Habib Jalib (; 24 March 1928 – 13 March 1993) was a Pakistani revolutionary poet and left-wing political activist who opposed

martial law Martial law is the replacement of civilian government by military rule and the suspension of civilian legal processes for military powers. Martial law can continue for a specified amount of time, or indefinitely, and standard civil liberties ...

authoritarianism Authoritarianism is a political system characterized by the rejection of political plurality, the use of strong central power to preserve the political ''status quo'', and reductions in democracy, separation of powers, civil liberties, and ...

military dictatorship A military dictatorship, or a military regime, is a type of dictatorship in which Power (social and political), power is held by one or more military officers. Military dictatorships are led by either a single military dictator, known as a Polit ...

and state oppression. He wrote several poems in Punjabi and

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

and was referred to as the "poet of the masses" by his contemporary

Faiz Ahmad Faiz Chaudhry Faiz Ahmad Faiz (13 February 1911 – 20 November 1984) was a Pakistani poet and author of Punjabi language, Punjabi and Urdu literature. Faiz was one of the most celebrated, popular, and influential Urdu writers of his time, and his ...

. He opposed military coups and government administrators and was duly jailed several times for this stance. He is widely respected in Pakistan for never compromising on his principles. Journalist Hamid Mir believes

Sufism Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...

played a major role in Jalib's political stance against dictatorship.

Early life

Habib Jalib was born as Habib Ahmad on 24 March 1928 in a village near

Hoshiarpur Hoshiarpur () is a city and a Municipal corporations in India, municipal corporation in Hoshiarpur district in the Doaba region of the Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab. It was founded, according to tradition, during the early part of the ...

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...

. He migrated to

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

after the

partition of India The partition of India in 1947 was the division of British India into two independent dominion states, the Dominion of India, Union of India and Dominion of Pakistan. The Union of India is today the Republic of India, and the Dominion of Paki ...

. Later he worked as a proofreader for Daily Imroze of

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

. He was a progressive writer and soon started to attract the audience with his enthusiastic recitation of poetry. He wrote in plain language, adopted a simple style and addressed common people and their issues. But the conviction behind his words, the music of his voice and his emotional energy coupled with the sensitivity of the socio-political context is what stirred the audience.Profile and poetry of Habib Jalib
Retrieved 25 April 2024

Political views

Criticizing those who supported Ayub Khan's regime, he wrote: : : : : :''Kahin gas ka dhuan hae'' :''kahin golion ki baarish'' :''Shab-e-ehd-e-kum nigahi'' :''tujhay kis tarah sarahein'' :There is smoke of teargas in the air :and the bullets are raining all around :How can I praise thee :the night of the period of shortsightedness Jalib could never reconcile with the dictatorship of Ayub Khan. When Ayub enforced his tailor-made constitution in the country in 1962, former prime minister

Chaudhry Muhammad Ali Chaudhri Muhammad Ali (15 July 1905 – 2 December 1982) was a Pakistani politician and statesman who served as the fourth prime minister of Pakistan from 1955 until his resignation in 1956. His government transitioned Pakistan from a British ...

likened Ayub Khan to the

Clock Tower Clock towers are a specific type of structure that house a turret clock and have one or more clock faces on the upper exterior walls. Many clock towers are freestanding structures but they can also adjoin or be located on top of another building ...

Lyallpur Faisalabad, formerly known as Lyallpur, is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, second-largest city and primary List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, industrial center of the Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan ...

, visible from all directions. Jalib wrote '' Dastur'', verses of which include:

Habib Jalib's poems used in Pakistani films

In another incident which has become a part of the resistance folklore of the country, the Governor of West Pakistan, the Nawab of Kalabagh, invited filmstar Neelo to dance in front of Shah Reza Pahlavi of

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

. She refused and as a consequence the police was sent to force and bring her, which led to her attempting to commit suicide. This incident inspired a poem by Jalib, which was later included by Neelo's husband Riaz Shahid in the film '' Zarqa'' (1969). The poem was titled ''Raqs Zanjeer Pehan Kar Bhi Kiya Jaata Hai (The dance of the chains)''. : : :''Tu kay nawaqif-e-aadab-e-ghulami hae abhi'' :''Raqs zanjeer pehan kar bhi kiya jata hai.'' :You are not aware of the protocol of a king's court. Sometimes one has to dance (before them) with the chains on oneself. *The above Nazm/Song was included in film producer Riaz Shahid's film ''Zarqa'' (1969) in

Mehdi Hassan Mehdi Hassan Khan (; 18 July 1927 – 13 June 2012), known as Mehdi Hassan, was a Pakistani ghazal singer and playback singer of great renown. Widely considered one of the greatest and most influential figures in the history of ghazal singing, ...

's vocals which became a super-hit film song among the public in 1969 in

. * "Zulm Rahay Aur Amn Bhi Ho, Kaya Mumkin Hai Tum Hi Kaho" Sung by both

Noor Jehan Noor Jehan (21 September 192623 December 2000) was a Pakistani playback singer and actress who worked in both British India and later in Pakistan's cinema of Pakistan, cinema. Her career lasted over six decades, during which she recorded 10,00 ...

and

in film '' Yeh Aman (1971)'', lyrics by Habib Jalib and music by A. Hameed. This film song also became very popular.

Hyderabad Conspiracy Case

On the third day after the death of his twelve-year-old son in 1976,

Hyderabad Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...

, Sindh law enforcement authorities surrounded his house and arrested him in a conspiracy case. A total of 55 people were arrested in this case, including

Khan Abdul Wali Khan Khan Abdul Wali Khan (; ; 11 January 1917 – 26 January 2006) was a Pashtuns, Pashtun Pakistani democratic socialist politician who served as president of Awami National Party. Son of the prominent Pashtun nationalist leader Abdul Ghaffar Kha ...

, Mir Ghos Bakhsh Bizenjo, Attaullah Mengal, Khair Bakhsh Marri and Qasim Zia.

Bhutto's government

In 1972,

Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (5 January 1928 – 4 April 1979) was a Pakistani barrister and politician who served as the fourth president of Pakistan from 1971 to 1973 and later as the ninth Prime Minister of Pakistan, prime minister of Pakistan from 19 ...

came to power in

after the 1971 war with

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

and a new independent country called

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

emerged from former East Pakistan. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto came to power in former West Pakistan, thereafter called simply

. After Bhutto's hanging, Habib Jalib wrote the following poem: : : : : :His magic has not been broken :His blood became a slogan :It has been proved, that he ruled his people's hearts :He used to fight with the people like him (Feudal Lords), but with the (poor) people like us, he used to love.

Zia-ul-Haq's martial law

During

General Zia-ul-Haq Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq (12 August 192417 August 1988) was a Pakistani military officer and statesman who served as the sixth president of Pakistan from 1978 until his death in an airplane crash in 1988. He also served as the second chief of ...

's dictatorship, Jalib wrote a poem on Zia,, Habib Jalib's poem on General Zia-ul Haq, Published 19 November 2010, Retrieved 25 April 2024 in which he asked how he could write darkness as ''Zia'' ( ''Zia'' literally means ''light'' in

). : :Darkness as light, Hot desert wind as a morning breeze :How can I write a human as God?

Benazir Bhutto's government

After

's death in 1988,

Benazir Bhutto Benazir Bhutto (21 June 1953 – 27 December 2007) was a Pakistani politician who served as the 11th prime minister of Pakistan from 1988 to 1990, and again from 1993 to 1996. She was also the first woman elected to head a democratic governmen ...

came to power and released Habib Jalib. Disappointed at the state of the nation, when asked if he felt any change after democracy, he said: : : : : :''Haal ab tak wahi hain faqiroan kay'' :''Din phiray hain faqat waziroan kay'' :''her Bilawal hai Dais ka maqrooz'' :''paoon nangay hain Benazeeroan kay'' :The status of the poor is still the same :the days of the ministers have indeed changed :every Bilawal (name of the only son of

) of the country is under debt :while Benazirs (i.e the poor) of the country walk without shoes

Death

Habib Jalib died on 13 March 1993 and was laid to rest in Shah Fareed Graveyard, Sabzazar, Lahore, Pakistan.

Poetry

;Some poems in his own voice * ظلمت کو ضیا ''Zulmat Ko Zia'' * قائدِ اعظم دیکھ رہے ہو اپنا پاکستان ''Quaid-e-Azam Dek Rahe Ho Apna Pakistan'' * فرنگی کا جو میں دربان ہوتا ''Farangi Ka Jo May Darban Hota'' * مزارے لغارے ''Mazaaray Laghaaray'' * وطن کو کچھ نہیں خطرہ ''Wathan Ko Kuch Nahi Khathra'' * یہ منصف بھی تو قیدی ہیں ''Ye Munsif Bhi Tho Qaidi Hain'' * گل سن ''Gal Sun'' (Punjabi) *اس قانون سے نفرت ہے عداوت ہے مجھے "ise qanoon se nafrat adawat hain mujhe" * میں نے اس سے یہ کہا ''Mein Ne Uss Se Yeh Kaha'' * دستور – میں نہیں مانتا ''Dastoor'' (Main Nahi Manta) * جن تھا یا ریفرنڈم تھا ''Jin Tha Ya Referendum Tha''

Recent tributes

Laal band

remastered A remaster is a change in the sound or image quality of previously created forms of media, whether Mastering (audio), audiophonic, Cinematography, cinematic, or Videography, videographic. The resulting product is said to be remastered. The term ...

and

remix A remix, also sometimes called reorchestration or rework, is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, poem, or photograph ca ...

ed the revolutionary poem "Dastoor" in Habib Jalib's voice and included it in their 2009 album ''Umeed-e-Sahar''. In April 2014, an event was organized in Islamabad, Pakistan to pay tributes to ''Shayer-i-Awam'' (the people's poet), Habib Jalib. Many Pakistani celebrities including the noted journalist Mujahid Barelvi, Zehra Nigah and

Taimur Rahman Taimur Rahman (Urdu/; born 27 May 1975) is a Pakistani political activist and musician who is serving as the Secretary-General of the Mazdoor Kisan Party (MKP), formerly Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party (CMKP). He is also the lead guitarist and ...

took the stage and paid tributes to him.

Awards and recognition

On 23 March 2009,

President of Pakistan The president of Pakistan () is the head of state of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The president is the nominal head of the executive and the supreme commander of the Pakistan Armed Forces.

awarded the

Nishan-e-Imtiaz The Nishan-e-Imtiaz (; ) is one of the state organized Civil decorations of Pakistan, civil decorations of Pakistan. It is awarded for achievements towards world recognition for Pakistan or outstanding service for the country. However, the awa ...

(Order of Excellence) award (posthumously) for the legendary poet, which was received by his daughter, Tahira Habib Jalib.

Books

* ''Sir-e-Maqtal'' * ''Zikr Behte Khoon Ka'' * ''Gumbad-e-Bedar'' * ''Kulyaat e Habib Jalib'' * ''Is Shehar-e-Kharabi Main'' * ''Goshay Main Qafas K'' * ''Harf-e-Haqq'' * ''Harf-e-Sar-e-Daar'' * ''Ehad-e-Sitam'' * ''Rat kalehni'' * Jalib Bethi

Notes

References

External links

Habib Jalib bio
at WhoIsWho Pakistan *
Habib Jalib at Kavita Kosh
(Hindi font)
Habib Jalib: Some of his Punjabi Poems on Academy of the Punjab in North America (APNA) website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jalib, Habib 1928 births 1993 deaths People from Hoshiarpur Poets from Lahore Pakistani Marxists Pakistani male songwriters Pakistani songwriters Pakistani lyricists Pakistani prisoners and detainees Pakistani activists Urdu-language poets from Pakistan Nigar Award winners Communism in Pakistan Communist writers Pakistani communist poets Communist Party of Pakistan politicians Writers from Lahore 20th-century Pakistani poets Activists from Lahore Recipients of Nishan-e-Imtiaz Indian emigrants to Pakistan