Kaun Kehta Hai keh Maut Aaee Tau marr Jaoon ga

Prolific Pakistani octogenarian poet, short story writer and columnist Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi passed away today heralding the ending of an era in Urdu Literature. The last of the giants he was hailed as next in rank to the likes of Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Saadat Hasan Manto. Whether that bears out to be true only posterty will tell but there is no denying his contribution to Urdu, his humantitarian concerns and the number of new writers he brought to the forefront through the platform of his literary magazine 'Funoon'. Affectionately called 'Baba' by all those close to him , Qasmi was a part of the revolutionary and ground breaking 'Progressive Writers Movement' during its earlier phase and is said to be second to none in his depiction of the ordinary rural man as well as the small time city dweller.
The short story I will most remember him by is his masterful portrayal of lower middle class city dwellers trying to pose as the affluent elite of Pakistan in 'Ghar se Ghar Tak'. It is a beautiful indictment of the great gap that exists between the haves and the have nots in the country and the shallow means that are adopted in order to snag a 'good match' for young people who do not belong to the upper economic strata of society.
I had the good fortune of meeting Qasmi saahib twice in my life and he came across as a humble, soft spoken and cultured man, in short all that one expects of anyone writing in the genteel tradition of Urdu Literature.

Kaun kehtaa hai ke maut aaee to mar jaaoon gaa
mein to dariyaa hoon samandar mein utar jaaoon gaa

Teraa dar chhor ke mein aur kidhar jaaoon gaa
Ghar mein ghir jaaoon gaa sehraa mein bikhar jaaoon gaa

Zindagii shammaa kii maanind jalaataa hoon 'Nadeem'
Bujh to jaaoon gaa magar subah tau kar jaaoon gaa

Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi (1916--2006)