From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Habib Jalib
Habib Jalib
Habib Jalib recitation of poetry. He wrote in plain language, adopt-
حبیب جالب ed a simple style and addressed common people and is-
sues. But the conviction behind his words, the music of
his voice and his emotional energy coupled with the sen-
sitivity of the socio-political context is what stirred the
audience.[2]
Political views
He was a Marxist-Leninist and aspired to the ideals of
Communism. He was a member of the Communist Party
of Pakistan; later when the Communist Party was banned
and started working under the banner of National Awami
Party (NAP), Jalib joined the NAP. Due to his blunt expres-
sion of his beliefs, he suffered hard time all his life and
spent most of time in Jails.
Ayub Khan’s martial law
Portrait of Habib Jalib
Habib Jalib was first imprisoned during the martial law
Born Habib Ahmad regime of Ayub Khan due to his defiant views on Ayub
March 24, 1928(1928-03-24)
Hoshiarpur, Punjab
Khan’s capitalistic policies. He wrote his legendary poem
"Dastoor" during those days.
Died March 12, 1993(1993-03-12) (aged 64) Criticizing those who supported Ayub Khan’s regime,
Lahore, Pakistan
he wrote:
Occupation Urdu poet کہیں گیس کا دھواں ہے
Nationality Pakistani کہیں گولیوں کی بارش ہے
Literary Progressive Writers’ Movement
movement شب عہد کم نگاہی
Notable Nigar Awards تجھے کس طرح سراہیں
award(s) Nishan-i-Imtiaz (Posthumously awarded
on 23 March 2009) Kahin gas ka dhuan hae
Influences
• Marxist-Leninist kahin golion ki baarish
Influenced Shab-e-ehd-e-kum nigahi
• Urdu poetry
tujhay kis tarah sarahein
Habib Jalib (Urdu: )حبیب جالبwas a Pakistani revolution-
ary poet. A left-wing activist and politician, he was a There is smoke of teargas in the air
staunch democrat who opposed martial law, authoritari-
and the bullets are raining all around
anism and state oppression.
How can I praise thee
Early life the night of the period of shortsightedness[3]
Habib Jalib was born on March 24, 1928 as Habib Ahmad
[1] in a village near Hoshiarpur, British India. He migrated A humble man with limited means of livelihood, Jalib
to Pakistan after partition and worked as a proofreader could never reconcile with the dictatorship of Ayub
in Daily Imroze, Karachi. He was a progressive writer and Khan. So when Ayub enforced his tailor-made constitu-
soon started to grab the audience with his enthusiastic tion in the country in 1962, which a former prime minis-
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Habib Jalib
ter Chaudhry Muhammad Ali likened to the Clock Tower Bhutto’s government
of Lyallpur, Jalib wrote the following poem:
In 1972 when Zulfikar Ali Bhutto came to power, many of
دیپ جس کا محالت ہی میں جلے
his colleagues were able to hit fortunes. He, on the oth-
چند لوگوں کی خوشیوں کو لے کر چلے er hand, kept his integrity and stuck to ideology. Accord-
ing to sources close to Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, one day Habib
وہ جو سایےمیں ہر مصلحت کے پلے Jalib went to Bhutto’s place to meet him. Bhutto on see-
ing him said that when are you going to come (referring
ایسے دستور کو، صبح بےنور کو to joining his political Party) Jalib said, "Have the oceans
ever fallen in rivers".
میں نہیں مانتا،میں نہیں مانتا
Whose light shines only in palaces
Zia-ul-Haq’s martial law
During General Zia-ul-Haq’s dictatorship, Jalib joined
And carries the joys of only a few people movement for democracy. He wrote the famous poem on
Zia,[4] where he asked how he could write darkness as Zia
That derives its strength from others’ weaknesses ( Zia literally means light in Urdu).
ظلمت کو ضیا، صر صر کو صبا، بندے کو خدا کیا لکھنا
That system, like a dawn without light
Darkness as light, Hot desert wind as a morning
I refuse to acknowledge, I refuse to accept
breeze
Due to his daring revolt against the order of the day,
How can I write a human as God?
Jalib was banned from official media but he remained un-
deterred. He rather started a tirade against the tyranny
with more resolution. It reached its zenith when Fatima
Benazir Bhutto’s government
Jinnah decided to contest elections against Ayub Khan. In 1988, General Zia-ul-Haq died in air crash and general
All democratic forces rallied around her and at her elec- elections were held. Benazir Bhutto came into power and
tion meetings, Jalib used to recite his fiery poems in front released Habib Jalib. Fortunes were distributed to those
of an emotionally-charged crowd. His most popular po- who supported the government rather than those who
em at that time was: supported democracy. Disappointed at the state of the
ماں کے پائوں تلے جنت ہے ادھر آجائو nation, when asked if he felt any change after democracy,
he said:
Maan kay paon talay jannat hai idhar aa jao حال اب تک وہی ہیں غریبوں کے
The paradise is under the feet of the mother. So دن پھرے ہیں فقت وزیروں کے
come into her fold.
ہر بالول ہے دیس کا مقروض
In another incident which has become a part of the resis-
tance folklore of the country, the Governor of West Pak- پائوں ننگے ہیں بے نظیروں کے
istan, the Nawab of Kalabagh, invited filmstar Neelo to
dance in front of a foreign dignitary (Be bold and read Haal ab tak wahi hain ghareeboan kay
here Shah Reza Pahlavi of Iran!). As she refused, the po-
Din phiray hain faqat waziroan kay
lice was sent to bring her, which led to a suicide attempt
on her part. This incident inspired a poem by Jalib, which her Bilawal hai Dais ka maqrooz
was later included by Neelo’s husband Riaz Shahid in the
film Zarqa. The song was: paoon nangay hain Benazeeroan kay
تو کہ ناواقف ادب غالمی ہے ابھی
ِ ِ
The status of the poor is still the same
رقص زنجیر پہن کر بھی کیا جاتا ہے
the days of the ministers have indeed changed
Tu kay nawaqif-e-aadab-e-ghulami hae abhi
every Bilawal (name of the only son of Benazir
Raqs zanjeer pehan kar bhi kiya jata hai. Bhutto) of the country is under debt
You are not aware of the protocol of a king’s court. while Benazirs (literally the poor) of the country
Sometimes one has to dance (before them) with walk without shoes
the fetters on.
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Habib Jalib
Death تو لیڈر بھی عظیم الشان ہوتا
Habib Jalib died on March 12, 1993. زمینیں میری ہر صوبے میں ہوتیں
His family refused the offer of the then government
to pay for his funeral expenses. Qateel Shifai expressed میں وہللا صدر پاکستان ہوتا
ِ
his sorrow and grief in these words:
Farangi ka jo main darbaan hota
اپنے سارے درد بھال کر اوروں کے دکھ سہتا تھا
Tho jeena kis kadar aasaan hota
ہم جب غزلیں کہتے تھے وہ اکثر جیل میں رہتا تھا
Meray bachay bhi amreeka may parthay
آخر چال ہی گیا وہ روٹھ کر ہم فرزانوں سے
Main Har garmi may main Inglistaan hota
وہ دیوانہ جس کو زمانہ جالب جالب کہتا تھا
Meree English bhi balaa ki chusth hotee
Apney saarey dard bhula kar auron ke dukh sehta tha
Balaa say jo na main Urdu-daan hota
Hum jub ghazlain kehtey thay wo aksar jail main rehta
tha Sar jhuka kay jo ho jaata sir main
Aakhir kaar chala hee gya wo rooth kar hum farzanoun Tho leader bhi azeem-u-shaan hota
se
Zameenain meree har soobay may hoteen
Wo deewana jisko zamana Jalib Jalib kehta tha[5]
May wallah sadr-e-Pakistan hota
Poetry Some poems in his own voice
Jalib’s poetry reflected his vision and approach to life. • ظلمت کو ضیاZulmat Ko Zia
He never deviated from his chosen path. His love for hu- • قائد اعظم دیکھ رہے ہو اپنا پاکستانQuaid-e-Azam Dek Rahe Ho
ِ
mankind, his sympathy for the underdog and his passion Apna Pakistan
for the fellow-beings were reflected in his verses. What is • فرنگی کا جو میں دربان ہوتاFarangi Ka Jo May Darban Hota
quite significant and somewhat rare in a poet who is also • مزارے لغارےMazaaray Laghaaray
charged with political ideology is his capacity to suppress • وطن کو کچھ نہیں خطرہWathan Ko Kuch Nahi Khathra
his anger against the injustices and tyrannies that he wit- • یہ منصف بھی تو قیدی ہیںYe Munsif Bhi Tho Qaidi Hain
nesses in life. • گل سنGal Sun (Punjabi)
Jalib himself remained a victim of a cruel social order. • میں نے اس سے یہ کہاMein Ne Uss Se Yeh Kaha
He was imprisoned for some time after being wrongly im- • دستور - میں نہیں مانتاDastoor (Main Nahi Manta)
plicated in various crimes.
With no regular source of income, he had a rootless
existence, but he never considered compromising with
Recent tributes
his tormentors and coming to terms with established or- Until the end of his life in 1993, Jalib remained a member
der. And yet Jalib’s poetry only reflects his anguish. It is of the Communist Party of Pakistan. In 1994, the Commu-
not an expression of his anger or frustration. At times it nist Party of Pakistan merged with the Mazdoor Kissan
is pensive, couched in sarcasm, but his typical soft melo- Party to form the Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party.
dious tone is always there. He believed that the Pakistani Two members of the Communist Mazdoor Kissan Par-
leaders should stop obeying the Westerners. His follow- ty — Shahram Azhar and Taimur Rahman — launched a
ing poem reflects this. music video reciting Jalib’s famous poem "Musheer Se"
فرنگی کا جو میں دربان ہوتا under the band title Laal, symbolizing Jalib’s struggle for
the workers and peasants.
تو جینا کس قدر آسان ہوتا Laal band remastered and remixed the revolutionary
poem "Dastoor" in Habib Jalib’s voice[6] and included it in
میرے بچے بھی امریکہ میں پڑھتے their 2009 album Umeed-e-Sahar.
On 23 March 2009, President of Pakistan has given the
میں ہر گرمی میں انگلستان ہوتا
highest civil award (posthumously) to the legendary po-
مری انگلش بھی بال کی چست ہوتی et, which was received by his daughter.
Solo artist Umair Salim composed his poem "Dastoor"
بال سے جو نہ میں اردو دان ہوتا in a musical track to tribute the poet on his death an-
سر جھکاکے جو ہو جاتا ‘سر‘ میں
3
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Habib Jalib
niversary in 2009, followed by a music video portraying [4] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvT-2G8SJWY
Habib Jalib’s life.[7] [5] Syed Junaid Ahmed, "People’s Jalib", Dawn
But as nation remembers this great poet, Pakistani Magazine, April 13, 2003.
channels have aired a story that Habib Jalib’s life partner [6] [1]
is fighting with illness and she is deprived of the money [7] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exgXWuTE9SA
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister have an- [8] http://www.thenewstribe.co.uk/beta/?p=4444
nounced for her. [8]
External links
See also • Habib Jalib bio at WhoIsWho Pakistan
• Faiz Ahmed Faiz • Habib Jalib at the Internet Movie Database
• Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party • Habib Jalib at Kavita Kosh (Hindi font)
• Ahmed Faraz • Poetry of Defiance, Sung by Habib Jalib with
• Mir Gul Khan Naseer translation in subtitles (Me Ne Us Se Ye Kaha, Zulmat
• Ustad Daman ko Zia Kia Likhna, Jaag Mere Punjab, Zia
Referendum)
Books • A collection of some of Jalib’s poems
• Habib Jalib ( Great Poet of Pakistan ) Part 1’
• Sir-e-Maqtal Persondata
• Zikr Behte Khoon Ka
Name Jalib, Habib
• Gumbad-e-Bedar
• Kulyaat e Habib Jalib Alternative names
Short description
References Date of birth 1928-03-24
[1] Metro One tv ..... Habib Jalib (urdu poet) Place of birth Hoshiarpur, Punjab
[2] http://www.letsstartthinking.org/Pakistan/ Date of death 1993-03-12
personalities/habib-jalib.asp Place of death Lahore, Pakistan
[3] Remembering Habib Jalib, posted by MB at 7:18 PM
on March 15, 2007
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Habib_Jalib&oldid=461562973"
Categories:
• 1928 births
• 1993 deaths
• Punjabi people
• People from Hoshiarpur
• People from Lahore
• Marxist writers
• Pakistani Marxists
• Urdu-language writers
• Pakistani poets
• Urdu poets
• Pakistani activists
• Nigar Award winners
• Marxist poets
• Communism in Pakistan
• Communist writers
• Communist poets
• Pakistani communists
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