News
Sunday, December 01, 2013
Fehmida Riaz : from being taboo to achievement awardBy Fawad Hasan
KARACHI: Yorkshire Adabi Forum, an organisation working for preserving Urdu Language and Literature in United Kingdom, put its part in the on-going 6th annual International Urdu conference, at the Arts Council Karachi, by presenting Fehmida Riaz, a well known Urdu poet and writer, Life Achievement Award.
Ghazal Ansari, an activist of YAF, hosted the award ceremony. Among the speakers were Asif Farukhi, Raza Ali Abidi, Khurshid Rizvi and Fehmida Riaz herself to receive the memorial award.
Fehmida Riaz was not widely celebrated when she started off with her poetry because she touched on ‘taboos’ which were not expected of a girl her age, as she freely wrote prose on as questionable an issue - in our society - as sex. Talking to the audience, Asif Farukhi, recounted an event of his life when he went along his father to attend a ‘mushaira’ where Fehmida was especially called upon. “Dear, why would you bring along your innocent son to this event?” was the question that many a people asked his father. Making the audience laugh, he told why he decided not to ask his father the meanings of ‘Zabanoun ka Bosa’, a poem by Fehmida which ignited controversy.
Raza Ali Abidi, an Urdu scholar, said in appreciation of Fehmida Riaz’s work that, “Fehmida just doesn’t say prose. She breaks the walls of oppression, suppression, and challenges the status quo through her writings. She talks of Revolution!” Khurshid Rizvi, another scholar, also shed light on the legendary poet.
Finally, the auditorium, which was almost packed with Urdu-lovers, echoed with the soothing, pacifying voice of Fehmida Riaz as she came to speak about her feelings having been nominated for the award. “There were times when not a single literature critic would deign write anything regarding my work. People would never dare talk about my poetry in public. It’s a pleasant moment to see so many people here today, acknowledging me and my work which has always been considered questionable, blasphemous, and controversial.”
She narrated that how once a critic called her ‘a lady ripe with extraordinary sexual desires’. Although, according to her, it was a memorable moment because no one would even mention her name anywhere, but it saddened her how abusive people can get at times. “I had been labelled a KGB agent, and afterwards Raw’s and recently Indians called me an ISI stooge. Irony is, I never received money from these agencies which certain people, wrongly, associate with,” said Fehmida with a wide smile on her face.
Fehmida Riaz has always been a sensitive poet, writing for the marginalised segments of our society be it women, minorities, labourers, or children who can’t afford to have an education. Her eyes were filled with tears, her voice shaken as she sobbed while telling the audience how she felt when she recently came across graffiti on legion of walls stating that, “Ganay sunna gunaah hay (Listening to song is a sin)”, which spoke volumes of her being concerned about our growing-religiously-intolerant-society.
The 3rd day of the Annual Conference came to an end late at night with a ‘Mushaira’ organised by the governing body of the council wherein contemporary poets presented their novel works. The conference will end on Sunday, December 1.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk