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Finding time for poetry By Hasan Abidi Senior poet Rafique Jabir was the guest at a literary sitting held in his honour by Hussain Anjum, editor of the monthly Tulu-i-Afkaar, in his office Tulu-i-Afkar and Urdu International, in Nazimabad on Saturday (Nov 20). It was a well-attended session presided over by Allama Tahir Ali Khan. Muslim Shamim, a poet and critic, introduced the guest, describing his academic background and his association with the Progressive Writers Movement. Rafique Jabir has been a leading business journalist and still writes a regular column for an English-language business daily. Born in 1931, he did his MA in economics from Patna University in 1949 and soon after came over to Pakistan. The Progressive Writers Movement was at its height at the time, and the young Jabir was attracted to it like many idealistic youth. He decided to make journalism his career, and worked for The Times of Karachi and Morning News. After many decades of association with the latter, he was also its editor for some time till he was retired during Gen Ziaul Haq's regime. Jabir had been experimenting with poetry since 1943, and while his later journalistic preoccupations did not leave him with much leisure to write poetry, he managed to publish a collection, Munfarid, in 2003. Rafique Jabir spoke and said how he had been inspired by Josh Malihabadi, the revolutionary and humanist. Josh stood against tyranny and supported the oppressed and the afflicted. During the evening, the "extremism" of the progressives also came under discussion when the ghazal was rejected in the early decade of the '50s as effete and decadent. Josh's remarks against the ghazal were popular in some circles, but that phase soon passed. Jabir reminded his audience that Sajjad Zaheer, who was secretary-general of the PWA, was a moderate thinker and not an extremist. No paper on Jabir's poetry was presented at the sitting, which seemed an odd omission. Highly influenced by the diction and style of Josh, Jabir recited some of his 'rubaiyaat' (quatrains). Two couplets which drew much applause are quoted below: Hazaar jabr sahay aur muskara key chaley Hawa ke zad peh diya ahledil jala key chaley Baarhaa kathin tha safar zindagi ka kya kartey Tumharey gham ko shareek-i-safar bana key chaley Many others in the audience presented their couplets including of course the host, Hussain Anjum, as well as Jamal Naqvi, Muslim Shamim and Saleha Kausar. Sadiq Madhosh read out his ghazals with captivating diction and Noor Mohammad Sheikh presented his verses in both Sindhi and Urdu. Dr Jaafer Halim, though an Urdu poet, presented some of his Persian poetry. Dr Shakeel Nawazish Raza, who is known for his doctoral thesis on the life and works of the eminent critic the late Prof Ehtesham Hussain, was the compere. * * * * * Bazm-i-Saenci Adab, which holds its monthly meeting at the Dr Salimuzzaman Science Centre, is determined - and to an extent has been successful - in proving that science and 'adab' (literature) can progress together. In the Bazm's 118th meeting last week, Dr Mushtaq Hussain enlightened the audience with his 'Scienci Nazmain' (science poems) and Farhat Batool with her poem 'Zamin key Aanso'." Scientific knowledge if carried to the common people in the form of poetry and fiction can certainly create some awareness in society. For example Sohail Yusuf, in his essay 'Zinda zameen ka Nazaria', borrowed from the researches made in Britain in 1971, and contended that the earth was a living being like other creatures, and should therefore be protected from nuclear exposure. To conclude this piece on an optimistic note, Amna Alam recited the following: Maen farda ko guzartey pal sey behter dekhti hoon Maen apni qaum ka roshan moqaddar dekhti hoon. Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)
