Maulana Fazlul Hasan Hasrat Mohani’s Death Anniversary
Karachi:There were mixed feelings and opinions by the speakers at Maulana Fazlul Hasan Hasrat Mohani’s 59th death anniversary held at the Arts Council of Pakistan on Thursday night. However, the speakers were unanimous in the verdict that he was an institution and it was difficult to find someone like him during that period and nearly impossible in present times.
He was a journalist, poet, politician, socialist and a staunch Muslim. The Maulana was perhaps the first political prisoners in British India who was convicted under the Press Laws when he refused to reveal the name of the writer who had written an article titled “British Policy in Egypt”, published in the “Urdu-i-Mu`alla”, which was the top literary and political magazine in Urdu at the time.
The Vice Chancellor (VC) University of Karachi (KU), Prof Pirzada Qasim, who presided over the function, reminded the audience that the Muslims communities, especially in Pakistan, are indebted to the great Maulana who while being in the Indian National Congress was the first to demand ‘complete freedom’ from the British. Even Gandhi balked from this demand and wanted a dominion status for India under British rule.
The VC was also of the opinion that the Pakistani nation could emulate Mohani’s strength of character by plain living, employing the culture of honesty, originality and fighting for principles which were the hallmark of the great person.
Poet Sahar Ansari highlighted the role of Hasrat Mohani as one of the greatest romantic poets of his time who brought back the past glory of Ghazals in Urdu Literature. Ansari added that his poetry also included humour, satire and pun that were often targeted against government loyalists. The other quality that separates Mohani with others was that he did not follow the Delhi or Lucknow school of poetry. Therefore, Ansari stated that his works should be available at the schools and colleges, to allow the students to be informed about the versatile poet, writer and the politician.
Director Pakistan Study Centre, KU, Dr Syed Jafar Ahmed pointed out the role of Mohani as an idealist who had a practical approach as well. “He would never forsake his principles for anything. He spent considerable time in prisons but would not back down in his untiring effort for the independence of India. He had no contradictions in his long political career”, Dr Ahmed remarked. He also recited the famous couplet of Mohani:
“Hai mashqi sukhan jaaree chakkee kee mushaqqat bhee
Ik turfah tamaashah hai hasrat kee tabee`at bhee”
(Hasrat is continuing his hobby of composing verses side by side with the grinding of wheat. What a peculiar nature does Hasrat possess!)
Poet and writer Khwaja Razi Haider dwelt upon the religious leanings of Hasrat who performed Hajj many times and had the love of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) imbedded in his mind. That is why he has been called ‘Momin’ (pious Muslim) by his great contemporaries.
“The many-sided Mohani was a nationalist and composed a poem on Lokmaniya Tilak, which is very sentimental. Taken together, Hasrat as a poor poet is very close to Robert Burns, the celebrated poet of Scotland; hence, he may be called the `Robert Burns of Urdu Literature”, Haider concluded.The News
