Soon after partition, the literary scene in Pakistan was dominated by two opposing camps of writers. On one side of the ideological spectrum were the ‘art for art’s sake’ advocates and on the opposite side were progressive writers raising the flag of ‘art for humanity’s sake’. One thing that united the two camps was a lack of women writers in them. Qurratulain Hyder was among the first women to rock the literary world. In time, others followed her into literary stardom. Among these female writers, one star shone brightly. Starting her writing career with Ashfaq Ahmed’s magazine, Aatish-e-Rafta, Jamila Hashmi went on to write critically acclaimed novels and short stories. It was in Lahore last week that Jamila Hashmi was celebrated and talked about, almost 30 years after her death.
Organised by Dr. Ayesha Siddiqa, daughter of Jamila Hashmi, the event at Alhamra was meant to be a ‘re-introduction’ of the late writer for the sake of a younger audience. Arriving at Alhamra complex, I was surprised to see the number of people queued up outside Hall 2, eagerly waiting to be seated for the program. When the proceedings commenced, there was no room left for any late-comers. The audience included both young and the old (with a vast majority in the ‘middle’ category). Nisar Aziz Butt, I.A. Rehman and Naeem Tahir were among the audience.
Dr. Ayesha Siddiqa at the event in memory of her mother Jamila Hashmi
Many of Hashmi's works reflect the stark realities of Partition and are set in rural Punjab
Eminent writer and poet Fahmida Riaz was tasked with providing a brief introduction to Jamila Hashmi. Since she was an immigrant from Amritsar at the time of Partition in 1947, many of Hashmi’s works reflect the stark realities of Partition and are set in rural Punjab. Fahmida Riaz spoke at length about two historical fiction novels written by Hashmi, based on the lives of Qurratulain Tahireh and Mansoor Hallaj.
The centrepiece of the event was a story written by Jamila Hashmi and adapted as a theatre production. Dr. Ayesha Siddiqa reminisced that her mother used to hold special evenings annually where prominent writers were invited to share their latest work. The story adapted as a play was originally written by Mrs. Hashmi at one of those evenings. Sheema Kirmani and the Tehreek-e-Niswan provided a skilled cast for the play.
Sheema Kirmani mesmerised the audience with her performance
The plot involved two estranged sisters, Noor and Meher. Noor used to be a heartthrob but opts to remain single and spend her life in Lahore with her ageing mother. Meher goes off to London and is in contact with her family through letters. In the opening scene, a letter from Meher arrives in Lahore announcing the arrival of her ‘Sherry’ in Karachi. Since their mother is not able to withstand long journeys, Noor is dispatched to the port city to pick up ‘Sherry’.
At the Karachi airport, she spots a lovely couple which sparks a flashback to the time she was in college. It involved a classic love triangle with a young lecturer at the centre of it. Noor vied for his attention alongside her more charming Persian classmate but to no avail. She decides against her better judgement one night and lands in the aforementioned lecturer’s room, expressing her affections towards him. He is not amused by this show at all and dismisses our protagonist. The warden of his hostel finds Noor coming out from his room in a dishevelled state and the lecturer is given a choice to either marry the girl or leave town. He chooses exile over a forced relationship and leaves our protagonist in eternal misery.
Noor sees Sherry for the first time and is smitten by his looks. He is, in fact, a golden retriever
The story moves back to the present, as the plane from London lands in Karachi and passengers start pouring out, Noor sees Sherry for the first time and is smitten. He has golden hair and the most adorable face. He is, in fact, a golden retriever.
Noor falls in love with Sherry and spends all her spare time with him. His affections brought back memories of unrequited love, during her time spent in the United States and then on a sea journey. Sherry, the dog, reminds her of different lovers in her life, the ones she had rejected because she herself had once been rejected. Meher comes over to Pakistan to take Sherry away but Noor runs away with him to the hills of Murree. Meher’s husband falls ill and Noor is forced by her mother to visit them in London. She leaves Sherry in care of her mother. Upon her return, Sherry is really sick and finally passes away, despite vehement protestations to God by Noor. She is left devastated and broken.
The story had echoes of Saadat Hasan Manto’s famous short story, ‘Hatak’. The acting was top-notch and all the characters were aptly represented. And so, the evening was spent well - in the memory of a uniquely gifted writer. The play was also staged two days later in Islamabad and hopefully the audience there enjoyed it as much as we did in Lahore.
Jamila Hashmi's historical fiction novel Chera Pa Chera Rubaru is based on the life and times of Qurat-ul-Ain Tahireh
A rebel poetess, executed by the Qajar dynasty in 19th century Persia for her subversive views and her loyalty to the Babi religious movement, Tahireh became a symbol of defiance against unjust rule. Her life remains an inspiration to women fighting for freedom, especially in the Muslim world
Qurat-ul-Ain Tahireh
“Come to me!” Love said alluringly “Free of pride and pretense, Manifestation of the One, I am.”
Tahireh is but floating dust at your feet Drunk by the wine of your face, awaiting your blessing A confessing sinner, I am.
I would explain all my grief Dot by dot, point by point If heart to heart we talk And face to face we meet
To catch a glimpse of thee I am wandering like a breeze From house to house, door to door Place to place, street to street In separation from thee
The blood of my heart gushes out of my eyes In torrent after torrent, river after river Wave after wave, stream after stream
This afflicted heart of mine Has woven your love To the stuff of life Strand by strand, thread to thread
O slumbering one, the beloved has arrived, arise! Brush off the dust of sleep and self, arise!
Behold, the good will has arrived, Come not before him with tears, arise!
