Habib Jalib

Early life

Habib Jalib was born as Habib Ahmad on 24 March 1928 in a village near Hoshiarpur, British India. He migrated to Pakistan after the partition of India due to family pressure though he wanted to live in India and defied two nation theory. Later he worked as a proofreader for Daily Imroze of Karachi. He was a progressive writer and soon started to grab the audience with his enthusiastic recitation of poetry. He wrote in plain language, adopted a simple style and addressed common people and issues. But the conviction behind his words, the music of his voice and his emotional energy coupled with the sensitivity of the socio-political context is what stirred the audience.

Political views

Criticizing those who supported Ayub Khan's regime, he wrote:

کہیں گیس کا دھواں ہےکہیں گولیوں کی بارش ہےشب عہد کم نگاہیتجھے کس طرح سراہیں

Kahin gas ka dhuan haekahin golion ki baarishShab-e-ehd-e-kum nigahitujhay kis tarah saraheinThere is smoke of teargas in the airand the bullets are raining all aroundHow can I praise theethe night of the period of shortsightedness

Jalib could never reconcile with the dictatorship of Ayub Khan. So when Ayub enforced his tailor-made constitution in the country in 1962, which a former prime minister Chaudhry Muhammad Ali likened to the Clock Tower of Lyallpur, Jalib wrote the following poem:

Jalib was banned from official media but he remained undeterred. He rather started a tirade against the tyranny with more resolution. It reached its zenith when Fatima Jinnah decided to contest elections against Ayub Khan. All democratic forces rallied around her and at her election meetings, Jalib used to recite his fiery poems in front of an emotionally charged crowd. His most popular poem at that time was:

ماں کے پاؤں تلے جنت ہے ادھر آجائوMaan kay paon talay jannat hai idhar aa jaoThe paradise is under the feet of the mother. So come into her fold.

Habib Jalib's poems used in Pakistani films

In another incident which has become a part of the resistance folklore of the country, the Governor of West Pakistan, the Nawab of Kalabagh, invited filmstar Neelo to dance in front of Shah Reza Pahlavi of Iran. She refused and as a consequence the police was sent to force and bring her, which led to her attempting to commit suicide. This incident inspired a poem by Jalib, which was later included by Neelo's husband Riaz Shahid in the film Zarqa (1969). The poem was titled Raqs-e-Zanjeer (The dance of the chains):

تو کہ ناواقفِ ادبِ غلامی ہے ابھیرقص زنجیر پہن کر بھی کیا جاتا ہےTu kay nawaqif-e-aadab-e-ghulami hae abhiRaqs zanjeer pehan kar bhi kiya jata hai.You are not aware of the protocol of a king's court. Sometimes one has to dance (before them) with the chains on oneself.

The above Nazm/Song was included in film producer Riaz Shahid's film Zarqa (1969) in Mehdi Hassan's vocals which became a super-hit film song among the public in 1969 in Pakistan.There is very interesting background to this above film song.Film actress Neelo actually had an anguished real-life, above mentioned event sometimes earlier, before being selected to perform a dance while tied in chains in a jail when a sad and painful film song is being played in the background sung by Mehdi Hassan.This heart-wrenching and emotional film song was especially written by Habib Jalib for Neelo based on events in the past life of Neelo herself.So naturally she could emotionally relate to this film song.The net result was a very effective acting performance by Neelo in this film dance.To top it all off, film music director Wajahat Attre composed a superb tune befitting the occasion.

" Zulm Rahay Aur Amn Bhi Ho, Kaya Mumkin Hai Tum Hi Kaho" Sung by both Noor Jehan and Mehdi Hassan in film Yeh Aman (1971), lyrics by Habib Jalib and music by A. Hameed. This film song also became very popular.

Bhutto's government

In 1972 Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto came to power in Pakistan after the 1971 war with India and a new independent country called Bangladesh emerged from former East Pakistan.Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto came to power in former West Pakistan, thereafter called simply Pakistan.

After Bhutto's death, Habib Jalib wrote the following poem:

ٹوٹا ہے کہاں اس کا جادو

اک نعرہ بنا ہے اس کا لہو

ثابت ہوا دھڑکن دھڑکن پر وہ شخص حکومت کرتا تھا

لڑتا تھا وہ اپنے جیسوں سے ہم سے تو محبت کرتا تھا

His magic has not been broken

His blood became a slogan

It has been proved, that he ruled his people's hearts

He used to fight with the people like him (Feudal Lords), but with the (poor) people like us, he used to love.

Zia-ul-Haq's martial law

During General Zia-ul-Haq's dictatorship, Jalib wrote a poem on Zia, in which he asked how he could write darkness as Zia ( Zia literally means light in Urdu).

ظلمت کو ضیا، صر صر کو صبا، بندے کو خدا کیا لکھناDarkness as light, Hot desert wind as a morning breezeHow can I write a human as God?

Benazir Bhutto's government

After General Zia-ul-Haq's death in 1988, Benazir Bhutto came to power and released Habib Jalib. Disappointed at the state of the nation, when asked if he felt any change after democracy, he said:

حال اب تک وہی ہیں فقیروں کےدن پھرے ہیں فقط وزیروں کےہر بلاول ہے دیس کا مقروضپاؤں ننگے ہیں بے نظیروں کےHaal ab tak wahi hain faqiroan kayDin phiray hain faqat waziroan kayher Bilawal hai Dais ka maqroozpaoon nangay hain Benazeeroan kayThe status of the poor is still the samethe days of the ministers have indeed changedevery Bilawal (name of the only son of Benazir Bhutto) of the country is under debtwhile Benazirs (i.e the poor) of the country walk without shoes

Death

Habib Jalib died on 12 March 1993. His family refused the offer of the government to pay for his funeral expenses. Qateel Shifai expressed his sorrow and grief in these words: Original Urdu:

اپنے سارے درد بھلا کر اوروں کے دکھ سہتا تھاہم جب غزلیں کہتے تھے وہ اکثر جیل میں رہتا تھاآخر چلا ہی گیا وہ روٹھ کر ہم فرزانوں سےوہ دیوانہ جس کو زمانہ جالب جالب کہتا تھا

English Translation: Forgetting his own profound sorrows, he grieved and wrote for suffering masses!

We composed our ghazals andpoems but he languished in prisons for suffering classes!

Alas, he has just walked out from our congregation! (protesting our inaction) O that selfless soul who spoke for the suffering classes! And was greeted as Jalib Jalib**

During MUSHAIRAs – a traditional poetry recital gathering – audience used to welcome and ask for his enthralling poetry by calling his takhalus (pen name) twice.

Romanized Urdu:

Apney saarey dard bhula kar auron ke dukh sehta thaHum jub ghazlain kehtey thay wo aksar jail main rehta thaAakhir chala hee gya wo rooth kar hum farzanoun seWo deewana jisko zamana Jalib Jalib kehta tha

Poetry

He mainly wrote about the evils brought upon society by corruption and inequity. An example is:

فرنگی کا جو میں دربان ہوتاتو جینا کس قدر آسان ہوتامیرے بچے بھی امریکہ میں پڑھتےمیں ہر گرمی میں انگلستان ہوتامری انگلش بھی بلا کی چست ہوتیبلا سے جو نہ میں اردو دان ہوتاسر جھکاکے جو ہو جاتا 'سر' میںتو لیڈر بھی عظیم الشان ہوتازمینیں میری ہر صوبے میں ہوتیںمیں واللہ صدرِ پاکستان ہوتاFarangi ka jo main darbaan hotaTho jeena kis kadar aasaan hotaMeray bachay bhi amreeka may parthayMain Har garmi may main Inglistaan hotaMeree English bhi balaa ki chusth hoteeBalaa say jo na main Urdu-daan hotaSar jhuka kay jo ho jaata sir mainTho leader bhi azeem-u-shaan hotaZameenain meree har soobay may hoteenMay wallah sadr-e-Pakistan hota

Some poems in his own voice

ظلمت کو ضیا Zulmat Ko Zia

قائدِ اعظم دیکھ رہے ہو اپنا پاکستان Quaid-e-Azam Dek Rahe Ho Apna Pakistan

فرنگی کا جو میں دربان ہوتا Farangi Ka Jo May Darban Hota

مزارے لغارے Mazaaray Laghaaray

وطن کو کچھ نہیں خطرہ Wathan Ko Kuch Nahi Khathra

یہ منصف بھی تو قیدی ہیں Ye Munsif Bhi Tho Qaidi Hain

گل سن Gal Sun (Punjabi)

میں نے اس سے یہ کہا Mein Ne Uss Se Yeh Kaha on YouTube

دستور – میں نہیں مانتا Dastoor (Main Nahi Manta) on YouTube

Recent tributes

Two members of the Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party – Shahram Azhar and Taimur Rahman – launched a music video reciting Jalib's famous poem "Musheer Se" under the band title Laal, symbolising Jalib's struggle for the workers and peasants.

Laal band remastered and remixed the revolutionary poem "Dastoor" in Habib Jalib's voice and included it in their 2009 album Umeed-e-Sahar.

On 23 March 2009, President of Pakistan has given the highest civil award (posthumously) to the legendary poet, which was received by his daughter.

Solo artist Umair Salim composed his poem "Dastoor" in a musical track to tribute the poet on his death anniversary in 2009, followed by a music video portraying Habib Jalib's life.

But as nation remembers this great poet, Pakistani channels have aired a story that Habib Jalib's wife is fighting with illness and she is deprived of the money President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister have announced for her.

Books

Sir-e-Maqtal2

Zikr Behte Khoon Ka

Gumbad-e-Bedar

Kulyaat e Habib Jalib

Is Shehar-e-Kharabi Main

Goshay Main Qafas K

Harf-e-Haqq

Harf-e-Sar-e-Daar

Ehad-e-Sitam