Adil Najam
The recent sacking of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Iftikhar Chaudhry, has ignited passions all over the Pakistani blogistan. That is not surprising. What is remarkable is the consensus in opinion and outrage that seems to be universal (including in the results of our ATP Quick Poll).
As I read the hundreds of comments posted all across the Pakistani blogistan, it is also striking how many times people have invoked poetry as a way to express their strongly held feelings and heartfelt emotions. As always it is in Faiz Ahmed Faiz that people find the most comfort and solace. My own favorite – hum daikhain gay – has been repeatedly invoked; so has nisaar mein teri galiyoun mein and aaj bazaar mein pabajolaaN chalo. Another great favorite of mine – kuch sanoo maran da shouq vi see; this from Munir Niazi – has also been mentioned.
I am, however, always surprised that we do not hear more of Ahmed Faraz’s poetry in these discussions. From what one can fathom, the sacked Chief Justice may not be the ‘perfect hero’ that poets commemorate, but I imagine that sitting under guard as he is he may well reading Faraz right now and feeling the intensity of at least some of the verses.
This is particularly so for the poem ‘Mohassra’, which is probably Faraz’s most prominent political poem (written during the Zia years):
Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry may also find some solace in Ahmad Faraz’s Qaid-i-Tanhai. The additional verses at the end of this video clip seem equally pertinent.
Wonderful post. Protest poetry and poets like Habib Jalib are also needed in any society. Khair.
Apparently GEO or a major channel carried a long Naeem Bokhari interview….if someone locates this on Youtube, etc, please post the link here.
Thank you. What beautiful poetry. I am usually not much into poetry, but the last lines on the second one really moved me:
jab shahar khandar bun jai ga
phir kiss par sang uthao gay
apnay chehray aaeno may
jab daikho gay darr jao gay
Great!!!
Faraz looks like an activist and advocate for liberty and equality agaist tyrany and opression.
Adil: A nice & appropriate posting in the present time. I have not read whole poetry, but Habib Jalib was also one of such poets. I believe that in a progressive & free society, we find poets & artists being born every few years; but it seems we are left only with few people like Faraz.
Adil Sahab,
I hope you will consider doing a blog on what it would for the Pakistan public to start demanding justice. I have some thoughts on it but I don’t think that this is the appropriate blog to ‘let out my frustration’.
hmmmmmmm……….. goons are now pressuring him to resign
can anyone set up a live news feed on this on the net?
I am stating the obvious here.. but the line:
kisay wakeel karein kis se munsafi chahain
holds truer than ever before.