The timeless profundity of Munir Niazi’s words

Karachi

Munir Niazi had a particular knack for exposing facets of the moral collapse of our state and society. Where the late Intezar Hussain dealt with the subject in his novels, Niazi did it just as brilliantly through his poetry.

These were renowned intellectual and writer Asghar Nadeem Syed’s views at a book launch session, ‘Intikhab-e-Kalam: Munir Niazi and the Urdu Virsa series’, on the first day of the 7th Karachi Literature Festival where he spoke along with journalist Mujahid Barelvi and poets, Fehmida Riaz and Dr Fatima Hasan.

“How the true essence of things loses meaning during times of societal collapse is an important subject to ponder upon,” said Syed. “Though Niazi’s work doesn’t stand in line with any specific political ideology, it still remains as relevant as ever in today’s day and age.”

Niazi’s perspective on the barriers hindering our societal development, Syed said, deserves particular attention, adding that it would serve the nation well if more us tried to understand his views.

He said that during martial law periods in Pakistan, Niazi’s verses are mainly the ones picked up by the media and political leaders, which serves as a testament to the power of his poetry. 

“Along with his command over visual imagination methods, Niazi’s distinctive thoughts on culture and civilisation afforded him an edge over his contemporaries,” said Syed.

The use of symbolism in Niazi’s poetry, he observed, not just added exceptional depth to his work, but allowed him the freedom to explore the hidden realities of our world. “He was a man who unveiled emotions that were waiting to be discovered,” said Syed.

Fehmida Riaz, speaking about the impact of surroundings on an artiste and his or her thoughts, said the real brilliance lay in the artiste’s ability to express while maintaining a sense of individuality.

Interestingly, she said, Niazi had always found the ever-widening distance between man and nature a forbidding phenomenon.

Dr Fatima Hasan identified the simplicity of language as the most captivating feature of Niazi’s poetry, along with his ability to deliver his thoughts in a timeless style.