Chiragh Deen (; 3 September 1911 – 3 December 1984), known by his

pen name A pen name or nom-de-plume is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen name may be used to make the author's na ...

Ustad Daman () or Daman, was a Pakistani Punjabi-language

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles, genres and techniques to communicate ideas, to inspire feelings and emotions, or to entertain. Writers may develop different forms of writing such as novels, short sto ...

, mystic and a politician. He was active in politics after the establishment of Pakistan but continued his poetic career and till this day is revered as the "people's poet".
'USTAD DAMAN--THE PEOPLE'S POET By Dr. Afzal Mirza published 10 May 2006, Retrieved 30 June 2022 He was introduced into politics by Iftikharuddin, Mian Iftikharuddin, a left-leaning politician, member of the

Pakistan Movement The Pakistan Movement was a religiopolitical and social movement that emerged in the early 20th century as part of a campaign that advocated the creation of an Islamic state in parts of what was then British Raj. It was rooted in the two-nation the ...

and owner of ''Pakistan Times'', a major newspaper in

Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...

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# ...

Early life

Chiragh Deen was born in

British Punjab The Punjab Province, officially the Province of the Punjab, was a province of British India, with its capital in Lahore and summer capitals in Murree and Simla. At its greatest extent, it stretched from the Khyber Pass to Delhi; and from th ...

to a Punjabi Muslim family on 3 September 1911.

Life

Ustad Daman's birth name was Chiragh Deen son of Mian Mir Baksh. He was born on 3 September 1911. Ustad Daman was introduced originally as part of the struggle for independence from British rule. A tailor by profession, in 1930, he stitched a suit for Mian Iftikharuddin, who got impressed by his inspiring poetry verse, when the two met each other at his shop. He invited Ustad Daman to recite his poem at a public meeting organized by the

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...

, where Ustad Daman became an instant hit. Pandit Nehru, who was present at that public meeting, dubbed him the ‘Poet of Freedom’ after listening to his revolutionary anti-imperialist poetry. After this meeting. he became a regular participant in these meetings. At the time of the 1947

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

, his shop and house were burned down by rioting mobs and his wife and young daughter were killed. However, Ustad Daman decided to stay in

and the newly created country of

. He then never remarried and lived the rest of his life in a small room in the 'Old Lahore'. He remained, throughout his life, a fierce opponent of dictatorship, civilian or military, and all corruption and hypocrisy. His work and poetry were published as 'Daman De Moti' after his death by his devoted followers and admirers. The poems he wrote are still widely quoted in the Punjab as well as in other regions of Pakistan. Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz was one of his admirers and occasionally used to visit him in Taxali Gate area of Lahore, Pakistan.

Songs in films

The following poems of Ustad Daman were used in Pakistani films: * ''Bach jā munḍyā mōr tau'n, mae'n sadqē tērī tōr tau'n'' - Sung by

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 ...

, lyrics by Ustad Daman and music by Feroz Nizami, '' Chanway'' film (1951) * ''Changā baṇāyā ae sāhnū'n khiḍōṇā'' - Sung by Noor Jehan, lyrics by Ustad Daman, music by Feroz Nizami, ''Chanway'' film (1951) * "Na mein sonay jai na Chandi jai mein pittal bhari paraat, meinun dharti qali kara de, mein nachhaan sari raat" Sung by Humaira Channa, lyrics by Ustad Daman, music by Kaalay Khan, a PTV,

production.

Death and legacy

Ustad Daman was a very close friend of legend poet

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 ...

, On Faiz's funeral, Ustad Daman wept bitterly, repeatedly saying, "The next turn is mine," right after 13 days, you left this world. He died on 3 December 1984 and was buried in ''Madhu Lal Hussain'' graveyard in Lahore.

Notes

References

External links

Ustad Daman: The People's Poet
{{DEFAULTSORT:Daman, Ustad 1911 births 1984 deaths Poets from Lahore Pakistani Marxist writers Pakistani Marxists Urdu-language poets from Pakistan Punjabi-language poets Punjabi-language writers Pakistani activists People from British India 20th-century Pakistani poets Pakistani male songwriters Pakistani songwriters Pakistani lyricists People from Punjab Province (British India)