Poetry of Habib Jalib made into activist music video
Monica Mody
Monday, May 12, 2008 13:36 [IST]
Islamabad: A poem opposing the policies of Pakistan's military ruler
in the 1950s has been shaped into a snappy music video by two leftist
activists, to air their angst against the current happenings in the
country.
Resistance poetry has long been the weapon of Pakistanis and it is not
surprising that the young firebrand revolutionaries have based their
music video on the poetry of legendary poet Habib Jalib.
The musical documentary, posted on the Internet, includes a series of
live shots of Karachi, Lahore and London from the period shortly after
the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto in December last
year up to this year's general election on February 18.
Jalib is believed to have composed the satire, titled "Musheer", which
means the adviser, during military ruler Ayub Khan's regime. But the
poetry, the leftist activists say, "is still very valid".
Shahram Azhar's vocals and Taimur Rehman's guitar run at background as
the video unveils a tumultuous period in Pakistan's history.
The video begins in Pakistan on the eve of Bhutto's assassination and
then zooms in on the ensuing grief, violence and carnage. It also has
passing shots of London, where a group of young activists are seen
organising protests.
The song and video were produced on a shoe-string budget of just one
session each.
The poem by Jalib, who was also a Leftist, was written in response to
a conversation he had with another leading poet of his time, Hafiz
Jalandari.
"Tu khuda ka noor hai, akal hai shaoor hai, quam tere saath hai, tere
hi wujood sai mulk ki nijaad hai" wrote Jalib, who was jailed for
writing resistance poetry, wrote in the satire targeting Ayub Khan.
Azhar and Rahman who are political activists of the Communist Mazdoor
Kisan Party in Pakistan have been using poetry, music and activism to
protest against the goings-on in their country.
They have also been involved in the lawyers' movement against
President Pervez Musharraf after emergency was imposed in November
last year.
The musical documentary by Widei Films of London, which is to be
released shortly, seeks to show that the Left is not dead in the
country and plural voices for an egalitarian and more just Pakistan
are very alive.
The poem pokes fun at Jalib's contemporaries who fell silent during
the dictator's era.
"Jinko tha zabaan par naaz...chup hain woh... Admi hai wohh bada dar
pai hai jo pada, joh panah maang le baksh de uski khatah".
Jalib also did not spare Pakistanis, who accept wrongs done to them as
their fate.
"Das crore yeh gadhe, Jinka naam hai awaam, Jinka naam hai awaam, Kya
bangenge hukraman, Apni to yeh dua yeh sadr to rahe sada".
Source : PTI
http://news.indiainfo.com/2008/05/12/0805121340_pak-video.html
See also: http://www.teeth.com.pk/blog/2008/04/27/mainay-uss-say-yeh-kaha-habib-jalib