JOSH MALIHABAADI : HE REGRETTED HIS DECISION AND ALWAYS MISSED HIS FRIENDS AND MANGOES OF MALIHABAAD (UP)

                                                                    

 IN THE ABOVE PHOTOGRAPH
 (Pandit Jawahar lal Nehru presiding  over an all India Urdu Mushaira organised in srinagar ( Kashmir ) in september 1949. Josh Malihabaadi is third from the left )

JOSH MALIHABAADI ( 1894-1982)

HE REGRETTED HIS DECISION AND WANTED TO DIE IN MALIHABBAD (UP ) . HE MISSED HIS FRIENDS IN INDIA AND MANGOES OF MALIHABAAD .

Naqsh-e-Khayaal dil se mitaayaa nahin hanoz

Bedard mein ne tujh ko bhulaayaa nahin hanoz

Woh sar jo teri raahaguzar mein thaa sajdaa-rez

Mein ne kisi qadam pe jhukaayaa nahin hanoz

( Josh Malihabaadi )

His actual name was Shabir Hassan Khan . Josh was his TAKHALLUS or penname . Tall, well built and handsome , Josh, a Pathan had a fiery temper. Born in an educated family , he also went to Tagore’s Shantiniketan for some time and later wrote poems against British Raj. Some of his revolutionary poems were even broadcast from German Radio during Second World War. For some time he worked with Nizam of Hyderbad but was soon exiled as he wrote poems against the autocratic rule of Nizam.

KAAM HAI MERA BAGHAWAT

NAAM HAI MERA SHABAB

MERA NA’ARA INQUILAB-O-

INQUILAB-O-INQUILAB

(My function is to revolt and my name is youth.

My slogan is revolution and total revolution.)

This brought him close to many Nationalist leaders including Maulana Azad and Pandit Jawahar lal Nehru . Pandit ji admired his poetry and made him editor of the Government Publication “Aaj kal ”. Known as Shayar e Inquilab in the country ,He was awarded Padama Bushan in 1954 . Pandit ji attended many Mushairas wherein Josh participated.

And then suddenly one day in 1958, he decided to pack up for Pakistan. Surprised at this decision, Pandit ji insisted on his staying back . But josh had made up his mind and moved over to Karachi . He put forth an argument that Urdu had little future in India and he as such would like to work for the language in Pakistan. Some writers have put forth a story that he was compelled by his wife and family members to move to Pakistan.Faiz Ahmed Faiz , Maulvi Abdul Haq and Syed Fakhar Ud Din Balley were his three close friends in Pakistan.

Some of Josh's important works are: Shola-o-Shabnam, Junoon-o-Hikmat, Fikr-o-Nishaat, Sunbal-o-Salaasal, Harf-o-Hikaayat, Sarod-o-Kharosh. His autobiography is titled "Yaadon ki Baarat" ( 780 Pages ). 

In Pakistan he missed his friends and his birth place Malihabaad . And yes the Mangoes of Malihabaad  as well.

Aey Malihabad ke rangeen gulistaan alvidaa

Alvidaa aye sarzameen-e-sub’h-e-Khandaan alvidaa

Alvidaa aey-kishvar-e-she’r-o-shabistaan alvidaa

Alvidaa aey jalvagaah-e-husn-e-jaanan alvidaa

Tere ghar se ek zindaa laash uth jaane ko hai

Aa gale mil lein ki aavaaz-e-jaras Aane ko hai

Aey Malihabaad ke rangeen Gulistaan alvidaa

Aam ke baaghon mein jab barsaat hogi purkharosh

Meri furqat mein lahuu royegi chashm-e-mai-farosh

Ras ki buundein jab uda dengi gulistaanon ke hosh

kunj-e-rangeen mein pukarengi hawayein Josh Josh

Sun ke meraa naam mausam ghamzada ho jayega

Ek mahshar sa gulistaan mein bapaa ho jayegaa

Aey Malihabaad ke rangeen gulistaan Alvidaa……

( Josh Mlihabaadi )

He had regrets all along his life for the decision to migrate from India. In India ,his unorthodox views and style tempted some people to  call  him a communist  though he was a religious man in his private life. In his autobiography , he mentions that his real belief was  Humanism and he had no issues in respecting  and accepting  the different ideologies .

Baaz aayaa mein to Aissay mazhabi taaoon se

Bhaaiyon ka haathh tar ho bhaaiyon ke khoon se

Some reviewers from  Pakistan have called  his autobiographical work “Yaadon ki Baraat ”as controversial. Some Friends in India have said that there is hardly anything in the book that is not known .

I quote an incident from the Book which Josh has narrated with regard to his visit to India in 1967 when he met Indira Ji.

"They say Indira is just like him ( Pandit Ji ), but he was different, I remember a day long ago when I came to meet Pandit ji and stood in the compound of Teen Murti House with others, awaiting his arrival. Just then a car drove up and Nehru jumped out. He looked at me and briskly walked in.I felt hurt and told those around me, "Nehru has changed". Just then he walked out of the house and came straight to meet with the exclamation: "What were you saying against me!" I told him what I had stated. Nehru smiled and whispered, "I had to rush to the toilet.And when I met Indira ji , I felt relieved . She is like her father .”

The meeting delighted Josh. He returned happy and said to many friends that Indira ji was not different from Pandit ji.

I for one would still suggest friends to read the book as it has a different style of unfolding events and stories and gives the reader a peep into some interesting historical events from 1900 onwards by the poet who fought against the foreign rule. One also gets convinced that the man basically believed in the equality of mankind..

I conclude this brief post on Josh with his poetic lines ..

Mehraab e Jaan mein tuune jalaaya thha khud jissey
Seeney ka woh chiraag Bujhaaya nahin Hanoz 
Mar kar Bhi Aayegi yeh sadaa Qabr e Josh se 
Bedard Maine Tujh ko Bhulaaya Nahin Hanoz 

( Autar Mota 07.03.2014 )

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