Raste hee mein tum chor gaae ho mujh ko

Kuch door mere saath safar karna tha

(You have left me half-way/You should have accompanied me a little further)

ISLAMABAD, Sept 18: Admirers and friends of the late poet, critic and educationist Najmee Siddiqi, who died in a road accident a few weeks ago, heard his above unpublished couplet from his friend at the literary reference arranged for him at the Pakistan Academy of Letters by the organization Payas (Thirst) at the Academy. And how apt it appeared for the sombre event.

Najmee Siddiqi was eulogized and paid a tribute of tears not only for his mature and honest poetry but for his versatile personality, which included being a good teacher of English literature (for his knowledge of Greek mythology), a person who had studied Islam indepth; and one who was loved and admired for his genuine interest in his fellow beings.

Najmee Siddiqi wrote poetry in Urdu, Punjabi and Potohari, and was born in Seham, near the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

The event also brought to light the goodness of a stranger to the poet, Sheikh Qadeer. He saw him lying in a pool of blood, and persuaded people in the crowd, gathered around the accident site, to satisfy their curiosity (as unfortunately one finds in such cases on our roads!) to take the seriously injured poet to the hospital.

That was another issue, because of the kind of laws we have (not only in our own, but in criminal-judicial system of many other countries) the poor man was questioned by the police and was let off, as the audience was told at the reference, when the relatives of the poet intervened.

No wonder, the audience gave the gentleman a standing ovation. Alas, the appointed time had come and even the brave effort could not save the Potohar poet from death.

“We should remember those who guide us through pen,” said Nawaz Raza, President of the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Press Club.

“The word of the poet or the writer, the truthful expression, the word of Khair (goodness) was the legacy that was bestowed on us in the end,” said Iftikhar Arif, Chairman of the PAL, who was the chief guest on the occasion.

Dr Agha Shuja, president Payas and a close friend and admirer of the late poet, who presided over the reference spoke of the meetings he used to have with him, and said the love and affection shown towards the poet made him feel as if they were celebrating the ushering in of a new life for the late poet, author and a great Pakistani. Dr Khadim Husain Khamis, who lives in England and was here these days also paid glowing tributes to the poet.

Dr Rashid Nisar, a friend of the poet could hardly speak because of the tears. The moving elegy of poet Akhtar Usman in Potohari brought tears to many an eye. Dilpazeer Shah read a poem in Potohari.

Others who paid tributes to the poet were: Zulfikar Jafri, Mahboob Zafar, Zahid Chughtai, Nisar Awan Attocki, Naeem Akram Qureshi, Sanaullah Akhtar, Sultan Sabarwani, Mehboob Sada, Dr Saghir Kamran, Safdar Qureshi, Haroon Adeem, Qamar Roaini, Gul Warsi, Sarfraz Shahi and Wafa Chisti.

Sajid Qureshi, son of the late poet, read a few couplets of his father and thanked the audience for their kind words for him.

Obaid Bazagh Amar conducted the proceedings.

The reference ended on a couplet by the poet: Tarruf to faqat eik rasm hai/ Lahoo jaisa bhi ho bolta hai. (Introduction is a mere custom / Of whatever the hue, it is the blood that speaks).— Mufti Jamiluddin Ahmad