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The Rediff Special/ Fuzail Jafari pays tribute to Ali Sardar Jafri

He tried to transform his love into a passion for revolution

The golden era of Urdu poetry, which started with the Progressive Writers Association in 1935, as a result of the collective efforts of Dr Mulk Raj Anand, Sajjad Zaheer and Ali Sardar Jafri, came to an end with the passing away of one of the greatest poets -- son of India, Ali Sardar Jafri, on August 1 at 0800 hours.

He was being treated at Bombay Hospital for three months, for brain tumour. Born on November 29, 1913 at Balrampur in Uttar Pradesh, he went to Aligarh Muslim University for higher studies. He was a Marxist as well as nationalist and a Nehruvian. Even before he could complete his Bachelor of Arts, the university authorities expelled him for anti- British activities.

After organising trade unions for a few years, Jafri shifted to Bombay in 1942.

During his writing career, spanning six decades, he continued to be a fountainhead of Marxists thought and ideology.

He was imprisoned, first by the British government and then by the Indian government. However, he continued to be a committed poet and writer. He was committed to the cause of the poor and downtrodden. Though his poetic diction, under the influence of Allama Iqbal and Josh Malihabadi, was at times rhetorical, the novelty of his metaphors drawn from rural India charmed even the most discerning readers.

Chilean poet Pablo Neruda always proved to be a source of inspiration for Jafri. He was equally popular in the Mushairas. He always enthralled audiences with his towering personality and commanding voice. His unmistakably individualistic style always impressed people.

The poet, who left a lasting mark on Urdu poetry mainly due to a broad canvas and creativity, crossed linguistic and geographical barriers. He was awarded the Jnanpeeth Award in 1998. Earlier, he got the Sovietland Nehru Prize and the Iqbal Samman. Most Urdu academies in the country also honoured him.

On April 30, 1999, he was felicitated by Harvard Foundation of the United States of America for outstanding contribution to peace and justice.

Other luminaries honoured by the foundation include South African leader Nelson Mandela and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

Sardar Jafri, who was greatly interested in Indian culture and literature, did not restrict himself to Urdu. He edited Kabir Bani, based on the poems of Sant Kabir and wrote a book on Mirabai.

He authored nine volumes of poetry besides two volumes of plays and one of short stories. His poetic volumes include Asia Jaag Utha (The Awakening of Asia), Patthar Ki Deewar (The Wall of Stone), Ek Khawab Aur (Another Dream) and November Mera Gahwara (November My Craddle).

In all poems he tried to transform his love into a passion for revolution. It was this passion which made most ordinary people his heroes.

Here are some lines from his poem Mera Safar (My Journey):
These simple poor folks
Are virtue made of flesh
They are gods of labour
Heralds of creation
They beautify life
With the roughness of their hands

At another point, he addresses the British with reference to the Chori Chora incident during the freedom movement:
Listen, you who
Have soiled my land:
I symbolise
The old public revolt
I am the voice of the passion of my folks
I come to the battlefield
With countless young workers
I raise brave martyrs of the 'mutiny'
From their graves
I bring to rouse the sleeping lions of Chori Chora

The world of Urdu literature and the country will be poorer with the passing away of Ali Sardar Jafri.

As a Muslim, he may not have believed in reincarnation, but his poetic imagination compelled him to say:
But , I will come here again
Speak through children's voices
Sing in call of birds
When seeds smile under the earth
And seedlings, with their nimble figures
Caress layers of soil.

Fuzail Jafari is the editor of the Inquilab Urdu daily

The Rediff Specials

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