| Shaikh Mubarak Ali Ayaz, literarily
known as Shaikh Ayaz, is believed to be one of the greatest progressive poets
of Pakistan.
He was born in Shikarpur district of Sindh province on 23 March 1923 and died
on 28 December 1997. He initially practiced law as a profession and was also
appointed Vice Chancellor of the University
of Sindh. But amongst the
masses, he is famous due to his poetry.
Ayaz, influenced by the
progressive movements both within Pakistan and across the globe,
introduced progressive ideas into Sindhi literature. His poetry is replete with
the message of courage, motivation and inspiration for the have-nots and the underprivileged.
He became popular at a time when leftist communists were the talk of the town. Apart
from eulogizing the bravery and commitment of the sons of his soil; he paid homage
to international revolutionary figures also. He dedicated one of his poems to
Che Guevara. He wrote about the death of Chile’s rebel singer, Victor Hara,
and introduced Dostoevsky and Tolstoy to his readers (Soomro 2005).
In his writings, Ayaz propagated
the message of anti-imperialism and anti-capitalism. For such writings he had to
suffer. He was put behind bars from 1965 to 1968 by military dictator Ayub Khan
and from May 1971 to January 1972 by Yahya Khan (Indus Asia Online Journal 2012).
He was admired particularly by the educated youth of Pakistan in general and Sindh in
particular. His poems challenged the status quo during the 70s and 80s and
asked the masses to fight against tyranny both within and outside Pakistan.
In the preface of one of his 1998 books, Asif Farukhi
observes that the poetry of Ayaz is a blend of classicism and cosmopolitanism.
But, Ayaz was also influenced by the leftists.
He encouraged the oppressed
people of Pakistan
to raise their voices for their genuine demands and jolt the foundations of tyranny
and get rid of an obsolete system led by dictators like Yahya Khan and General
Zia-ul-Haq. A system of government, which, to him, did not meet the rights of
people, and was good for nothing.
He, in one of his poems
addressing oppressors, says that you ask me not to speak and you ask me not to
lament, but there are thousands who denounce you, not me alone. So how many
voices will you silence? Ayaz through his poems tried to raise conscience of
the masses. In one of his poems he says:
Ajj har kinh jo hee rayo aa,
to neenh Ayaz nibhayo aa
To gaata geet baghawat ja, to latha zang zameeran
ja
(Today everyone opines that Ayaz
you fulfilled your commitment
You sang the songs of revolt and
you removed the stains of consciences)
This paper will study Ayaz’s
books and those of his contemporaries to examine his progressive poetry and analyze
how far it acted as a catalyst for change in Pakistani society. The paper will recommend
further appraisal of his poetry and its incorporation of his work in university
level syllabus across South Asia.
References
Ayaz, S. 1998,
Kari Rat Kuhung, (Bird at Dark Night), Roshni Publication Kandyaro, Sindh, Pakistan.
Indus Asia Online Journal 2012, ‘Remembering Shaikh Ayaz’, 1
March,
,
accessed 1 November 2013.
Soomro, I. 2005, ‘Author: Song of thirsty peacocks’, Daily
Dawn Karachi, 25 December,
,
accessed 1 November 2013.
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