Urdu and I
IN FIRST PERSON Noted filmmaker MAHESH BHATT makes an impassioned plea to save Urdu from extinction here Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash Man is memory, and memory is sound. The first sound that resonates in my heart is the Urdu word “Shireen”, meaning sweet; the name of my mother, who was by birth a Shia Muslim and remained one till the end of her days. Shadowing that sweet memory is a bitter one. My mother couldn’t marry my Hindu … Read entire article »
Book Review: Premier Gillani’s Urdu Memoirs
by Bradistan Published biographies on the book shelves while the writer is still in Political office is a risky strategy. In case of Obama it paid huge dividends financially and politically and in case of Musharraf it caused embarrassment and innuendos. Premier Gillani’s book is like the gossip from an old friend who has attained position of authority and pays you a surprise visit. I revisited the idea of writing this review after the imposition of governor rule in Punjab and disqualification of Sharif bothers known to be personal friends of Premier Gillani and political rivals of President Zardari. Now Premier Gillani is again flying too close to the wind for reports of his alleged differences with his party chairman, fellow ex-prisoner and current President of Pakistan Mr Asif Ali Zardari. The Background of the … Read entire article »
Filed under: Activism, Army, Benazir Bhutto, Books, Democracy, dynasties, India, Islam, Islamabad, journalism, Media, New Writers, Politics, south asia, Taliban, Terrorism, Urdu
Ifti Nasim: Muslim and Gay?
By Bradistan Calling Ifti Nasim also known as Iftikhar Nasim is a pioneering Pakistani gay poet who now lives in the U.S. He has written many books of poetry in Urdu and English languages. He has also written prose in both languages. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Activism, Arts and Crafts, Books, culture, Dance, Identity, men, minorities, Pakistan, Politics, Rights, sex, Urdu, USA, Writers
What Does Pakistan Mean
Posted by Raza Rumi What Does Pakistan Mean is a fabulous poem by Habib Jalib. Here is a translation that testifies to the relevance of this poem decades after it was written. Bread, clothes and medicine A little house to live in Free education, as may right be seen A Muslim, I, too, have always been What does Pakistan mean There is no God, but God, The Rab-al-alameen … Read entire article »
Filed under: poetry, Uncategorized, Urdu
Poetry of revolt
Amarjit Chandan recollects his conversations with noted Urdu poet Habib Jalib here Habib Jalib’s poetry, along with that of Faiz, was invoked in the recent pro-democracy agitation in Pakistan. He visited London twice — first in the summer of 1988 when his collected works were launched. He was in his element … Read entire article »
Filed under: Literature, poetry, Urdu
The World is a Circular Firing Squad
There’s a line in one of the greatest “Bollywood” classics, written by the scions of a couple of the greatest South Asian literary families–sons of Urdu poets, to be precise–and delivered by a minor but unforgettable character, “Surma Bhopali” that goes “Yahaan hamaaree kya zaroorath hai; yahaan tho waisay hee aap kay naam ka warrant nikla huwa hai.” [Who needs me? There's already a warrant out for your arrest.] And that’s the thought that’s being going through my head as South Asia spirals downwards, some folks caution against jumping to conclusions, and others rally for peace. And I include the arguments over “Islamists did it. No, wait! Let’s not jump to conclusions; it could be home grown!…” in that How is it realistic to look at everything as either-or? The mess South … Read entire article »
Filed under: FATA, India, Islam, Islamism, Karachi, Pakistan, Politics, Society, south asia, Terrorism, Urdu, USA, violence, war
A neglected genius
Raza Rumi Whilst my earlier piece on the IMF programme and the tremendous discussion it has invoked deserves a rejoinder, I want to write on a completely different subject this week. I am perturbed by the fact that thousands of jobs have been recreated for those who were rightly or wrongly dismissed in the earlier dispensations; there is silence about one luminary, a towering one at that, who lost state employment twice. Fahmida Riaz’s name is … Read entire article »
Filed under: culture, Literature, poetry, Society, south asia, Urdu, Women, Writers
Appropriation of the progressive ideas
Faiz Ahmed Faiz with friends: Faiz’s poetry is now being used to advertise phones Habib Jalib: anti-establishment Opposition to the military regime was marked by a liberal ethos, a value-system that stressed constitutionalism, rule of law, and the independence of judiciary, rather than identifying with the politics of redistribution or attacking Pakistan’s problem uno supremo: poverty by Raza Rumi In a confusing sign of the times, corporations and the establishment are arrogating the words of revolutionary poets.. For decades, Pakistan’s … Read entire article »
Filed under: Activism, lawyers movement, Left, Literature, poetry, Politics, Urdu
Literature is not a hobby — Iftikhar Arif
Naseer Ahmad Iftikhar Arif was catapulted into the spotlight in the 1970s when he appeared in PTV’s quiz programme Kasauti. As a bespectacled, sparkling young man, he mesmerised the millions of audience across the nation with the range of his knowledge and intelligence. With Obaidullah Baig and Quraishpur, both profound scholars, as his senior partners at the progamme, he would identify studio audience’s guessed personality, historical incident or structure by asking up to 20 questions. But few among his audience knew him as a poet. At PTV he was a scripts editor. But the thrill of appearing in a popular programme, when PTV was the only channel available to Pakistani audience, had swept his other attributes out of sight. In an interview with Dawn at Qasr-i-Naz last Sunday, he recalls how he … Read entire article »
Filed under: Languages, Literature, poetry, Urdu, Writers
A tribute to Ralph Russell – RIP
Shaheryar Ali “Not a famous man” Ralph Russell called himself in his autobiography “Findings, Keepings: Life, Communism and everything“. It’s quite an understatement. Anyone who loves Urdu and has any interest in the literary movements in Indian subcontinent knows Ralph Russell. He was one of those rare men who become legends in their life time. Ralph Russell spent all his life serving Urdu language. He popularized it , built structures and mechanisms of teaching Urdu in … Read entire article »
Filed under: Left, Literature, Urdu, Writers
Farewell Faraz
Guest contribution by Sadia Dehlvi for Pak Tea House Lovers of Urdu mourn the death of Ahmed Faraz, undoubtedly the greatest romantic and revolutionary poet of our times. Earlier this week, Faraz was laid to rest in Islamabad, the city he made his home. One by one, the torchbearers of Urdu literature fade away. I heard of Faraz’s in the mid seventies when his “ranjish hi sahi, dil hi dukhaane ke liya aa,” became a huge hit with ghazal lovers. I met the burly rugged looking Pashto speaking Pathan on a trip to Islamabad in 1988 and we became close friends. He spoke of initial apprehensions of writing in Urdu but was encouraged by the response to his first diwan, “Tanha Tanha”. He wished to become a pilot but a romance in … Read entire article »
جب شعر سفر کرجائےگا – Ahmad Faraz remembered
بی بی سی اردو ڈاٹ کام، اسلام آباد جب شعر سفر کرجائےگا ناصر کاظمی، احمد ندیم قاسمی، جون ایلیا، خاطر، قتیل، فارغ، منیر نیازی ، احمد شاہ فراز۔آسمانِ سخن کی یہ ڈار کل پوری طرح بکھرگئی ۔ظفر اقبال اور انور شعور نامی دو بچھڑی کونجیں پر سمیٹے بیٹھی ہیں۔اور اب ہم فرحت عباس شاہ، وصی شاہ اور سعد اللہ شاہ وغیرہ کے رحم و کرم پر ہیں۔ احمد فراز قبیلہ فیض کے آخری سورما تھے ۔یہ قبیلہ دنیائے ادب میں مزاحمتی نوالے کو معشوقی کے شہد میں ڈبو کر تناول کرنے کے لئے جانا جاتا تھا۔ احمد شاہ فراز اور انکے ہم عصروں میں ایک بنیادی فرق یہ ہے کہ اردو فراز کی سیکنڈ لینگیویج بھی نہیں تھی۔بلکہ اردو انہوں نے صحیح معنوں میں اپنی ریڈیو پاکستان کی نوکری کے زمانے … Read entire article »
Mirza Yagana Changezi
Of God and Ghalib Restraint was what Mirza Yaas Yagana Changezi knew little of all his life. Only towards the end, he realised that the price he paid was rather very high By Dr Afzal Mirza That Mirza Yaas Yagana Changezi was an able poet whose talent was mostly wasted on aimless pursuits does not need an overemphasis to drive it home. Writing about Yagana in his Takhleeqi Adab, critic and poet Mushfiq Khawaja said: “Undoubtedly Mirza Yagana is one of the important poets of this century. But due to his literary and non-literary polemics his poetic importance has been generally ignored. What to talk of a detailed critique of his poetry, even short critical pieces have not been written about him”. Another well known critic Professor Mumtaz Hussain had this to say: “Yagana … Read entire article »
Filed under: Literature, poetry, Urdu
She is a Woman Impure – by Fahmida Riaz
She is a Woman Impure She is a woman impure Trapped in the cycle of blood In the chain of years and months Burning in the fire of lust Seeking her pleasures Mistress of the devil Following his ways Towards that elusive goal Which has no route That meeting of light and fire Which is so hard to find. Boiling blood inside her veins Has torn her breasts, The thorns on her way Have severed her womb, On her body’s shame There is no shade of sanctity, But, O gods who rule this earth, You shall never see This woman impure With a prayer on her lips As a supplicant at your door. Poem by Fahmida Riaz Translated by Mahmood Jamal Fehmida’s portrait courtesy K.B. Abro … Read entire article »
Filed under: poetry, translations, Urdu, Women
BOOK REVIEW: Saqi’s unrepentant sinfulness
by Khaled Ahmed Aap-Beeti/Paap-Beeti; By Saqi Farooq; Akademi Bazyaft Karachi 2008; Pp176; Price Rs 300 Saqi’s gravitation to Habib Jalib was natural in a way too because he saw the anarchist in him where others saw a revolutionary, and the quarrels that took place were incidental to the way they related You don’t know what kind of irreverent sinner you are up against in this book till I have told what he did in his earlier book titled Hajibhai Paniwala. This … Read entire article »
Filed under: Books, culture, Literature, Pakistan, poetry, Urdu, Writers
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