Fauzia Mughal is a budding writer. She writes poetry, short stories, columns, essays and travelogues. She is also the chairperson of World Peace and Literary Forum and has received several medals including the URI Peace Award, Shri Rajeev Gandhi Award 2006, Sultan Bahu Award 2006 and Bulleh Shah Award 2007. She has recently written a poetry book called Bharam. Before commenting on Fauzia’s poetry, this reviewer shall quote examples of translations of quality poetry of three female poets as representative female poetry from Pakistan. Kishwer Naheed is one name whose poetry oozes struggle, both social and political. In her poem ‘Hum Gunehgaar Aurtein’ (We sinful women), she writes, “It is we sinful women/ Who are not awed by grandeur of those/ Who wear gowns/ Who do not sell our lives/ Who do not bow our heads/ Who do not fold our hands together”. This poem is a satire on our society. It is a revolt against women’s oppression. Parveen Sakir, another towering figure in poetry wrote apolitical, sentimental and traditionalist poetry. Her poetry book titled Khud Kalami (Talking to the Self) is a symbol of pain and hurt. She writes, “To preserve sanctity of my words, I sit tongue-tied/ I only talk to the walls, myself or my shadow/ I am afraid the time may come/ When getting more and more withdrawn/ I may lose the frequency/ The self communing faculty/ (The link that joins me with me)/ And I may sit and shout one day/ (Without knowing what I say)/ May day! May Day!” Fahmida Riaz is known more for her use of rural language instead of difficult terminologies. In her poem ‘Aqleema’ she writes, “Imprisoned by her own body/ Burning in the scalding sun/ She stands on the hilltop/ Like a mark etched on stone/ Look at this mark carefully/ Above the long thighs/ Above the high breasts/ Above the tangled womb/ Aqleema has a head too/ Let God speak to Aqleema sometime/ And ask her something”. This reviewer has just presented three shades of Urdu poetry that have emanated in our country for the last three decades or so. The standard set is high. However, that does not mean that new poets should get discouraged. They need to come out with their sentiments and mature observations with craftsmanship. Aspiration for betterment in their expression and thought must continue. Fauzia Mughal is one such poet, who is making an effort to create a place for themselves in the pantheon of literary names of Pakistan.
Fauzia Mughal got impetus from the literary atmosphere prevalent in her house but she also observed the miseries of the poor in extreme hot and cold weathers. She realised that one also has to tread on difficult paths in life. It was in this frame of mind that she wrote poetry in simple vocabulary, for example: “Na kare madad jo ghareeb ki/ Woh ameer sab se ghareeb hai’ (If they do not come forward to help the poor/ Those rich are the poorest of all). She is different from her contemporaries when she writes, “Woh jis ko dekh kar bachey bhi sarey chor gaye/ Mein aik toota khilona kisi dukaan mein hoon”’ (One that even the children looked at and left behind/ I am like that broken toy in a toyshop).
Fauzia presents in her poetry different shades of life and the twists it offers. On the institution of mother, Fauzia has written many pieces of poetry in ghazal format. She writes, “Yeh maa hi nahin Fauzia ik dhaal hai meri/Har ik khata ho jaye ga dushman ka fasaana” (My mother is not just the one who gave me birth/ But my shield against the attacks of the enemy). She felt that she had lost everything in the world when she bade farewell to her mother on her death. She wrote, “Aei pyari maa, mein aaaj tujhey kar k yun rukhsat/ Mehsoos kar rahi hon meri chin gae janat’ (My darling mother, after bidding farewell to you like this/ I feel as if I have lost my heaven).
Love themes are in abundance in Fauzia’s poetry as well. About her first love she writes, “Khudaya rakhiye ga duniya mein sarfraz mujhey/ Mein pehle ishq k pehle hi imtihaan mein hon” (O God! keep me successful in this world/ I am in the middle of the first test of my first love). When estranged with her beloved, she expresses her dismay by writing, “Apne ghar mein reh ke bhi/ Mein paraye ghar mein hon” (Despite living in my own house/ I feel like I am living in a stranger’s house).
Disgruntled with the apathy of religious leaders in her country she writes, “Merey ehed kei aalamon ki na pooch/ Koi bhi to in mein Ghazaali nahin hai” (Do not ask me of the standard of my religious leaders/ None among them are up to the standard of Ghazali).
It is natural for a poet to be sensitive towards whatever goes around him/her. It seems that a poet feels that all the pains of those around the poet are his/her own. Therefore, it is the poet’s job to give these sentiments the shape of poetry. We shall conclude with Fauzia’s advice through the couplet “Sab riyakaari hamari raah se hat jaye gi/ Ho safar ikhlas ka jo karwan dar karwan” (All the deceits shall be set aside from our path/ Once we become sincere to our cause). We did find variety of themes in Fauzia but she still has to go a long way.
The reviewer is based in Lahore and can be reached at [email protected]