Poet Salam Macchlishahri was born a hundred years ago on July 1, 1921 in Macchlishahr, Jaunpur. His given name was Abdul Salam. Salam was his takhallus. His formal education ended with high school, after which he took up a job at the library of Allahabad University. During employment at the library, he read up literature in many languages. In 1933, he was appointed to write manuscripts for Lucknow Radio. In 1952, he became an assistant producer and was sent to work at Srinagar radio station. After some time there he was transferred to Delhi radio station and appointed a producer. He was awarded the prestigious Padma Shri award for his services to literature. Salam Macchlishahri published three volumes of poetry: Meray Naghmay (My Songs), Wus’atain (Expanses) and Payal (Anklet). During his employment with radio, he also wrote a lot of dramas-in-verse and operas. Besides poetry, he wrote a novel, Baazu Band Khul Jaye (The bracelet loosens). Salam Macchlishahri passed away on November 19, 1973 in Delhi.

The first collection of his poems, Meraye Naghmay, was published in 1940. Salam had divided it ninto two parts: the romantic poems were compiled as Phool and revolutionary poems as Angaaray. The book opened with following verse:

Mairay naghmay baaghi bhi hain, mairay naghmay pyaray bhi/ Ab jis ka jo zauq-i-nazar hoe phool bhi hain angaaray bhi

[My songs are rebellious, as well as being lovely/ There are flowers as well as sparks; the connoisseur can choose as they please.]

When the book was sent to the printing press, the Angaaray portion was confiscated. Only the Phool part was published. Salam would say that Phool has the be rang-i-man (the part of my work that lacks colour). “There is nothing in it except my early emotional, romantic and natural poems.” The poems were greatly appreciated by the readers. Despite the rawness of the narrative style, they had a sort of innocence about them. There is a certain originality and uniqueness about Salam’s approach. Gulaab Baari (Rose fence), Sarak Ban Rahi Hai (A road is under construction), Drawing Room, Peetal Ka Saanp (The brass snake) etc are about mundane experiences of life but the point of view is quite individual.

In 1944, Salam’s second collection, Wus’atain was published. It contained some new and a few old poems. In this collection, Jangal Ka Naach (The jungle dance), Titliyaan (Butterflies), Maheenon Kay Geet (The songs of months) and Andesha (Doubt) are poems which worthy of attention. Most of the poems in this collection indicate that the poet has been unable to shed his childhood and all that is associated with it. He apparently found it difficult to come to terms with the complex realities of adult life.

Salam was also inclined to indulge experimentation that would sometimes border on the ridiculous.

Payal contains some great songs but the intellectual growth seems to have been arrested even with the foray into a new genre. It may be argued that Salam’s career did not afford him the kind of peace he needed for his songs to flourish. A frequent criticism of his poems has been that they fail to come together and define a central value system.

Salam wrote the following qataa (quatrain) as a preface to Meraye Naghmay:

Mujhay mu’aaf hoe ae naqid-i-zuban-o-adab/ Qayood-i-fan say agar door hon meray jazbaat/ Teri kitab mein shayad adab baraa-i-adab”/ Meri kitab mein lekin adab baraa-i-hayaat/ Toe phir adab mein abhi inqilab ki khaatir/ Kahan hai fursat-i-paabandi qayood-o-nikaat.

[Spare me o critic of language and literature/ if you find my feelings undisciplined by artistic restraint/ In your book perhaps art is created for art’s sake/ In my book it is for life’s sake/ How can art produced in the service of a revolution / follow the restraints imposed by art for art’s sake.]

Salam had based his art on the idea of a rebellion. This apparently did not let him develop sound artistic skills. Had his penchant for innovation followed a more mature path his contributions to Urdu literature may have been more substantial.

Even so Salam Macchlishahri’s experimentation is not without its lessons for the poets of a later generation. There is a great spontaneity about him. His radio dramas are also technically sound and coherent. Among his later poems, Maut Ab Meray Dareechay Ki Taraf Mat Aaana (Death, do not now come to my window) is a memorable one.

Almost two decades before his untimely death, Salam wrote an essay in Naya Daur’s Majaz Number. The essay became controversial on account of his conclusions about Majaz Lakhnawi and his assessment of other colleagues in the Progressive Writers Movement.

This may have been a factor in Salam’s literary merit not having been recognized fully.

Meri maut ae saaqi irtiqa

                                                                           hai hasti ka

Ik Salam jaata hai aik

                                                                   aanay wala hai

[My death o cupbearer is an aspect of the evolution of life/ Just as a Salam leaves, another is about to arrive.]

The writer is a social   scientist and   award-winning translator and dramatic reader based in Lahore, where he is also the president of the Progressive Writers Association.  He can be reached at razanaeem@hotmail.com