The Pioneer, New Delhi, 21-06-1995
Midnight’s Child
Pakistani poetess and feminist Kishwar Naheed,
who has tried to de-romanticise the Urdu Ghazal, speaks to Shamsul Islam
Kishwar
Naheed, poetess from Pakistan, has tried to de-romanticise the classical tradition
of the Urdu ghazal. Apart from being an avant-garde poetess, she has also made
significant contributions to the feminist movement of her country. Her
autobiography Buri Aurat Ki Katha (Story of a Bad Woman) could be any woman’s
tale in the Indian sub-continent.
Born
in rich family of Syeds in Bulandshahar in Uttar Pradesh, Naheed’s destiny was
determined by the events of her childhood which coincided with the Partition.
Says Naheed, “Unlike my brothers, my movements were restricted to the four walls
of the house. I helped with all the household chores like grinding spices,
washing pots etc. I often wondered why my brothers who were also my age did not
do the same things.
Then
came the Partition. Naheed was a seven-year-old when her family migrated to
Pakistan. Even after almost 50 years, the memories linger and the trauma
continues. “I saw women being kidnapped, raped...it shocked me. Those horrible
memories never leave me alone,” she says. “I wanted an outlet, I wanted to
express. That agony has been the real motive force behind my writings”
Equally
comfortable in both Urdu and English, Naheed has written five books on
different aspects of feminism in the Indian sub-continent. What is the kind of
feminism she subscribes to? “Some people argue that whatever man has been doing
to woman─crushing her completely─should be retaliated by woman. This is how they
define feminism. They simply want to reverse the cycle. Our feminism demands
dignity for everyone. If feminism only attempts to raise the consciousness of
women, it will not be of much use. It should make them realize the
inevitability of women’s equality,” she explains.
Naheed has been coming regularly to India since
1984. In the Capital recently to participate in a workshop on popular culture,
she says, “You will be surprised to know that I never attend mushairas here.
You have terrible mushairas─they are meant for singers and not for poets. The
audience is not interested in words, they want to hear sweet and dramatic
voices”. As for mushairas in Pakistan, “they are part of cattle fairs”. And she is not joking.
Who have been her favourite poets? “There
cannot be favourite poets. Of course there are favourite couplets. A good
couplet is that which gives a new meaning and new dimension everyday. It should
impose no limits to your exploration of its depth. Poetry helps you explore new
horizons”, she says.
Naheed has popularized prose poetry in Urdu.
She denies the allegation that by indulging in it she is spoiling the classical
tradition of the ghazal. “I am very fond of all classical traditions of Urdu
poetry. I have even composed ghazals in the classical mould. However, ghazal as
a form is unable to express the sensibilities and experiences I have
accumulated. Just for the sanctity of a classical format one should not shrink
from facing new challenges. I am certain that Urdu poetry will survive and
develop only through innovations and not by simply sticking to old formulas.”
The poetess says that thanks to the mullahs of
Pakistan and their attacks on women’s rights, there has been a qualitative
change in poetry. “The Urdu poetry has been sensitized to the issues of
feminism. Due to this development, the accent, vocabulary and scenario of our
poetry have changed completely. It has now marched on to realism.”
She informs that a number of women poets like
Fahmida Reyaz, Ishrat Afrin, Naseer Anjum, Fatima Hasan, Sahida Hasan, the late
Parvin Shakir and Sara Shagufta have come forward to resist the onslaught of
fundamentalism through poetry.
While comparing the Urdu literary scene of
India and Pakistan, she underlines the fact that in literary criticism, India
is far ahead. “Though Pakistani poets have experimented more, our poetry and
prose were critically evaluated better in India”.
She does not hesitate to point out that Urdu
writers of India have made a mistake by not assimilating the powerful literary
trends of other Indian languages. “Either it is their superiority complex or
they just do not bother to read. Their originality is not going to suffer if
they interact. Originality is not a mechanical thing. It does not start with a
zero”, she says.
Naheed believes that rising dogmatism and
religious fundamentalism present the greatest challenge to all creative people.
She is harsh on Taslima Nasreen. “Nobody has read her. Her writings are
substandard. She is too young; it is futile to talk about her. She is being
glorified out of sensationalism and political considerations.”
It is here that Naheed ceases to be both a
feminist and poetess. She turns into a typical Pakistani politician.
