Daily Times

Faiz Ahmed Faiz was a remarkable poet and a visionary revolutionary but most importantly, he was a humanitarian and his poetry was for the oppressed and weak segments of society. The use of simple yet unique diction is the hallmark of Faiz’s poetry and his political ideas added to the beauty of his verse.

‘Nisaar mein teri galiyon pe’ is among the best works of Faiz. This thought provoking poem addresses the grievances of the common man. It describes the helplessness of people who cannot even speak up for themselves or act according to their wishes due to oppression. It describes the pathetic condition of law and order where justice seems like a far-fetched dream. In this poem, he also wrote that people have grown so accustomed to the cruelty of tyrants that they do not even want to try to bring a change. Another brilliant poem by Faiz is ‘Chand Roz Aur Meri Jaan’. In this poem, Faiz focused on the deplorable conditions of the people of the subcontinent and gave them hope of a brighter future. He assured them that everything was possible if only they tried. Most of Faiz’s poetry focuses on peace, equality and justice, and aims at assuring the oppressed that there is always light at the end of the tunnel, for he was a poet of peace and love.

February 13, 2011 marked the 100th birth anniversary of Faiz and his centennial was celebrated enthusiastically throughout the subcontinent. Several events were organised in Pakistan to pay tribute to the legendary poet and many foreign poets, scholars, writers and litterateurs participated in these events. Faiz Ghar organised some of the most prominent events in Lahore in this regard.

It is wonderful that Faiz is getting the recognition that he duly deserves, but what we need to ask ourselves is if this is enough. What is the point of celebrating his ideals when our own society has not embraced them? Faiz wrote against oppression and injustice and yet today, we are living in a country where freedom of speech is under threat, where the poor and the minorities are being persecuted, where corruption threatens to destroy our society and despite the oppression of the weak, hardly anybody lifts a finger. No matter how much we celebrate his message, it is of no use until we, as a nation, carry it forward and embrace it in its entirety. *