Daily Times

Another voluminous issue of quarterly literary magazine Tasteer appeared recently edited by Naseer Ahmad Nasir.

Although the editor lives in Rawalpindi, he gets his magazine published by Gagan Shahid and Amar Shahid from Jhelum. After retiring from his job as an engineer he spends all his energies in promoting literature by writing and publishing his books and the most ambitious literary magazine Tasteer. Naseer has written Ghazals but he shines more in Nazm format, a style adopted by youngsters lately following Naseer’s footsteps. For instance, his poem titled ‘Huma’ on page 94 of the journal under review starts with who Huma is! Huma is a bird if flies on somebody’s head make him a king. Then Naseer knits a story that Huma came and sat in front of him probably thinking that the poet was a Darwaish type by nature. The poet waited to see him fly on the head of a person who desired to be a king but suddenly there was commotion in parallel histories. He flew and entered the opaque chest of the poet who witnessed a beautiful poem sitting at his place instead.

Normally Naseer keeps a corner in Tasteer on his poetry. The poems that he offers are on different and unique subjects. Poem titled ‘Hum Roohon Kei Liye Nazm’ is a poem for souls. The poem ‘Main Daikhta Reh Gaya’ deals with many chances he got in life which he did not avail. Then he recalls the events he liked in his poem ‘Kitna Acha Lagta Hei’. Its concluding lines are ‘Kitna Acha Lagta Hei/ Jab Koi Hazaron Meel Door Baitha/ Coffee Peeta Hue/ Aap Ki Nazmain Parh Raha Ho’ (It pleases me when somebody living thousands of miles away is reading his poems and enjoying them). Naseer writes on a pathway called Sheilum – Page 98. He also makes him available anywhere, anytime – Page 99). He concludes his philosophy of life in his poem ‘Main Har Thehri Hui Cheez Sei Darta Hun’ (I am afraid of the still things like water, air, places and humans).

Sadia Mumtaz writes on a critical analysis on the impact of changing environment due to expanding cities as witnessed by Majeed Amjad – Page 365. The link between the trees and human beings is taken up in his poem ‘Tauseeh-e-Sheher’ (expansion of cities). The scarcity of water, killing of living things and cutting the trees has been of great concern of the environmentalists lately. If any big water reservoir is built the world environmental agencies desire the designers to carry out studies such that environmental devastation is avoided. As an engineer in Nespak this reviewer witnessed the efforts taken by the consultants for Wapda, the client. The section ‘Naqd-o-Nazar’ comprises other essays by Gopi Chand Narang on the mixed society and classic Urdu poetry, and essays by Attique Ullah, Nizam Siddiqui, Nasir Baghdadi, Sarwer AlHuda, Fauzia Maqbool and Syed Shah Zaman Shamsi.

The title cover of the magazine under review has been designed by Shaista Momin who through her paintings desires a woman to get rid from the clutches of ornamental jewelry. In this domain she has been the pupil of Iqbal Mehdi and Momin Khan. A corner has been reserved in the memory of late Shahid Hameed who was the spirit behind the creation of Book Corner in Jhelum. In the words of Anwar Masood ‘Waheen Par Hei Taba’at Ka Woh Markaz/ Jo Shahid Ki Mushaqat Ka Samar Hei’ (it is the same place where the fruits of Shahid’s efforts have been reaped in the shape of publishing house).

Iqtidar Javed writes an article on the link between language and creativity – Page 20. There are many happenings behind a writer at the time of his creativity. His consciousness picks up philosophies of his choice from these happenings that can be termed as collective wisdom. It includes language also which is a tool used for expressing oneself. It can take the form of a painter’s brush, a canvass or a spray of colours. Raw material material converted to a language only reaches the output through creative endeavour. In a section titled ‘Lams-e-Rafta’ Umar Farhat’s last interview with Gopi Chand Narang reveals his love for Urdu language – Page 22. The section Shahid Hameed Ki Yaad Main’ (in e memory of Shahid Hameed) contributions have been made by Amja Islam Amjad, Shahid Siddiqui, Sadaf Mirza, Hassan Askari Kazmi, Izhar Hashmi and Syed Taqi Abidi. All quoted him to be a polite but a determined person. A special corner has been reserved for poems on Hiroshima. These comprise translations of Japanese poets by Tabassum Kashmiri.

A special story by Rauf Kalasra titled ‘Aik Sard Udaas Shaam’ (a cold and sad evening) a translation of Avon Bonan about the impact of the murder of Austrian Crown Prince in Sarajevo, resulted in Germany’s attack on Russia. It comprises a goodbye scene between the writer and a family friend’s who is the fiancé of the writer and is going for participating in the forthcoming war. News came that he died a month. After thirty years passed she recalled the cold evening when his fiancé had asked her to join him after a few years. Avon Bonan was a Russian writer who bagged Nobel Prize in 1933. This reviewer always considered Rau Kalasra as a critic but he has proved to be a good writer as well.

Poems section starts with Gulzar’s poems starting with ‘Shuhrat’ (popularity). The other poets are Rafiq Sandelvi, Itikhar Bukhari, Yasmeen Hameed, and others. Jalil Aali’s autobiography titled ‘Sham-o-Saher Sei Aage’ revolved around his participation in literary sessions wherever he went. He pointed out the literary and political divisions in these ‘Halqas’. Amjad Sheikh’s travelogue Morocco, Spain etc. (Page 125-151 is interesting.

Ghazals are included in the section ‘Khusoosi Mutelea’ (special reading) – Pages 152-164d in the section called ‘Ghazal’. This review article on the famous film voice of India Lata Mangeshkar is included in the section Sur Sanjog’ – Pages 478-503. Its first paragraph is reproduced below.

‘Whatever is written about Lata Mangeshkar by various musicologists, it is a fact that I was a child when I first listened to her song ‘Aaye Ga, Aaye Ga, Aaye Ga, Aaye Ga Aane Waala, Aaye Ga…’ from the movie ‘Mahal’. This movie was released in 1949 with the then petit Madhubala in the lead and young Ashok Kumar getting haunted by this song searching for the identity of who was singing it, was a Kamal Amrohvi directional spree. This song even heard after above sixty years henceforth seems as lilting as ever. Its music composer was Khem Chand Parkash. Famous director Bimal Roy was the editor of this movie. This combination of excellent team work in the black and white days made this movie a memorable one with successful use of light and shadow technique. Alas! Khemchand did not live to see the glory of success of his hit movie ‘Mahal’ as he died ten days before its release on August 10, 1950. Then I remained mesmerized with Lata’s song ‘Jhan Jhan Jhan Payal Bajje/Kaise Jaaun Pi Kei Milan Ko’ especially when my aunt the painter Professor Zakia Maalik used to sing it in family dinners. This song was SD Burman’s semi-classical creativity for the 1951 Shahid Lateef’s directional venture ‘Buzdil’ pictured on Nimmi with Cuckoo dancing on classical steps. Kishore Sahu and Prem Naath were part of this movie also’.

The writer is the recipient of the prestigious Pride of Performance award. He can be reached at doc_amjad@hotmail.com