Daily Times

Prolific Punjabi writer, poet, journalist and activist Muhammad Mushtaq’s pen name is Tauqeer Chughtai. He was born in village Boota, District Attock, Punjab on May 13, 1961. He is Masters is Mass Communications from Federal Urdu University, Karachi. He works as Copy Editor Packages, Samaa TV Channel and has written more than 1000 episodes of ‘Crime Scene’ since 2009. He was special correspondent for weekly ‘Humshehri’, Lahore from 2008 to 2010. He was magazine editor at Daily ‘Alsharq’ Islamabad from July 2008 to February 2009. He worked as Field Officer at ‘Youth and Culture of Peace’ from June 2007 to June 2008 giving lectures on cultural and interfaith harmony and on South Asia. He has conducted research on ‘Jainism’ – philosophy and history. During his stay as sub-editor at Daily Express, Karachi from April 2005 to May 2007, Tauqir Chughtai conducted interviews of many important personalities such as Abdus Sattar Eidhi, Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, Barrister Shahida Jamil, Asma Jehangir, Gen. Moin uddin Haider, Mamnoon Hussain, Fahmida Riaz, Sheema Kirmani, Naheed Chaudhry, Nighat Chaudhry, Allan Faqir, Shazia Khushk and Moin Akhtar. The wide spectrum of the areas of prominence of the interviewed personalities, are a proof of eclectic skills of Tauqir Chughtai in journalism and showbiz also.

Tauqir Chughtai wrote regular political and social columns for the daily Express Karachi during his service titled ‘Kheyal-o-Khwaab’ in the editorial page. He also contributed columns in ‘Tribune’, India and in ‘Nawa Zamana’ India, a leading Punjabi newspaper. He was editor of monthly ‘Jafakash’ Karachi; a monthly magazine of ‘Idara Amn-o-Insaaf’, a human rights organization from 1990 to 2002. During this time he took a large number of interviews and wrote essays on politics, social issues, women rights, child labour and minority rights. He was also assistant editor of monthly literary magazine ‘Bagh’ in Karachi.

Born in a religious family, where his father was Imam Masjid, social worker and taught the holy Quran to about 75 percent of village children. His paternal uncle Maulana Muhammad Yousuf did the same in Chaachi Masjid, Rawalpindi for four decades. They belonged to Mughal family. In the family, books of Sufi Saints like Hazrat Sultan Bahu were read and Farsi language was studied. When in tenth class, he moved to Karachi and did not join his family’s profession. He wanted to go for some technical field.

In Karachi he started working in engineering section of a shipping company but he kept interest in literature alive by attending Mushairas. He became disciple of Raees Amrohvi and met personalities like John Elia during poetry sessions. His tilt was now towards Progressive Writers Association. Bazm-e-Ilm-o-Danish was run by Munsif Raza where discussions not only theater but novel, stories and criticism took place. Nearly all intellectuals attended. New poets were given an opening at the end of each session. He participated in these sessions. Tauqeer’s ghazal ‘Sheher-e-Amn-o-Sukoon Main Chali Wo Hawa Phool Murjha Gaye Titlian Jal Gaein’ became hit. It was used in dramas among youngsters. This organization worked smoothly for ten years till the demise of Munsif Raza.

In parallel, Tauqeer completed his Matriculation and he joined as editor of an old journal ‘Jafakash’ related to Progressive Writer’s Association’s agenda. He was in UK when the office of this journal was attacked? He spent five years in London. During this time, he continued to work with Punjabi and Urdu writers there. On return he joined daily Express as sub-editor magazine. He was in-charge of the page ‘Shakhsiaat’. He interviewed about 250 personalities. Some of important interviews were also published in his book ‘Roshan Kheyal Log’ which was published by ‘Saanjh’ Lahore.

Although he had worked a lot of work in the field of Punjabi language and literature with a set of friends in Karachi but shifting to Islamabad made his tilt towards Punjabi literature more secure and he worked for the daily Al-Sharq for a few months. Before that when he was in Karachi, he started a paper ‘Warris Shah’ in which personalities like Ahmad Rahi contributed. Then he started a magazine titled ‘Wanjhali’ where he included short stories of all leading writers. Chughtai met Amrita on about a dozen occasions. Her inclusion of his stories being included in Amrita’s magazine ‘Nag Munni’ encouraged Chughtai to write more in Punjabi story writing. He was also given a space in Indian Punjabi magazines Preet Larri, Aarsi and Nag Manni. Bhapa Preetam Singh was editor of Aarsi. After the deaths of Amrita and Bhapa Preetam Singh, their magazines discontinued but Preet Lari is still being published. Chughtai’s story ‘Sajja Tei Khabba’ was published recently in ‘Preet Larri’. Chughtai participated in the Leftists’ Mushairas attended by Habib Jalib, Ahmed Fraz, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Fahmida Riaz and others. Chughtai also participated in theater under the banner of ‘Natik’; He also acted in some plays like ‘Balaaon Ka Sheher’.

We are more interested in his contributions in Punjabi literature and the promotion of the language. We shall select specimen of his fiction and poetry first.

Laangha: This short stories collection comprises 17 short stories dedicated to the author’s Pind. The first story ‘Daagh’ is about a young lad’s observation of the relationship between his grandmother and grandfather. The lad did not remember his grandparents being together. A day came when the grandfather was bed ridden but he took interest in anybody visiting or leaving the house. His hands however were active all the time. Then came a time when spots started appearing on his forehead and body was in fever. The grandmother came and started putting some home-made medicine on his forehead. That was a moment the grandfather, cherished. He desired that his wife was always near her physically. The moment their son entered she went at a distance. Such were the norms of society in those days. Even the women remained in veil before their husbands. Once the fever shot up and the lad was sent to fetch a doctor. The only one available was a female one. The grandfather forced the young lad to fetch a soft drink for the lady doctor. When the child returned, the doctor left hurriedly as the grandfather had tried to touch the chest of the female doctor, she stated adding that she had given injection after which the fever and spots shall die down. This story highlights very delicately the sense of psychological and emotional problems that erupt due to lack of nearness among couples.

Born in a religious family, his father was Imam Masjid, a social worker and taught the holy Quran to about 75% of village children. His paternal uncle Maulana Muhammad Yousuf did the same in Chaachi Masjid, Rawalpindi for four decades

Famous writer Amrita Preetum had observed in 1999 from New Delhi that each and every story of Tauqir Chughtai if read and discussed again would end up like reading a new story. His stories have not taken shelter of any other story teller. They maintain their originality. His stories travel under the shades of their own. They are neither dependent on the sunshine nor the shades of anybody else.

The story titled ‘Laangha’ revolves around division of villages into smaller villages which developed caste and creed division on the basis of culture and economics. People living together since centuries when faced with the division of land are confronted with the dilemma that even the related Patwari was not their own. There was a piece of land with a wall attached to the both parties. The matter was left unresolved deliberately by Patwaris saying the parties would resolve the issue on its own when the Patwaris left. This issue remained a bone of contention. This unresolved piece of land led to bloodshed, wars and deprivation of the rights of the real people who lived there for ages. This is a picture of unresolved Kashmir issue where Indian Army is carrying loot, plunder and murder since the partition of the subcontinent. The Hindu government of BJP has annexed Indian Occupied Kashmir as a part of India. The irony of state of affairs is such that because of mutual economic interests even Gulf States are have not condemned this action by India, what to talk of the Western hub. The job of the writer is to knit stories on some actual happenings. That is where Tauqir Chughtai has been successful! Garbachan Singh Bhuller from New Delhi observed in the year 2000 that Tauqir’s stories are custodian of common interests and human values, it is a voice raised against oppression and siding with the truth.

I have lived in England for four years studying in Birmingham University pursuing my Masters and Doctoral degrees. I witnessed two sets of Pakistani students, one who wanted to get their degrees and return, two those who spent their energies in hooking up an English girl, get married and settle there. While reading Tauqeer Chughtai’s short story ‘Tooti’ (tap) I recalled those days. He too he didn’t drink, take alcohol or eat pork but he liked to take walks from Soho Road to the City Center. I remember when the snow fell, it was lovely but when it became solid the following day, one could slip. I had slipped on footpath once and so did Tauqeer. While in convalescence at his apartment, the tip tip noise of falling droplets from the tap in the bucket below irritated him. He could neither study nor watch television. There was no one to attend to the repairs. At such moments he missed his home and desired to return. Such short stories are realistic and a lesson for those who reject house comforts back home and desire to go abroad by selling whatever goods they might have.

The main theme of Tauqeer Chughtai’s poetry book ‘Vachora’ is pains of separation and sacrifice. A staunch lover has to struggle to attain love. Tauqeer says it all in his Doha ‘Vaila Aida Aukha Tei Nahi Si/Vaile Naal Main Lar Nahi Sakeya/O Tei Ik Kitab Jehi Si/Main Hi Os Nu Parh Nahi Sakeya’ (The times were not that difficult. She was like an open book. It was me that could not read the book properly). When one is alone, then the separation stings his body like broken bangles’ pieces. All he can do is to cry on the shoulders on his beloved. While doing so he fitted in Shah Hussain’s line ‘Nainan Dei Akhey Lagge’. The night passed sleepless. The snake of separation kept of stinging his body. The one who followed the message of the eyes made his eyed red by crying. Tauqeer says ‘Mere Naal Ohdi Aashnai/Chan Tare Jiwain Raatien/Jiwain Naal Naal Rehnde/Akhian Tei Jagrate’.

Tauqeer Chughtai does not believe in the false relations in this life. Like Hazrat Sultan Bahu said ‘Tareen Maar Uda Na Bahu Aseen Aape Udan Hare Hoo’ and Tauqeer is neither jealous nor a complainant like a true lover. All he desires is to stay in the jungle, pick seeds of dreams and fly away for good. Perturbed and deeply immersed in thought, he does not speak of his pain. If he would open his lips, his question shall die. He is brave enough to leave the passage open for his friend and says ‘Mera Ki Aei/Main Ro Dho Kei Beh Jawaan Ga/Tera Dukhra Seh Jawaan Ga’. This livid person has lost his senses. He does not bother whether anybody comes to console him. He just is in a lookout for his beloved. He realizes his mistake and says ‘Hun Tei Kahanian Dei Vich/Aashiq Phabde Nain/Buhe Buhe/Dil Da Daru Labhde Nain/Dar Dar Utte Ja Kei.

The poetry book ‘Waloohna’ is the best expression of the Punjabi accent and culture of Tauqeer Chughtai’s own area of Attock.

It goes to the credit of Tauqeer Chughtai that he is continuing with the literary Punjabi Book Series Wanjhali periodically. Being editor, Tauqeer Chughtai publishes it bi-yearly. The June-December 2019 issue intrigues me for its title cover contributed by Santokh Singh Santokh and its contents. Gulshan Dayal teaches kids in California. She is faced with the dilemma of young children neither knowing English nor their mother tongue, she writes in her essay ‘Maan Boli Tei Maan’ (mother tongue and mother). Maan is the first word on the lips of the child and probably the last one when a person breathes his last. The mother teaches the child how to speak, walk and grow in the society. The role of a mother is foremost in the upbringing of a child. In the US Gulshan is flabbergasted that most of the parents desire that their children start speaking English fast to mix with the society.

The other essays in this issue of Wanjhali are contributed by Tauqeer Chughtai on Santokh Singh Santokh, Guru by Amarjeet Atwaal, story ‘O Chup Nahi Si’ by Zubair Ahmad, Wajhaap by Karamat Mughal, ‘Tuhada Ki Lagda Aei by Mudassar Basheer, Sumloo by Usman Siddiqui, ‘Dooje Saare Jhoot Bolde Nai’ by Ali Anwar Ahmad, Seventh State by Tirpatake Singh and ‘Tote Di Parhai’ by Raninder Naath Tegore.

A lot of effort was made for the promotion of Punjabi language and literature in 1980s onwards. The youngsters like Ilyas Ghumman started publishing book series ‘Sohni Dharti’ from the forum of his college. Ashfaq’s ‘Punj Rang’ and Rawal Raath’s ‘Chanan’ book series followed. Tauqeer Chughtai started ‘Warris Shah’ book series in 1980s and continued with his six monthly ‘Wanjhal’ to-date. In Karachi, Tauqeer started sessions of ‘Punjabi Adabi Sangat’ without holding any post to avoid politics of the members. The sessions are convened in Arts Council and private hotels. In Karachi due to the presence of poets of all creeds and castes, Urdu poets dominate the sessions and according to Tauqeer Chughtai, the only Punjabi poet that is listened to, is Baba Najami.

Unless Parliamentarians rise their voices in the Punjab Assembly, this language shall not find a place in the government, social and educational circles, says Chughtai.

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