Habib Jalib (24 March 1928 – 13 March 1993) was a Pakistani revolutionary poet and left-wing political activist who opposed martial law, authoritarianism, military dictatorship and state oppression. He wrote several poems in Punjabi and Urdu and was referred to as the "poet of the masses" by his contemporary Faiz Ahmad Faiz. 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 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, Punjab, British India. He migrated to Pakistan after the partition of India. Later he worked as a proofreader for Daily Imroze of Karachi. 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.

Political views

Criticizing those who supported Ayub Khan's regime, he wrote: 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 likened Ayub Khan to the Clock Tower of Lyallpur, 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. 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).

Hyderabad Conspiracy Case

On the third day after the death of his twelve-year-old son in 1976, Hyderabad, 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, Mir Ghos Bakhsh Bizenjo, Attaullah Mengal, Khair Bakhsh Marri and Qasim Zia.

Bhutto's government

In 1972, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto came to power in Pakistan after the 1971 war with India and a new independent country called Bangladesh emerged from former East Pakistan. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto came to power in former West Pakistan, thereafter called simply Pakistan. After Bhutto's hanging, Habib Jalib wrote the following poem:

Zia-ul-Haq's martial law

During General Zia-ul-Haq's dictatorship, Jalib wrote a poem on Zia, in which he asked how he could write darkness as Zia ( Zia literally means light in Urdu).

Benazir Bhutto's government

After General Zia-ul-Haq's death in 1988, Benazir Bhutto 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:

Death

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

Poetry

Recent tributes

Laal band remastered and remixed 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 took the stage and paid tributes to him.

Awards and recognition

On 23 March 2009, President of Pakistan awarded the Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Order of Excellence) award (posthumously) for the legendary poet, which was received by his daughter, Tahira Habib Jalib.

Books