Daily Times

This story has been developed on the basis of interview with Maqsood Saqib, writer, editor and publisher of Punjabi language. Maqsood Saqib published the Punjabi magazine named “Maan Boli” from 1986 till 1997 and now he has been publishing the monthly magazine under the name “Pancham” from 1998 onwards. He was born in a Jutt family in Sheikhupura, Punjab. His forefathers were into agriculture. In their house they conversed in Punjabi language. Children brought home the other language, Urdu from school but all spoke Punjabi with each other in their homes. Though Urdu was imported from their schools and newspaper in Urdu was read but to speak Urdu at their homes was awkward. That was the practice in all the houses in the vicinity. The mental perspicacity of all members of his family was very high. His mother used to recite Punjabi translations of various prayers in the morning. “Classic books were available in Punjabi at our home. We, as children used to listen to Mian Muhammad’s Kalam, Qissa Shah Bahram, Qissa Jani Chor, Qissa Dil Khurshaid, Qissa Dhol Badsha and other folklore from our elders. We used to listen to them despite that this literature was not a part of our school environment. My father Rehmet Ali used to recite Heer Warris Shah. He used to keep this book to which he named as ‘Kitaab’ on his bedside. The other books did not enjoy this status as Warris Shah’s Heer did. Sometimes he would tell me to recite a certain passage from this book” recalled Maqsood about the education he got from his aging parents.

This atmosphere created a deep impact on Maqsood’s psyche. In those days the books had lots of mistakes and Maqsood used to make the corrections himself and then read them out to his father. His father used to feel happy and then used to instruct him to concentrate more on school books. Maqsood used to feel that a conflict existed somewhere. The stories he listened to at home in Punjabi had more wisdom, and were closer to the way of living and culture, then why were they not a part of his school’s syllabus! When he grew more he started reading fiction of writers of Punjabi who had rightly or wrongly opted to write in Urdu.

Maqsood was born in 1955 and the impact of riots, leaving relatives on the other side of the border etc. due to post-independence era was still fresh in the memory of Maqsood’s senior generation. His parents used to answer Maqsood’s innocent questions patiently of who lived in the adjoining houses before partition and that many families had lost their dear ones or were divided. So the wounds were still fresh

Conflict – Maqsood was born in 1955 and the impact of riots, leaving relatives on the other side of the border etc. due to post-independence era was still fresh in the memory of Maqsood’s senior generation. His parents used to answer Maqsood’s innocent questions patiently of who lived in the adjoining houses before partition and that many families had lost their dear ones or were divided. So the wounds were still fresh.

The other conflict was that most of the books available in fiction were in Urdu. The big names in poetry, stories and novel writing were writing in Urdu despite that they belonged to Punjabi origin. Very little material was available in Punjabi. Novels, dramas were not available because in Punjabi these were also written but those people did not meet any acclaim. His father used to point out that much of the literature had been written in Gurmukhi script before partition. Because of this atmosphere Maqsood too started writing short stories in Urdu. He used to think and live in Punjabi but in order to write in Urdu, he had to take extra ordinary efforts to do so. Maqsood did not use characters from his imagination. He was used to knit his stories while observing the characters around him; the labourer, the man in the field and the problems in their families, the way they spoke, the vocabulary they used, the houses they lived in, the chopal they collected in etc. So to change these characters and plots in an alien language did not fit his scheme of things. The post 1971 war scenario enticed him to write on the themes of sisters who lost brothers, girls who lost their beloveds etc.

Tilt towards Punjabi Literature:

Exhausted, Maqsood found solace in Punjabi literature as his father’s library had Bulleh Shah, Baba Fareed, Warris Shah and Baba Guru Nanak and other Soofi Saints’s books. When Maqsood read them, it dawned on him that the way his brain knitted the stories, the language of these Babas fitted his brain currents. He realized that his ‘apni boli’ (own language) was stronger in expression. If on one hand his Urdu story was published in ‘Adab-e-Lateef’ his stories in Karachi’s literary journal ‘Al-Fateh’ got published on merit. His colleagues used to offer their comments as well. Darshan Singh Awara’s book ‘Baghawat’ was his next choice. This was the time when Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto had won the elections. Maqsood got immersed in the leftist’s ideology as it appealed to the middle class to whom he belonged. The divide between rich and poor due to capitalist society used to hurt him. This ideology had appealed the masses. On one occasion he and his friends invited Mr. Eric Cyprian at Government College Sheikhupura on Labour Day (May 01) function and the chief guest spoke in Punjabi. Then professor of Economics Muhmmad Nawaz entered the scene. After listening to Maqsood’s stories he started encouraging his efforts.

Quest for learning – Maqsood Saqib got interested in Gurmukhi script. His father used to narrate Bhagat Singh story. He used to give lot of respect to ‘Uthalkaars’, the leaders who made the upside down changes in the society and hence in history, His mother remembered ‘Gorhis’ ‘Mera Rang Dei Majeethi Chola’ (Majeeth is red colour in Baba Fareed’s vocabulary. His famous line is ‘Jehra Jalle Majeeth’). Maqsood Saqib revealed that he felt that his parents were worried that their son was now straying away from the normal path of education.

Maqsood met an old man ‘Bukherji’ one of his old relative. He taught ‘Oora Aira’ etc. the alphabets to Maqsood. This man used to write all his daily ‘Hisaab Kitaab’ (accounts) in Gurmukhi. Now the question of making Gurmukhi books available arose. Maqsood started roaming in the old streets and looked for anything written/engraved outside houses vacated by Sikhs/Hindus. In this quest for learning he also learnt Devnagri script. Then he located an old library and was happily surprised that many books in Gurmukhi were available. A series of four books by Baba Budh Singh titled ‘Hans Chog’ was in this library. It comprised big Punjabi poets’ life history and selected poetry. Another valuable book was Victor Hugo’s Punjabi translation of Les Misrebles. He would read these books to his mother who praised his efforts. He also discovered some books of short stories and Geets by Devinder Satiarthy, a poet whose poetry when in seas became popular.

Then in college, Nawaz Saheb provided Maqsood books on new literature like Wretched of the Earth, Bhagwati Charan Verma’s Chiter Lekha, etc. Maqsood therefore read both the original English versions and their Punjabi translations. In the process he translated many translations of stories, Tolstoy being one of them. His old teacher Sajjad used to read his stories also. Maqsood’s Progressive Party leader’s play ‘Mussali’ was already popular. Maqsood got the privilege of listening to the conversations of great intellectuals Syed Ali Abbas Jalalpuri, Muhammad Asif Khan, Shareef Kunjahi and Najam Hussain Syed’s after he had joined Oriental College, Lahore. He would absorb lot of wisdom from these stalwarts. Each one of them was expert in his field. Asif Khan Saheb was master of Old history before arrival of the British and New Punjabi history. He was doing research on Baba Fareed making his Dohra’s separate for the readers of the present generation. Maqsood used to learn a lot from Ali Abbas Jalapuri’s talks on old knowledge centers; Greece, Turkey and Rome etc. Shareef Kunjahi used to teach Mian Muhammad. Najam Hussain Syed Saheb’s office became the students’ class room, he being Head of Punjabi Department. He believed in less talk. He used to teach Khwaja Fareed. Maqsood and other fellow students used to visit Shafqat Tanvir Mirza’s office in daily Imroze and meet Munnoo Bhai as well.

This learning process made Maqsood Saqib present his stories in Punjabi Adabi Sangat. This was a group whose members used to gather just for critical appraisal of the material presented. This atmosphere provided lot of education to Maqsood Saqib and alike. Maqsood believed in the logic that writing in one’s mother tongue is a difficult exercise as it exposes the background of the writer easily. In an alien language one is at lesser risk. For the latter category, only the pronunciation exposed them as far their background is concerned.

The more new vistas of Punjabi literature opened, the more classics were studies and dwelled upon Maqsood Saqib.

Interest in Journalism – Now the problem of earning one’s livelihood started pressing Maqsood Saqib. Then some friends referred him to Mr. Hussain Naqi, a renowned name in journalism who in turn referred him to the paper ‘Azad’ whose editor was Abbas Athar. He continued working without any wages. Maqsood would visit Hussain Naqi also and started working with him. He is also joined “Sajjan” the only Punjabi newspaper in its initial days. Maqsood also worked on the Punjabi dictionary where he translated Gurmukhi words into Shahmukhi. In parallel he started the Punjabi journal ‘Maan Boli’ along with one of his colleagues. He interviewed Asif Khan, Shafqat Tanvir Mirza, Sibtul Hassan Zaigham and the likes to write on the language issue. Initially the editor were concentrating only on Boli (language) issue but to make it more interesting, Punjab’s all folk colours were added amalgamating from both parts of Punjab. Since Punjab is distributed in areas in between rivers and has their own complexions of the folklore and languages, the magazine ‘Maan Boli’ aimed at presenting all the shades of culture, art forms and civilization of these areas. It became very popular in no time and his efforts bore fruit and Maqsood Saqib received Bhai Vir Singh award for publishing the best magazine in both the East and the West Punjab. The same year Tibet’s Dalai Lama and Pandit Ravi Shankar and Mulk Raj Anand, fiction writer were also given the same award. Lined up with these giants for this honour was a matter of great pride for Maqsood Saqib. Maqsood felt humbled. He was working for the cause of Punjabi language and literature and not for any reward. He could not go in person to receive the award in India but he received it through somebody travelling to Lahore. There was no monetary reward attached to it.

Najam Hussain Syed, the Mentor:

In Najam Hussain Syed, Saqib found his mentor. Najam, the renowned Punjabi writer and intellectual interpreted the Punjabi literary tradition with new historical perspective giving it deeper meanings that were connected to the aspirations, desires, struggles and resistance of the people of Punjab.

Saqib shared his vision of just and equal society and furthered it through his literary activism.

He used to attend SANGAT and contributed his intellectual inputs in those literary discussions.

Struggle continued – Maqsood made his journal ‘Maan Boli’ interesting by adding articles on films, radio and music. He published numbers of some notable writers. He got hold of books on music, originally written in Marathi and now available in English. He discovered G. M Joshi’s book on music. Maqsood translated article on Ustad Bare Ghulam Ali Khan followed by other great music vocalists and instrumentalists. He also added translations of short stories; those which though had been read at some forums but had not reached the readers. These stories were read and acclaimed in Maqsood’s journal.

Kulwant Singh Virk was born on 20th May 1921 and died on 24th December 1987. He was an author who wrote mostly in Punjabi but also extensively in English. His short stories were translated into several other languages, including Russian and Japanese. Virk’s special number was published in ‘Maan Boli’. Other numbers were also published on the people with great contributions. In parallel some other papers were published also and Maqsood was happy about this situation.

In 1998 when ‘Maan Boli’ discontinued due to lack of funds and lack of support from the federal/provincial governments and for other political reasons as it criticized government on its policies regarding Punjabi language, Maqsood with his wife Faiza Ra’ana started a new magazine ‘Pancham’ with proper declaration from the government. This couple started afresh with new resolve. In ‘Maan Boli’s editorials the stalwarts always raised questions on mother tongue and as to how its proper implementation would remove pains and sufferings of masses, like what is said in the couplet ‘Ganj Shakar Nei Aan Makaan Kita, Dukh Dard Hei Door Punjab Da Ji’. The question always was where we failed or where we were led astray from our mother tongue. In this magazine, those areas of literature not properly exhibited previously were emphasized upon. Maqsood is proud of ‘Maan Boli’ number. In parallel many issues have been recorded on Youtube and Facebook also.

Maqsood Saqib has written the following books:

1. Kahanian – 1986 published along with paper ‘Maan Boli’

2. Sucha Tila Tei Hor Kahanian – 1995

3. Pankh Mukhat (Bideshi (foreign) Kahanian De Punjabi Tarjame) when ‘Pancham’ started.

4. Comradaan Naal Turdean (Arundhati Roy Di Angrezi Likhat (Walking with the Comrades da Punjabi Tarjma)

5. Lok Boli Lok Vihaar (Editorials of Monthly Pancham)

6. Puchhaan Dassaan (Interviews of Punjabi Literature and Language Personalities)

7. Sangeet De Heere (Translations of great classical singers)

8. Shah Mohre (an expression used by Mian Muhammad) (sketches on classical singers and their interviews).

9. Sangeet Karaan Diyan Gallan (Pakistani Composers, Singers, Instrumentalists). One volume has been published and other three await publication.

10. Do Lok Veharvaan (Soofi Shah Inayat and Mazdik … Translations of Shah Muhammad Marees Books)

11. Interview of Prof. Kishan Singh – (A Research)

12. Tun Ghar Chala Ja (short stories)

Many other books await publication. He runs a publishing house named Suchet Kitab Ghar with his wife Faiza Ra’ana.

It has been a pleasure to listen to Maqsood Saqib who spoke flawlessly in his deep and impressive voice with emotional quiver at places which emitted truth in what he believed in. Confidence and experience also unveiled in his voice. He is a strong proponent of his cause of Punjabi language. He believes that it is sectorial and political issue that needs to be resolved with those who are the decision makers and the proponents of this cause.

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