Hasrat Mohani, the ‘ishtraki Muslim’

MAULANA Hasrat Mohani, a leading figure in the subcontinent’s freedom struggle and distinguished poet, was remembered at a meeting held by the Bazm-i-Kehkashan, Daira-i-Adab-o-Saqafat and the Dhaka Group of Institutions on Friday (May 13) to mark his 54th death anniversary. The Hasrat Mohani Memorial Trust led by Raeesa Mohani (a relative of the great man) also participated in the event.

In the tributes paid on the occasion, many speakers pointed out that it was Hasrat Mohani who paved the way for the latter generation of ghazal writers such as Faiz and Faraz.

He was as modern as any other poet of the 20th century. His approach in ghazal was direct and emotional, eschewing verbiage. He followed Ghalib, Momin, Tasleem, Mushafi, and also earlier masters but retained an originality and a freshness that were his own.

But Hasrat Mohani was a man of many parts. He was a confirmed liberal in politics, but also a devout Muslim who, whenever he was not in jail, performed the Haj almost every year. He would write adulatory verses for Krishan, the Hindu deity, Guru Nanak and other non-Muslim figures. His personality and his writings constitute a rebuke to all those who seem to think that religion and liberalism are somehow irreconcilable.

Integrity was central to the Maulana’s political thought and his commitment to principles firm. His simplicity was proverbial and he sincerely believed in the equality of all, describing himself as an “Ishtraki Muslim”.

Well-versed in the study of classical literature, Hasrat Mohani started his career as a literary journalist. On the publication of an “objectionable” letter in his journal Urdu-i- Moalla, he was asked to disclose the name of the writer. True to professional ethics, the Maulana refused and preferred to go to jail. He truly deserved to be remembered.

AT THE Shaam-i-Afsana held at the Arts Council last week, one or two short stories needed some comment. But they were ignored or were somehow missed by the audience.

There was a story titled ‘koel’ (cuckoo), the singing bird. It is traditionally believed that the koel hides itself in treetops because it is black and is afraid of being called ugly. The story under reference goes like this. In the dark compartment of a stationary train, a nomad girl suddenly starts singing a folk song. Her melody is stunning and fascinates everyone. But in the total darkness in the compartment, nobody can see her face. When the lights come on many people who had conjured up the image of the gypsy singer as a pretty girl are heart-broken to find an ugly looking woman. A young man is so upset that he throws up.

Was this reaction natural? I think it was not; melody has its own charm which has the potential to mesmerize the listeners. Facial beauty in those magical moments is not relevant. Not all the popular singers, men or women, are good looking, and yet they command loyal followers.

The other story was about a cunning mother and her equally vapid girl who concoct a fictitious rape story. A bogus medical certificate is also obtained to support the girl’s claim for Rs100,000, the backing provided by an invisible fixer.

The writer describes a familiar scenario — an angered civil society, media hype and public interest in the case and monetary help from NGOs.

When the girl has received her money and gained public sympathy, she one day discloses the fictitious nature of her story to an intimate friend. By that time, people had begun to lose interest in the case.

What an easy way to win public sympathy and a lot of money by shouting “rape” — this was the message the writer, Rizwan Siddiqui, gave to the readers, thus planting the doubt in our minds that many rape victims may be playacting.

Such generalizations can trivialize violence against women when we know that everyday many women are violated and brutalized. One wonders in whose support the writer wrote the story, giving the benefit of the doubt to rapists.

NOT a single updated library exists in the city, complained a well-known publisher at a book launch last Friday. The National Book Foundation perhaps no longer exists, he said.

Another regret heard was that intellectuals, even university teachers, did not visit bookshops to inquire about new publications. Such complaints are not new but the situation is perhaps not as bleak as made out by booksellers. New titles on history, current affairs, politics, literature, the arts and a variety of other subjects are being published every month. Avid readers and enthusiasts are seen at book launches buying books.

Now that trade and commercial exchanges between Pakistan and India appear to be in the offing, books and periodicals should also be treated as important items — Indian publications imported into Pakistan and Pakistani publications exported to India. Writers and publishers will find a vast market for their books in both countries to the benefit of publishers and writers. The latter are often denied the fruits of their labour due to ineffective copyright laws and rampant piracy.