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READABLE or not, criticism is not much read, let us admit. Only writers, intellectuals, students and critics read criticism, and that too because they have to — either out of compulsion or just because they are addicted to it. A common reader is not much interested in criticism. That is the reason why critics are not as famous, or liked, as the writers and poets they write about.
And if a critic is unwilling to get his critical writings collected and published in book form, he is even less known. Add to this erudition, straightforwardness armed with a few biting remarks and commitment, and you will have the deadly mixture known as Muzaffar Ali Syed. Most of Syed’s writings are buried in the pages of literary magazines and newspapers: he was reluctant to get them published in a volume or two just because he thought those writings needed some more honing. A perfectionist to the core, Syed did not heed the advice of his friends and as a result only one collection of his critical essays, titled Tanqeed ki azadi, could be published in his lifetime, and that too after Mushfiq Khwaja quipped that Muzaffar Ali Syed’s only published work was his visiting card. His second collection, compiled by Intizar Hussain and titled Sukhan aur ahl-i-sukhan, appeared last year when both Syed and Hussain had left for their heavenly abodes. Notwithstanding only two published books, Syed was a prolific writer and is ranked among prominent Pakistani critics.
The huge cache of Muzaffar Ali Syed’s unpublished and published works that are not collected in book form makes one realise that even after the publication of the book compiled by Intizar sahib, so much material is left that it would spread over many more books. Dr Rubeena Shaheen in her recently published dissertation Muzaffar Ali Syed: aik mutal’a has also given a list of Syed’s unpublished and uncollected works. It includes Urdu translations from English prose and poetry, critical essays, book reviews, short stories and prefaces. Also, Syed wrote in English and penned a large number of literary columns and book reviews most of which appeared in The News, Nation and Friday Times.
Dr Rubeena Shaheen teaches Urdu at Peshawar University and was awarded a PhD on this dissertation. Published by Anjuman Taraqqi-i-Urdu, the book traces Syed’s life, his literary works, his ideological commitments and his style.
Prof Sahar Ansari has raised an interesting question in his preface to the book. He says: “Is it possible to be impartial in criticism?” Replying himself, Ansari says: “It is very difficult to decide on the issue of partiality or commitment in criticism, but Muzaffar Ali Syed who often dubbed a writer’s or critic’s views as “party line” or “propaganda”, sometimes takes a stand which is apparently against this point of view of his own”.
Syed followed a particular ideology and wrote a number of articles supporting Pakistan, Pakistani culture, Urdu script and Kashmir’s struggle. Quoting from such articles, Ansari says: “This definitely shows his commitment to these issues. But a writer sometimes has to take a position as Muzaffar Ali Syed himself wrote that ‘in politics there comes a stage when a party cannot survive without a definite point of view. Similarly, in literature writers reach a point where they cannot remain non-committal. You should either declare that you are with the nation or say goodbye to your literary career and spend a life of a person who has nothing to say and nothing to do’”. Pointing subtly to the irony, Ansari concludes that such articles definitely show Syed’s ideology, whether one agrees with it or not.
Muzaffar Ali Syed was a critic much feared by writers and poets as well as other critics. Unbelievably well-read, iconoclast, candid and committed, he did not mince his words either in speech or writings. According to Dr Rubeena Shaheen, Muzaffar Ali Syed was born in December 1929 in Amritsar. He began composing poetry when he was a student of grade seven. Syed was admitted to Government College, Lahore, from where he did his BA Honours (Persian) in 1950 and MA (English) in 1952. In addition to Urdu, Persian and English, Syed knew Hindi, French and Arabic quite well.
Syed taught at Gujranwala’s Islamia College and Karachi’s S.M. College for a few years and then joined Pakistan Air Force where he taught English. He was asked to write Gen Ziaul Haq’s speeches. Though he abhorred it, he had to do it as part of duty. But as soon as Syed retired, he excused himself from writing speeches for the general.
Dr Rubeena has brought Syed’s personality to life with anecdotes and an interesting description of Syed’s eccentricities in the first chapter. She has it right when she says that Muzaffar Ali Syed was indeed inspired by Askari sahib but he had his own individual approach and his own views, which were not necessarily Askari’s reflections. But he surely had learnt a lot from Askari, especially his logical style and remaining unimpressed with big literary names.
A much-needed work, the book definitely fills a void and is the first authentic book on Muzaffar Ali Syed’s life, his works and his views.
Muzaffar Ali Syed died on January 28, 2000 in Lahore.
Published in Dawn January 30th, 2017
