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.
By the way, today is the ‘bursee’ of Habib Jalib.
What the president did was unconstitutional but at the same time the acts of CJP Chaudhry were unconstitutional as well. One the one hand he sought favours from the Governments for BMWs and mercs and on the other hand he humiliated Senior Govet officials publicly in court. Being an offspring of a former CJP I think it is a contradiction of character to be dependent on the goevrnment for perks and independent at the same time if he were that independent then he should have excersised independence from material perks as well. nevertheless he still was the Chief Justice of the Country and this is no way of making him accountable in a civilised society.
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