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Dera Baba Nanak, Kartarpur Narowal (Ravi)


The Gurdwara Darbar Sahib is situated in the town of Kartarpur (Ravi). The Gurdwara Sahib is better known as Dera Baba Nanak.
This is the place where Guru Nanak Ji departed from this world on 23rd Assu, Samvat 1596 (22nd Sept. 1529).
Dera Sahib Station is located about four kilometers from the Gurdwara on the Lahore-Narowal railway.
The Gurdwara is in Shakargarh tehsil, of Narowal district of Punjab province, Pakistan.
The Gurdwara was originaly built at a cost of Rs.1,35,600, from funds donated by Sardar Popindar Singh, the Maharaja of Patiala.

Information on situation

The Shrine is sited along the bank of the river Ravi.
It is in Kartarpur, Post Office Kajrurh, Tehsil Shakarhgarh, Distt Narowal, West Punjab, Pakistan
It is about 100 km. from Lahore and 180 Km, from Nanakana Sahib via Lahore. (Before Partition it was part of Distt Gurdaspur but later became part of Distt. Sialkot but then the Sialkot was bifurcated and Narowal carved out as Distt.)
On Indian side it is opposite to:
Village & Post Office, Police Station Dera Baba Nanak, Tehsil Batala, Distt. Gurdaspur Dera Baba Nanak is 54 Km from Amritsar, 35 km from Batala and 39 Km from Gurdaspur.

Rennovations

The Gurdwara after 9 years it was renovated (2004)
The Govt. of Pakistan renovated the Gurdwara in 1995 incurring an expenditure in lacs of rupees. It has a spacious and beautiful building. Its location beside a forest along the river Ravi makes its care difficult. A photo before the rennovations is shown below.

Estates owned by Kartarpur Sahib as per Land Revenue records

During a visit to Kartarpur, B.S. Goraya got the documents from a patwari.
Here a little comment from B.S. Goraya on the subject:
1371 Kanals 7 Marlas of Land in the name of Durbar Sahib Kartarpur.
Baba Guru Nanak was today extra kind on us when we went to Kartarpur for our monthly prayers for corridor. It so happened that when we were distributing a pamphlet on Kartarpur sahib while in our journey in a bus a gentleman asked a question. "you are a preacher of Kartarpur do you know how much land does stand in the name of Kartarpur?" We politely replied that we are the salaried people we don't know much. Later we came to know that he is an old patwari and possesses certified copies of land records of Kartarpur sahib. Today being the Lohrhi festival, with reluctance he agreed to furnish details without any cost with the condition that his name and photo be given on internet.
May Guru bless him health and long life.
These are as per old killa measurements (1921-240 If we are to calculate exact area of land as per present scale in India we compute 1 killa = 9 kanals and 13 marlas. The modern killa is of 8 kanals.
Source
An aged patwari S. Ajit Singh Village Khehra Near Palowali Fatehgarh Churhian, Tehsil Batala Distt. Gurdaspur. Tel. No. 91-1871-288742. He is in possession copies of old records which are also available in State Archives Patiala.
Ajit Singh was remarking that Guru Nanak Baba will be displeased if a poor cultivator is evicted (now after 58 years) from the above land of Baba Nanak. Only those who can afford may be conveyed that the ownership of the particular land belongs to Darbar Sahib. 



Ameer-e-Millat




Pir Sayyed Jamaat Ali Shah Naqsbandi-Mujaddidi ali puri [1840-1951 ] 

Amir al Millat Hadrat Pir Sayyed Jamaat Ali Shah Sahib quds-sirruhu  of Alipur Syedan Sharif, Sialkot, (Now Norowal) Pakistan.

The Shaykh was one of the great saints of the Punjab and a sayyed also from both maternal and paternal sides of his family. His ancestors, all sufi masters themselves, hailed from Shiraz in Iran and came to the Subcontinent when one of them accompanied Emperor Humayoun back to Delhi after his exile in Iran where Humayoun had originally met him. The Shaykh's ancestors honoured the court of Humayoun with their presence but when Akbar began to deviate from the religion of Islam and announced his 'Din i Ilaahi' they left the imperial court in protest. Akbar was loathe to see such saintly persons go but they were adamant and so he granted them a piece of land in Alipur area as a parting honour. Here the Shaykh's ancestors settled in the subcontinent and their descendants have remained there ever since.

Hadrat Jama'at Ali Shah sahib was renowned for his saintliness even as a young child and after completing his religious studies (he was an expert in all of the branches of fiqh but especially in the sciences of hadith) he went throughout the width and breadth of the subcontinent working tirelessly for Islam and the Muslims. He laid the foundation stones--and funded-- hundreds of mosques throughout the Subcontinent from Peshawar to Hyderabad, Deccan. He was a leading personality in all of the major movements of that time such as the Khilafat movement and he was especially active against the Arya Samaj movement and helped to save the iman of countless Muslims with his tireless efforts.
 He also was one of the key defenders of the Ahl as-Sunnah faith against the rise of Qadianism .He had a wonderful, awe-inspiring personality and was gentle and loving towards all, yet was afraid of no one when it came to defending the religion of Allah's Messenger sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam.

 This is demonstrated by his leadership of the Muslims during the Shahid Ganj Mosque incident where the Shaykh led the opposition to the plans of the British rulers in Lahore .

 He received medals from the Sultan of Ottoman Turkey for his services to Islam and for his amazing generosity in helping the people of Madina during a drought there for which he received the title "Abu'l Arab".However, apart from his vast learning, it was as a Sufi shaykh that the saint was loved by the populace and it is estimated that he had over 1 million murids [disciples] from Afghanistan to the southern tip of India; he received the khirqa [cloak] from his Shaykh very soon after taking bayah [pledge of spiritual allegaince] and was thus the representative of his Shaykh early on.

 He was authorized to accept murids into many Sufi Orders but it was as a Naqshbandi Master that he is famous for, carrying the great secret of this Order. He transformed the lives of countless people and sinners repented at his hands by the thousand and many others themselves reached the highest levels of spiritual development by his attention. His karamaat [miracles] are too many to recount and there are many eye-witnesses to them.

He was extremely generous and magnanimous towards all, especially the poor, and he would not eat alone and the poor had been invited to share his table with him. Though possessing great family wealth the Shaykh spent it all on Islam and the poor, himself living frugally in the manner of the great Naqshbandi Sufis of the past.He was a big supporter of the Pakistan movement and amongst his admirers was one Muhammad Iqbal, the poet. Also, he wrote many letters to Quaid e Azam offering advice and support and he was instrumental in getting the populace to vote for the Muslim League: he issued a fatwa saying that he would not read the janazah prayer of anyone of his mureeds who did not vote for Pakistan. He sent a tasbih and prayer mat to the Quaid-e-Azam too and asked him to pray regularly. As a Sufi he occupied the status of a Perfect Master and he was loved by all and sundry.

 It is for his love of the Beloved Prophet of Allah alayhi salaat o salaam that he is especially famous for. He passed onto his Creator in 1951 but until the very end he stuck passionately to the commands of the Shar'iah, never missing a prayer and often he would pray all night long. Inna lillaha wa inna ilayhi raaj'iun.

Faiz Ahmad Faiz 


Faiz Ahmad Faiz (Punjabi, Urdu: فیض احمد فیض ‎, born 13 February 1911 – 20 November 1984), MBENILenin Peace Prize was an influential left-wingintellectual, revolutionary poet, and one of the most regarded poets of theUrdu language, being considered four times for the Nobel Prize in poetry. Faiz also wrote poetry in the Punjabi language. A notable member of theProgressive Writers' Movement (PWM), Faiz was an avowed Marxist, for which he received the Lenin Peace Prize by the Soviet Union in 1962. He was repeatedly accused of atheism by the Pakistani political and militaryestablishment.
Faiz was identified as an opponent of the Prime minister Liaquat Ali Khan's government in the Rawalpindi conspiracy case, along with the left-wing military sponsor Major-General Akbar Khan. The Military police arrested Faiz as a result, held to trial by its JAG branch, and given a long sentence. These were commuted after the assassination of Liaquat Ali Khan in 1951.
His work remains influential in Pakistan literature and arts. Faiz's literary work was posthumously publicly honored when the Pakistan Government conferred upon him the nation's highest civil award, Nishan-e-Imtiaz, in 1990.


Faiz Ahmad Faiz
فیض احمد فیض
Faiz (left) awarding a prize for an Indo-Pak Youth Essay Writing Competition.
BornFaiz Ahmad Faiz Kahlon
13 February 1911
Kala Kader, Sialkot District,(Now Narowal) British India
Died20 November 1984 (aged 73)
Lahore, Punjab Province,Pakistan
Occupationpoet and journalist
LanguagePunjabi
Russian
English
Urdu
Arabic
Persian
NationalityPakistani
EthnicityPunjabi
EducationArabic literature
B.A. (Hons), M.A.
English Literature
Master of Arts
Alma materMurray College at Sialkot
Government College University
Punjab University
GenreGhazalNazm
Literary movementProgressive Writers' Movement
Communist Party of Pakistan
Notable worksNaqsh-e-Faryadi
Dast-e-Sabah
Zindan-nama
Notable awardsMBE (1946)
Nigar Awards (1953
Lenin Peace Prize (1963)
HRC Peace Prize
Nishan-e-Imtiaz (1990)
Avicenna Prize (2006)
SpouseAlys Faiz
ChildrenSalima (b. 1942)
Moneeza (b. 1945)

Signature

Personal life

Early life

Faiz Ahmad Faiz was born on 13 February 1911, in Sialkot. Faiz hailed from an academic family that was well known in literary circles. His home was often the scene of a gathering of local poets and writers who met to promote the literacy movement in his native province. His father was a barrister who worked for the British Government, and an autodidact who wrote and published the biography of Amir Abdur Rahman, an Emir of Imperial Afghanistan.

Education

Although his family were devoted Muslims, Faiz was brought up in a secular tradition of Islam. Following the Muslim South Asian tradition, his family directed him to study Islamic studies at the local Mosque to be oriented to the basics of religious studies by Maulvi Ibrahim Mir. According to Muslim orthodox tradition, he learned Arabic, Persian, Urdu language and theQuran. Faiz was also a Pakistan nationalist, and often said "Purify your hearts, so you can save the country...".[1] His father later took him out of Islamic school as he wanted his son to follow the footsteps of the great Indian Muslim educationist Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, sending him to attend the Scotch Mission School, which was managed and run by a local British family. After matriculation, he joined the Murray College at Sialkot for intermediate study. In 1926, Faiz enrolled in Department of Languages and Fine Arts of the Government College University (GCU), Lahore. While there, he was greatly influenced by Professor Mir Hassan and Professor Shamsul Allam who taught Arabic language. Professor Hasan had also taught the renowned philosopher, poet, and politician of South Asia, Dr. Muhammad Iqbal. In 1926, Faiz attained his B.A. with Honors in Arabic language, under the supervision of Professor Mir Hassan. In 1930, Faiz joined the post-graduate programme of the GCU, obtaining M.A. in English literature in 1932. The same year, Faiz passed his post-graduate exam in the 1st Division from Punjab University's Oriental College, where he obtained a Master's degree in Arabic in 1932. It was during his college years that he met M. N. Roy and Muzaffar Ahmed who influenced him to become a member of the Communist Party.

Marriage

In 1941, Faiz became affectionate with Alys Faiz, a British national and a member of Communist Party of the United Kingdom, who was a student at the Government College University where Faiz taught poetry. While Alys opted forPakistan citizenship, she was a vital member of Communist Party of Pakistan, played a significant role in Rawalpindi Conspiracy Case when she brought together the communist mass. Together, the couple gave birth to two daughters Salimaand Moneeza Hashmi.

Career

Military service

In 1935 Faiz joined the faculty of Muhammedan Anglo-Oriental College at Aligarh, serving as a lecturer in English andBritish literature. Later in 1937, Faiz moved to Lahore to reunite with his family after accepting the professorship at theHailey College of Commerce, initially teaching introductory courses on economics and commerce. During the midst of World War II, he enrolled in the British Indian Army in 1942. He was commissioned and attained the rank of Captain.Faiz served with the unit led by Akbar Khan, a left-wing general. Although, he was kept out of World War II war operations, Faiz was given a desk assignment when he joined the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in New Delhi. In 1943, Faiz was promoted to Major rank, and then Lieutenant-Colonel in 1944. In 1947, Faiz opted for the newly established State of Pakistan. However, after witnessing the 1947 Kashmir war with India, Faiz decided to leave the army and submitted his resignation in 1947.

Academia and literacy

In 1936, Faiz joined a literary movement, (PWM) and was appointed its first secretary by his fellow Marxist Sajjad Zaheer.In East and West-Pakistan, the movement gained considerable support in civil society. In 1938, he became editor-in-chief of the monthly Urdu magazine "Adab-e-Latif (lit. Belles Letters) until 1946. In 1941, Faiz published his first literary book "Naqsh-e-Faryadi" (lit. Imprints) and joined the Pakistan Arts Council (PAC) in 1947. From 1959–62, Faiz served as the secretary of the Pakistan Arts Council, and later became Rector of Abdullah Haroon College in 1964. The same year, Faiz became the vice-president of Pakistan Arts Council in 1964.
Faiz was a good friend of Soviet poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko who once said "In Faiz's autobiography... is his poetry, the rest is just a footnote". During his lifetime, Faiz published eight books and received accolades for his works. Faiz was ahumanist, a lyrical poet, whose popularity reached neighbouring India and Soviet Union. Indian biographer Amaresh Datta, compared Faiz as "equal esteem in both East and West". Throughout his life, his revolutionary poetry addressed the tyranny of military dictatorships, tyranny, and oppressions, Faiz himself never compromised on his principles despite being threatened by the right-wing parties in Pakistan. Faiz's writings are comparatively new verse form in Urdu poetry based on Western models. Faiz was influenced by the works of Allama Iqbal and Mirza Ghalib, assimilating the modern Urdu with the classical. Faiz used more and more demands for the development of socialism in the country, finding socialism the only solution of country's problems. During his life, Faiz was concerned with more broader socialists ideas, using Urdu poetry for the cause and expansion of socialism in the country. The Urdu poetry and Ghazals influenced Faiz to continue his political themes as non-violent and peaceful, opposing the far left politics in Pakistan.

Internationalism and communism

Main article: Communism in Pakistan
Faiz believed in Internationalism and emphasised the philosophy on Global village. In 1947, he became editor of thePakistan Times and in 1948, Faiz became vice-president of the Pakistan Trade Union Federation (PTUF).[1] In 1950, Faiz joined the delegation of Prime minister Liaquat Ali Khan, initially leading a business delegation in the United States, attending the meeting at the International Labour Organization (ILO) at San Francisco, California. During 1948–50, Faiz led the PTUF's delegation in Geneva, and became an active member of World Peace Council (WPC).
Faiz was a well-known communist in the country and had been long associated with the Communist Party of Pakistan, which he founded in 1947 along with Marxist Sajjad Zaheer and Jalaludin Abdur Rahim. Faiz had his first exposure to socialism and communism before the independence of State of Pakistan which he thought was consistent with his progressive thinking. Faiz had long associated ties with the Soviet Union, a friendship with atheist country that later honoured him with high award. Even after his death, the Russian government honoured him by calling him "our poet" to many Russians. However his popularity was waned in Bangladesh after 1971 when Dhaka did not win much support for him. Faiz and other pro-communists had no political role in the country, despite their academic brilliance.
Although Faiz was a not a hardcore or far-left communist, he spent most of the 1950s and 1960s promoting the cause of communism in Pakistan. During the time when Faiz was editor of the Pakistan Times, one of the leading newspapers of the 1950s, he lent editorial support to the party. He was also involved in the circle lending support to military personnel (e.g.Major General Akbar Khan). His involvement with the party and Major General Akbar Khan's coup plan led to his imprisonment later.
Later in his life, while giving an interview with the local newspaper, Faiz was asked by the interviewer as if he was a communist. He replied with characteristic nonchalance: "No. I am not, a communist is a person who is a card carrying member of the Communist party ever made. The party is banned in our country. So how can I be a communist?..."

Rawalpindi plot and exile

Main article: Rawalpindi conspiracy
The Liaquat Ali Khan's government failure to Indian-held Kashmir had frustrated the military leaders of the Pakistan Armed Forces in 1948, including Jinnah himself who had serious doubt of Ali Khan's ability to ensure the integrity and sovereignty of Pakistan. After returning from the United States, Ali Khan imposed restrictions on Communist party as well as Pakistan Socialist Party. Although the East Pakistan Communist Party had ultimate success in East-Pakistan after staging the mass protest to recognised Bengali language as national heritage.
The Muslim League after Jinnah founded it, was struggling to survive in West-Pakistan. Therefore, Prime minister Liaquat Ali Khan imposed extreme restrictions and applied tremendous pressure on the communist party that ensured it was not properly allowed to function openly, as a political party. The conspiracy had been planned by left-wing military officer andChief of General Staff Major-General Akbar Khan. On 23 February 1951, a secret meeting was held at General Akbar's home, attended by other communist officers and communist party members, including Marxist Sajjad Zaheer and communist Faiz. General Akbar assured Faiz and Zaheer that the communist party would be allowed to function as a legitimate political party like any other party and to take part in the elections. But, according to communist Zafar Poshni who maintained, in 2011, that "no agreement was reached, the plan was disapproved, the communists weren't ready to accept General's words and the participants dispersed without meeting again". However the next morning, the plot was foiled when one of the communist officer defected to the ISI revealing the motives behind the plot. When the news reached the Prime minister, orders for massive arrests were given to the Military Police by the Prime minister. Before the coup could be initiated, General Akbar among other communists were arrested, including Faiz. In a trial led by the Judge Advocate General branch's officers in a military court, Faiz was announced to spent four years in Montgomery Central Jail (MCJ),due to his influential personality, Liaquat Ali Khan's government continued locating him in Central Prison Karachi and theCentral Jail Mianwali. The socialist Huseyn Suhravardie was his defence counselor. Finally on 2 April 1955, Faiz's sentence was commuted by the Prime minister Huseyn Suhrawardy, and he departed to London, Great Britain soon after. In 1958, Faiz returned but was again detained by President Iskander Mirza, allegedely blamed Faiz for publishing pro-communist ideas and for advocating a pro-Moscow government. However, due to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's influence onAyub Khan, Faiz's sentence was commuted in 1960 and he departed to Moscow, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; he later settled in London, United Kingdom.

Return to Pakistan and government work   

Faiz Ahmed Faiz's grave in Model Town Lahore.
In 1964, Faiz finally returned to his country and settled down in Karachi, and was appointed Principal of Abdullah Haroon College. In 1965, Faiz was first brought to government by the charismatic democratic socialist Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who wasWinter war, Faiz rallied to mobilize the people, writing patriotic poems and songs that opposed the bloodshed during separation of Bangladesh from Pakistan.
tenuring as Foreign minister in the presidency of Ayub Khan. Bhutto lobbied for Faiz and gave him an honorary capacity at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoIB) working to rallying the people of West-Pakistan to fight against India to defend their motherland. During the 1971
In 1972, Prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto brought him back when Bhutto appointed Faiz as Culture adviser at the Ministry of Culture (MoCul) and the Ministry of Education (MoEd). Faiz continued serving in Bhutto's government until 1974 when he took retirement from the government assignments.
Faiz had strong ties with Bhutto, and was deeply upset upon Bhutto's removal by Chief of Army Staff General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq in 1977, in a military coup codename Fair Play. Again, Faiz was monitored by Military Police and his every move watched. In 1979, Faiz departed from Pakistan after learning the news that Bhutto's execution had taken place.Faiz took asylum in Beirut, Lebanon, but returned to Pakistan in poor health after the renewal of the Lebanon War in 1982. In 1984, Faiz died in Lahore, Punjab Province, shortly after hearingthat he had received a nomination for theNobel Peace Prize.

Irreligion

Faiz was first accused of Atheism during his trial, when to the Prosecutor-General, Faiz famously quipped: "Don’t you know applying ‘"Fragrance"’ is Sunnah?...". The questioner protested and said: "My dear sir, I doubt if you are a great one for following the Sunnah and so on!", then Faiz replied: "Why not, I am also a part of the Islamic culture...". While Faiz was brought up as an orthodox Muslim, he saw himself as an agnostic. Estelle Dryland writes that although Faiz took his place within an Islamic community, undoubtedly, he was a professed agnostic.

Legacy

Although living a troubled and restless life, Faiz's work, political ideology, and poetry became immortal, and he has often been called the "greatest poet" of Pakistan. Faiz remained an extremely popular and influential figure in the literary development of Pakistan's arts, literature, and drama and theatre adaptation. In 1962, Faiz was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize which enhanced the relations of his country with the Soviet Union which at that time had been hostile and antagonistic relations with Pakistan. The Lenin Peace Prize was a Soviet equivalent of Nobel Peace Prize, and helped lift Faiz's image even higher in the international community. It also brought Soviet Union and Pakistan much closer, offering possibilities for bettering the lives of their people. Most of his work has been translated into the Russian language.
Faiz, whose work is considered the backbone of development of Pakistan's literature, arts and poetry, was one of the most beloved poets in the country. Along with Allama Iqbal, Faiz is often known as the "Poet of the East". While commenting on his legacy, classical singer Tina Sani said:
Faiz Ahmad Faiz... (was) like a comrade, his thoughts were soft but effective and inspired the classical singers as it did others in the plays we did... Faiz’s poetry never gets old because the problems and situations in this country have not changed. Today we sing him because of his beautiful poetry, missing out on the reasons behind his poems that had predictions...
—Tina Sani, commenting on the legacy of Faiz,

Major literary works

  • Naqsh-e-Faryadi (1943)
  • Dast-e-Saba (1952)
  • Zindan-Nama (1956)
  • Dast-e-Tah-e-Sung (1965)
  • Mere Dil Mere Musafir
  • Sar-e-Wadi-e-Sina
All these have been combined as one book Nuskha Haa-e-Wafa (Urdu: نسخہ ہاے وفا).

Accolades and international recognitio

Faiz was the first Asian poet to receive the Lenin Peace Prize, awarded by the Soviet Union in 1962. In 1976 he was award the Lotus Prize for Literature. He was also nominated for the Nobel Prize shortly before his death in 1984.
At the Lenin Peace Prize ceremony, held in the grand Kremlin hall in Moscow, Faiz thanked the Russian government for conferring the honour, and delivered an acceptance speech, which appears as a brief preface to his collection Dast-i-tah-i-Sang (Hand under the rock):
Human ingenuity, science and industry have made it possible to provide each one of us everything we need to be comfortable provided these boundless treasures of nature and production are not declared the property of a greedy few but are used for the benefit of all of humanity… However, this is only possible if the foundations of human society are based not on greed, exploitation and ownership but on justice, equality, freedom and the welfare of everyone… I believe that humanity which has never been defeated by its enemies will, after all, be successful; at long last, instead of wars, hatred and cruelty, the foundation of humankind will rest on the message of the great Persian poet Hafez Shiraz: ‘Every foundation you see is faulty, except that of Love, which is faultless....
—Faiz Ahmad Faiz, 1962, 
In 1990, he was belatedly honoured by the Pakistan Government when ruling Pakistan Peoples Party led by Prime ministerBenazir Bhutto, accepting the recommendation, and posthumously awarded Faiz, the highest civilian award, Nishan-e-Imtiaz in 1990. In 2011, the Pakistan Peoples Party's government declared the year of 2011 "as the year of Faiz Ahmed Faiz". In accordance, the Pakistan Government set up a "Faiz Chair" at the Department of Urdu at the Karachi Universityand at the Sindh University, followed by the Government College University of Lahore established the Patras, Faiz Chair at the Department of Urdu of the university, also in 2011. The same year, the Government College University (GCU) presented golden shields to the University's Urdu department. The shields were issued and presented by the GCU vice-chancellor Professor Dr. Khaleequr Rehman, who noted and further wrote: "Faiz was poet of humanity, love and resistance against oppression". In 2012, at the memorial ceremony was held at the Jinnah Garden to honour the services of Faiz by the left-wing party Avami National Party and Communist Party, by the end of the ceremony, the participants chanted his name: "The Faiz of workers is alive! The Faiz of farmers is alive...! Faiz is alive....!"

Translations

Faiz Ahmad Faiz's poetry has been translated into many languages, including English and Russian. A Balochi poet, Mir Gul Khan Nasir, who was also a friend of Faiz Ahmad Faiz, translated his book Sar-e-Wadi-e-Seena into Balochi with the titleSeenai Keechag aa. Gul Khan's translation was written while he was in jail during Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto's regime for opposing the government's policies. It was only published in 1980, after Zia-ul-Haq toppled Bhutto's government and freed all the political prisoners of his (Bhutto's) regime. Victor Kiernan, British Marxist historian translated Faiz Ahmed Faiz's works into English, and several other translations of whole or part of his work into English have also been made by others; a transliteration in Punjabi was made by Mohinder Singh.
Faiz Ahmad Faiz, himself, also translated works of notable poets from other languages into Urdu. In his book "Sar-i Waadi-i Seena" there are translations of the famous poet of Dagestan, Rasul Gamzatov. "Deewa", a Balochi poem by Mir Gul Khan Nasir, was also translated into Urdu by Faiz.

Plays, Music, and dramatic productions on Faiz

  • "Hum Dekhenge" by Iqbal Bano
  • Sheeshon ka Maseeha by Omer Khawaja and Shabana Azmi.
  • Dard Aayega Dabe Paon by Sheela Bhatiya.
  • Kuchh Ishq kiya Kuchh Kaam written by Danish Iqbal and staged by IPTA Delhi. This multi-media Stage Production was premiered at the Sri Ram centre, New Delhi on 11 November 2011. The Play is a Celebration of Faiz's Poetry and featured events from the early part of his life, particularly the events and incidents of pre-independence days which shaped his life and ideals. Directed by K K Kohli the musical Production featured Artists like Shamir Abadan, Jaishri Sethi, Dr Naseem, Izhar, Minhaj, Prateek Kapoor, Twinkle Khanna and Amit Bajaj in lead roles. The script was the first part of a Faiz trilogy written by Danish Iqbal on the occasion of the Faiz Centenary Celebrations.
  • Chand Roz Aur Meri Jaan – A dramatised reading of Faiz's letter and letters written by his wife Alys Faiz. This Production was initially done at the start of his birth centenary celebrations at India Habitat Center, New Delhi by Danish Iqbal and Salima Raza. 'Chand Roz Aur Meri Jaan' was also done at Amritsar Faiz Festival organised by Preet Ladi, at Punjab Natshala, Amritsar, on 6 October 2011. This time it was done by Suchitra Gupta and Danish Iqbal.
  • 2011 Drama Festival of Delhi Urdu Academy is basically devoted to Productions about Faiz. Apart from 'Kuchh Ishq kiya Kuchh Kaam' by IPTA, Delhi and 'Chand Roz Aur Meri Jaan' by Wings Cultural Society, this Festival will also feature Plays by Peirreot's Troupe on Faiz, namely 'Jo Dil Pe Guzarti Hai'. The festival also presented, for the first time on stage 'Tera Bayaan Ghalib', directed by Dr Hadi Sarmadi and performed by Bahroop Arts Group, which was an adaptation of one of Faiz's few plays for the radio.

In popular culture

A collection of some of Faiz's celebrated poetry was published in 2011, under the name of "Celebrating Faiz" edited by D P Tripathi. The book also included tributes by his family, by contemporaries and by scholars who knew of him through his poetry. The book was released on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary in the Punjab province in Pakistan.

Research on understanding Faiz

Dr. Taqi Abedi the Toronto based scholar produced a critical appraisal for a more holistic view of the life, thought, and work of Faiz Ahmed Faiz in “Faiz Fahmi” This book comprising 162 articles on various aspects of Faiz by both Dr.Taqi Abedi and other scholars including Gopi Chand Narang, Shams ur Rahman Faruqi, Shan-ul-Haq Haqqee, Shamim Hanafi, Sajjad Zaheer, etc.. The anthology includes articles of stalwarts of Urdu literature from across the world includingIndia, Pakistan, Russia, England, Canada, the United States and other countries. Articles of several English and Russian writers such as George Fisher, Alexander Surikov, Lyudmala Vasilyeva and of world leaders like Yasser Arafat also embellish the book. On the sensitive issue of Faiz’s religion, Abedi shows that despite his Marxist inclinations he remained aMuslim and often drew on Islamic themes in his poetry, all his life events, including his marriage to (Alys Faiz), were conducted according to Islamic rites . He has also compiled a list of all the books that Faiz had read in his later years. In his comparison of Faiz and Josh Malihabadi he lists their strengths and weaknesses without falling in the groupist trap of “Faiz Bada Ya Josh Bada” (big one is Faiz or Josh).
Dr. Taqi Abedi argues that Faiz's poetry is very layered and complex, such that one could attain a PhD degree in the effort of understanding his poems. He also argues that though some writers have said that he almost never used Persian words, this is wrong. Faiz did use Persian words, but his allegories and imagery were easier to understand than those of a poet such as Allama Iqbal's.

                                                    
                                                    Ziauddin Ahmad Suleri


 Ziauddin Ahmad Suleri (Urdu: ضیاء الدین احمد سلہری; b. 1913–21 April 1999) best known as Z.A. Suleri, was a notable political journalistconservative writer, author, and the Pakistan Movement activist. He is regarded as one of the pioneer of print journalism in Pakistan, and authored various history and political books on Pakistan as well as Islam in the South Asian subcontinent.


Ziauddin Ahmad Suleri
Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Mass-media Broadcasting
In office
6 September 1978 – 5 March 1980
Serving with BGen Siddique Salik, PA
PresidentGeneral Zia-ul-Haq
Editor-in-chief of the Dawn Newspapers
In office
16 August 1965 – 5 September 1965
Preceded byAltaf Husain
Personal details
BornZiauddin Ahmad Suleri
1913
Quadina, Haryana, North India, British Indian Empire
Died22 April 1999 (age 86)
Karachi, Sindh
Resting placeNew Karachi Cemetery
CitizenshipBritish subject (1913–47)
Pakistan (1947–99)
Political partyMuslim League
ChildrenSara Suleri
Alma materPunjab University
Patna University
ReligionIslam
Military service
Nickname(s)Pip
AllegiancePakistan
Service/branch Pakistan Army
Years of service1965–66
RankColonel
Unit17th Army Division
CommandsInter-Services Public Relations
Battles/warsIndo-Pakistani war of 1965


Biography

Early life and education

Ziauddin Ahmad Suleri was born in Quadina village of Haryana located inNorth India region of the British Indian Empire, in 1913. He was a Rajput Salahria. After his graduation from a school, he briefly studied British literature at Patna University where he obtained BA in English. He moved toLahore to attend the Punjab University to further study English literature. He earned MA in British literature after compiling a critical and analytical thesis onGreat Expectations, written by Charles Dickens.

Political activism and military service

Due to his long attraction to the work of Charles Dickens, he earned the nickname of "Pip" by his family and friends. He moved to Karachi after becoming politically aligned with the Muslim League led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah. In support of the Pakistan Movement, he penned many political columns and opinions in the Orient Press as well as the British Evening Times.
He also authored and published "The Road to Peace and Pakistan" in 1944, and My Leader in 1945; all of which greatly exhorted the political objectives of the Pakistan Movement and the independence from the British India of the British Empire. In 1946, he departed to the United Kingdom but returned to Pakistan after the partition by the United Kingdom. Immediately after his return, he was appointed assistance editor of the English language newspaper, the Dawn. He left Dawn when the Pakistan Times was started in 1947, and took the assignment as its correspondent in London. For sometime, he remained associated with thePakistan Army and briefly served in Inter-Services Public Relations, which he eventually becoming its director-general and achieved the rank of Colonel in 1965.

Career in journalism and ministry

Furthermore, he was appointed as editor of the Pakistan Times in 1966. During this time, he gained conservative consciousness and wrote in support of military governments, capitalism. He penned several articles against the left-oriented Pakistan Peoples Party during the general elections held in 1970. Subsequently, he was removed by Prime MinisterZulfikar Ali Bhutto from the Pakistan Times and was thrown in jail after penning an article against the socialism.
An inquiry launched by the FIA, Suleri was picked up on charges of sedition at the behest of by FIA director M.A. Gurmani, and his case was tried in the Central Jail in Punjab. After the imposition of martial law in 1977, chief of army staff GeneralZia-ul-Haq released him from the prison and ultimately appointed him at the stint as Editor-in-chief of Pakistan Times. His political ideas further pushed him to be close with the military government whereas he briefly served as additional secretaryof the Ministry of Information and Mass-media Broadcasting. During this time, he also served as the chairman of theQuaid-i-Azam Academy. His association with the military government remained close and witness key political events in the lives of Nawaz Sharif and Zia-ul-Haq.

Death

In 1992, he joined the senior staff of the News International which he elevated to become as an Editor-in-chief of the newspaper. Suleri was diagnosed from cancer and heart disease for in 1995. In 1999, he died of heart failure in a Jinnah Hospital.

Books

  • Suleri, ZA (1953), Whither Pakistan?, Lahore: Eastern Publications
  • Ahmad Suleri, Ziauddin (1989). Al-Quran : divine book of eternal value. Karachi, Pakistan: Royal Book Co. ISBN 978-9694070803.
  • Ahmad Suleri, Ziauddin (1989). Islam : universal religion. Karachi, Pakistan: Royal Book. ISBN 978-9694071039.
  • Suleri, ZA (1946). My leader: Being an estimate of Mr. Jinnah's work for Indian Mussalmans. Karachi: Lion's Publications.
  • Ahmad, Ziauddin (1994). Influence of Islam on world civilization. Karachi, Pakistan: Royal Book Co. ISBN 978-9694071640.
  • Suleri, Ziauddin Ahmad (1950). Atheism in Pakistan. Lahore: Pioneer Publishers.
  • Suler, Z.A. (1978). Influence of Islam on western civilization. Islamabad: National Book Foundation; 1st ed edition (1978).
  • Suleri, Z. Ahmad (1962). Pakistan's lost years;: Being a survey of a decade of politics, 1948–1958. Progressive Papers (1962).
  • Suleri, Ziauddin A. (1945). The road to peace and Pakistan,. Karachi, Sindh: Sh. M. Ashraf Publishing Co.
  • Suleri, Z.A. (1964). Politicians & Ayub: Being a Survey of Pakistani Politics from 1948 to 1964. Lion Art Press (1964).
  • Suleri, Z. A. (1990). Shaheed-e-Millat Liaquat Ali Khan: Builder of Pakistan. Lahore: Royal Book Co.
  • Suleri, Z.Ahmad (1974). Quaid-i-Millat Liaquat Ali Khan, Leader and Statesman. Lahore: Oriental Academy.

His unfinished biography

When ZA Suleri wanted to write his autobiography, he chose Boys Will Be Boys as its title. The autobiography never materialised, and after his death when his daughter, Sara Suleri, decided to write a tribute to him, she gave this title to the book.

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