Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi, (Urdu: احمد ندیم قاسمی) born Ahmed Shah Awan(Urdu:
احمد شاہ اعوان ) was a legendary Urdu and English language Pakistani
poet, journalist, literary critic, dramatist and short story author. He
wrote 50 books including poetry, fiction, criticism, journalism and art.
He was a major figure in contemporary Urdu literature. His poetry stood
out among his contemporaries' work for its unflinching humanism, and
his Urdu afsana (novel) work is considered by some second only to Prem
Chand in its masterful depiction of rural culture. He was also editor
and publisher of literary magazine Funoon for almost half a century,
grooming generations of new writers. He wrote many English poems and
short stories. His poem The Feed is included in the syllabus of
intermediate classes in Pakistan. He received awards the Pride of
Performance in 1968 and Sitara-e-Imtiaz in 1980 for his literary work.
Biography
Qasmi was born on November 20, 1916, in the house of Peer Ghulam
Nabi Qasmi,in the village Anga of Khushab District in British India. He
received his secondary education from Campbellpur in 1931, around the
time when he wrote his first poem, he moved to the Sadiq Egerton College
in Bahawalpur and graduated from University of the Punjab, Lahore in
1935. He had one brother peerzada Mohammad Bakhsh Qasmi and a sister. He
belongs to a religious peerzada family of Qadri. He became active
member of the Progressive Writers Movement as a secretary, and was
consequently arrested many times during the 1950s and 1970s.
He was died on the July 10, 2006 of complications from asthma at Punjab Institute of Cardiology in Lahore.
Literary Career
Qasmi had long career as a writer and editor, he served editing
several prominent literary journals, including Phool, Tehzeeb-i-Niswaan,
Adab-i-Lateef, Savera, Naqoosh, and his own brainchild, Funoon. He also
worked as the editor of the prestigious Urdu daily Imroze. Qasimi
contributed weekly columns to national newspapers like "Rawan Dawan and
Daily Jang for several decades. In the poetry, he has written both
traditional ghazals and the modern nazams.
In 1948, he was selected as the secretary general of the
Anjuman-e-Taraqqi Pasand Musannifeen (Progressive Writers Movement) for
Punjab. In 1949, he was elected the secretary-general of the
organisation for Pakistan.
In 1962, Qasmi published his own literary magazine Fanoon,with the
support of writers and poets such as Khadija Mastoor,Hajira Masroor,
Ahmed Faraz, Amjad Islam Amjad, Ata ul Haq Qasmi, Munnoo Bhai and Nazeer
Naji and many others. Qasami was the mentor of most well known poet
Parveen Shakir. In 1974, he was appointed secretary-general of
Majlis-Taraqee-Adab - a Board of Advancement of Literature established
by the government of West Pakistan in 1958.
His literary work has been appreciated and admired by writers, poets
and critics of Urdu world, though there is also criticism on his
literary work and on his personality. About Qasmi,that is common view
that he did not have faith even in his closest friends, such as Ataul
Haq Qasmi, Amjad Islam Amjad and even Parveen Shakir,because of his
adopted daughter Mansoora Ahmad became so dominant that her insulting
behaviour caused among Qasmi and his close friends.
Qasmi writing style is as,
"Dawar-e hashr! mujhe teri qasam
Umr bhar mein ne ibadat ki hay
Tu mera namaa-e-amal tau dekh
Mein ne insaan se mohabbat ki hay"
Translation,
"O Lord of the Day of Judgment
I swear by you
I have worshipped all my life
Look at my balance sheet
I have loved mankind."
Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi's Works:
