Rich tributes were paid to the novelist Abdullah Hussain by poets, writers and literature enthusiasts, in the twin cities, who said that Hussain made significant contributions to Urdu literature.

Abdullah Hussain passed away in Lahore at the age of 84, on Saturday, after a long battle with cancer.

A prominent Urdu novelist, Hussain published a number of masterpieces including Udas Naslein, Nadaar Log, Baagh, Nasheb, Azaad Log, Quaid and several short stories.

Writers and poets pay tribute to late novelist

Abdullah Hussain inspired almost four generations of Pakistanis and through his works, he documented the tribulations of the nascent Pakistani society, the development of its collective psyche and the stories of those families who were displaced in the partition of India.

Poet Kishwar Naheed expressed her grief at Mr Hussain’s passing, while speaking to Dawn. She said: “Despite his success as a novelist, he remained humble. In 2013 we celebrated 50 years of his novel Udaas Naslein, a work which remained relevant for half a century. He was also awarded the Kamal-e-Fun Award but no accolade could match the greatness of his stature,” she added.

Naheed said: “In his works, especially novelettes, he highlighted the double standards in our society.”

Senior short-story writer Rasheed Amjad said: “Abdullah Hussain was man committed to his writings and ideology. Many people did not agree with what he wrote, but he stood by his words and writings.”

“Writing a novel is not an easy task, many writers lose the focal point, but Abdullah Hussain never lost grip on the plot. He knew the art of storytelling.”

Poet and literary critic Yousaf Hassan also paid tribute to Hussain, saying, “a novelist is required to express the internal and external workings of characters in a social context and few master this ability, in the way Abdullah Hussain did.”

“In his Urdu novel, he paints a complete social picture of Punjab,” he said.

Dr Ravish Nadeem, who is also a poet and writer, said Hussain can be credited with strengthening the weak tradition of the Urdu novel, enriching it with aesthetics and subjects. “His novels are window into society,” he said.

Poet Harris Khalique said that Abdullah Hussain’s death has left the literary circles of the country poorer.

“In a language rich with classical and contemporary poetry and good quality short fiction, formidable novelists are few,” he said.

Poet and author of recently published novel ‘Jaage Hain Khawab’, Akhter Raza Saleemi felt that Abdullah Hussain may have left the world in the physical sense but will live through his works, forever.

“It is said that every man can write one novel because every man lives one life, but Abdullah Hussain gave more than one brilliant novel to Urdu literature which means he lived many lives,” Saleemi said.

The relevance of Abdullah Hussain’s works can be gauged from his continued popularity among the younger generation.

“Abdullah Hussain’s novels document the development of the Pakistani society, which developed gradually since the partition of India in 1947. I belong to the third generation of Pakistanis and his writings have helped me understand how the society and institutions developed,” said Aamir Raza, a young documentary film maker and literature enthusiastic.

“In his novel Quaid, he highlighted rising extremism in society. In Bagh, he discussed the Kashmir issue and in Nadaar Log, he narrated the tale of a family who suffers in ever historical convulsion from the 1857 war of independence to the fall of Dhaka in 1971. In his novels, one finds socioeconomic and socio-political analyses. To me, his woks are key to understanding the Pakistani society,” he said.

Pakistan Academy of Letters Chairman Dr Qasim Bughio also expressed grief on the death of Abdullah Hussain. “His death is an end of an era, his important contributions to Urdu literature will be remembered for a long time,” he said, in a statement.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2015

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