War, poetry, music...

Violence has taken its toll on culture, literature and how one express himself. The point to be noted about Pashtu culture and poetry is that it is a lived experience. Because of lack of academic institutions and the paraphernalia associated with academia Pashtu arts and literature have been born among commoners and the level of impact of any piece of poetry was how much it captured the popular artistic imagination and how much the poetry directed it. In 1917 the first Pashtu Afsana was written, while the first Pashtu poem that we have record of was written in 900 AD. If you read that very first poem and then the first stage of Pashtu poetry and literature i.e. that of Peer-e-Rokhan and AKhundarweza baba and follow it to the second stage of Rahman Baba and Khushal baba and then jump right to the 20^th century you will find a continuity of linguistic tradition and you will find that the poetry of a thousand years shares much vocabulary with the poetry of today. That is because the creative process took place among the masses. Hujra  rather than a Khanqaah or seclusion of the poet gave impetus to the creative instinct.

Rahman baba is considered to be the poet of “Kur, Hujra au Jumaat” (home, Hujra and mosque). The traditionally educated Mullah was expected to be well-versed in Rahman baba and in his sermons it was not uncommon to hear a verse or two of Rahman baba. The tales of Khushal baba and his bravery are almost folklore. And all this because of the institution of Hujra which ensured continuity of tradition and oral transmission of learned wisdom. “Gudar” ,which literally if translated will be the side of a spring, was the place where Tappa was born. Women will go to springs to fetch water and Gudar features the highest in Tappa as well as in the poetry. “Deedan” (catching a glimpse of beloved) is closely tied to Gudar. Gudar was the romantic inspiration, “Deedan” the romantic objective and Hujra the place to sing the pain of yearning for the beloved, recounting tales of Deedan and expressing how insufferable the agony of “Hejran” (separation) is and wondering when will the moment of Wesaal (requiting) come.

Then came the era of music recording and it was the glorious of eras. Abdul-Jahani Bari, the famous Afghan poet, was made immortal in the consciousness of Pashtu poetry and music lovers by Ustad Nashanas. There came Shah Wali Ustaz from Afghanistan singing Khushal baba, Ahmad Gul Ustaaz perfecting the art singing Rubaai, Khyal Muhammad being titled “Shehenshah-e-Ghazal”. Music was what was needed for the nature of lived experience of Pashtu poetry. Deevans of Pashtu poets don’t sell, their poetry sung sells. Hamza baba was a playwright, a Drama writer for Pakistan radio, but there came Rafiq Shinwari, a match made in heavens-poetry of Hamza and voice of Rafiq Shinwari-and Hamza became only a bit lesser than Rahman and Khushal. There came Zarsanga. Nightingale of the Desert. Voice as sweet as the fading sound of a bell in a faraway desert. Verses as melancholic as a flower popping in a remote corner of the desert. There was Ahmad Zaheer Ustaaz, the Elvis Presley of South Asia, making compositions to be copied by Bollywood.  Mashuq Sultana singing Ghazals and Zarsanga been titled Queen of folklore.

There is no poetry without Pashtu music when it comes to late 20^th century. Ghani is known because his poetry was echoed in the ears of everyone by the heaviness, the breadth, the longevity of Sardar Ali Takkar’s voice. Rahmat Shah Sayal is known because Gulzar Alam in his sweet but unflinching voice sang “Da khawra Inqilab Ghwarre” (This land calls for revolution). Such was the popularity of the song that both the poet and the singer were arrested and slapped with charges of sedition. Takkar was on a mission to tame the Dionysian spirit of Ghani baba’s poetry and was reluctant to sing anything not Ghani’s. Gulzar Alam popularizing Ajmal Khattak, Khatir Afriday and anyone who can capture the market more than the Takkar’s monopoly over Ghani. This was era of audio cassettes. Come to late 90’s and early 2000s and here is Haroon Bacha becoming one with Tappa.

We have seen the flames of war in Afghanistan but the Pakhtun belt on this side is safe. There still are singers singing new poetry of great poets. But come the era of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal. Arbab Hall, the only hall meant to arrange cultural events and working as patron to the artists closed down. The campaigns to blacken faces of female models on billboards rise. Gudar was already wrecked by growing religiosity. Hujra too falls down to the growing influence of mosques. The MPAs and mayors are Mullahs. Before Jirgas were held in Hujra, now they go to mosques. Before the quoting of Rehman baba from an elder or recalling some old adage or allegory was the end of the debate. Then Mullahs quoting Ahadees and from Fitawa of Deoband the end of any discussion. Hujra lost its influence as place of political arbitration.

Hujra was also a place for “Mailas” where few novices will gather and play Rabab and sing randomly from the Kalaam of all great poets, sometimes inserting their own tweaks to match the tune. But music was banned. Hujra deserted. Instead of hearing Rabab, the echo from the pulpit would fill the space. The singers disappeared. Takkar resurfaced after many years in the US working for Voice of America radio. Zarsanga was seen here and there begging. Gulzar Alam became a Taxi driver in Karachi. There was resistance though. Abdul Rehman Roghani challenged ,”Da ghatsarre, da babarrsarre da spagu dak” (these beasts with disheveled hair full of leaches), referring to the long hair of Taliban; and smilingly reciting “Deen ke dumra nanawoza lka che sumra pakar we, ta pake dumra nanawate che te pure owate” (follow religion as much as necessary, you followed it so much that you made something new out of it). Roghani was visited by Taliban. He became silent, just minding his teaching at a government middle school.

There is poetry now. But instead of recounting the intoxication that the eyes of the beloved are, the yearning for peace is recounted. Someone comes and talks of resistance but the challenge is not as audacious as that of Ajmal Khattak. Bakht Zada Danish challenges the Mullah but also affirms his own Muslimhood. The mockery of Ghani is lost as well as his temerity to take pride in being a follower of Bacchus. No one dares to claim to be a pantheist like Hamza baba. The subtlety of Gran baba is lost in the grim reality of violence. Tappa no more talk of Deedan, Gudar, Hijran and Wesaal. Tappa are hilarious caricature now, which make the Janan to be Khudkush Dhamaka.

Lamenting the milieu has become the major theme of any serious poetry. Masti (ecstasy) and Meena (love) and Khumare Starge (Intoxicated eyes) are sort of sneered down. But even if someone comes with Masti there is no Takkar to capture forever that Masti. If someone conjures up a Tappa about Gudar Haroon Bacha is busy in radio to sing that. There are folklores but Zarsanga is too old to sing (but check her new song on Patari, you will know what we have lost). Sayal can come up with songs of revolution but Gulzar Alam just fled this month to Kabul. A Mullah had threatened him of accusing him of blasphemy and overnight he run with his family to Kabul.