October
13, 2006
Hasan
Chishti - a Man of Letters, a Purveyor of Happiness
He has won several awards for
his literary attainments both in South Asia and
in the US. But, I think what really endeared him
to the dozen or so writers who have paid glowing
tributes to his Urdu compositions is his self-effacing
personality and his sincerity in purveying happiness
to all those who came in contact with him. He has
always been the ‘go-to guy’ in seeking
the curatives, not just palliatives, for your pains.
Matter of fact, you don’t have to seek him
out. Hasan Chishti would seek you out the moment
he comes to know of your problem. Almost every one
has made a mention of this aspect of his personality
and cited personal experiences.
In a cultural milieu where the worth of an individual
is measured in terms of the millions he has accumulated,
Hasan Chishti has acquired immeasurable wealth of
the affection and respect of the Urdu-speaking community.
He has had a deep love affair with the language
and its literature for over six decades. He went
to an Urdu medium school and, for higher studies,
to Osmania University, the only institution of higher
learning in the sub-continent where Urdu was the
medium of instruction. After graduation, he accepted
a junior post in that institution which held a special
place in his heart. He became so popular among his
colleagues that they elected him the President of
the Staff Association. He climbed up quickly to
a middle-rung position in the University hierarchy
by dint of his infinite capacity to take pains and,
above every thing else, his proactive concern for
the students facing problems. Soon he became known
as the “go-to guy” among student circles.
During the quarter century that he spent with that
University, he kept nurturing the itch to write
and compose poetry. His close friends at school
and college were mainly Urdu poets and short story
writers. Shaz Tamkinit, who was acknowledged as
an outstanding Urdu poet in the literary circles
of South Asia, was a close friend and lived in the
same locality. Shaz, like Maikash and Jazbi, became
an alcoholic and died young. This had a profound
effect on Hasan who had always been himself a teetotaler.
He became much closer to his friends and his concern
for their well being increased in intensity.
While in Hyderabad, he served as the Editor of monthly
Urdu magazines, Pasban and Akash, as well as of
the English weekly Munsif that is now appearing
as an Urdu daily and enjoys vast circulation. That
must have taken care of his literary itch. And,
to satisfy his concern for the welfare of the community,
he took active part in numerous literary, social
and cultural organizations. The experience thus
gained came in handy for him in Saudi Arabia where
he shifted after retirement from Osmania.
He founded Bazme Urdu and Hyderabad Association
in Saudi Arabia to provide forums to the community
for the expression and solution of their problems.
A feather in his cap was the acceptance by the Indian
aviation office to commence a direct flight between
Hyderabad and Jedda. Hyderabad Association had been
pleading for this under his leadership.
After a sojourn of seven years in Jedda, he decided
to migrate in 1986 to Chicago mainly to provide
opportunities to his grown children to labor and
live well. Blessed with the capacity to take pains,
he launched a new business at age 60 - no mean feat!
It started thriving mainly because of his integrity,
a happy temperament and an exceptional zeal to be
helpful.
His roots in Hyderabad led him to be recognized
as an icon of Hyderabadi culture. His inherent nobility
provided the underpinning of reliability in a highly
competitive business atmosphere.
His two sons run the business now letting him focus
full attention on literary, cultural and social
activities. He is 76 but is quite active.
Earlier, he served for 9 years as the Bureau Chief
in Chicago of the prestigious weekly Pakistan Link,
published from California in both Urdu and English.
He writes frequently for Urdu dailies Siyaset and
Munsif of Hyderabad. He has to his credit a long
list of well-deserved awards by literary associations
in India and the US.
His greatest achievement, to my mind, is the compilation
and publication in four volumes of the writings
of Mujtaba Husain, a contemporary humor writer in
Urdu language. These books are: Mujtaba Husain ki
Behtareen Tahreerain (Two volumes), Mujtaba Husain
kay Muntakhib Column, and Mujtaba Husain kay Safarname.
It is said of Sir Syed that he once remarked that
if God asked him what was his biggest achievement
in the world, he would respond, “I got Hali
to compose the Musaddas”. This elegy entitled
“Mudd o Jazzer-e-Islam” (Flow and Ebb
of Islam) is undoubtedly one of the greatest works
of the 19th century.
If God posed a similar question to Hasan Chishti,
he could point out his compilation and publication
of Mujtaba’s writings. I have read with considerable
interest all these volumes. Mujtaba excels in seeing
the humorous aspect of an ordinary event, even of
a sorrowful development. Like Musaddas, his writings
too, particularly about the waning status of Urdu,
create the effect of an elegy. Aristotle is reported
to have remarked that melancholy men are the most
witty. Given his sanguine outlook on life, Mujtaba
may not be the least melancholy person, but he undoubtedly
is the most witty and humorous Urdu writer.
Hasan Chishti can be justifiably proud of this work.
Being a modest person, he rarely mentions it.
To sum up, one may describe Hasan Chishti as a monument
to nobility.
May God grant him a long and healthy life.
(arifhussaini@hotmail.com Ph: 714-921-9634)
