Sir,
This refers to letter to the editor captioned “Sahir in Jammu Jottings”, D.E dated March 30) 2024. The words occurring in para one of the said letter “Perhaps no other poet except Sahir could narrate this misfortune of women in such a picturesque way as has been done in the film “Sadhna number”, are an extension of an emotive expression of appreciation of something or someone. Sahir’s era of Urdu poetry included some other Urdu poets of excellent literary height like Qateel Shafaie, Kaifi Azmi and some others. By deviating from the traditional mode of Urdu poetry which revolve around Sharab, Shabad, Ishq, Hussan and Maikhana and the like predominantly dealt with the issues concerning social ills prevailing at that time in the sub continent. Sahir, no doubt, was a very popular and a great poet and the mammoth viewership of Indian cinema added to his popularity.
The oldest profession of the world, in the guise of dance, art and cultural misnomers dragged tens of thousands of young girls of this sub continent to the clutches of wealthy hawks and their organized networks. Sahir wrote about other social ills also like:
“Chug ho ja amiron ke yeh sone ki ghari ha
Tere liye rone ko bahut umar pari ha”
Ik Shehanshah ne bna ke ye Taj Mahal
Hum garibon ki mohabbat ka uraya hai mazak
Raat bhar ka hai mehman andhera
Kiske roke ruka hai swera …etc. etc.
but Qatil wrote much more than Sahir about the people who made women as a very cheap commodity. His book Mutriba, which got Pakistan’s highest Adbi Award “Aadm ji prize” contains thirty poems, all concerning commercialization of what has been referred to as commodity. But this also is a fact that the word pictures created by Sahir’s poems are more vivacious. All that written by Qatil is superb but Chakle, Naika, ‘Sawnly si ik aurat’, Auqaf Act, Mutriba, Majboori, Gazal and Kis ke liye, invite special attention. One can judge the literary height of the writer of this couplet-
“Gar hum na hon to zindgi ki sans ruk jaye,
Qatil waqat ke seene mein hum dharakte hain.”
Other poets of that Taraqi Pasand Shaura group did not reach these heights, but nonetheless they too made good contribution to Urdu poetry. A couplet of one of Kaifi Azmi’s poem is:
“Zindgi jehad mein hai, sabar ke kaboo mein nahni,
Jannat ek our bhi hai, jo marad ke pehlu mein nahin”
Many years back I heard a song of some Indian film woven in the words:-
Ik Shehanshah ne bana key yeh Taj Mahal
Sari duniya ko mohabbat ki nishani di hai”
I think Sahir had to change wording of his poem Taj Mahal for his helplessness created by commercialization of his poem. Qatil and Sahir gave a turn to the traditional Urdu poetry which now is written to include new problems and new challenges being faced by the countrymen.
S.K. Rekhi
Gandhi Nagar, Jammu
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