Chiragh Hasan Hasrat: A natural humorist |
Written by English NewsPaper/Dawn/Others | |||
This column became hugely popular and senior journalists and political leaders like Abul Kalam Azad, Zafar Ali Khan and Muhammad Ali Jauhar appreciated him. Soon he joined a weekly `Asr-e-Jadeed` as assistant editor. Here he wrote humour column `Mataibaat` under the penname of `Koocha Gard` and it further increased his reputation as a journalist and humorist. But he soon had to quit because the weekly was staunchly pro-Muslim League and Hasrat was under the influence of Abul Kalam Azad`s personality and his pro-Congress policies.In 1926, Hasrat launched a literary journal `Aftab` from Calcutta. In 1928, Nehru Report took the Indian political world by storm. Hasrat as a supporter of Congress favoured the report and wrote many articles backing it. It caused uproar against him and his newspaper since an overwhelming majority of Muslims had rejected Nehru Report. It was a blunder that cost Hasrat dearly and he had to leave Calcutta fearing of his safety.
Hasrat came to Lahore in 1929. He had remained in the company of renowned writers in Calcutta and the city itself, being the former capital of the British India, was a picture of modernity and perfect cultural aura at that time. But by that time Lahore, being a centuries-old town with historical relics dotting the city and its suburbs, too, had emerged as a centre of Urdu publishing and printing. A great many number of literary magazines were being published from Lahore and, just like Calcutta, a galaxy of renowned writers had gathered in Lahore. Adding spice to that literary and cultural scene was the literary and cultural rivalry raging between UP and Punjab. `Niazmandan-e-Lahore` was an informal literary circle that used to defend the poets and writers of Punjab by writing rejoinders on their behalf. Soon Chiragh Hasan Hasrat became a member and joined in the efforts of the circle that it made to get Lahore recognized as a distinct school of literature just like Delhi and Lucknow. Another centre of literary activities in Lahore during the 1930s was Arab Hotel. Though named so, it was neither Arab nor a hotel. It was a restaurant. In fact it was not even a restaurant, as it was a small shop with worn-out and oily wooden chairs and tables put on the footpath near Islamia College. But before becoming a hub of Lahore`s intellectuals, Arab Hotel was just another ordinary eatery of Lahore meant to provide students with decent food and tea at a low price. It was Chiragh Hasan Hasrat who `discovered` its tasty food and fine tea and made it his meeting place. Some writers lived nearby and some newspaper offices were also in the vicinity. Islamia College was just across the road. Soon students and trainee journalists began paying a visit to Hasrat in order to learn a few tricks of the trade and within no time Arab Hotel became Lahore`s most popular literary rendezvous. It`s a pity that we do not care to preserve such places, though we appreciate how such places are preserved in other countries. Today there is no trace of Arab Hotel, but it was an informal training centre for many a student and journalist and Hasrat was the one who made the party go.
At `Zamindar` Hasrat wrote `Afkar-o-hawadis`, the famous column that Abdul Majeed Salik once wrote. In `Ehsan` he wrote `Mataibaat` under the penname of `Sindbaad Jahazi`. Hasrat launched his own journal `Sheeraza` in 1936 from Lahore and serialised a parody `Jadeed Jughrafia Punjab`, which may be ranked among the finest of Urdu parodies. Chiragh Hasan Hasrat was a restless soul. He could not work anywhere for too long and looked for something different. But then his health deteriorated and he had to be content with writing a daily column in `Nawa-e-Waqt`. Radio Pakistan, Lahore, arranged some programmes with him but Hasrat fell ill again and died in Lahore on June 26, 1955. Chiragh Hasan Hasrat wrote 16 books. `Kele ka Chhilka` and `Mataibaat` are collections of humorous writings. `Harf-o-Hikayat` is the collection of his columns. `Do doctor` and `Murdum deeda` are collections of pen sketches. His humour drew upon current affairs but it is natural and his command over the Urdu language, his wit, metaphors and allusion made it a real treat for anybody who is well-read. This is perhaps one of the reasons why today he is not so popular, since most readers today are not acquainted with the finer points of literature.
Written by Dr. Rauf Parekh ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) Source: http://archives.dawn.com/archives/109314 Work of Chiragh Hasan Hasrat shared by Salman Siddiqui : Shairon aur Adeebon ki Aik Mehfil
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