With his powerful poetry Aga Shahid introduced Kashmir to the world .And his stanza ‘They make a desolation and call it peace’ from the poem “Farewell” became the hallmark of Kashmir sufferings . Taking a cue from Aga, youngsters in Kashmir have been trying their poetic skills to describe the environs their motherland is going through. To name a few, who write in English, Parvez Ali, Wani Nazir, Hena Khan, Mushtaq Burq and Shahzada Saleem have been telling the story of their country men in appealing words. Vernacular poets like Shanaz Rashid in Kashmiri and Parvez Manoos in Urdu are the names to remember.
Parvez ,recently published his collection titled “Faseel e Shahar say” (from the wall around the city). Spread over 144 pages the book is published on good quality paper . The poetry encompasses the whole environment prevailing in his walled city from where he speaks ,weeps, cries, howls, thunders and revolts. The gory events of recent past have shaken the conscience of the poet and he sobs .
Phir say ek maqtal bani hai wadi gulposh aaj
Ja baja hoti hai sooni mawoon ki aagosh aaj
( The flower laden valley has again become the slaughter house. The bosoms of mothers are getting robbed.)
The blood oozing bodies don’t allow the young poet to rest and he feels even the blazing sun is afraid as it borrows red color from the dripping blood.
Yeh kis k khoon ka hai dag us k daman par
Shafaq ki surakh nigahoon say dar gaya sooraj
(whose blood is spilt on its hem. The sun is frightened on the sight of blood red horizon)
The poet and the writers have always been sensitive crop of the societies and they have expressed their feelings across the globe .Their reactions to the events have been different than common people . When Aga Shahid responded with “ Country without a post office” it was not the absence of a post office in its physical form .The dirge was sung to feel the helplessness of his society on psychological, as well as, emotional spectrum. Parvez uses the roof tops as his symbol.
Ho gayi hai surukh har chat bastiyoon ki aaj phir
Kis nay phainka mot ka khanjar faseel e shahar say
( The roof tops have turned red again. Who threw the dagger from the city wall)
The condition of his city has created a situation where dead bodies are sold for a lakh of rupees. The deaths caused by fire arms and other means are paid a compensation . This attitude is ridiculed by one and all .When culprits are not punished the incidents recur and the victim families are “compensated’ as if the value has now been fixed at some bucks like any saleable commodity. Parvez does not miss to play sarcastic to the authorities and taunt their giving doles. The unbridled use of pellet guns has rendered hundreds of youngsters totally blind while thousands received partial blindness.
Cheen li pahlay basarat nau nihaloon ki yahan
Lap tapoon say bhala kya roshni ho jayay gi
(They stole eye sight of youth. Can lap top doles revive the same?)
The use of pepper and other toxic gases again becomes his target .
Shahar main ab sans lene k nahin qabil hawa
Chal rahi hai zahar main doobi huwi qatil hawa
(The city is devoid of good quality air. The killer air laden with toxic substance is blowing here.)
The various events do not escape the sensitive eyes of the poet and so does the deluge which engulfed most parts of the city. The city floods saw many precious artifacts and literature pieces going waste or rendered useless .Parvez describes the scenario depicting few old letters but the clear reference is the paper material lost due to the surging waters over the dreadful weeks.
Mujh ko apnay ghar k dah janay ka koie gham nahin
Gham yah hai sailab main kuch khat puranay bah gaye.
(I don’t regret the loss of my house but some old precious letters got washed away.)
Conflicts give innumerable sufferings to womenfolk and they become the worst sufferers .Death of a male member puts the burden on the shoulders of the woman , and the brutal action by the unbridled forces renders them helpless .
Hum nay kabhi dopahar main dekhay they bhediay
Guzray nazar say khof k manzar tamam raat
(We spotted hounds during the day and ,throughout the night, dreadful events passed by)
Har soo hain wahshat k sayay sehmi sehmi har dhadkan
Beti walay jaan chakay hain raat yeh kitni bhari hai
( The terror has spread its tentacles everywhere. Those having daughters feel the brunt of dreadful night)
Dekh kar hawa ki beti ki yeh durgat aaj kal
Pet main maoon k kitni betyan ronay lagin
(Experiencing the condition of females nowadays , the unborn daughters wept in the wombs of their mothers)
Frenz Kafka’s short story ‘The old Manuscript’ has some threads in Parvez Manoos’s poetry. In Kafka story the city has been taken over by the forces who are so dreadful that they eat raw meat of a live animal. Parvez likens them to beasts present in his city.
Ronaq bhara jo shahar tha weeran hai kal say
Nargay main drindoon k yeh zindan hai kal say
( The city with hustle and bustle is devoid of it now. Under the control of the beasts it has turned into a jail)
Parvez poetry reaches conflict zones including Syria . The sight of the three year Alan Kurdi sends shivers through the poet and he asks a question to the world conscience as to when will it wake up
Bandishoon main rah k bejaan ho gayay hain sheer khwar
Dekh kar aqwam-e-alam kyon huwi khamosh aaj
(The toddlers have rendered lifeless .Why is global community so silent?)
In the end the sensitive poet thunders that truth can’t be suppressed because we have offered priceless sacrifices with our heads.
Dub nahin sakti sadaie haq kisi soorat yahan.
Gir chukay hain kat k sar kitnay faseel e shahar say
(The truth can’t be suppressed as we have offered in-numerable heads on the sacrificial alter from the city wall.)
This collection of poetry is a valuable addition to the Resistance literature in Kashmir which may one day pop up like Palestine literature denouncing occupation.
ABOUT THE REVIEWER
The reviewer is the author of “The Half Widow “ and can be mailed at wanishafi999@gmail.com
