KARACHI: So, when did language-related violence first cause a bit of concern to those who thought that the moment Pakistan came into being, ethnic and language identities would take a back seat? Well, it is difficult to get a precise answer to the question, but it can be said with certainty that it was in 1952 that the demand to help get Bangla its due recognition in the country and to resist the attempt to make Urdu the national language assumed violent proportions. So much so that even some people lost their lives. Consequently, in the third week of February ever year, a Shaheed Day would be observed by students belonging to East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).

On Feb 21, 1965 the Karachi University East Pakistan Students Association observed Shaheed Day to pay homage to the martyrs of the 1952 language movement by wearing black arm bands and holding a symposium on the matter. At the time, Dr S. Ali Ashraf was head of the English department, University of Karachi. He presided over the programme. Highlighting the importance of Bengali in national integration, a resolution was passed at the end of the event requesting the provincial and central governments of Pakistan to introduce Bengali as the second language of instruction in educational institutions of West Pakistan and Urdu in the eastern wing. We all know how that panned out: we were deprived of an important part of our common cultural identity.

Social strife was more than palpable in those days.

A couple of days before Shaheed Day, Feb 19, a carnival was organised at the university by the Social Work Department. Addressing the students, vice chancellor of the institution, Dr I. H. Quraishi, stressed the need for creating social harmony to develop a healthy and progressive society. By the way, the word ‘progressive’ these days has a bit of liberal connotation, undesirable to some segments in society.

The one field in those days in which harmony was least debated was the wonderful discipline of literature (unlike today). As per reports that appeared in the media on Feb 16, a large-scale mushaira (poetry symposium) was held on Feb 14, which continued till the early hours of Feb 15, in the Karachi Intercontinental Hotel’s grand ballroom. And who were the participants in the mushaira? Literary giants Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Josh Malihabadi, Bahzad Lukhnavi, Mahirul Qadri and Sirajuddin Zafar, among a host of others.

The programme, chaired by none other than inimitable Z. A. Bukhari, opened with a ghazal presented by Iqbal Sufipuri. It would be interesting to note that despite a ticket of Rs25 per head (spending which you could also enjoy a buffet dinner), around 500 people turned up to see their favourite poets. Ah, those were the days!

Now, many Urdu poets in the past were fond of paan (betel leaf) chewing. It would have pained them to know, on Feb 19, that many paan wallahs were thinking of closing down their businesses on a temporary basis. The reason was that suddenly there was a shortage of betel leaves in the city, especially of the sanchi and bangla varieties, because their prices had gone considerably up. Come to think of it, not many modern-day Urdu poets eat paan. They are more into eating words off other poets’ plates.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play