By Wajid Ali Syed

On his first death anniversary, remembering Shafqat Tanvir Mirza and his love for the land of Punjab, its heritage and especially its language

The first time I called him on the phone, I greeted him in Urdu and he acted as if he couldn’t hear me. Later, in his rough rigid voice, he asked me what I wanted, in Punjabi of course. My reply in Punjabi elicited a warm response and a kind-hearted invitation for a meeting. That impression was stuck in the mind: Do not speak with this man except in Punjabi.

Years passed. The last time I met him was in 2011 when he generously invited me over to see him at his office. I had read his books and had recently bought ‘Maaye Nee’, a compilation of Shah Husain’s Kafis by him. He gave a satisfying smile when he questioned me about his books and got an enthusiastic response. He honoured me by signing that copy. He asked me to visit him again.

Muh aai baat na rehndi aye .. — Bulleh Shah

How do I know Shafqat Tanvir Mirza? Well, mainly through his books; his articles; and his love for the land of Punjab, its heritage and especially its language. The language that is of Baba Farid of Pakpattan, Khawaja Farid of D.G. Khan, Sultan Bahu of Jhang, Peelu of Khushab, Hafiz Barkhudar of Hafizabad, Shah Murad of Chakwal, Mian Muhammad Bakhsh of Jehlum Mirpur, Noshah Ganjnakhsh of Gujrat, Waris Shah of Sheikhupura, Shah Husain of Lahore and Bulleh Shah of Kasur. STM, as he was famously known, cherished and celebrated all of them equally.

When I decided to write about STM around his first death anniversary (on Nov 23), I endeavoured to consult these classical poets first because it was them and their work that formed STM’s sensibility.

Dushman marey tey khushi na kariye; Sajna vi mar jana; Degar tey din hoya Mohammad; Orak nu dub jana — Mian Muhammad Bakhsh

He was indeed Punjabi’s sajjan (lover). When he got married, he warned his wife she should expect a saukan (co-wife). She had to live with this fact, at first reluctantly and later wholeheartedly.

tere ishq nachaya karkey thaiya thaiyaa — Bulleh Shah

When Mirza was growing up, Punjabi books and classical literature were widely available to the general masses through different melas (traditional festivals). Various publishers would print hundreds of copies of the famous kalam of Baba Bulleh Shah, Sultan Bahu, Shah Husain, Waris Shah. The readers who were not versed in any other language would not only read Punjabi classical poetry but  also learn this kalam by heart. These publications were in such high demand and so widely available that publishers would mix new (read fabricated) material with the original.

STM had the scrupulous ability to vet the material. He had excellent command on all of the classical poets and was known as an encyclopedia on Punjabi.

Over time, those melas became infrequent and the publishers and readers slowly withered away. The Punjabi language lost its due position and respect. The issue was serious when, in the late 1980s, Saeed Ahmad Farani wrote a book titled ‘Punjabi Zuban Nahi Marey Gi’, debating the reasons and consequences of this phenomenon. Decades later, the issue has become worse. East Punjab’s well known poet, Manraj Patar, is now grappling with the same situation. He composed a satirical political poem titled ‘Marr Rahi Hai Meri Bhasha’ highlighting the complexities that the Punjabi language is facing today.

STM was in the midst of this dilemma — the language that he had adored and owned for decades was under siege. He rightly pinned this threat on the devastating decision made by the British. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto helped partially; Sindhi intellectuals had urged him to elevate Punjabi as a national language. According to Dr Manzur Ejaz, Sheikh Ayaz had advanced this proposition. Bhutto consulted his minister from Punjab, Meraj Malik, who is said to have unfortunately advised against it, saying that the Punjabis will not agree. Meanwhile, ZAB decided to promote diverse culturalism and ethnic identities and devised a policy that resulted in the formation of Lok Virsa and regional organisations like Punjabi Abadi Board.

The process thus started came to a halt after ZAB’s government was toppled. STM and others were also setting up Sangat and Majlis Shah Hussain to debate the issues that the Punjabi literature was facing.

Bullha Shauh bin koi nahi aithe utthe dohi sarai; sambhal sambhal kadam tikai phir avan duji var nahi ..

He could see his beloved language was treated unfairly and this distressed him. Alyssa Ayers in her book ‘Speaking Like a State’ mentions STM, saying: Not only did the British steal the land of Punjab from the Punjabi people, and sidelined the Punjabi language through state language policy favouring Urdu, but also caused Punjabis to be excluded from their own sense of historic bravery. She adds, STM echoes the sentiment and states: they were “cut asunder from their rich political past” by losing their language.

To combat this, he penned ‘Resistance Themes in Punjabi Literature’ in the early 90s. He used romance and valour in his books to strengthen his argument with facts. He compiled over 200 pages of tales of bravery.

Likhi Loh o Qalam di Qadir ney; Mayee Mor Jey sakni ein mor

(Divert it, if you can, O mother sweet of mine; When He has drawn the Pen) — Shah Husain

He dedicated himself to writing the history of the Punjab. Meanwhile, his contemporaries like Hanif Ramey, Fakhar Zaman, and Najm Hosain Syed too were involved in trying to shed conspiracies against the Punjab. Their heroes included Rai Ahmad Kharal, Dulla Bhatti and Bhagat Singh.

He was arrested multiple times for his campaigns for freedom of speech and protests against dictatorship. He seemed like a Miguel de Cervantes’ character. Not in the sense of naivety, or delusion, but because of the unmatched passion, romanticism, and idealism. He was turning the tide to make the world realise that Punjabis are not submissive.

Saajan terey rosRey aadar karey na koye; dur dur karan saheliyan, mein tur tur taakun toye

(No one feels attracted to me, when they find my Groom annoyed with me; the maids condemn me all, when i do try to seek, your forgiveness) — Bulleh Shah

He became more and more determined as time passed.

There were influences from different known international writers as well. Spain’s Federico Garcia Lorca had not yet been murdered, and his poems and plays were gripping the enlightened literary minds everywhere. Lorca’s famous book Bodas de Sangre had just come out. The book impressed STM so much so that he translated it into Punjabi. Lorca had a mythical vision with roots deep in the ancient culture of the Mediterranean. The “ancient-culture” was a theme that appealed to him. He also followed Sartre’s maxim: “A writer who takes political, social and literary positions must act only with the means that are his. These means are the written words.” STM then translated Jean-Paul Sartre’s ‘No Exit’.

STM also compiled ‘Akheya Shah Hussain’, and ‘Akheya Sachal Sarmast’, ‘Tehreek e Azadi vich Punjab da Hissa’; ‘Adab Raheen Punjab de Tareekh’ and ‘Making a Nation’. Sure there are Punjabi poets and authors, from Najm Hosain Syed to Mazhar Tirmazi, who kept performing resuscitation on the language. But there’s no researcher or intellectual of his caliber who could present arguments with evidence in favour of the language.

Just a year before his final departure he pondered: “A recurrent theme in the literature being created by Pakistani Punjabi writers, poets, and critics indicates that they are in search of their lost cultural, historical and linguistic identity.” Such debate and such defense is worthy of a true knight.

Maaye ni mein kinho aakhan; dard vichorey da haal.. (O mother to whom shall i tell the story of my separation’s grief)

While the famous Sufi poets’ stanzas were helping me express his untimely death, his beloved language is still tightlipped. The Punjabi language must not yet be ready for such consolation. It’s probably too soon for it to share the grief.

About his wife, she goes to his grave almost every day. She still respects the status of her Sautan. By her orders, his epitaph now says:

Frome: The News November-17 2013