‘Intizar Hussain was the embodiment of a civilisation’

Karachi 

A large number of intellectuals, media persons and academics gathered at the Karachi Arts Council on Monday   evening to shower tributes and eulogies on the late Urdu scholar and littérateur, Intizar Hussain, who passed away on February 1 this year.

All the speakers remembered him in the dearest of terms and said that, with him, had come to an end an epoch in Urdu literature and that he had left a void that seemed impossible to fill.

Irfan Javed, recollecting his thoughts about Intizar, spoke of the departed’s love for nature and aesthetics which, he said, was reflected in his concern over the felling of ancient trees in Lahore.

This, he said, underscored his love for nature and things that made nature so glorious, as did the fact that Intizar would make it a point to regularly feed the birds.

Former TV producer Bakhtiar nostalgically recalled his association with the late scholar and said that he had produced three plays in association with him, “Khwabon Ke Musafir”, “Bakht Khan”, and “Saatwan Sawal”. “He was one of the biggest dramatists this country has ever produced,” he said.

Academic and poetess Shahida Hassan said, “Intizar Hussain was the embodiment of a civilisation. He led a full life and wrote on a diverse array of issues.”  She also recited some verses that she had written impromptu on hearing of his demise.

Well known intellectual figure Dr Asif Aslam Farrukhi, in a tribute to his intellect, said that Intizar Hussain was an encyclopaedia on Pakistan. He said perhaps Intizar Hussain considered death as something transitory.

Poetess Fatima Hassan said, “Intizar was a very deep person and a master narrator.”

Speaking on cell phone from New Delhi, noted Urdu scholar Shamim Hanafi, said that news of his death seems a dream. He couldn’t bring himself round to believing it, he said.

Hanafi spoke of Intizar Hussain as a very polite person who just didn’t know how to lose his temper.

Kishwar Naheed, speaking from Lahore, paid tribute to his love for nature and aesthetics, saying, “I see the birds every morning and it seems Intizar Hussain is asking me to give the birds their feed. I really learnt so much from him.”

Lahore-based journalst Mashood Ashar, expressing his profound sorrow over the demise, seemed regretful and said that if only Intizar had heeded the advice of their common friend, Ikramullah, and moved to hospital a few days earlier, perhaps this sad day would not have dawned. “Even at this age his memory was remarkable,” he said.

Huma Mir, who acted in Intizar Hussain’s play, “Khwaabon Ke Musafir”, said that it was a source of real pride for her to have been part of that production. Mir said she was also very proud of the fact that he wrote the foreword to her book. Others who spoke were Anwar Sen Roy, Asghar Nadeem Syed (via phone), and Mobin Mirza.