Farhat Abbas’ portrait of literary perception

Islamabad : Dr. Farhat Abbas in his detailed and expansive book ‘Maani ki Mohabbat Mein’ seeks to immerse his readers in all aspects of Urdu literature. He expects to transform the writer into a more strategic one, immune to emotional drama. This is a lofty aim, but even a skeptic will become believer after diving into his well-organized writing.

The book includes his scholarly and analytical essays. In the first part of the book ‘Haasl-e-Fikr’ he writes on several topics of national and literary importance, and the second part of the book ‘Haasl-e-Mutalaya’ contains his analytical essays on nine contemporary Urdu poets each fleshed out with several short but insightful paragraphs of critical commentary.

Farhat Abbas as a writer feels charged with the safekeeping of all that is good in the society, as though he might be held personally responsible if even a bit of goodness were to be lost. Although it is not easy to discuss anything of this nature, but the author of the book successfully does it.

On the role of the writer in a society, the author says a writer must reflect and interpret his society, his world; he must also provide inspiration and guidance and challenge.

Farhat Abbas says writers have a social responsibility to contribute to and change the world they live in, therefore, every writer has a chance to make even the smallest difference — whether he/she influences one person or many people, whether he/she changes something in neighborhood or change something at a bigger level.

The author says our forefathers created literature that assisted the struggles against British imperialism, therefore today’s writer must consciously create literature for the progress of society. During independence movement came forward many writers who through their writings attempted to inspire and motivate people by placing the goal of independence ahead of them.

There were a number of writers who attempted to reveal the malice and ugliness of social order at that time through their writings. There were also many other writers who envisioned social equality and took the pen to write against injustice, discrimination, exploitative forces and so on.

Debates rage over what kind of literature we should read, what is good and bad literature, and whether in the global, digital age, literature even has a future. But what exactly is literature? Why should we read literature? How do we read literature? These are some of the important questions Farhat Abbas answers in this beautifully written and passionate book. ‘Maani ki Mohabbat Mein’ is a plea that we continue to read and care about literature. It is essential reading for anyone interested in the future of literature, of reading, and what literature can tell us about the human condition.