The circumstances surrounding the mysterious death of poet Mustafa Zaidi to some extent overshadowed his poetic merit, regretted Urdu language writer, critic, columnist, and essayist Nasir Abbas Nayyar, who was among the panelists at a session on the second day of the Lahore Literary Festival at Alhamra on Saturday.

Other panelists were Dr Syeda Anis Fatema Zaidi, a progressive feminist poet from Karachi who uses the pseudonym Fatema Hasan, and poet Farasat Rizvi, also from Karachi. The session was moderated by poet Rukhsana Saba.

Nayyar said the latest kulliat (collection) included some of Zaidi’s poetry that had never been published earlier, including the one published in India. He said this collection also includes a long mersiya (elegy), negating the impression that Zaidi ignored this genre. Quoting Zaidi’s son, he said the metaphor of Karbala assumed great significance in Zaidi’s poetry after 1960.

Nayyar rejected the notion that Zaidi as a poet was ignored, or that he could not get the recognition he deserved. To substantiate his point, Nayyar said Zaidi was well-known among the literary figures of his time, like Firaq, Prof Maseehuz Zman, Opinder Nath Ashk, Faiz, Majaz, and Sahir since his early days of poetry. The foreword of his early book Zanjeerien was written by none other than Firaq, who would not easily consider anyone a poet. He said later a writer from Sahiwal, Ashraf Qudsi, compiled a book in which Nazir Siddiqui wrote a comprehensive article on Zaidi, while Sajjad Baqir Rizvi and others also wrote on him.

He said the circumstances of Zaidi’s death received too much public attention, which to some extent sidelined his poetry, adding that it always happens that a significant incident overshadows many other important events that could have received more coverage in isolation.

Nayyar said initially Zaidi was influenced by the progressive movement, but later, when he changed his pseudonym, he disassociated from it. He said Zaidi was the first to differentiate between the European common man and the colonisers, a distinction that is usually ignored. He pointed out the dark side while being aware of the bright one, he added.

Earlier, opening the session, Saba quoted some famous verses of the late poet, saying that because Josh Malihabadi was Mustafa Zaidi’s teacher and Faiz Ahmed Faiz was his friend, his early poetry carried both the poetic grandeur of Josh and the calmness of Faiz. However, he gradually evolved and developed his own poetic voice, which became more pronounced in his later books like Qaba-i-Saaz and Koh-i-Nida.

She said different forms of ishq are visible in Zaidi’s poetry, from purely physical love to the universal, as he was not confined to just one aspect of love. She also expounded on the influence of the literary atmosphere of Allahabad on Zaidi’s early romantic poetry, where he found the company of literary figures like Firaq Gorakhpuri, Opinder Nath Ashk, Wamiq Jhonpuri, and Balwant Singh, besides Masoom Raza Rahi.

Saba also highlighted another ‘fire’ that consumed Zaidi—nostalgia and melancholy caused by his migration from Allahabad to Lahore. She said after moving to Pakistan, the revolutionary in Zaidi became disillusioned when he witnessed one martial law after another and saw people’s dreams being trampled. She appreciated the foreword of a recently published collection of the poet, written by Syed Baqir Ali Shah, which sums up various phases of Mustafa Zaidi’s life.

Fatima Hasan wondered how the poet was largely ignored by critics and denied the literary stature he deserved. Referring to Zaidi’s verse “Main kis ke haath pe apna lahoo talash karoon”, she said it proved to be a dark prophecy as the poet later died a mysterious death at the age of just 40. She wondered how the poet predicted certain incidents and situations that proved true not only in his personal life but also for the country.

She said Zaidi’s poetry lived on despite his early death because he was perhaps among those few who imbibe the ‘spirit of time’ and become immortal, while many others keep yearning for this long-lasting fame despite writing volumes.

Hasan said Zaidi’s poetry has elements of wonder and mystery—wonder stemming from his vision, which allowed him to see more than others and express it, and mystery from his foresight, which enabled him to foretell things. She said Zaidi’s poetry not only influenced a generation but also cultivated their literary taste. She added that when she was under the influence of progressive poets like Faiz, Sahir, and Majaz, the poetry of three others—Nasir Kazmi, Munir Niazi, and Mustafa Zaidi—would pull her towards the realities of the present world.

Farasat Rizvi said Zaidi’s nazm was more powerful than those of other progressive poets like Makhdoom Mohiuddin and Sahir Ludhianvi, except Faiz. He said Zaidi’s poetry had a poetic effect that could only be produced when a poet feels deeply connected to people and their sorrows.

Rizvi said Zaidi had the craft of properly ending a nazm, which is very rare, as most poets either keep dragging a nazm or end it before it achieves its full impact. In this connection, he referred to Zaidi’s poem on Vietnam. He quoted the master poet Jaun Elia as saying, “Where my poetry ends, Zaidi’s begins.”

Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2025