Ali Sardar Jafri

मैं जहां तुम को बुलाता हुं वहां तक आओ
मेरी नज़रों से गुज़र कर िदल-ओ-जान तक आओ !
िफर ये देखो िक ज़माने की हवा है कैसी
साथ मेरे मेरे िफ़रदौस-ए-जवान तक आओ !!

Ali Sardar Jafri was born in Balrampur 1913, Uttar Pradesh. His early influences were Josh Malihabadi, lyricist Jigar Muradabadi and Firaq Gorakhpuri. In 1933, he joined Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and soon got exposed to Communist ideology, subsequently he was expelled from the University in 1936, for ‘political reasons’. Eventually he graduated from Delhi University in 1938, though his post graduation studies at Lucknow University ended prematurely following his arrest during 1940-41 for writing anti-War poems, and taking part in Congress led political activities as Secretary of the university's Students' Union. he was the self-proclaimed spokesman for the poor, and wrote zealously to promote peace and friendship between India and Pakistan, during his 69-year-old career. In September 1965, even as the guns blazed from either side of the border, Sardar Jafri broadcast his poem Sarhad(Border) on All India Radio. It was a peace 'offensive' which stressed that "after all the killings you will finally have to talk peace sitting across a table"

"अभी और तेज़ कर ले सर-ए-खन्जर-ए-अदा को
मेरे खुन की है ज़रुरत तेरी शोखी-ए-िहना को

तुझे िकस नज़र से देखे ये िनगाह-ए-दर्द आगीन
जो दुआएं दे रही है तेरी चश्म-ए-बेवफ़ा को

कहीं रह गई शायद तेरे िदल की धडकनों में
कभी सुन सके तो सुन ले मेरी खुनशीदा नवा को

कोइ बोलता नहीं है मैं पुकारता रहा हुं
कभी बुतकदे में बुत को कभी काबे में खुदा को"

Ali Sardar Jafri was involved in several social, political and literary movements. On January 20, 1949, he was arrested at Bhiwandi, for holding of a (now banned) Progressive Urdu writers' conference, despite warnings from Morarji Desai, the Chief Minister of Bombay State; three months later, he was rearrested.

"काम अब कोई न आयेगा बस इक िदल के िसवा
रास्ते बन्द हैं सब कुचा-ए-काितल के िसवा

बाइस-ए-रश्क है तन्हारवी-ए-राहरौ-ए-शौक
हमसफ़र कोई नहीं दूरी-ए-मिज़ल के िसवा

हम ने दुिनया की हर इक शै से उठाया िदल को
लेिकन इक शोख के हन्गामा-ए-महिफ़ल के िसवा

तेग मुनि्सफ़ हो जहां दार-ओ-रसन हों शािहद
बेगुनाह कौन है उस शहर में काितल के िसवा

जाने िकस रंग से आइ है गुलशन में बहार
कोइ नग्मा ही नहीं शोर-ए-िसलािसल के िसवा"

Jafri's literary career began at the young age of 17 as a short story writer with the pen name Hazin. He has written nine books of verse, two plays, one memoir-reportage, three collections of critical essays and one volume of short stories. And the two countries of his affection have honoured him repeatedly. He was awarded the Iqbal Gold Medal by the Pakistan government in 1978 and in India, he was awarded the prestigious Jnanpith Puraskar in 1998. His memorable work, 'Ek Khwab Aur', won the Sahitya Akademi award.

He died on August 1, 2000 in Mumbai, and on his first death anniversary in 2001, a book "Ali Sardar Jafri: The youthful boatman” of joy was released.