ISLAMABAD, Feb 17: Life is a sum of gathered experiences, but, the days of the youth are the most memorable one, reflected eminent poet Munir Niazi in a literary session Humnashin, organized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) on Saturday evening.

The function was the first in a series of cultural programmes initiated by the UGC to honour contemporary individuals of letters, including artists, dramatists, poets, novelists and essayist to relate themselves with the intellectuals of the current times.

The programme had an innovative format. Monotonous and speeches did not precede the function. Instead, Munir Niazi walked into the auditorium filled with admirers, including Saqiba Rahimuddin, Ahmad Faraz, Dr Fateh Mohammad Malik, Ihsan Akbar, Anwar Zahid and the audience immediately got down to asking searching questions about his life and works, who is reputed to live only for his poetry.

Munir Niazi with his simple, off the cuff answers, did full justice to the new format. He laid bare his entire life and the direction it had taken.

Asked as to why he turned to poetry, he said that he did not really have to account for his actions but he chose poetry because nature had bestowed the gift of poetry on him.

How would the poet like to reminiscence of years past? He said two days back he was asked the same the question in Karachi. He said after gathering trophies of scandal in his teenage he advised himself to avoid them in later years. As to romances, he said, he cultivated two lovely girls Anjum and Akhtar in his university years and now one of them is dead.

Speaking about his journalistic career, he said, he wrote literary columns for the popular newspaper “Zamindar” that closed down after the Qadiani movement in Lahore.

He was never really well paid. And often the money would come after the printer went round with a staff to collect money from newspaper agents. If he succeeded in making enough collection he would be paid.

The poet spent a life of penury but even in adversity he had well known poets, writers, actors and musicians as companions. They loved him and lived with him in a hall that was given to him by its owner to escape punitive action from the government’s rehabilitation department.

The uncertainty in wages from writing made him turn to writing film lyrics, but the same story was repeated in film industry. He narrated that for his famous song “Is bewafa ka shahr hai aur ham hain dosto”, he was promised Rs2,000 but received only Rs200.

He also held a grudge against publishers, who, according to him were denigrating poets and writers by publishing cheap books. His poetry published in America sold at a good price but here at home publishers did not even send copies of his published work.

The poet averred that he lived in the hope that prosperity would visit his country. He had beautiful dreams for Pakistan before moving away from his native Hoshiarpur to live and settle in his adopted country. He regretted that we have not been able to build a prosperous homeland.

Munir Niazi had a vision of hope and love for this country and its people. Love, he said was the most enduring quality and poetry reflected the most sublime side of life.

At the end of the question/ answer session, Munir Niazi recited from his poetical collection. He began by reading the poem: “Main Awam Us rah par/ jis main koi manzil na ho” (I am common folk, and I am travelling the way which has no end in sight) which echoed Carl Sandburg in its free-verse style.

Niazi was born in Khanpur, Hoshiarpur, in British India and moved to Pakistan. He started as an editor and edited a newspaper “Saat rang” (seven colours), and started writing poetry after reading the poem ‘The listener’. He has published 14 collection of poetical works. —Jonaid Iqbal