Elia, Jaun: A Communist Poet

Syed Hussain Jaun Asghar Naqvi:

(1931-2002)

Syed Hussain Jaun Asghar Naqvi, commonly known as Jaun Elia, was born in Amroha, Utter Pradesh on 14th of December 1931. He was the son of  Allama Shafique Hassan Elia who was a scholar of Astronomy and literature. He had four elder siblings, brothers, Rais Amrohvi, Syed Muhammad Taqi, Mohammad Abbas, and sister, Syeda Shahazanan Najafi Naqvi. He was born in a Shia Muslim family but didn't believed in religion and identified himself as an agnostic. He received his early education under the guidance of his father, Shafiq Hasan Elia in Amroha. He acquired the degrees of Adeeb Kamil (Urdu), Kamil (Persian), and Fazil (Arabic), apart from this he mastered himself in English, Persian, Sanskrit, and Hebrew. He also attained knowledge of  Philosophy, Logic, Sufism, Muslim religious tradition, Western Literature, and Kabbala. He wrote his first poetry at the age of 8 but published his first work when he was 60.

Jaun's view about religion can be explained by this sher of his:

ہم نے خدا کارد لکھا، نفی بہ نفی، لابہ لا "

 " .ہم ہی خدا گزیداں تم پر گراں گزر گئے

Translation:   " We denied the existence of God, all along

                        And you find us, the sufferers, at fault? "

He shared communist views, supported communist views in Pakistan, and was against the participation of the Sub-continent, he often used to say that: "The separation is the mischief of Aligarh boys". But later, he migrated from India in 1957 and settled in Karachi, where he worked at the Ismailia Association of Pakistan supervising writing and compilation from 1963 to 1968. Following this, he remained associated with the Urdu Dictionary Board. He also edited Aalami Digest with Zahida Hena. He married Zahida Hena who was a columnist. essayist, short story writer, novelist, and dramatist in 1970 but separated in 1992, after a short while she died in the same year.

Jaun Elia was deeply interested in the disciplines of history, philosophy, and religion. He always admired Mir Taqi Mir. This gave a definite touch of differentiation to his personality and poetry. His poetry is remarkable for its effortless expression and immediacy of appeal. While he published his first anthology Shaayed (1991) during his lifetime, other collections Yaani (2003), Gumaan (2004), Lekin (2006), Goyaa (2008), and a book in prose entitled Farmood (2008) were published posthumously. He had a collection of his all the letters to Zahida Hena. Elia had also written another book in prose called 'Rumooz' and translated 'Kitab-ut-Tsawwassen' and 'Jauhar-e-Salqui' by Mansoor Hallaj which remain unpublished. The government of Pakistan honored him with the prestigious award of excellence for his services to literature. He suffered from tuberculosis, which eventually became the reason of his death.  He died at the age of 70 on 8th November 2002, when he was staying at Allama Ali Kara's house. He remains one of the most googled Pakistani poets of  Pakistan. 

علاج یہ ہے کہ مجبور کر دیا جاؤں

وگرنہ یوں تو کسی کی نہیں سنی میں نے

Some of his notable works are:

• Sukhan Meri Udasee Hai
• Zakham-e-Umeed 
• Mubada
• Tumharey Aur Mere Darmiyan
• Daricha Haye Kheyal.

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