Fahmida Riaz passes away 

Published : Nov 22, 2018 17:04 IST

Fahmida Riaz, the intrepid refugee poet and author who made New Delhi her home when the then Pakistan President Zia-ul Haq came down with a heavy hand on the world of arts and literature, passed away following a battle with illness. She was 72. Known for taking on the authorities head on, Fahmida preferred to leave Pakistan and seek asylum in India rather than kowtow to the authorities.

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It was a long exile too. For much of the 1980s, she was the cynosure of poetic circles in the capital. With her strong feminist writing and an ability to use words to bring about a change in society, she carved out her own niche.  In a way, though, it was a home coming for Fahmida.  When she recited her oft-quoted nazm “ Tum bilkul hum jaise nikle ” (You turned out to be just like us), it touched a chord on both sides of the political divide. Indians who had hitherto looked at Pakistani literary circles with an air of condescension had reason to feel chastised. In later years of Fahmida's life, the couplet came to have even greater resonance as Indian writers and poets returned their awards to protest growing intolerance in society.

Not known to be very prolific, Fahmida authored some 15 books of poetry and fiction. Beginning with “ Pather ki Zubaan ” back in 1967, she left behind a poetry collection still recalled for works like “ Dhoop ”, “ Pura Chand ”, “ Godavari ” and “ Karachi ”. Like Ismat Chughtai, she too was accused of using sensual expressions to titillate with her work “ Badan Dareeda ”. In fact, the conservative elements in Pakistani society were shocked at the frank portrayal of a woman's erotic desires in the work, earning her the label of being a deviant. It was a label Fahmida would wear with pride for the rest of her life.

Incidentally, there was much more to her life than her poetry and novels. Yes, she was a translator too. More importantly, she was a human rights activist who did not fight shy of speaking up for dispossessed and discriminated women. The female readers she lost because of her bold writing, she won back with her work as a human rights activist. Similarly, for all the hardship she suffered at the hands of the military regime in Pakistan, there was compensation of sorts in the form of her association with the Ministry of Culture during the days of Benazir Bhutto. It was, however, a mere footnote in the fiercely independent life journey of Fahmida Riaz. She was took on established traditions, cocked a snook at patriarchal society, and remained unflustered in the face of dictatorship. She leaves behind a better world for women poets and authors in particular and women in general.

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