Daily Times

It is the 20th year that literary magazine Arxang is being published under the auspices of Ravi Foundation International.

It is jointly produced by Japan-based poet Amir Bin Ali and Pakistan-based Hassan Abbasi. Its January 2019 issue starts with a very interesting submission by poet and philosopher Muhammad Iqbal’s son Javed Iqbal who mentions some of the things his father wanted to do but could not in his lifetime. For example, he mentions that Muhammad Iqbal wanted to translate Bhagwat Geeta in Urdu, a desire he mentioned in his letter to Maharaja Kishen Pershad. This job was well done by Khawaja Dil Muhammad who used to recite his national poems in Anjuman Himayet-e-Islam’s sessions presided by Iqbal. He made poetic translation of this sacred book of Hindus and his work was immensely received by people of this religion. Iqbal’s other desire was to write a book Islam Mere Nuqata-e-Nigah Se (Islam from my perspective) as written to Sufi Ghulam Mustafa Tabbasum. Nazir Niazi mentioned that on the style of “Homer’s Odyssey”, he desired to write a long poem on Karbala debacle. He desired to add poems in Javed Nama as well as write a book on a not-too-famous prophet. In his later days, Iqbal promised Nawab of Bhopal to write a book on Ijtihad Ki Tareekh-e-Irtiqa. He even went far enough to get some notes in English from Mian Muhammad Shafi. He wrote a letter on May 28, 1937 to Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah on the Islamic vision of a socialist state. Iqbal was as much against the concepts of Marxism and Communism as he was against the feudal or capitalist system. In his opinion, any system that provided the right kind of mental peace is the right system. Islam had those ingredients of spiritual democracy.

In this issue of the magazine, another great writer Masood Mufti’s views are given in the article Pakistani Muasherey Ka Khalafshar Aur Adeeb Ka Kirdar (a writer’s role in the scattered Pakistani society) – Page 8. Unfortunately, three issues dominated the stagnant Islam; self, family, tribe and one’s religious beliefs that superseded the state of Pakistan’s birth. This reviewer feels that the situation is not any better, socially or politically nowadays. The first player was noticed by Muhammad Ali Jinnah and he changed the text of his speech on June 14, 1948 in his address in Staff College, Quetta wherein he invited the attention of Army officers on their oath that made them subservient to the civilian governor of the province. History is witness to the fact that after his demise and the murder of Pakistan’s first prime minister Liaquat Ali Khan, things changed. The second player was the plague of those deras who kept acquiring lands and stipends for three generations for their loyalty to British Raj. The third player was the religious mafia that kept on opposing the creation of Pakistan until it was created. This is an eye opening analysis worth reading and learning lessons from, reproduced by Amir Bin Ali and Hassan Abbasi in this issue of Arxang.

Fahmida Riaz considered a woman as an important part of a society who understood the psyche of a man even if left high and dry. She went far enough to point out that a male is not bothered beyond fulfilling his sexual desires

Amir contributes to Abrar Nadeem’s Punjabi poetry collection Asaan Dil Nu Murshad Jaan Leya. This reviewer mentioned that the book starts with his couplet, “Warehan Da Jagrata Ki Aei, Sahnu Puch Aklaapa Ki Aei” (Ask me about lying awake for years with accompanied loneliness). From this couplet, one can infer that new poetry has found its way out from within traditional poetry. Where themes changed, so did the treatment and expression. Sahil Sulehri writes his impressions on a poetess of caliber who died recently Fahmida Riaz. Fahmida Riaz considered a woman as the important part of a society who understands the psyche of man even if left high and dry. She went far enough to point out that a male is not bothered beyond fulfilling his sexual desires. In a poem, she says “Choti Si Hai, Isliye Achai Lagti Hai, Hawa Jese Hont Hain Iske, Aur Rukhsaron Pe Surkhi Hai, Neeli Ankhen Khole Bethi Taak Rahi Hai/Jab G Chahe, Khelo Iss Se, Almari Main Band Rakho, Iske Nanhe Labon Pe Koi Pyas Nahi Hai, Neeli Ankhon Ki Herat Se Mat Ghabrana, Isse Lita Dou, Phir Jaise Ye So Jaye Gi” (She is small. That is why she looks charming. Her lips are like breeze and her cheeks are red. She is looking at you with wide blue eyes. Whenever you desire, play with her or lock her in a closet. She does not show any thirst on her lips. Do not get upset with her bewildered blue eyes. Let her lay in bed. She shall sleep).

Two sketches are part of this issue of Arxang; first on Mushfiq Khawaja by Ataul Haq Qasmi and second by Sabuha Khan on Mustansar Hussain Tarar. Qasmi laments that one by one, all the great intellectuals are departing. At the time when Qasmi wrote this column, Ashfaq Ahmad, Ejaz Hussain Batalvi, Habibullah Auj, Hafeez Taib, Tabish Dehlvi, Ahmad Bashir and Nawab Mushtaq Ahmad Khan had died. It is not that we are in dearth of intellectuals but people like these mentioned shall not be reborn. Mushfiq hailed from Lahore but spent his life in Karachi. Seeing him, one tends to agree that in order to know a language, one need not have that language as one’s mother tongue but should be a knowledgeable person in general. Sabuha remembers the rainy day when she visited Mustansar Hussain Tarar, the great writer, compare and intellectual. She was in awe of the simplicity in Mustansar’s demeanour. He believed that Bahao was his best creation at that time but Sabuha believed that so much remained hidden in between the lines in Tarrar’s writings. He promised the visitor that one of his characters in his next novel would be a lady who gave shelter to her head from the rain by the bouquet she brought for her host.

Arxang’s January 2019 issued also has short stories, poetry travelogues, interviews and a poetic corner. Overall, it provides a deep look into our contemporary literature.

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

Published in Daily Times, February 5^th 2019.