KARACHI: Speakers at a seminar held at Urdu Bagh on Saturday underlined the need to reframe the real picture of Jaun Elia’s personality and his poetry, as he was a celebrated Urdu poet, writer and scholar of his time.

Josh Literary Society of Canada, Calgary, in association with Anjuman Taraqqi-i-Urdu Pakistan organised the seminar titled ‘Jaun Elia Shaed kay Baad’ (Jaun Elia after his first collection of poetry Shaid). Prominent scholar and poet Prof Sahar Ansari presided over the seminar, in which Iqbal Haider of Josh Literary Society, Dr Fatima Hasan, Allama Ali Karrar Naqvi, Mubeen Mirza, Aqil Abbas Jafari, Dr Najib Jamal, Tasnim Abdi from the USA, Rahat Saeed, and Khalid Ahmed Ansari expressed their views about the famous poet. Anmol Zehra moderated the seminar.

Prof Sahar Ansari paid glowing tribute to Jaun Elia, and said that he had passed a long time as a good friend of Elia, who was a well-learned poet. He pointed out that there was no connection between high degrees and poetry skills. He maintained that Ustab Qamar Jalalvi was not a literate person but his poetry skills were like a professor of poetry. Likewise, Elia was an excellent poet but some unaware people are trying to link his poetry with his knowledge and education, he said. He added that especially our uncontrolled social media was exaggerating about his proficiency in various languages and command in different sciences.

Professor Ansari said the picture of Jaun Elia’s multi-dimensional personality and his remarkable poetry needed to be fixed in an actual frame. Elia spent a miserable life but he had an authority to illustrate life’s tragedy in his poetry.

Paying tribute to the poet, Iqbal Haider said that Elia was really an illustrious poet. He observed that the shadow of Mir Taqi Mir’s sad poetry can be found in Elia’s creative works. He claimed that Elia on the front of sad poetic manner would be considered great poet after Mir.

Elia’s poetry is a great piece of art, which shocks his readers, he said. In his poetry, he also covers the issues of existence, he said.

Tarkh-i-Roozgar-i-Fana Likh Raha Hon Mein

Debacha-i-Wajood Pe La Likh Raha Hon Mein

Haider pointed out that Khalid Ahmed Ansari, a devoted fan of Elia, played a pivotal role in the compilation of Elia’s poetic work.

Dr Fatima Hasan said that despite Elia being overqualified, his poetry lines are easy which showed his domination in presenting abstruse ideas in a simple manner.

Mein Bhe Buhat Ajeeb Hon Itna Ajeeb Hon K Bus

Khud Ko Tabah Ker Liya Aur Malal Bhe Nahi

She also praised the efforts made by Khalid Ansari.

“Elia had spent last five years of his life at my home,” Allama Ali Karrar Naqvi informed the seminar. He regretted that the nation has lost a great poet of the present time. The dilemma of our people is that they rarely give respect to great people in their life, he observed, and stated that we love to remember only dead people.

He also recited the poetry that Elia used to recite in his last days:

Jee Buhat Chahita Hai Rony Ko

Jany kia Waqia Hai Hony Ko

Mubeen Mirza congratulated Iqbal Haider for organising such a meaningful event to remember a great poet. He pointed out that no doubt Elia passed a miserable life but the poet was lucky for having friends and devotees to remember him with a good name.

In the end, Aqil Abbas Jafari, chairman of Urdu Dictionary Board, and Khalid Ahmed Ansari had a conversation, and discussed how the compilation work of other Elia’s poetry collections was done. Ansari said that Jaun Elia had distinction among other poets on the social media where he had a rebirth. Responding to Jafari’s question, Ansari admitted that some pupils and companions of Elia were passing numerous Elia’s verses as their own. He regretted that a great segment of the poet’s work was kept unethically by his close aides.

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2018