By Ayesha Javed

Date:16-04-04

Source: Daily Times

LAHORE: Behind the Lahore Fort exists a world of its own. A walk in the area can lead you to the akhara of famous pehlwans, a gaggle of drug addicts and a kiosk selling the best payas in town.

This time around, I ended up in front of a battered door inscribed with the words Daman Academy” above. A chai-wallah working nearby mysteriously said he and others were doing important work here. I vowed to return and to find out exactly what this work was.

The next time I went there, the doors were wide open. Inside there was a small room dominated by a king-sized bed with a faded quilt thrown over it. A middle-aged man writing at an old desk in the corner looked up as I walked in. As we talked I learnt that his name was Iqbal, an ardent fan of the late Ustad Daman, a Punjabi poet renowned for his political critiques.

Daman had already become well known in literary circles before he migrated to Lahore where he soon attracted followers after Independence. He began living in the slums next to Badshahi Mosque. Important literary figures, like Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Government College Principal Dr Nazeer would often visit him there said Iqbal while explaining how Daman had come to make these rooms his permanent residence.

Eager to leave the slums behind, Daman accepted a generous offer from a philanthropist and moved into the rooms the academy now occupies. He lived there until his death in 1984, “and his funeral also departed from these gates, Iqbal added. Pointing to the bed and a chest of drawers in the corner, Iqbal said they had all belonged to Daman. When the poet moved into these rooms he brought with him three books, a sack, a bucket with a container to draw water, a chair and a table.

Over the years, his friends and well-wishers gave him the furniture that lies here. I was told that the books and a few other valuable documents were handed over to the Lahore Museum. When I asked why the furniture and other belongings hadn been donated to the museum, the answer took me by surprise: “The museum doesn want these items,” claimed Iqbal. But if they wanted to make a separate display case for Ustad Daman, we would happily donate them.

After Daman death, a few of his students realised that the only way to keep his legacy alive was to establish an academy in his name. Sain Akhtar Lahori, who lived with the poet for more than 30 years, was the driving force behind the academy. Now in his 60s, he visits the academy every day. Having spent a good deal of time with the poet, Sain Lahori has quite a few stories to tell.

He was very fond of reading and writing, but during the day he always had so many visitors that he found it hard to take time out to read. Thus, at night he would ask a shopkeeper to have him locked indoors and would spend hours alone with his books, Lahori said.

He said the poet was a liberal man and enjoyed wine and the women company. When ustad sahib died, we knew that the government wouldn be interested in doing anything to preserve the memory of such a great poet and so a few of his students got together and planned to launch this academy, Sain Lahori added.

After the poet death, the Evacuee Property Trust occupied the rooms and so it was up to Sain Lahori to collect funds needed to rent the rooms. The funds came from his well-wishers who have been coming for the past 20 years, he said.

During this time, the Daman Academy has published a few books, the most important one a compilation of Daman poetry titled Daman kay Moti. During his lifetime, the poet had never published and so when it came to compiling this book, we had to rely on the written records of those who had memorised his verses, Iqbal said. The book was a huge success and paved the way for other publications.

Besides preserving Daman legacy, the academy also hopes to revive Punjabi literature. Punjabi is dying out and those who write poetry or prose in this language are not valued, said Iqbal while explaining that one of their aims was to invite people to read and rewrite in Punjabi.For this purpose, the academy runs regular classes.

Iqbal and Sain Lahori have great hopes for the academy. They want to establish a Daman library in the Punjab, which will preserve archival and research materials for those interested in Punjabi literature. So far the academy has been self-financed but for this the library we would need more help. Let see where the help comes from, said Sain Lahori sitting cross-legged in the same room, where his ustad used to sip tea he would buy from the same chai-wallah.