Adil Najam
For much of Pakistan’s history, Habib Jalib was a voice of rebellion. Often an angry voice, but always an honest voice. He wrote in the idiom of the people and the jalsa was as much a platform for his poetry as was the mushaira. He often wrote in the idiom of anger. But that idiom was a function of his subject matter – Pakistan’s beleagured politics.
Jalib was a poet at heart but a political worker at heart. He was not only prepared to say what he believed to be right, but was willing to be beaten up for it (see picture below). He became a national figure with his poem Dastoor which was about Ayub Khan’s tailor-made ‘constitution’ and later with his support for Fatima Jinnah’s campaign against Ayub Khan:
Aisay dastoor ko
Subh-e-baynoor ko
Mein naheen manta
Mein naheen janta
During the Zia-ul-Haq era, his verses again became a popular anthem for those who opposed dictatorship:
Sar sar ko saba, zulmat ko Zia
banday ko khuda, kya likhnaa
He died in 1993, but one has no doubt that if alive he would be on the streets protesting today. He was jailed by Ayub Khan, by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, by Zia ul Haq, and although he was released during the first Benazir Bhutto government, he was no less honest in his assessment of her performance:
Haal ab tak wahi hain ghareeboan kay
Din phiray hain faqat waziroan kay
maqrooz hai daise ka her Bilawal
paoon nangay hain Benazeeroan kay
We have featured the political poetry of Faraz and Faiz here in prior installments of ATP Mushaira, I wondered what Habib Jalib might have to say about what is happening in Pakistan today. I did not have to wonder long, this long-time champion had both foretold and fore-commented on these long before they actually happened.
His call to protest, even in the face of brutality and beatings, is best summarized in his famous movie song (sung by Mehdi Hassan to Rashid Atray’s music from the film Zarqa):
More poignant is this recording form a Mushaira, Jalib bazaban-i-Jalib:
ba-har-aalam Khuda ka shukr keeji-aye, unn ka kehna haiN
khatta kartaiN haiN hum jo shikwa-i-taqdeer kartaiN haiNhumarey dard ka Jilib madaawa hou nahiN sakta
keh harr qatil ko chaara-garr say hum taabir kartay haiN
FInally, here a recording that includes an interview with him and some of his most poignant works. Including the all-time great poem Dastoor (Mein nahin Manta).
Phool shakhooun pay khilnay lagay, tum kaho
Jaam rindoun ko milnay lagay, tum kaho
Chaak seenoun kay silnay lagay, tum kaho
Iss khulay jhoot ko, zehn ki loot ko
Mein nahin jaanta, mein nahin maanta
Also of note is the Likhna verses for current relevance:
Virsay mein humain, yeh gham hai milla
iss gham ko naya, kiya likhna
@MQ;
It is unfortunate …
Just sit back and think, if you are told to manage your area where you live (just 100 houses around yours), will you be able to keep everyone happy? One house will say they want to dig thru the road while others opposing it, one will want to move the electricity poll and others opposing it, one would want town guards to sit outside their house others want the same for them. Who would you satisfy?, Just a few houses can make a big mess, can you manage a small city? or a big city one like faisalabad? or a province or a country?
We as Pakistanis enjoy alot of freedom, doing whatever we want most of the times. In britian you have to pay 20Lakh Rs to get permission for just one meter extension to make more space in your washroom. There is freedom of speech but there are also restrictions and strict laws if you make any descriminating comments.Now compare it with Pakistan where there is a mosque every half a mile away which would put their loud speakers on and criticise the mosque next doors, politicians saying whatever they like, even if it is against national interests (Nuclear issues). As I know whats happening inside i can assure you the Media in Pakistan today is more independent then most of the western countries.
It is good to have freedom, but for some it might mean looting the nation!. I think PCO is well justified after the oppositions behavior and the media’s bias criticism or government and defaming of army.
PJ Meer and Shahid should actually be hanged! They make things more dramatic and tragic using strong words. And i think, showing dead bodies on tv is discusting, they had no shame at all!
The newly constituted Supreme Court today validated everything Musharraf did since November 3. I think, from now on Pakistan should adopt Kangroo as the insignia of the Supreme Court instead of the scales. No?
Some more of his poetry that rings just as true today as it did, when he wrote it.
Tum se pehle jo shakhas yahan takhat nasheen tha
Us ko bhee Khuda honay pay itna hee yaqeen tha
Dakuan da je saath na dinda pind da pehredar
Aj paireen zanjeer na hund jit na hundi har
Paggan apne gal wich pa lo turo pet de bhar
Chadh jaye te mushkil lehndi bootan di sarkar
If the dacoit had not had
The village guard as his ally
Our feet would not be in chains
Our victory would not defeat imply
Mourn with turbans round your necks
Crawling on your bellies, comply
Once the jack boot government is up
It
From Lahore Metblogs
”Road to democracy:Political Debate banned in Colleges”
http://lahore.metblogs.com/archives/2007/11/road_t o_democra.phtml
Heard somewhere something like: ”I felt my chains only when I moved”
If Jalib was alive today, he would have said something similar for ATP management due to his biased comment policy. *grin*