PUBLISHED
August 06, 2023
KARACHI:
It was a sombre morning of the February 10 when the paining information concerning the dying of the legendary poet, scholar and a beneficiant human being Amjad Islam Amjad was conveyed to me by my good friend Professor Fazal Ali Butt. I used to be in Sadikabad for condolence on the stunning demise of the 20-year-old daughter of my cousins Dr Saeed Ahmed and Dr Mehnaz Saeed; the departed soul, a medical pupil, Saira Saeed had handed away as a consequence of carbon monoxide leakage from the geyser, a number of days earlier than. In a while, the information concerning the legendary mental Amjad Islam Amjad was confirmed by all of the media and added to our grief.
Solely two or three days earlier than, I had talked to him over the telephone and invited him to my nephew Zeeshan Khan’s wedding ceremony ceremony that was going to happen in Lahore the next week. Responding to my provide to offer him decide and drop service, Amjad Islam Amjad replied along with his typical energetic and passionate spirit, saying, “I’ll attain on the venue simply, that isn’t a giant deal; don’t fear.” Sadly, destiny performed out a distinct course and scheme of occasions.
My elder son Ayan was born on August 4, 2019. I referred to as Sir Amjad and enthusiastically proclaimed, “Sir, you’ve got a grandson in your birthday, and he’ll have a good time his birthday with you eternally.” He was very pleased to listen to that and congratulated me and my spouse. My youthful son Rayyan’s beginning was anticipated on the identical date, final 12 months, however he was born on July 26, as a consequence of some issues which resulted in an emergency operation. Nonetheless, the wet months of July and August are gloomy this 12 months and, this 4th of August turned on some low-spirited notes and bereavement tones within the ambiance.
The promising second of my life – my first assembly with Sir Amjad – occurred in December 2007. I used to be on a visit to Lahore and wished to interview him for a number one English day by day’s Sunday Journal. He was, then, serving because the Director Curriculum Planning, Punjab Textbook Board, Lahore. I visited his workplace after taking an appointment and that assembly lasted for greater than three hours with three periods of tea and biscuits.
As quickly as I entered the room, he requested, “My son, have you ever been my pupil? Your face may be very acquainted. It appears we now have met a number of occasions.” Though I used to be not his pupil, hitherto, I used to be blessed to grow to be his non secular pupil after the interview. Since that day, it hardly ever occurred that he visited Karachi and left with out assembly me, or I toured Lahore and was not blessed with a cup of tea at his place. He all the time beloved and handled me as a good friend and a son and most popular my small automobile over chauffeur-driven luxurious automobiles offered by varied organisations internet hosting him or the five-star resorts for his native motion throughout his visits to the city, in regard to literature festivals, Urdu Conferences and so many different occasions that used to happen each different month.
An advocate for the youth
Karachi’s recognized businessman and industrialist, and a superb author additionally, Mr. Muhammad Ashraf Shaheen, had been his class-fellow on the Punjab College Oriental Faculty, together with the epoch-making poets and writers Atta-ul-Haq Qasmi and Dr. Sohail Zia. Ashraf Sahib all the time hosted particular luncheons and dinners within the honour of those personalities at any time when they got here to Karachi in connection to festivals, conferences and mushairas. I’ve all the time been blessed to be invited to hitch this shut group of seven, eight associates by their host – a sequence of outstanding figures (of their 70s). Imagine me, regardless of the huge era hole that existed between them and me, they by no means made me really feel that I’m an odd-man-out, even for a second. I discovered the senior-most Mr. Anwar Masoud the jolliest and the liveliest in these gatherings.
Famend Urdu critic Gopi Chand Narang values Amjad in these phrases: “It could actually, certainly, occur that some author delves into varied genres of literature primarily for a change, however it occurs hardly ever that an individual coming into each subject of literature emerges as a victor. Our Amjad Islam Amjad is such an exception”.
Sir Amjad’s inventive canvas shouldn’t be confined to the topic of affection for the alternative intercourse or worldly magnificence, however it expands over the horizons of affection for God, humanity and pure phenomena too. He loves to the touch the delicate realities of human behaviour and attitudes and their enigmatic layers. He by no means let down the youth like many an orthodox critic defends the senior generations; he all the time tried to advocate the case of latest generations together with their views, ambitions and calls for. “A poem for Ali Zeeshan”, his son, is a fabulous piece that gives an perception into the irrefutable issue of era hole and the passing of time in human existence.
“My son opened his eyes in a brand new world
How can I give him my desires?
For the realisation of which I’ve spent a lifetime?
Possibly, he’ll take these desires of respect for me
However within the lap of the life that he was given,
Even the reminiscences our occasions might be faint”
How can I inform him that
The recommendation of my father
Additionally appeared to me
Like a story of forgotten occasions?”
( Baidar Bakht and Mairie Anne Erki moulded Urdu melodies of the poet into English.)
Amjad used to say, “As nothing lasts eternally however change, so, one has to simply accept the adjustments within the society and atmosphere. We should not criticise the youth for not shopping for and studying or displaying pursuits in books. I feel the literary thirst is all the time there, however the mode of presenting the literary and inventive works has modified. These days, individuals have a group of innumerable channels, providing performs and movies around the clock. Then, there are impacts of the web that has offered individuals entry to loads of libraries and books whereas sitting of their bedrooms. So, the curiosity in literary works, in my view, has not declined an excessive amount of.”
A True Romantic
When you want to learn poetry of affection with maturity or the ripe idea of affection, Mr. Amjad Islam Amjad is a treasure on this regard. Beneath are strains from “A Poem of Love” which communicate volumes for his wealthy fashion that has fascinated each literary critics and basic readers alike.
“When you ever consider me
Look beneath your toes
I might be present in journeys floor into mud
When you see a lit lamp,
You possibly can think about
That I’ve been scattered with each moth”
He was a eager observer of every element of the social improvement round him, and all the time felt a standard man’s points with a really delicate coronary heart. Speaking about his world-famous play Waris, he, as soon as mentioned to me, “Folks usually talk about this concern with me and most of them don’t imagine on this reality of my life that I’ve by no means been to a village as a resident in my life. They opine that the meticulous dealing with of and command over this subject is proof that the author has not less than 20 years’ expertise of residing in a feudal society. I used to be born in city Lahore and by no means have had any private or familial affiliation with the feudal system or tradition. However, proper from my youth, I used to be fairly acutely aware of and anxious about social injustice and sophistication discrimination. Furthermore, the occasions and actual life tales within the society round me had been reflective of our tradition, These very elements paved the best way for Waris, and the plenty welcomed it.”
He cherished some complaints in opposition to Nature when he perceived individuals who had been disadvantaged of happiness. Human ambitions, desires and their subsequent efforts have all the time been nullified and thwarted by a broader scheme of Nature, and this phenomenon has touched the very depth of the poet’s coronary heart and soul. These strains poignantly painting this bitter actuality:
“Our desires can’t go together with us
(Lamps can’t stay lit in such a storm).
The destiny of circle has been made
So that you and I can’t escape.
No matter their gravitational pull,
The celebs can’t change our orbit.”
On one other event, Amjad sahib brims with hope, setting apart all pessimistic ideas, and believes within the human wrestle, social cooperation and the person’s agency decision as a basis on which a brand new residence of prosperity and bliss can certainly be erected. The next strains are from his poem “Come Let’s Promise” that was written for his countrymen who had been hit laborious by pure calamities.
“No matter occurred occurred.
Let’s make new hamlets.
Come, let’s promise
That we will carry their burden.
If even a single individual within the hamlet is hungry,
We will not eat a single morsel of our share of meals.”
A critic of the tutorial system
The educationist in that swaying poet and dramatist has all the time been alert on his socio-moral accountability concurrently, and has by no means been compromised along with his engagements as a author. His views had been eye-openers for the policymakers if that they had eyes. As soon as, responding to my complaining tone about my college college students, he suggested me to grasp the 12-years instructional background of a lower-middleclass and middleclass pupil. He additional expressed his views saying, “I’m absolutely in opposition to this complicated double customary training system. On the one hand, you could have the English medium and Cambridge system {and professional} training establishments for almost two % of the entire inhabitants, that are producing rulers and environment friendly executives for multi-national companies. And, on the opposite, you’re getting ready your 98 % college students for an unknown and undefined vacation spot. They wrestle loads for the years to attain larger levels from authorities establishments, however can not compete with the elite class graduates, to pounce on profitable jobs, who’ve studied completely a distinct curriculum, the one which elevates their standing as much as the upper chambers. Within the West, there’s avoidance of educating any overseas language to the youngsters beneath 9 years of age as it’s dangerous for his or her studying. They merely train them fundamental topics to find out their base. However, we go loopy to burden our youngsters with English-language topics solely due to this language issue. They merely get fed up with this pathetic system and like to run away from research.”
This 12 months on February 10 our nation was disadvantaged of a fantastic human being – poet, scholar, trainer, policymaker, social critic and reformer Amjad Islam Amjad has left an indelible mark on our society. Could his soul relaxation in everlasting peace!
Muttahir Ahmed Khan is an creator, journalist, analyst and an educationist. He could be reached at [email protected]
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