The inimitable Jigar Jalandhari

By Naresh Raj

JIGAR Jalandhari has very recently come out his ninth compilation of verses, Parvaz-e-Jigar. The Punjab government honoured him several times by conferring the Sahir Ludhianvi (1986) and Shiromani Sahityakar awards (1990). He was also awarded the Parman Patra in 1991 besides being honoured by cultural organisations and the Urdu academy.

There goes a saying that behind every essay there is a man who wrote it. The perusal of this compilation reflects Jigar’s personality in various situations and his firm beliefs in the governance of one’s life. Age-old traditional and useless concepts like Jamo Sabu, Mayo-Meena, Maikhana, Saqi-o-mehfil, Boso kinar, Zulfar Rasa, or lust for bodily contact find no place in Jigar’s poetry. He believes in higher values of life such as brotherhood, fraternity, true love, self-respect, honesty, integrity of character and empathy with the down-trodden.

All these values are to be found enshrined in his verses. In this respect, Jigar is an iconoclast and a revolutionary. He tries to endear these values to the heart of his readers. A good number of his verses are highly inspiring and soul-lifting. This couplet fully justifies what I have stated:

"Tu har jagha maujood hai, jin ko yeh khabar hai kabae nahin jatae, woh sivalae nahin jatae."

Throughout this compilation his emphasis on humanitarianism is visible. At another place he says:

"Phool Kitna bhi khoobsurat ho, usmae nakhed nahin tu kuchch bhi Nahin

Lakh johar hoin adami mae, agar adamiat nahin to kuchch bhi nahin.

Jigar is the prophet of love and good deeds. He says:

Pyar ka ahatram kar ke to dekh,

Zin dagi is ke nam kar ke to dekh,

Dil ki taskeen dhundare walae

Tu koi nek kam kar ke to dekh.

At another place he writes:

Jaan apni betalab de dijiyae

Kijae to yun mohabat kijiyae

Dosti kihad nahin hoti koye

Dushmano se bhi mohabbat kijiyae.

Jigar has zest for life which he takes as the greates boon bestowed by God:

Zindagi sabse bada inam hai

Isko sar aankhon pe rakha kijiyae.

For the upkeep of honour and prestige he exhorts:

Zinda rahiyae abaro-o-izat Kae Sath

Ashak jab girne lagae to Pilijae

At another place he writes:

Pyar mera deen hae iman hae

Yeh kalame pak ka farman hae.

Jigar is not oblivious of the smiles and sorrows of life. He says:

Zindagi phool bhi hae shabnam bhi

Koi hasata hae, koi rota hae.

He has a word of praise for those who continue to smile in troubles and in afflictions and condemns those who bemoan inspire of having all comforts in life:-

Muskarata hae koi tufan main

Koi sahir pe betha rota hae.

The poet has a bouquet of compliments for those who stick to their right conduct and principles throughout their life:

Ik rang mai guzar di tunae tamam umar

Aye phool teri vazah pae kurban jae".

His latest book "Parav-e-Jigar" contains his poems on national integration, new Punjab, health, knowledge, Guru Hargobind Ji, Mahatma Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose and India. They have been beautiful composed.

It will not be out of place to mention briefly about the style and language used by the poet. Jigar’s poetry is couched in simple, unsophisticated and explicit expressions. He does not try to confuse the reader and tries to shun deep and complicated philosophical dicta.

We find him always standing firmly on the ground. He does not try to soar wantonly in the skies. His language is very simple, bereft of Persian and Arabic words. Most of his metres (bahar) are short. Only a few of his verses are in long metre (Tavil bahar). His similes and metaphors are also easily understandable. One is surprised to find that Jigar had made use of even ezafat very rarely. The following beautiful couplets by Jigar are a befitting end.

Woh jo hasil na ho ibadat se

Mang kar dekheye mohabbat se."

yarab wo log konsi basti me ja base

Mar mittee thae jo apne asulun ke waste.

Khubion per kab asar karti hain do ik khamian,

Chand ke daghon se us ka husan kam hota nahin.