An Easy Solution

AN EASY SOLUTION Altaf Husain Hali Panipati (1837–1914) was a man of revolutionary thinking. He started a reform movement in Urdu literature and heavily criticized the tradition of classical Urdu poetry. He claimed that Urdu poetry had become mainly exaggeration, romanticism, and fanciful imagination, while it should be meaningful. As an example, he produced the Musaddas, also called “Madd-o-Jazr-eIslam,” a very famous long poem written in 1987. This criticism greatly angered those who took pride in Urdu poetry and considered it their glory. Hostile articles began to appear against Hali. The newspaper Oudh Punch of Lucknow often wrote about him in the worst possible manner, using titles such as: Abtar hamare hamlon se haali ka haal hai Maidan Panipat ki tarah paimaal hai Shattered by our assaults is Hali’s very state, Trampled like Panipat’s field beneath the weight. Hali never responded to these abusive attacks. He silently continued his work. After a few years, his critics grew tired and fell silent. Someone asked Hali how his opponents had finally quietened down. In reply, without naming anyone, he recited this verse: Kya poochhte ho kyun kar sab nukta cheen hue chup Sab kuch kaha unhon ne par hum ne dam na maara Why wonder now that every critic’s voice fell still? They spoke their piece—yet we remained unmoved, unheard.