Remembering two literary icons: Qasmi and Faiz

Dear Sir,

Today November 20 marks the anniversaries of two literary titans of the Pakistani literary scene, both of whom belonged to the Progressive Writers Movement, namely Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi and Faiz Ahmad Faiz. Qasmi was born 105 years ago this day in Pakistan’s scenic Soon-Sakesar Valley to a pir family. Having lost his father early, his paternal uncle took care of him and took him under his wing for his upbringing and education. However, the uncle too passed away and young Qasmi had to leave his education incomplete. He started his career with journalism and initially started writing short-stories. Most of his short-stories bitterly criticized feudalism, and the ills of sexual exploitation and the piri-muridi system, a world which he knew very well. In this respect, two of his short-stories namely Lawrence of Thalaibia and Bain (Wail) can be cited. Qasmi also ventured into poetry and became a renowned poet. He also made his name as a writer for children. A very important part of his life and legacy was his editorship of the quarterly journal Funoon, writing for which groomed many younger writers and poets like Parveen Shakir, Hajra Masroor, Mansoora Ahmad, Najeeb Ahmad, Amjad Islam Amjad, Ata-ul-Haq Qasmi and Nazeer Naji who later on became household names in literature and journalism.

Today also marks the 37th anniversary of the passing of the iconic poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz, who immortalized his name in the pantheon of the greatest icons and innovators of Urdu poetry along with Mirza Ghalib, Mir Taqi Mir and Allama Iqbal. Faiz, like his great contemporary Qasmi, was also a Punjabi who has given Urdu poetry some of the greatest verses of Urdu poetry, which were sung by the likes of of Nur Jahan and Mehdi Hasan. Yet Faiz was not just a poet of love, but a poet of spring and revolution too because his poetry gave hope to the oppressed and defeated in times of dictatorship and oppression in Pakistan. During his long periods of exile in the USSR and the Middle East, his poetry truly became internationalized and reached the stature of such world-renowned poets like Pablo Neruda and Nazim Hikmet. Both Qasmi and Faiz are the national treasures of Pakistan and of the Urdu language more so and it is our responsibility to remember and celebrate their lives and legacies.

Raza Naeem |Lahore|