiz and also expect the event to be for free”
Why Not? Its Faiz that matters NOT Tina. Its those people who are the protagonists of Faiz’s poetry who matter NOT Tina. How can you justify the capitalization of Faiz like that?
You say,
” You can’t hold the event at a respectable, and secure hall and expect the event to be free. If the author or his cronies are so interested in giving the poor kissans access to Faiz’s poetry, why not fundraise and do it yourself.”
I ask, how can any sensible mind justify the intellectual terrorism of the “non-profit” organization a.ka. faiz foundation?
A “respectable, secure” place for those who can pay and an insecure, ‘unrespectable; place for the poor masses? Shame.
Moreover, why was there NO ONE to sing Faiz at all at the event? Could they not see what the singers were supposed to sing that day? The workers were not there to listen all that crap.
Secondly, the author has mentioned clearly that the Progressive Writers Movement orgainzie the real festival every year but you guys hijacked the event this time.
By the way, a festival has been planned by PWA which is going to take place in a couple of weeks. But of course, why would people from your class go there? The place would not be “secured and respectable” according to your taste.
You say,
“Attacking them and their profession is not only a depraved act it also shows the general attitude Pakistanis have of never appreciating what has been done”
1) NO ONE has criticized their personal acts here. But they should be and will be criticized untill they don’t stop commodifying the people’s poetry of Faiz.
2) Stop generalizing the “Paksitani attitude” in such a cliched manner which is so typical and elitist in every context. Theres no such thing as “Pakistani attitude” here. This is a realistic analysis by an educated Leftist author.
It is NOT a nationalist critique, but Leftist , rational critique (if you know what that means)
You say, “Besides it’s not as much the common people who need to read Faiz, it’s the elite who have much to learn from him.”
haha. I can’t stop laughing here. Nonsense. Another petty justification of the bourgeoise. If elite could “learn” anything, Marx would never have come up with his revolutionary manifesto.
You say,
“This piece should really not have been carried by PTH. This is not a debate it’s an attack, based on armchair politics.”
Oh really? This further shows the fear of your class. You talk about “feedom of speach” all the time but we know how limited the conepts of your freedom is. We highly apprecite PTH for carrying this.
We are thankful to Mr. Ammar Aziz for coming up with this brilliant piece.