“IT has become a common practice among researchers to base their papers written on Mir Taqi Mir on a few old books as new thoughts on Mir have dried up,” writes Sadiqur Rahman Qidwai in his editorial in the latest issue of Urdu Adab, Delhi.

“Discussion on Mir — that had barely begun some 40 years ago —succumbed to the triteness within 20 years. One hopes, however, this issue of Urdu Adab would help discover new dimensions of studies on Mir,” adds Qidwai, the president of Anjuman Taraqqi-i-Urdu Hind (ATUH).

The just published issue (July 2024-June2025), which is also available online (atuh.org), is edited by Ather Farouqui, the general secretary. It is a special issue on Mir Taqi Mir, remembering the great bard on his tri-centennial. What Qidwai referred to, without naming it, is perhaps Shamsur Rahman Farooqi’s Shear-i-Shor Angez, an epochal work in four volumes on Mir, which keeps on echoing in the words and thoughts of today’s critics and researchers who discuss Mir. It may be added here that, though Farooqi’s work truly inspired many, it was Muhammad Hasan Askari who had begun reassessing many notions widespread in Urdu criticism for too long and who said that Mir was the greatest poet of Urdu.

Looking at the contents of the special issue, one feels Qidwai’s hope is not unjustified as the ATUH through its publications and symposia has been trying to create a new discourse on Mir: the issue has new articles, save for a couple, with a fresh perspective. ATUH is trying to bring those in who write in other Indian languages — that is, other than Urdu — and are lovers of Urdu and its literature but are not considered “Urdu walas” in traditional sense, as put by Qidwai. Inviting Ranjit Hoskote, a prominent Indian art critic, poet, translator and cultural theorist, to ATUH’s seminar on Mir was a manifestation of ATUH’s desire to be inclusive rather than exclusive. The issue also includes a transcribed version of Hoskote’s article on Mir that he had read out at the seminar. Hoskote has also translated some select verses of Mir into English.

Included in this issue is an article taking up a contentious matter. It is on Mir’s so-called seventh divan. As every student of Urdu knows Mir’s Urdu kulliyaat or collected works of Urdu poetry consist of six divans. Some time ago the ATUH had published a book titled Mir Taqi Mir Ka Ghair Matboo’a Divan-i-Haftum, or Mir’s seventh unpublished divan, with the claim of the compiler that it was hitherto unpublished. It immediately kicked up a controversy, prompting contradicting voices in literary circles as some experts were able to point out that it was in fact only a selection from Mir’s poetry. The unpublished couplets included in the so-called seventh divan numbered not more than three or four. The ATUH felt, says the editorial note, that it was their moral obligation to publish any piece that cleared the mist. So an article by Mahmood Kavish, a Pakistani scholar, dissects the claim and proves that the so-called unpublished seventh divan is neither the seventh nor unpublished. Adding insult to injury is Kavish’s detailed analysis, pinpointing some silly errors in editing and compilation of clumsy work ineptly titled the seventh divan. One must appreciate the ATUH’s honesty for admitting the divan was dud.

Another article by Arjumand Ara, a well-known Indian scholar and translator, tells an interesting story: a student of hers asked her for help to review a selection from Mir’s divan, compiled in Devanagari script. She took real pains to correct the manuscript as it carried innumerable errors, ranging from incorrectly spelt words to misunderstood common Urdu words, since the compiler only had rudimentary knowledge of Urdu. In addition to correcting and rewriting about 1,600 ghazals in Nagari script, she also penned an introductory article on Urdu ghazal enabling readers of Hindi to understand the background of Mir’s ghazals.

Dr Abdur Rasheed, another scholar from Delhi, also had worked meticulously on the manuscript. Yet another scholar was hired to work on it. To cut a long story short, Ms Arjumand asked the compiler to not give her name as co-compiler since she feared that too many cooks might have spoiled the broth. When the book was published her introductory article was missing, too. But the same article, titled Classiki Ghazal Parhne Se Pehle, or before reading classical ghazal, has now been published in the current issue and this story is appended to the article. Other articles included merit a mention too, but for want of space it is simply not possible.

Ever since Ather Farouqui took over as ATUH’s secretary general, the organisation seems to have got a shot in the arm, publishing unconventional articles as well as holding conferences with invitees hailing from a different linguistic or cultural background has become the ATUH’s hallmark.

drraufparekh@yahoo.com

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2024