Urdu shayari (poetry), with its rich traditions, is being practised ubiquitously in various forms and categories. In the present day, when we mention Urdu shayari, amongst the greatest poets that come to mind are Meer, Dard, Ghalib, Anis, Dabeer, Iqbal, Zauq, Josh, Jigar, Faiz, Firaq and Ahmad Faraz. These were the legends that nurtured the tradition of poetry in the region for decades. After independence, poets and scholars continued to voice their thoughts with exuberance, affording reference to their respective environment.

Prof Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui, an educationist and a scholar, is a diehard poet who is deeply fascinated with the idea of promoting poetry that records the dynamic realities of life in reference to time. He believes that ‘appropriate’ words juxtaposed into verses of poetry preserve thoughts and feelings that can be shared eternally. Apart from his sincere approach and expression, Dr Siddiqui possesses a humble, compassionate and soft-spoken personality. His poetry revolves essentially around human beings, who he freezes in time and space, preserving crucial nuances of their physical and spiritual disposition through his intrinsic flair for the right words.

Dr Siddiqui’s contemporaries range from Iftikhar Arif, Amjad Islam Amjad to Mohsin Ahsan, amongst others; at a juncture where senior mentors such as Munir Niazi, Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Ahmed Faraz had either left or were destined to depart. He reckons that his generation was unique, since during that era, renowned poets prevailed in the subcontinent which included Ali Sardar Jaffri, Majruh Sultanpuri, Ahmed Nadeem Qasimi, Kaifi Azmi, Akhtarul Iman followed by Faraz, Munir and Faiz.

Other generations probably did not get the opportunity to meet and interact with these legendary personalities whereas this distinctive group of poets was fortunate enough to have had access to them.

He has been widely proclaimed as an exceptional poet amongst his contemporaries owing to his numerous appearances and contributions to this form of literature. Books published on his poetry that bear testament to his expressive acumen are: Tund hawa key jashan mein, Sholay pey zuban and Mujhe duaon mein yaad rakhiyay. With regards to the protocols of poetry, he is categorical in voicing the stringent obligations of this activity. Although he is particular about ensuring the completeness of essential components, his philosophy and line of thought is that language and accord should be clearly discernible.

According to Dr Sahib, “It is said that good poetry should be free of limitations; but we should be mindful of the era we exist in and the relationship we have with the past. We visualise the future too but unless we give reference to lamha-e-mojood (the present moment), we may not achieve the objective. When we survey the multitude of poets, there are barely a few that incorporate this essential element in their works.” He also adds, this handful of peculiar poets detached themselves from pure romanticism, choosing instead to concentrate on events that transpired around them and decipher their influence on human psychology. They also examined how people, both individually and in groups, contemplated these events, he adds.

Whenever Dr Siddiqui says something in his poetry, it usually pertains to his personal experience, feelings or something that he sensed while watching others suffer. This type of expression is not so visible in his ghazal but it is immediately discernible in his nazm. Poets have mostly stayed away from nazm since they were already involved with ghazal where, without a doubt, they have also received profuse acclamation. However, the few who deploy nazm as their primary portal, have revolutionised the etiquette of expression that reveals true human compassion.

Over the years, one can observe an abundant contribution of poets but then ironically, why has there been a steady decline in the society’s psycho-social profile? Responding to this precarious question, Dr Siddiqui says, “In poetry the most important element ((which may have lacked) is feeling, as well as the sense and sensibility to evaluate changing times. The poet’s personality is akin to his thought process through which he either embraces some elements or rejects them. In the given culture my poetry pivots around humanism and the human being itself. I say; ‘my time and my people’; it is the human being that is central to time, environment and values.”

When times change, society changes; but the basic pillars remain intact. Change is a necessity and is inescapable; though ironic to do, it must be negotiated and adopted. Sometimes the wheel of time turns so rapidly that we cannot keep pace, hence there is latency in understanding what the creative poet implies with his poetry. It would be decades later, perhaps, that his poetry would be understood.

Upon being asked whether there is a need to institutionalise the teaching of poetry (as an art in colleges), he says, “Children need to be made aware of their surroundings, their heritage and given exercises that lead to compulsive creativity. Their ability to appreciate needs to be enhanced through experience and observation. The current materialistic race has diminished the attention to intellectual interaction and entertainment. If this trend continues, the cities would become barren and devoid of humanism, civilisation and intelligence. The solution lies in rearranging the curriculum and text books to cater for deficient literature. It is fortunate that intelligence is not an inherited asset; therefore, a child from the slums can also perform brilliantly in any field.”

Identifying the responsibilities of the poet, Dr Siddiqui is cognitive of the enlarging tribulations of society. He believes that poetry can be effectively used for inculcating national cohesion which erodes because of unchecked illiteracy and apathy.

Unrestrained illiteracy compounded by the growing intolerance can be lethal to the national fabric. He adds, “The youth have the potential to cause a change; therefore, instead of addressing millions, we can simply address the youth to reform the society and redeem the masses from degradation and depression.”