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.
Can someone mail me the Ahmad Faraz nazm Corp commandar chor commandar.
Poetry is a great way of expressing ones feelings when there are no other ways to o so.
I loved the first poem. Had never heard that before.
I agree that Mohassra is one of the greatest poems of rebellion, hearing it again today again made me think of just how relevant it still is.
I think it is only because Farazis always immeditealy compared to Faiz that he does not get the credit that he deserves.
I think some of the comments here are very unfair on Faraz.
His Mohassra (which you include) is one of the greatest poems of rebellion in Pakistan’s history and written at the height of tyrrany. He also took a principled stand against Musharraf before most others in returning his medals after the Bugti killing. He has spoken against injustice consistently.
[…] We have tried to look at and make sense of these events fromvarious angles, including the poetic. But like Pakistanis everywhere we remain confused and concerned about the direction of events. Things seem to be spinning out of control. The government seems to be panicking. And public frustration with the turn of events is escalating. […]