ISLAMABAD: Habib Jalib’s commitment to his progressive ideals, to the cause of the wretched of the earth and his association with people’s movements made his poetry unique among all his contemporary progressive poets.

This was the crux of the talk delivered by Raza Naeem, an academic, critic and award-winning translator, at the Nomad Gallery in the outskirts of Islamabad.

Mr Naeem said Jalib never compromised on his principles and wrote about social injustices, the exploitation of the working class and the misdemeanours of the ruling class.

His poetry was still relevant today and will remain so for all times to come as long as the injustices, exploitation and oppression of marginalised segments continues, he added.

Mr Naeem chronicled Jalib’s work regarding various historical events in Pakistan, from the debate over the character of the country to his opposition to military action in the former East Pakistan, Ayub Khan’s Basic Democracy, Yahya Khan’s debauchery and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s authoritarian populist policies, in famous poems such as Pakistan ka Matlab

Kiya, Federation, Dastoor, Mushir, Larkana Chalo Warna Thaane Chalo and Aurat Ka Tarana .

Naeem drew a parallel between Jalib and Prometheus, a Greek hero known for his intelligence and for defying the gods.

He taught men the use of fire; and revealed a divine secret to them. For this crime, the gods gave him an agonising punishment.

“Like Prometheus, Jalib defied almost all rulers alike, whether military dictators or democrats — from Gen Ayub Khan and Gen Yahya Khan to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to Ziaul Haq to Nawaz Sharif – and was put behind bars,” he said.

He wrote about the miseries of the peasants, workers, marginalised segments of society and women.

His deep understanding of the social and political malaise is reflected in his poetry, Mr Naeem said.

Jalib’s legacy will always be remembered as the torchbearer of resistance through poetry, he concluded.

In her introductory remarks Nomad’s Nageen Hyat said: “Jalib is unique not only as a people’s poet, but also as a people’s historian by virtue of the fact that his revolutionary resistance poetry covers the entire postcolonial epoch in Pakistan, from the 50s, right until the restoration of democracy in the country in the 90s post-Zia era.”

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2018