Jan Khaskheli: Poet historian of pain

By Muhammad Habib Sanai

Jan Khaskheli earns his bread by working as a full-time journalist and as a reporter he writes on very innovative topics such as birds and their habits, hidden aspects of ecosystems, plights of artisans, common men of rural areas, fisherfolk, agricultural workers, water situation, crop situation, environmental degradation etc., mostly in English and also sometimes in Sindhi. However, his first passion and love remained in Sindhi literature. Almost twenty years ago his first book of Sindhi short stories “Gum thiyal Manoo joSafarnamoo”, (Travelogue of a missing /disappeared person) was published that contained a collection of his short stories.

Now after a long break, his second book but first book of poetry entitledKhawaben je mosam jo hik geet (A song related to the season of dreams)has been published.  

This anthology contains 62 prose poems, which mostly were written during the eighties and nineties when he was living in Karachi. As a result, most of his poems are related to Karachi, which is in itself a big departure, especially in Sindhi poetry because prior to him no Sindhi poet has written about Karachi in that fashion or manner.

During his stay in Karachi from the mid-eighties to mid-twenties, he mostly worked with Sindhi newspapers, but he remained attached to Sindhi AdabiSangat’s Karachi branch, which was at that time, the most vibrant branch of Sindhi writers and literary leaning leftist and nationalist political workers. But he also remained active in Urdu literary circles and attended regularly meetings of Awami Adabi Anjman, the Literary committee of Karachi Press Club etc. Jan has now shifted in Hyderabad,

Some poems are long and some are short. The recurring theme is not personal wins and love longings, but socio-politico-economic situations and events occupy his poems. Manoj Kumar, who has written the preface of this book, has termed him as poet historian of pain.

The book starts with a poem about the poor women who got trampled while taking Eid gifts in Joria Bazar, Karachi on 14 September 2009:

To Moon

Attraction for wheat flour forced poverty to join a crowd….

Suddenly laughter of death frightened poverty

Hope got trampled …

Wheat flour got kneaded with bodies…

Now after a long break, his second book but the first book of poetry entitled Khawaben je mosam jo hik geet (A song related to the season of dreams) has been published.  

This anthology contains 62 prose poems, which mostly were written during the eighties and nineties when he was living in Karachi. As a result, most of his poems are related to Karachi, which is in itself a big departure, especially in Sindhi poetry, because prior to him no Sindhi poet has written about Karachi in that fashion or manner.

During his stay in Karachi from the mid-eighties to his mid-twenties, he mostly worked with Sindhi newspapers, but he remained attached to Sindhi Adabi Sangat’s Karachi branch, which was at that time, the most vibrant branch of Sindhi writers and literary-leaning leftist and nationalist political workers. But he also has remained active in Urdu literary circles and attended regular meetings of Awami Adabi Anjman, the Literary committee of Karachi Press Club etc. Jan has now moved to Hyderabad.

Some poems are long and some are short. The recurring theme is not personal woes and love longings, but socio-politico-economic situations and events that occupy his poems. Manoj Kumar, who has written the preface of this book, has termed him a a poet historian of pain.

The book starts with a poem about the poor women who got trampled while taking Eid gifts in Joria Bazar, Karachi on 14 September 2009:

Lyari, which is now a hotbed of gang wars, was once peaceful and cosmopolitan part of Karachi. He laments its present plight in one poem:

Pain is like bell  When it tolls in streets of Lyari,Leva dance is started. 

In another poem he talks about Manora and its surroundings:

 This sea and temple of Manora …
 And that church ….
 Oh Time come and use your full strength
 To quieten the violent sea
 And wipe out smell of hate. 

In various poems he has tried to depict the torment and anguish of Karachi and its residents:

Rose blooming season

 Today in our motherland
 Bullets are freely playing in streets
 … At city circle
 Along with heroes of stories, history,
 Songs and poems,
 Our longings are also burnt. 

Relations

 All dogs of city
 Have become guardians of hate
 And for wishing to dream
 Today have developed friendships
 Once again with stars. 

Story of a city

 Hundred kissable damsels  
 And branches of roses
 Fell down after getting injured
 Get trampled
 For their crime of love for life. 

He also speaks about the various ills afflicting our society such as honour killings, hunger, poverty, draught in Thar etc.

Hunger Either in Cold or in Hot Ways and markets give him a place Across the hub river, His Mother, Along with another minor son,  Peeping from the door holes  Will be waiting for son Might be she so hungry. 

Drought

Hearing crying of children,
 Prior to issuing of red milk
 From breast of any mother
 Feeble eyes shed tears 

Some poems discuss international events or personalities. Below are excerpts from a few poems having an international bent:

Tamil girl

 Over emaciated boat of longings
 A Tamil girl with gun
 Is following track of silence            
 Suicidal death is calling her. 

Nelson Mandela

In eyes of Mandela
 Those dreams still unfulfilled 
 Will dance in the streets
 After draping jewels of realization 

In the end, I am giving excerpts from some of his poems so that you can enjoy a variety of themes and images portrayed in them:

Short story of a long journey

 We singers of songs
 In the season of sorrows 
 Instead of laughter,
 Are humming Nohas/dirges
 Still
 Have not lost despite barking of dogs at every nook and corner
 Have not wavered
 We are travelling. 

Keenjhar

 From afar breast of Keenjhar 
 Seems like a desert
 Or a play ground
 Children get on boat and run
 Take fishing net
 Swing and sing
 All day they play in water
 At dusk boats are like nests 
 Of river birds. 

Street Library: A novel idea?

It seemed a novel idea that a street library is established at a footpath along the eastern wall of Hotel Metropol (outer wall of the parking area) facing the main artery of the city Sharae Faisal, but without any vision or intention to facilitate the general public. People wonder why it was there?

Marked as Commissioner’s Corner the “STREET LIBRARY” houses two sets of wall-mounted three-door wooden bookshelves (double door almaries)and sitting benches at the other side of the footpath, which is fenced with a beautiful railing. The wall is also beautifully decorated with inscribed pictures made with yellow-stone plaster of the leaders of the independence movement and some famous buildings of the city.

The Karachi Commissioner Iftikhar Ali Shallwani has taken the credit for establishing the street library from the platform of the Council of Karachi Libraries. He inaugurated this library on 25^th December the birthday of the Father of the Nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. A number of new and old booksellers were also invited to set up their bookstalls alongside the road, which is a portion for the traffic turning alongside the Metropol. That lane was closed to traffic.

The street library is reported to offer the exchange of books, but on the first day, there were no arrangements for availing that facility as there was no attendant from the office of the Commissioner to guide visitors. After the formal inauguration in the morning, I visited the place in the afternoon and found the doors of the library were open. All were filled with books. I peeped into the shelves and founds books in English, Urdu and Sindhi languages. English books were mostly on the course subjects but Urdu and Sindhi books were on literature and novels.

A person, who said he was a representative of a private company, which had arranged the inaugural function, told me that no staff from the Commissioner or any other government office was available to reply to my questions. He himself was not aware much.

A middle-aged Sindhi-speaking couple was also desperately looking for a concerned staff. They want to take a couple of books from the shelves. The male fellow told me that he was there at the time of the inauguration and the Commissioner had said that books can be exchanged (which means you bring your books and take books from the shelves as replacements). But the guard and the private guy did not allow them to take the books even in exchange. The guard, which belongs to a private security company, later locked all the books almaries with keys in fear of stealing.

Some other people were also looking for any concerned people but they were disappointed like me. The Sindhi couple, with whom I spoke later said they were happy to learn about this library but it seems it was similar to other government projects just to spend the budget. Maybe Commissioner Sahib had visited some European countries and the idea inspired him so he brought this street idea from there and implemented it here. According to him, this may be part of the World Bank Project, which is being implemented in the Saddar town area. But how the Commissioner's office will manage and maintain it, he was also blank.