Razi Abedi - Man of two languages
surreal_ravi
By Sumera S. Naqvi
Razi Abedi is working on his autobiography these days. A former
chairman of the English department of the Punjab University, he has
written bilingually and contributed many critiques and essays on Urdu
and English writers and literatures. An autobiography, which he plans
to title Bazar Ki Raunaq, should not only be interesting as he pens
his travelogues and experiences, but also stimulating, especially for
his students. As he says, "I always tell my students that they should
be better than me." This is perhaps a true attribute of a devoted
teacher.
Razi Abedi confesses that he has had two passions in life: to teach
and to travel. "I was never too bent on earning a phenomenal amount of
money but I always wanted to read and travel. I feel I was blessed and
was able to eventually do what I wanted to do." Though he was made to
study science as his father saw a lucrative career in the area, Razi
Abedi was always keen on taking up the arts as his major. "My father
made me take science as a major subject despite my protests that I was
more interested in studying the arts." When his father died of
tuberculosis, Abedi had to leave studies for the time being and take
up a job to support the family.
He joined the AG office in 1946 though he was slightly under age for
the job and later worked as telephone operator. A book, however, never
left him as he read extensively including Russian and French
literature in translations. As he eventually switched over to the
arts, he completed his masters in English. His contribution has been
tremendous as helping set up the English department in 1963 in the
Punjab University is a feather in the cap. Among a plethora of books
that he has written in English and Urdu, The tragic vision, Maghrabi
Drama aur Jadeed Adabi Tehreekein and Achhoot Logon ka Adab,
co-authored with Dr Mubarak Ali, are widely acclaimed.
Though he has associated himself with the concepts of the progressive
movement which was launched in 1936, Razi Abedi never understood the
need of look up to foreign influences that was once the impetus of the
movement. "The partition was one of the main events in our lives and
everyone was against the British hegemony. Anybody who was against
human exploitation and inequality could be called a progressive at
that time. Soon the energy of the movement started fizzling out as the
ideas of the writers were mostly dictated. Besides, they had to be
more abreast with the ground realities of our country.
The fall of Russia was a great setback for these writers. I never
understood why a collapse of a system in another country could affect
our lives. Why should a development in another country impact our
creative sensibility? I believe that there is injustice all over the
world and so one needs to empathize with misery all over the world,
especially our own. Ziaul Haq's rule was one of the darkest periods in
the history of this country and I wrote a lot against it. Somehow I
wasn't apprehended because I was writing in English. Had I written in
Urdu it would have been different."
The progressive writers, however, Razi Abedi acknowledges have made
tremendous contributions to literature. "First they introduced ideas,
views and techniques of foreign writers into Urdu literature through
translations. They also provoked people to think and rebel against
atrocity and injustice. Realism set in writings and the issues of
exploitation were the most real ones that touched the hearts of
people. Some wrote in disguise while many wrote openly."
Razi Abedi still bosoms his fiery views about exploitation in the
world even though he accedes that its heyday has passed. "There have
basically been two kinds of people, the exploiters and the exploited.
With regards to globalization today, there are two types of people -
the looter and the looted. There is wide dissemination of information
and technology but very soon the looted will rise for their rights.
Conflict in future will be of a different nature. It will not be in
the nature of power dispensation for we can now see how helpless power
can become.
"Ever since the days of Shakespeare when materialism was the order of
the day, the concept of power had begun becoming redundant. Power
weakens man. The common man on the other hand can walk freely in the
streets."
Razi Abedi is optimistic about the new crop of Urdu writers and makes
positive comments about the kind of literature being churned out but
he finds it difficult to pass a judgement on contemporaries.
"Partition had disrupted normal lives. People are now finding their
roots which provide ample food for literature. Though Urdu has a good
future, I feel that there is no official patronage to it. Our
government officials are hypocrites as they keep making promises that
Urdu will become the official language but nothing materializes.
If you don't know English, you can't even do your MA in Urdu. The
medium of English is not only an issue in education but also a class
problem. The upper class speaks it to keep a distance from the lower
class. The zamindar would never want the hari to rub shoulders with
him even if he learns English. Urdu writers therefore, also feel
defeated by the preponderance of English in our country as they are
not as widely read as they are once they are translated.
Therefore, there should be a bureau of translations where important
books are religiously translated for the common man to be able to read
them." Many people however, think that translations tend to take away
the essence of a particular writing in any language."But why should we
keep our readers away from literatures of other countries and regions
on this pretext? A translation transports fresh insights into another
language. Manto for instance, learned the art of story telling from
foreign literature as Urdu did not have enough literature to draw
strength from at that time."
The professor dismisses the view that the British provoked a gulf
between Urdu and Hindi. "Dr Mubarak Ali has shed ample light on this
issue in his book, Zaban ka Mas'ala. He says that the divide surfaced
when the Muslims started picking out Hindi words from the Urdu text. I
think Fort William college had nothing to do with the divide that
eventually took place. E.M. Forster for intstance, in his book A
Passage to India kept Muslims at the forefront. Lingual imperialism
was mostly instigated by the Muslims. I remember Josh sahib never
liked using Hindi words in the Urdu text. The British considered
themselves to be at par with the Muslims as they were the former
rulers of India. As the language of the court was Persian at the time
of the Mughal rule, the common man spoke Urdu or Hindi, which the
British tried to develop. Urdu therefore was worked upon and nourished
quite immensely at that time. Today, Urdu is understood widely and
Hindi movies have played a great role in popularizing it."
Regarding structuralism which is a hot topic among critics these days
- whether the word is more powerful or the idea - Razi Abedi
maintains, "There are two attitudes: art for the sake of art and art
for the sake of life. If you believe that you have an idea that should
be put across, then you should insist on communication. But if you
isolate yourself, then you live in your own ivory tower.
A painter makes a painting and wants others to come up to his mental
level and understand his painting and appreciate it. Mirza Ghalib for
instance also felt isolated as people did not understand his poetry.
But if one wants to be popular why shouldn't one write in the language
that people understand? If you wish to be popular and be understood
then you will have to write in the language of the people. They will
not only understand you, your art will also communicate."
Razi Abedi's biography will be written in the language of the masses
as he quotes his own couplet:
Na hum gahak na saudagar
Hum sey lena dena kya
Phir bhi hein bazar ki raunaq
Deewanay kehlaain
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Razi Abedi: profile
Birth: 1930 in Sonipat
Academic qualifications: BSc (University of Punjab), M.A. English
(University of Punjab and Cambridge University)
Works: (Urdu): Maghrabi Drama Aur jadeed Adabi Tehreekein, Teesri
Duniya ka Adab, Achhoot Logon ka Adab, Teen Novel Nigar
(English): The Tragic Vision, Educational Chaos, Search for a Medium.
