Ali Haider Joshi - Makings of a legend
surreal_ravi
By Muqaddam Khan
Intellectuals, poets and philosophers have a profound impact on
literature and on people's thinking. When they die, they continue to
live on in the hearts of the masses. Their death marks a new phase in
their life - their physical presence ends but their work keeps their
name alive.
The legendary Pushto poet, Ali Haider Joshi, was one such personality
who died on January 6 after a prolonged illness and was buried in
Ismalia (Swabi). He was 90. The poet and artists community has
described his death a loss that will be felt for ever and the vacuum
created with his demise may be very difficult to fill.
Born in 1914 in Ismalia, 10-kilometres from the district headquarter
in a poverty-stricken illiterate family where no one knew the
importance of poetry and literature, Joshi was a poetic genius. He
started writing poetry when he was just 12 years old. Though he
received education up to the sixth class, he rendered verses extempore
on any topic on any occasion. In a very short time he became very
famous across the Pushto speaking areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
All the Pushto vocalists considered it a pride to sing his lyrics.
Joshi has written 25 books. Among his works Diwan-i-Joshi and Yousaf
Khan Sher Bano, a versified folk love story, become very popular. Some
of his works had also been translated into English. Joshi took an
active part in the freedom struggle against the British colonials and
twice suffered imprisonment. He was fully committed to his cause and
had the moral strength to suffer for it. However, after independence
from the British he withdrew from politics, but continued to oppose
the unequal distribution of wealth and advocated stability in the
country. He was a beacon of light in the ocean of darkness for the
oppressed and agonized souls waiting for the promised new dawn of
life. Joshi had remained a fighter against injustice till the very
end.
Joshi was the only Pushto poet who composed the famous folk story
"Yousaf Khan Sher Bano" while producing the first-ever Pushto movie,
which is still very popular in the Pakhtoon community. This movie was
mostly filmed in Karamar Mountain (Yousaf Khan and Sher Bano lie
buried on its peak) and other areas of the district where the real
story occurred. "The versification of Yousaf Khan and Sher Bano's love
story became the cornerstone of his poetic career. "The credit of
popularity of this wonderful Pushto folk story also goes to Joshi,"
says Dr Raj Wali Shah Khattak, the director of Pushto Academy,
University of Peshawar.
In recognition of his services and contribution to Pushto poetry and
literature the government of Pakistan conferred on him the pride of
performance in March 2001. He was also awarded the Fakhar-i-Mardan and
Fakhar-i-Takhtbai awards in 2000.
Although a majority of Pushto poets have received recognition after
their death, Joshi was lucky in that respect. He gained fame during
his life time. Joshi occupies a special place among the Pushto poets.
He was a master in extempore versification. Only a few brave souls
could compete with his commanding idiomatic usage of Pushto language.
Joshi was the most popular of the Pushto folk poets who used simple,
fluent language of the masses, reflecting the genuine feelings and
emotions of the Pakhtoon in a befitting manner. His biggest asset was
that the common people understood the spirit of his poetry. His
simplicity of expression made him a distinguished figure of the
literary club that left a great influence on Pushto literature.
Joshi was in the front rank of those poets who popularized and gave a
new attractive twist to Pushto songs. He emerged at a time when there
were distinguished Pushto poets making a mark. He carved out a
distinct niche for himself in the domain of Pushto literature with his
well laced verses with a majestic poetic style.
His approach to life is simple. He exhorts the readers not to raise
imposing structures in this mortal world which they have to leave. A
roof that does not leak will suffice.
He thanks God that man would only enter heaven by virtue of his pious
acts and wealth will not entitle man to heaven. Otherwise only the
rich would have gone to paradise
Though greatly influenced by the gentle poetry of Rehman Baba and
Khushal Khan Baba, Joshi developed a style of his own and injected new
life into Pushto ghazal and folk poetry. Later many Pushto poets drew
inspiration from his poetic talent.
A literary luminary like Joshi is born once in centuries and the
vacuum created by his death will be very difficult to fill because his
services to Pushto language and literature were inimitable. Joshi was
the central spirit of every literary programme.
A sad chapter of his life came when Joshi was forced by circumstances
to leave his ancestral village and shift along with his family to
Takhtbai (Mardan) where he spent the last 23 years of his life. The
reason was a family feud which even led to the death of a person. Once
he departed from his ancestral home, Joshi never returned except in
death only to undertake his eternal journey.
