by Shamsul Islam
Kishwar Naheed was interviewed by Shamsul Islam in Delhi. She talked on de-romanticising Urdu poetry, experiments in the genre of ghazal, feminism, Partition, mushairas, status of urdu literature in the sub-continent etc. It is being reproduced in full with thanks to The Pioneer, New Delhi.
The Pioneer, New Delhi, 21-06-1995.
MIDNIGHT'S CHILD.
Pakistani poetess and feminist... more
The Pioneer, New Delhi, 21-06-1995.
MIDNIGHT'S CHILD.
Pakistani poetess and feminist Kishwar Naheed, who has tried to de-romanticise the Urdu Ghazal, speaks to Shamsul Islam
Kishwar Naheed, poetess from Pakistan, has tried to de-romanticise the classical tradition of the Urdu ghazal. Apart from being an avant-garde poetess, she has also made significant contributions to the feminist movement of her country. Her autobiography Buri Aurat Ki Katha (Story of a Bad Woman) could be any woman’s tale in the Indian sub-continent.
Born in rich family of Syeds in Bulandshahar in Uttar Pradesh, Naheed’s destiny was determined by the events of her childhood which coincided with the Partition. Says Naheed, “Unlike my brothers, my movements were restricted to the four walls of the house. I helped with all the household chores like grinding spices, washing pots etc. I often wondered why my brothers who were also my age did not do the same things.
Then came the Partition. Naheed was a seven-year-old when her family migrated to Pakistan. Even after almost 50 years, the memories linger and the trauma continues. “I saw women being kidnapped, raped...it shocked me. Those horrible memories never leave me alone,” she says. “I wanted an outlet, I wanted to express. That agony has been the real motive force behind my writings”
Equally comfortable in both Urdu and English, Naheed has written five books on different aspects of feminism in the Indian sub-continent. What is the kind of feminism she subscribes to? “Some people argue that whatever man has been doing to woman─crushing her completely─should be retaliated by woman. This is how they define feminism. They simply want to reverse the cycle. Our feminism demands dignity for everyone. If feminism only attempts to raise the consciousness of women, it will not be of much use. It should make them realize the inevitability of women’s equality,” she explains.
Naheed has been coming regularly to India since 1984. In the Capital recently to participate in a workshop on popular culture, she says, “You will be surprised to know that I never attend mushairas here. You have terrible mushairas─they are meant for singers and not for poets. The audience is not interested in words, they want to hear sweet and dramatic voices”. As for mushairas in Pakistan, “they are part of cattle fairs”. And she is not joking.
Who have been her favourite poets? “There cannot be favourite poets. Of course there are favourite couplets. A good couplet is that which gives a new meaning and new dimension everyday. It should impose no limits to your exploration of its depth. Poetry helps you explore new horizons”, she says.
Naheed has popularized prose poetry in Urdu. She denies the allegation that by indulging in it she is spoiling the classical tradition of the ghazal. “I am very fond of all classical traditions of Urdu poetry. I have even composed ghazals in the classical mould. However, ghazal as a form is unable to express the sensibilities and experiences I have accumulated. Just for the sanctity of a classical format one should not shrink from facing new challenges. I am certain that Urdu poetry will survive and develop only through innovations and not by simply sticking to old formulas.”
The poetess says that thanks to the mullahs of Pakistan and their attacks on women’s rights, there has been a qualitative change in poetry. “The Urdu poetry has been sensitized to the issues of feminism. Due to this development, the accent, vocabulary and scenario of our poetry have changed completely. It has now marched on to realism.”
She informs that a number of women poets like Fahmida Reyaz, Ishrat Afrin, Naseer Anjum, Fatima Hasan, Sahida Hasan, the late Parvin Shakir and Sara Shagufta have come forward to resist the onslaught of fundamentalism through poetry.
While comparing the Urdu literary scene of India and Pakistan, she underlines the fact that in literary criticism, India is far ahead. “Though Pakistani poets have experimented more, our poetry and prose were critically evaluated better in India”.
She does not hesitate to point out that Urdu writers of India have made a mistake by not assimilating the powerful literary trends of other Indian languages. “Either it is their superiority complex or they just do not bother to read. Their originality is not going to suffer if they interact. Originality is not a mechanical thing. It does not start with a zero”, she says.
Naheed believes that rising dogmatism and religious fundamentalism present the greatest challenge to all creative people. She is harsh on Taslima Nasreen. “Nobody has read her. Her writings are substandard. She is too young; it is futile to talk about her. She is being glorified out of sensationalism and political considerations.”
[The printed version carried a photograph of Kishwar Naheed which is not reproduced here.]
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