Commutiny Media Features

by Irfan Farooqi

The world that we have at present for our ‘service’ is a result of many millennia of evolution and offers a truly multifaceted picture of its own. The insane pace of technological sophistication, the inhuman occupation of the human world by the market forces, and commodification of feelings and sentiments have jointly conditioned our perception in a specific way.

As an individual, one finds it absolutely impossible to be free and boundless for almost everything associated with him/her presents a charter of demands and directly influences his/her overall sphere of activity.

Moving further, in particular, the aforementioned problem is confronted in the severest possible manner by the youth of the society. When I say youth, I am referring to a particular stage of life, a mindset that swears by deviance, an attitude that lives by questioning, a restlessness that desperately wants to renounce all limits and boundaries. Straight out from the much sheltered/protected phase of childhood or teenage, youth witnesses the unleashing of the world, a reality that is often disturbing. This relatively sudden introduction to an absolutely different panorama of things leads to a kind of anxiety which in turn compels the individual to question, to push the walls that limit him, to blur the boundaries that restrict him etc.

Nevertheless, what is worth mentioning (already understandable by many) is that such problems have always been there in society in different versions and, in particular, youth tackled them in various ways as per the pulse of the times. Moreover, what additionally needs to be pointed out is that the nature of problems/challenges changes as per the ongoing socio-economic scenario which is why times of crises need a much more organised and thought-out response from the people. For example, in situations like famines, disasters, epidemics, wars, colonialism, political turbulence etc. the problems faced by the people were of the severest nature and therefore demanded an immediate yet effective response. It is here that I would like to bring to the fore Faiz Ahmad Faiz (1911-1984), one of the most revolutionary yet romantic poets of the 20th century. By means of his excellent understanding of the then-existing Indian society, Faiz gave an absolutely different voice to protest, a new language to poetry, and a new imagination to the readers.

Born in 1911 in Sialkot, when Faiz was growing up as a young man, the existing pathos and crises could not remain unnoticed. Grave problems like the perpetual onslaught of famines, exceptionally poor condition of peasants, unacceptable condition of the workers/labourers, state-sponsored oppression by the British (Jalianwala Bagh massacre happened when he was only eight years old) etc. contributed to a lot of restlessness in him as he, like most of the young people of his period, struggled for pervasive solutions. As he grew up as a free-thinking yet concerned individual, his passion for social reform kept getting intensified.

In the 1930s, a group of young students, most of them being foreign-educated, got together and formed the Progressive Writers’ Association (PWA) in London in 1935. What primarily brought these promising minds together was there sincere concern toward humanity. Acknowledging whatsoever little they possessed as educated men and women, they decided to use writing as a means of social change. Once back in India, these scholars mobilised few more promising writers and Faiz was one of the foremost to join the association. When they said writing should seek to change the society for better, they meant that anything in the name of literature ought to reflect on the social problems that exist in society and affect the masses.

Faiz’s association with PWA proved incredibly fruitful for both his intellectual development and social commitment. Till as late as 20th century, Urdu poetry, to be specific, was mostly about the beloved, tavern and wine. The imageries used were excellent but the thought was confined to the beloved. What Faiz did to Urdu poetry was a ground-breaking contribution. He continued with the classical imagery but he gave them socio-political meanings. For example, the lover in his poetry was the revolutionary, beloved was socialism, wine was revolutionary zeal etc. In this manner, he managed to unite the classical and the progressive in a way that was unprecedented in the history of literature.

As someone who religiously believed in the human potential, Faiz always vouched for the capabilities that are present in each and every individual. Alongside acknowledging the problems with the socio-economic and political structure, he always emphasised on the element of choice and freedom one has exercising which he/she can make a difference someway or the other. He always believed that human beings are born free and, to an extent, they always have an element of choice with them. He agreed with the existence of oppression and injustice but never believed in their permanence; Dil naummid to nahin nakaam hi to hai, lambi hai gham ki shaam magar shaam hi to hai (My heart has been unsuccessful but it has not given up on hope, the night of sorrow is a long one but then it is a night only).

As a concerned inhabitant of the society, Faiz always preached for projecting social reality as fearlessly as possible. For him, the most precious of all the virtues of an individual was his capacity to observe and reflect on his surroundings; for such an individual, he held, everyday is a new beginning, every minute is that of renewal, every moment is progressive. Throughout his life, his allegiance was to the thesis that the grief of one’s love cannot be separated from the grief of the suffering humanity which essentially highlighted the inherently social character of human beings.

Just like any other great human being, Faiz died struggling yet hopeful. We will keep reading about such personalities and their contributions off and on but it will not help us unless we are able to get connected to their ultimate objective; the existence of a just and peaceful human society. It is time for us to actually plunge in the stream of social-engineering, be it in whatever way. Our talent and abilities are a matter of shame if they do not reflect on the widespread problems found in our society, if they do not contribute to the well-being of the needy, if they do not voice the concerns of the people. Unless we, as young and energetic individuals, reach out to the neediest and the poorest of all, our abilities will be worthless. Observe, doubt, think, reflect, believe, decide and execute. Talks lead to talks and acts lead to acts.