'Three Poets, One Voice': Faiz Aman Mela in UK celebrates literary greats, honours Kashmiris

LONDON: Literature needed to be rooted firmly, locally, before it can be considered global, Pakistani poet Iftikhar Arif said Thursday at a literary festival — themed 'Three Poets One Voice' and dedicated to the Kashmiri folks' struggle for independence — held here in the UK.

Three, Poets, One, Voice, Faiz Aman Mela, UK, celebrates, literary, greats, honours, KashmirisThe ninth edition of the mega Faiz Aman Mela was organised by the Faiz Cultural Foundation (FCF) UK in association with the University of Westminster, London and its theme, 'Three Poets One Voice,' paid tribute to three great, progressive poets of the subcontinent: Faiz Ahamed Faiz, Shaikh Ayaz, and Kaifi Azmi.

Faiz Aman Mela began with the literary great's famous poem "Aaj Bazar Mein Paa-Ba-Jaulan Chalo," recited by Jaffra Imam against a backdrop of silent photo-documentary of progressive political figures such proletariat leader Hassan Nasir, leftist politiciaan Dr Rasheed Hasan, socialist philosopher Meraj Muhammad Khan, Pakistan's left-wing politics pioneer Professor Jamaluddin Naqvi, and Mazdoor Kisan Party co-founder Mohammad Afzal Khan Bangash.

Chashm-e-nam, jaan-e shoreeda kafi nahin
A wet eye, a shaken life is not enough,

Thumat-e-ishq poshida kafi nahin,
The accusation of a hidden love is not enough,

Aaj bazaar mein paa-ba-jaulan chalo…
With feet in chains, let us go in public today.

A major portion of the programme was devoted to the three poets' progressive literature and political message and the relevance that held in Pakistan's current politics.

Distinguished journalist and writers, such as Mujahaid Bralvi, Atif Toqeer, Iftikhar Arif, and Noor Zaheer, spoke on interrelation of political issues of Pakistan with South Asia.

No literature could be universal if it was not local, Arif, the Pakistani poet, said. He criticised those who read and study whole lot of world literature but did not know about literature in Pakistan. Faiz, Ayaz, Azami were deeply rooted in and associated with the subcontinent's lands and people.

Noor Zaheer, the author of My God Is A Woman, as well as an activist and member of the Communist Party of India (CPI), narrated a detailed history of Jammu & Kashmir and stressed that since 1947, people from New Delhi and other parts of India would easily visit Kashmir.

The Kashmiri people would say to travellers that they came from India, meaning that they never consider Kashmir a part of India. Their Kashmiriat has been very strong, she added.

Professor Dibyesh Anand, the head of University of Westminster' social sciences school, also addressed the Faiz Aman Mela and extended his support for the Kashmir people, condemning India's brutal occupation of and tyranny in occupied Kashmir. He said Kashmir would be free and and that he stood with the Kashmiris in their difficult times.

Separately, poet Arif presided a poetry session alongside two special guests: Ashfaq Hussian from Canada and Bashir Kazmi. It also welcomed Anjum Shazad, Shahbaz Khwaja, Najma Usman, Javed Saba, Syeda Kausar, Anjum Raza, Yashab Tamana, Imran Saqib from Belgium, and Sadaf Mirza from Denmark.

Arif also recited his own poem:

Akhir tamasha kab khatam ho ga,

Chiraag-e-hujra darvaish ki bujhto hoi loo,

Hawa say khay gai ab tamasha khatam ho ga,

Yay sabkath putlian raqsaan rhain gi raat ki raat,

Shar say phialay dab tamasha khtam ho ga…

Hussain, the poet from Canada, recited:

Kachi zameen kay sahan mein khilta hoa gulaab,

Khiltay huey gulaab mein mhaka hua badan,

Mhakay huey badan mein samander sa aik dil,

Uss dil ki wusatoon mein chain kho gya hoo main…

Conducted by FCF UK's secretary-general, Asim Ali Shah, the event also had a large number of books on display and for purchase. Barrister Sibghatullah Qadri and journalist Mujahid Barelvi also launched their books.

FCF UK President Akram Kaimkhani and Mohammad Ayub Aulia thanked the sponsors of Faiz Aman Mela and informed about the organisation's objectives. Kaimkhani also lauded the 40-member team of volunteers who worked years to organise this biggest a literary and cultural festival in Europe.

More than 600 participants of the Faiz Aman Mela were glued to their chairs listening to poetry, political presentations, and music.