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Rakhshanda memoir of a visit to Faiz Ghar, Lahore

By Rakhshanda Jalil
Updated Monday, 05 September 2011 21:09:19 - IST (UTC +5:30)

A trip to Lahore is incomplete without a visit to Faiz Ghar. Faiz Ahmad Faiz (1911-1984) wrote poetry that was at once passionate, direct, impetuous, that appealed with a startling near-prophetic call to the collective consciousness of his readers. Using traditional poetic forms such as elegy, ode and anthem, he infused them with a fresh note of social consciousness. Faiz Ghar celebrates different aspects of this multi-faceted man: activist for human rights and civil liberties, journalist and editor of newspapers and literary magazines, trade unionist, film lyricist, founder of public and cultural institutions, and, of course, one of the most compelling poetic voices to have emerged from South Asia.
My visit becomes all the more memorable when my guide is Ali Madeeh Hashmi, the poet’s grandson. A practising psychiatrist and Professor at the King Edward Medical College, Hashmi is one of the founder-trustees of Faiz Ghar. He, along with his mother and aunt (Faiz’s daughters) and a small core group of civil society spearheaded a movement to collect whatever remains of Faiz’s tangible legacy – be it some of his letters, personal effects, papers and memorabilia. Conceived on the same lines as the Shakir Ali Museum established by the National Council for the Arts in memory of the teacher-painter from Lahore, Faiz Ghar is meant to be both a museum and an open space for the city’s creative people to practise and pursue their diverse interests.
Launched a little over two years ago, on 1 March 2009, the Faiz Ghar is a project of the Faiz Foundation Trust, and is devoted as much to Faiz as to his legacy, that is, to the propagation of an active interest in the progressive ideas of humanism, peace, tolerance, liberalism and a love for the arts and literature. As Hashmi says, ‘The idea behind it is also to provide a space for cultural events including literary, poetic and musical events preferably with (but not necessarily) a connection to Faiz and his work.’ While there are several institutions – both governmental and private -- in culturally-vibrant Lahore, the core group behind Faiz Ghar, that is Faiz’s family, liberal/left individuals and civil society groups felt the need for a space that could effectively counter the influence of the religious right.
In Hashmi’s words, this house is meant as ‘a permanent space for both Faiz's physical exhibits (medals, pictures, documents, etc.) as well as a physical space to “anchor” the Faiz Foundation and restart its work (the Foundation was formed in the immediate aftermath of Faiz' death in 1984, worked for several years then disbanded and dissolved primarily because of lack of manpower and money).’ Being essentially 'non-political', neither the Faiz Foundation nor Faiz Ghar do not engage in specifically 'political activities' although if Hashmi has his way, Faiz Ghar may just open its doors to gatherings by labour parties, mazdoor and kisan organizations. Given Faiz’s close linkages with the labour movement in Pakistan, it makes perfect sense. Hashmi adds, ‘My vision is to have a Faiz Ghar in every major city of Pakistan eventually.’
Located in a bungalow in the sprawling Model Town neighbourhood – not far from the house where Faiz spent the last few years of his life – Faiz Ghar is a unique experiment. The house itself is leased to the Faiz Foundation by an admirer of the poet’s for a token rent of One Rupee a month. Somewhat ramshackle to begin with, the house has been renovated and spruced up to receive the motley group of visitors it gets from across the city, despite its location in the middle of an upscale residential neighbourhood. The ground floor houses the peripatetic poet’s personal effects: suits, glasses, cigarette case, letters to his wife, family and friends from prison and exile, rare photographs with friends and fellow writers, even a copy of his nikahnama (marriage certificate) with Alys George signed by Shaikh Abdullah in Srinagar. The first floor has books on Faiz as well as boxes of archival material still being sorted out. My eye catches the logo of the India International Centre behind a glass-topped cabinet as I spot a membership card (M 1582, dated 31 December 1981). The library reveals a pile of the Lotus journal that Faiz edited in Beirut, a journal that is now languishing in Cairo and in dire need of being revived. The day of my visit, a Sunday, a yoga session is in progress in one of the rooms and a camera crew is busy taking pictures. Evidently, this is a museum with a difference!
An effort supported almost entirely from the family’s own resources and the contributions of the poet’s friends and admirers, needs a substantial and sustained infusion of funds and resources. Till someone with sufficiently deep pockets comes along, the dedicated people behind the ‘idea’ of Faiz Ghar are doing splendidly well with a judicious mix of ingenuity and technology. A Facebook page brings together Faiz lovers from across the globe allowing them to speak and exchange notes on a virtual platform. A slew of interesting activities offer a variety of delights for different age groups: Urdu Baithak/Sing-along sessions, music classes, workshops on poetry appreciation (especially Faiz’s), art appreciation classes by the poet’s artist daughter, Salima Hashmi, documentary and film screenings, book and cd launches and much else besides. The proceeds from registration fee go to Faiz Ghar, as do the monies raised through the sale of souvenirs such as music cds, t-shirts, books and other memorabilia. The poet’s legacy is reaching out to younger, newer audiences, just as Bol ke lab azaad hain tere (Speak, for your lips are free) is fast becoming an anthem of resistance on both sides of the border.
--Rakhshanda Jalil
(This article has appeared in the Travel Section of The Hindu, dated 4 September 2011.)

Tags: Rakhshanda Jalil Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Faiz Ghar Lahore

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