Poetry for peace: Jalib’s contribution to literature celebrated

Writers advocate negotiations not warfare for achieving peace.

Writers and intellectuals at an event were of the consensus view that peace among nations in the world and in South Asia, in particular, can be achieved through negotiations and not warfare.

They asked writers and poets to play their due role in promoting peace and harmony in society.

Poets and writers oppose wars among nations since they were fought to reinforce the established and dominant socio-political order, Prof Yusuf Hassan, said while giving a lecture on “Peace in the Poetry of Present Era” he delivered at the Pakistan Academy of Letters (Pal) on Wednesday.

The lecture was organised to commemorate the poetry of Habib Jalib, on the occasion of the International Day of Poetry. The event was presided over by Prof Aftab Iqbal Shamim.

Prof Hassan said Jalib always used his poetry for the rights of the working class, the downtrodden people and against dictatorship, imperialism and war mongers. He practically participated in struggle against injustices and dictatorship and had to face hardships. He spent most of his life behind the bars during all governments for his revolutionary poetry.

He that historically as well in the contemporary world wars were fought over access to and control over natural resources.

He declared imperialism a threat to world peace and humanity.

Quoting one of Jalib’s couplet “Zulm rahay aur aman bhi ho, kia mumkin hai tum hi kaho” (if oppression persists, will peace prevail? Tell me how is it possible), Prof Hassan said that it was the responsibility of the poets and writers to speak up against injustice and tyranny.

On the occasion, poets, Hassan Abbas Raza and Rana Saeed Doshi, paid rich tributes to Habib Jalib.

Earlier the academy’s Chairperson Dr Qasim Bughio in his welcoming address said that Pakistani writers and intellectuals had written extensively about peace both in poetry and prose. He said that peace was the central theme of Jalib’s poetry.

Dr Bughio said that the academy had decided to conduct national conferences in all four provinces on promoting peace in society. It also planned to organise an international conference.

A number of poets from the twin cities participated in a poetry recital session that was held after the lecture.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th, 2015.