Gul Khan Naseer’s vision of an Ideal Baloch By Munir Ahmed Badini

Gul Khan Naseer’s vision of an Ideal Baloch

By Munir Ahmed Badini

It is very difficult to get acquainted oneself with the vision of a poet and a creative writer. The difficulty arises of the fact that, unless you yourself have passed through the same experience then possible you might not be successful in comprehending the full meaning of a creative mind’s vision about things and events! Therefore the work of a critic is very difficult, and mostly critics analyze the work of a poet and writer through their own so called set principles of criticism. And I do apologize for such a blunt attack on the literary criticism and on the critics! But I do confess that no creative work perhaps is chiseled out and is refined unless looked at critically. However, the deep experience on the vision of a poet and a writer remains still shrouded in a mystery! And this mystery in fact is the _____ of a creative mind which perhaps is beyond the comprehension of the critic but also beyond the comprehension of the creative mind himself! And this mystery is the meaning of all creativity be it religious, poetic, philosophic or scientific discovery. And it is this mystery which compels a poet to compose poetry and a writer to unite his literary piece into words which are the only tools available to the creative mind or for that matter to all of us as we the ordinary people also require a language through which we run or day to day business and to that language our minds might have become deaf and dumb!

The vision of a poet or a creative writer is in fact an attempt on his part to create unity in a world which is chaotic and disintegrated into many parts and an ordinary man’s words and sentences can only describe what they see on the surface of this chaos but what is beneath and deep is something invisible from the eyes of an ordinary man! It is the inner eye of a poet and a creative writer who brings a sense of unity into our broken, distorted and chaotic expressions of life. And this vision is far different than what we perceive through our five senses! It is a poet’s vision, a new world created out of this chaos which surrounds us all!

Therefore, if we define a poet or a creative writer’s vision then we can say with all our confidence that vision is a deep experience which can’t be defined but can only be felt and experienced! It is the lived experience of ours, deep into the folds of our inner self. And a poet’s words ignite and incite that to bring soul towards the heights where we feel ourselves one with the world and our all sense of separation and alienation are eliminated and we feel going along the track which the poet’s words have created for us! And this is very rich and elevating experience for which we salute our poets who bring us face to face with such joy and happiness, as John Keats has said that a thing of beauty is joy forever!

And now moving onto describing the vision of Gul Khan Naseer’s Ideal Baloch. I must say that this vision of G.K Naseer was then with him long before he faced the odd of his day to day life. Rather his political life and its hazards sharpened this vision into a reality. He had the deep sense to describe a Baloch as he had perceived this vision in his early youth through the norms and customs of his tribal family which believed in truthfulness, sacrifice, love, tolerance, bravery, courage and hospitality. And he inherited these qualities from his mother and from his father’s sides. His mother was the daughter of the head of Rakhshani tribe, Sardar Rahim Khan who had rebelled against the Farangis and had fought against them and who was once incarcerated in a Kabul prison. And from his father’s side his forefathers were given land and water at Noshkay in compensation to their land and water at Kalat and its surroundings. They were sent by the Khan here at Noshkay to protect the Baloch borders with Afghanistan, being valiant and reward branding warriors of Mengal tribe. Therefore, Gul Khan Naseer’s early perception of the history of his tribe like the history of his land Balochistan did exert one way or the other at the back of his mind at a very early stage and he was proud of his ancestry and its legacy. Later on in his life when he devoted his entire life to Balochistan and Baloch cause his early vision of Baloch learnt from his family’s ethical code which later he developed as his philosophy of life and his vision being of aggressive Baloch Nationalism to some! And his urban qualities as a poet had ignited more his vision of aggressive Baloch Nationalism. And I think that if he were not a poet then possibly he wouldn’t have played an important role in the history of Balochistan. It was his vision of Baloch which inspired him to bear the brunt of history and bear its vigours, bias, anguish, loneliness, rejection, alienation and what not! And I have come to this conclusion regarding G.K Naseer’s vision that first came his poetry and then his politics. Politics was a tool, a way of life for him to translate his vision into reality. And the politics of his lifetime were under the yolk of British rule. However, he had experienced the fresh air of independence when living with the Khan of Kalat who thought of himself a sovereign ruler between Iran, Afghanistan, India and the Arabian sea. But G.K Naseer and his political colleagues were visualizing dark days of the Khan whose rule had always been under the threat of the tribal chief and Sardars, and who were now long into good terms with the Britishers each at his own ignoring Khan of Kalat and his so called sovereignty! But G.K Naseer now hardly entrenched into the politics of Balochistan couldn’t sit alone composing poetry, but finding himself in the thick of the battle he tried to warm up his best, thanks to his poetry. Knowing fully well that the times in which he lived didn’t suit to his vision of Balochistan and Baloch. The Baloch society was illiterate, tribal and under the influence of tribal chiefs and above all in the paramounting British Raj controlled from Dehli and Bombay through its representative A.G.G at Shal.

Therefore, G.K Naseer wanted to attach himself with the progressive forces beyond Balochistan borders to get inspiration and hope to a better future for the Baloch and Balochistan. The Khan, the tribal chiefs and tribalism of old times was not a remedy to the continuous old ills of Baloch and Balochistan unless coupled with a new vision. And following the new emerging trees of progress and prosperity, he became member of a political party which represented the leftist followers of the country.

And at Karachi, Peshawar, Dacca and Lahore he met with progressive writers, intellectuals and political workers. His vision broadened and his poetry reached to its heights. Through his poetry he visualized a Baloch who was clear headed, brave, courageous, tolerant, firm, confident and a believer in the upcoming geo-political changes for socialism, liberalism and nationalism.

But G.K Naseer’s poetry remained Baloch focused although his politics was based on the universal principles of justice and fair play to all human beings but in his poetry he was prejudiced to Baloch cause alone, and he never moved an inch from that vision. The land of Balochistan was a Macahani Mass, motherland and Baloch was the son of this mother whose lips were dry and in whose eyes were tears and who gave the looks of misery, pain and anguish!

But his vision of Baloch was linked with an ideal Baloch. Though this vision created by G.K Naseer didn’t exist on this planet but belonged to the heavens! But Naseer couldn’t avoid being roused to this ideal to bring it from the heavens to the earth. Like Pluto he too had his ideal world. For G.K Naseer suffered in history and had to go through a hard struggle and in his poetry he struggled hard to bring the ideal to the real and is never even tired of his efforts. And it is this quality of G.K Naseer which differentiates him from the rest of our poets whose town was more localized and regional without an ideal vision.  Only in G.K Naseer’s poetry do we find an expanded vision of Baloch and Balochistan who is a universal Ideal Man, but who in the annuls of history is renown as Baloch with his distinct national characteristics. This distinct national characteristic is not something supreme in G. K Naseer’s poetry like Superman of Nietzsche or like the Marde Mujahid of Iqbal in search of a religious ideal, but an ideal whose base is a tribal Baloch society whose form no doubt changing but its contents are the same! And Gul Khan wants to change the form of Baloch society so that the Baloch may find the ideal as real and modern with new thoughts and ideas adapting to the modern changing world but keeping intact his essence, his content. And this essence and contents are Baloch’s courage, thankfulness, confidence, resilience and love of his freedom his family and legacy.

G.K Naseer sometimes laments on the plight of a Baloch when he finds him in his slavery, i.e political slavery, cultural slavery and economic slavery which is all due to his lack of education and continuous old tribalism which the Britishers imposed upon him through the divide and rule policy and through repression of all kinds.

This broader vision of Baloch is perhaps not found so sparsely in our Classical and modern Balochi poetry both as found in G.K Naseer’s poetry where his vision is expanded on the bed rock of our classical poetry. G. K Naseer had a deep vision of Classical Balochi poetry of Mullah Fazul, Mullah Qasim, Malik Deenar, Reki, Mast Beeberg and many others. It is his vision of modern ideal Baloch which is lacking in the rest of our Classical poets and this vision exists only in G.K Naseer’s poetry which has taken Balochi literature to its depths.

Lastly one final word on the vision of G.K Naseer that his vision is like a boxing punch which when hits the man takes a ____ and the test of his life is based on this hurting pain of that punch…. Now the poet himself may interpret his vision and his creativity and the creative powers in many different ways but the fact of the matter is that the poet sees his inner and the outer worlds in this hurt which he might have once confronted after his birth or before his birth, who knows? And receiving this punch he sees the life in that way i.e rolling, and hurting in pain and anguish bearing well that is meaningless around him, but more even forgetting the pain of his creativity the punch! Therefore, G.K Naseer suffered to that punch of his life and remained true to it to his last. The critics may find faults in his poetry or may find inspiration but to the poet and to the creative writer it is that punch and its pain which matters most irrespective of all value judgments of good and bad!

G.K Naseer is no more with us but sometimes we do feel that punch in the inner most depths of our being which compelled Naseer towards poetry, and perhaps compelled us to feel the brunt of that punch on our faces. Naseer faced and lived that hurt and expressed it into his immortal words through which we reach its meaning. Can we really find out what the exact vision of a poet is? Poets and creative writer’s world is a mystery, therefore, we have to understand our mystery before understanding the mystery of G.K Naseer, Rumi, Iqbal and Goethe’s Poetry.-

A Wish

O Supreme Being, Give me strength so that

I may awake my nation from deep sleep again

My people have forgotten the values of their ancestors

Let me make them remember the memories of our nobility

Give me courage so that I may hit the breasts of enemy

With the swords of Chakar and Bibagar

My people have lost their path and not having any leader any companion

Give me strength so that I may make them see the path of peace and equality

The Sardari power-centers have ruined Baloch Nation

Give me strength so that I may hang all Sardarz

Though I m having only a few young comrades

But with your grace they are able to fight with capitalism and exploiters

They say, Naseer is afraid of tyranny and this is why remains silent

Give me the power of efficacious words

So that I may let them know what we have suffered

And how do we feel and think.

Mir Gul Khan Naseer, the Poet-Politician:

Some Indelible Impressions

B.M Kutty, 5 December 2014

I have spent almost 60 years of m y life as an active political worker. In the course of that long and tortuous journey, I have had the rare privilege of getting linked to Baluchistan’s stormy politics as an activist of National Awami Party and later on of Pakistan National Party. I will remain indebted to my political mentor late Mir Ghous Bakhsh Bizenjo for providing me an opportunity not only to gain an insight into Baluchistan’ politics but also to know and work with some very fine personalities from different walks of life, political, social, and intellectual. One of the most prominent among them was obviously Mir Gul Khan Naseer.

It was perhaps December 1957 if I am not mistaken. I was working in a foreign company in Lahore but had been in close liaison with the progressive writers and activists in the city. National Awami Party had come into being and was holding its first public meeting in Gol Bagh Lahore. My knowledge of Urdu was still in the formative stage. But I do remember listening to the speech by Mir Gul Khan Naseer, which was a scathing denunciation of American imperialist policies around the world and Pakistan’s membership of military pacts. He very effectively enunciated the program of the newly formed National Awami Party, stressing that the historical course which the alliance of workers, peasants, the middle class, the intelligentsia and other patriotic elements was destined to take was thus at long last marked out in bold letters on the political map of the country. My Urdu-educated friends helped me to capture the real content of Mir Gul Khan’s Speech.

Following the imposition of Ayub Khan’s martial law in October 1958, all of us were sent to jail to spend years there. When I was under detention in Lahore District jail in 1961 after being transferred there from Karachi Central Jail, one of my barrack-mates was late Agha Abdul Karim of Kalat. He was a romantic sort of person and enjoyed narrating the experiences of his youthful years as the prince of Kalat. My other co-detainee was Captain Mohammad Khan Sadhozai.  We used to listen to Agha Saheb occasionally reciting the poems of Gul Khan Naseer and translating them for us into Urdu.

After my release from Lahore jail, I shifted to Karachi in 1962 and had my first personal interaction with Mir Gul Khan Naseer sometime in 1964, I presume. Mr. Pohu Mal, my friend and colleague at Ocean Industries where I used to work in those days, who was a senior leader of the Communist Party in 1950s, had known all the Baloch leaders since long very closely from both inside jail and outside. It was with Pohu Mal that I met Mir Gul Khan in the popular Kwality Restaurant situated near Regal Cinema in Saddar. Ayub’s martial law was in full bloom. Mir Gul Khan was out of prison in one of his periodical intervals of freedom from imprisonment and had just returned after meeting Sardar Ataullah Mengal in jail. He was accompanied by Mir Mehrullah Mengal, the younger brother of Sardar Ataullah. I can never forget that first meeting with Mir Gul Khan that lasted about three hours, as we had an informal lunch too. That meeting left a lasting impression on my mind of the man and the depth of his understanding of the contemporary twists and turns in politics against the background of his profound knowledge of history.

In subsequent year, I did have other pleasant encounters with Mir Gul Khan along with Mir Ghous Bakhsh Bizenjo at Sardar Attaullah Mengal’s Banglow in North Nazimabad, which used to be the center where most of the Baluch leaders used to arrive and meet with local NAP leaders and activists to discuss the current political issues before and after the 1970 elections.

I was in those days working as Managing Editor of Trade and Industry Publication Limited, a leading publishing company in Karachi, who were also the printers and publishers of the Soviet journals TULU in Urdu and SPUTNIK in English. In the 1970 elections as you all know, NAP-JUI alliance had won the majority of seats in Baluchistan and NWFP, whereas Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s PPP had won the majority in Sindh and Punjab. Following months long extensive talks held between Bhutto and Mir Bizenjo, NAP-JUI coalition was eventually called upon to form the Governments in Balochistan and NWFP and the alliance’s nominees were appointed as Governors in the two provinces.

After his swearing –in by President Bhutto as Governor of Baluchistan at Sindh Governor’s House, Bizenjo Saheb called me and asked me to accept the responsibility of Private Secretary to Governor Baluchistan and reach Quetta before the Assembly session. As a loyal worker of NAP, I had no option but to agree. I resigned from my well-paid private job and proceeded to Quetta along with my close friend and party comrade Muhammad Hadi Naqvi.

I couldn’t believe my eyes when Mir Gul Khan Naseer and Mir Bizenjo, met us at the Quetta Railway Station. We took it as an exceptional honor to be welcomed by the senior-most NAP leaders and would-be Senior Minister of Baluchistan Government along with the elder son of the Governor and senior leader of Baloch Students Organization  (BSO). That affectionate welcome was the beginning of a relationship which was to consolidate further over the subsequent months of NAP government, during which Mir Gul Khan and I had to work together on several occasions such as in giving final shape to NAP’s recommendations on distribution of powers between the federal government and the federating units and other related issues to be incorporated in the new constitution. All along, the feeling I had of the presence of Mir Gul Khan around was not that of a great poet and political leader but a loving friend who treated me as an equal. Only great persons treat smaller ones as equals!

Then following the illegal and unconstitutional dismissal of NAP Government followed by 5 year of military operation in Baluchistan with accompanying mass arrests and persecution of NAP leaders and workers across the country, the infamous Hyderabad Conspiracy trial and eventually the overthrow of Zulifqar Ali Bhutto by Zia-ul-Haq and the advent of the most obnoxious of military regimes in Pakistan’s history. Though Mir Gul Khan Naseer stood by Mir Bizenjo all the way from Hyderabad jail to freedom and to the formation of Pakistan National Party in 1979, in the following years he was not very active and we had very few contacts. When he passed away in December 1983 I was in Jail as a prisoner of the MRD movement.

Was it a coincidence that Mir Gul Khan Naseer passed away on 6 December 1983 in the Mid East Hospital, Karachi and 6 years later in August 1989 his life-long comrade in arms Mir Ghous Bakhsh Bizenjo also breathed his last in the same hospital in Karachi?

Having said all that, I wish to remind you that Mir Gul Khan Naseer, in spite of his radical views on certain issues, was firm believer in democracy and federalism.-

ABDUL HAKIM BALUCH

Mir Gul Khan Naseer:A Versatile Genius

Mir Gul Khan Naseer was just not a poet: He was a journalist, a historian in his own right, an astute scholar, a political thinker and a political leader. When so many traits are synthesised in one person, the end result would be unfamiliar and awe-inspiring. The voluminous collection of his entire work of poetry (Kulliyat) of more than two thousand pages published by the Baluchi Academy Quetta makes it more awe-some for the reader.

The title of the book is well designed artistically but the decorative line “Teer Gal Kareet” which means bullet brings poetry makes the overall impression implicitly gruesome. Ironically this very phrase runs throughout the book as its title instead of “Kulliyat”.

The book in itself is a landmark in the history of Balochi literature and equally a great tribute to Mir Gul Khan Naseer on the auspicious occasion of his centenary. In this collection one thousand pages ofhis un-published works are also included. The ten volumes of Mir’s poetry from Gulbang to Shanbalak show the gradual growth of his poetic talent as he emerges as a major poet of Balochi language, and making it to the summit as the ‘sarsha’ir’ of our times.

Gul Khan says,“I as a precocious child used to sing poetry in my mother tongue which I felt as a compulsive instinct to release my creative impulse”.

T.S. Eliot says, “The impulse towards the literary use of language of the people began with poetry. And this appears perfectly natural when we realize that poetry has primarily to do with the expression of feeling and emotion, and that feeling and emotion are particular, whereas thought is general. It is easier to think in a foreign language than it is to feel in it. Therefore no art is more stubbornly national than poetry.”

Mir Gul Khan affirms that, he has throughout been singing, writing and reciting in his mother tongue. Mother tongue is as sweet as the first drops of mother’s milk to the suckling baby. The sentiments of love of a child to its mother emanate from the first drops of mother’s milk and making their love mutually eternal.Similar is the love of man to his motherland; patriotism is a true reflection of human love to his county.

Gul Khan says, “My poetry, no doubt, is an expression of my natural love to my country but it has also been inspired by my tribal subjectivity to defend it”.

Mir Gul Khan Naseer did not uphold the theory that literature is for literature but instead he made it a cause of his life to be with the down trodden and the wretched of the earth. He felt that the Baloch was the worstamongst  them. He was not only a role model to our generation; his progressive thinking makes him a mentor of generations to follow. His poetry reflected that he was not with history makers but was with the victims of history and with all those hushed voices dwelling in the torture cells. He had himself undergone similar torture in the Coolie Camp Quetta, where he composed one of the best songs of his poetry.

I have a dream

“Last night I saw in my dream the eloquent Jam Durrak standing beneath a tree under the shadow of its umbrella spreading its branches all over (the gardens). Reaching upwards to the Sacred Throne;beneath runs a stream of sweet water.”

“I paid my regards to Durrak, then began our conversation. He was curious to know the affairs ofthe world; I said “The world is devastated; they have burnt gold and silver. Men are weighed with money;neither modesty nor intelligence matters. Knowledge and skills are of no value;these are for sale, which the rich can purchase.”

“If a scholar or an intellectual refuses to sell his knowledge he virtually becomes a beggar or a pauper condemned to be a bare-footed shepherd of tattered clothes, begging to earn his bread. And the capitalists suck his blood like leeches.

“They like a sea dragon or a wolf devour the bones and blood of the poor turning them into gold, as in our world the same blood sucking capitalists are our leaders who in their industries make war planes, frigates, sub-marines, missiles with war heads of nuclear weapons. Apparently for peace but in reality it accumulates wealth to fuel the insatiable lust of the burgling bellies of Seths.”

“They have put on fire the Asian farms and forest to burn the hopes of the poor and hapless”.

“They themselves live in splendidisolation to fully enjoy the ill-gotten wealth of theirs”.

“But” asked Jam Durrak “I have heard and seen myself that Man is travelling high in the firmament to reach upto the Sacred Throne. Man through his wisdom and knowledge has gained excellence and perfection. How is it possible for him to become a wild beast, gashing his fellow-beings, and drinking their blood like vampires; burning the magnificent cities with atomic weapon. It is beyond human reckoning”.

“I told him with due respect that whenever man’s mind is captivated by lust of private property his cunningness teaches him the art of grabbing wealth and power”.

“Marx has brought a prophetic message to mankind, urging the workers to unite and to throw away the yoke of slavery as they lose nothing but the shackles of their hands”.

“And in the leadership of Lenin a heaven was created in this world where no one is exploited and nor faces the cruelty and retribution of Chiefs and Chieftains, so the Holy land of Russia has become a safe haven for the poor and a defender of world peace.”

“Thus he smiled brightly and asked me what the times have done to the Baloch Nation and his land?”

“I narrated it with a broken heart:Times have devastated the Baloch, the country is master-less and we are lifting dirges over it”.

“Pardon me,” said Jam Durrak, “In case a stone falls at the bottom of a well, it will not be crushed by its waves into powder, similarly the Baloch is like gold, age cannot wither him nor causes decay to him. I am sure the brave young men, will come out of their safer abodes, wearing Rinds’ Turbans with the pledge to sacrifice themselves for the liberation of Baloch Motherland.”

“When I woke up from the slumber of mine I found neither the poet Jam nor his fair ones around. It was the dark cell of the prison; my companions were snoring in deep sleep.”

This poem was written 55 years ago but the political dismal situation in Balochistan continues persistently to the despair of the subjugated Baloch. Why?

Because in 1958an armed revolt against Pakistani Government provoked by the then Khan-i-Kalat Mir Ahmad YarKhan and led by Nawab Mir Nouroze Khan Zarakzai forreinstatement ofKalat State failed after the arrest of Khan-i-Kalat., President Mirza made the Kalat upheaval the precipitate cause for wrapping up democracy and imposing Martial Law. Then a reign of terror and barbarianism descended upon the Baloch,NawabZarakzai died in jail andseven young men were sent to gallows. Mir GhausBakhshBizenjo,& Mir Gul Khan Naseer along with a number of leaders and workers of NAP were arrested, tortured and sentencedto various terms of imprisonment. It was a long drawn war of Baloch resistance but it culminated in a fiasco. The hopes of poet Naseer about the success of Baloch youth and that of the Marxism proved dupes in the ultimate analysis. The outcome of Baloch armed and political struggle could not bear any fruit. As I would like to put it even today the young Baloch is suffering from acrisis of choice, to be faithful to the Sardar of the tribe or be loyal to the Baloch Nation. This dilemma has sored the souls of mothers, had sent the sisters bare footed to the streets to search for their loved one. The fathers bury their sons in a hope to meet them in paradise;the brothers march to mountains to avenge the spilled blood. The widows sing Gul Khan’s poems to their sons in the hope that one day her son will walk on the free-land that his father laid his life for. The result is the sameold well, with stones in its bottom: the short rope to retrieve them; and inaccessible stretch of hand to extend for unity. We are still like the unbridled camel. Destination is blurred; way is un-trodden as the comradeship is shaky. Even those who have sighted a sign of the goal theycannot reach it as they are embroiled in an unending fight of multifaceted interest groups. My eyes had witnessed three generations of Baloch blood to blossom this barren land. Today, my hands are precarious, my eyes are flimsy, and my memory is agitated to write about our bleeding souls. But I still believe in the courage of Balach, legacy of Akbar Khan and poetry of Gul Khan to bring us solace.

Wrtten by Hassan G. Eshrat   

Translated by Tariq Mahsood

Subject Matter of the Poetic works of Mir Gul Khan Naseer

It is evident that the cultural environment, in which a poet grows, leaves a deep impact on his mind and, therefore, he cannot possibly project his thoughts outside the contours of that culture and civilization. This probability assumes even greater importance when it comes to the present age of higher socio-political consciousness. In other words, in the modern era of sophisticated cultural advances it is becoming increasingly difficult for a poet to alienate himself from his socio-political and cultural environment. It was probably this realization that convinced Mir Gul Khan to become a strong voice for his people and highlight in his poetry their social, political and economic issues. Being a prolific and versatile writer, he deeply loved Balochistan, the land of his birth, and its honorable and brave people and as such the deprivation of Balochs and the promotion of their language (Balochi) became the central message of his poetry. To bring to the forefront the problems of Balochistan, he not only used the vehicle of poetry but also tried his hands at politics, journalism and historiography and devoted all his skills and energies to this end.

Mir Gul Khan was a staunch and vocal supporter of the “Freedom Movement” and his poetry covers a period ranging from the era of World War I till the close of the twentieth century. He adopted a style of his own and his poetry is purposefully imbued with consciousness of all shades of modernity such as Marxism, Science, Freedom Movement, etc. Besides he eloquently spoke for the ordinary people of Balochistan which makes it abundantly clear that he was acutely conscious of the class based society of Balochistan. His nationalistic spirit urged him to participate vehemently in the ‘Progressive Movement’ and take active part in practical politics. Owing to his political views he was confined several times but he continued to write daring verses even behind the bars. As a representative poet of Balochi language he almost touched every strain of poetical thought but, as he was practically involved in politics, most of his poetic compositions carry a strong stamp of his personal socio-political considerations. A significant part of his poetry consists of nationalistic, progressive and revolutionary content.

Progressive Approach

Mir Gul Khan was basically a progressive poet and was most impressed with the style of progressive writers but the scope and content of his poetry required a style and approach that stretched far beyond mere progressivism. After matriculation he went to Lahore for further studies but, unfortunately, he could not complete his studies due to an eye disease yet the literary environment of Lahore left much of an impression on his mind. On his return to Balochistan from Lahore he found that the movement for political freedom had already touched a chord with the people of Balochistan and the wave of social and political consciousness was visibly surging. At that time Balochistan had completely fallen into the hands of British as the system they introduced offered itself as a better alternative than the obsolete tribal system of Balochitan. The majority of Balochs had bowed before the British government and had thoroughly accepted their dominion. The local sardars became part and parcel of the new system and ruthlessly exploited their population through local and royal jirgas.  In such a situation it was not possible for Mir Gul Khan Naseer to become a silent spectator and resist the urge to give voice to the suppressed people of Balochistan. Therefore, he joined the movement started by Mir Abdul Aziz Kurd and Nawab yousif Ali Magsi and addressed his people like a ferocious tiger:

Friends! I have come up with a new voice and a fresh vision

My songs of freedom are full of glory and passion,

Courtesan poets! Give up the eulogies of kings and their ministers

Stand by and speak for the helpless and suppressed people.

Fight against the oppressors,

And strengthen the cause of the peasants and workers

At another place he roars to the exploiters in a similar fashion:

O, Lords and arrogant chieftains,

Wealthy blood suckers;

Blinded by comforts and luxuries

Leave your luxurious palaces

And account for the wealth you have piled up.

Mir Gul Khan speaks not only against the injustices that had permeated into the social fabric of Balochistan but also expressed his anger against racial discrimination, rampant corruption and ruthless exploitation throughout the world. He considered this exploitative system as the root cause of all evil and thus revolted against the notable Sardars, Khans and Nawabs. He did not fight this battle alone rather stirred the conscience of workers, peasants and shepherds and urged them to join him in his struggle against the exploiters and oppressors:

These palaces, these spacious bungalows,

This pomp and show and this abundance of wealth

All this has not been the result of their efforts

But has been raised on our sweat and blood

Mir Gul Khan always supported healthy trends in society and strongly resisted the forces of despotism. He was against any kind of reconciliation with exploiters. He says:

Reconciliation with despots and tyrants is not possible

Never appeal to them for mercy

Snatch your rights through the barrel of the gun

If you are aware and posses reason

Mir Gul Khan Naseer continually struggled for the uplift of the Baloch people so much so that even in his dreams he used to sing about the pathetic plight of his people. In one of his dreams he saw Jam Durak who inquired him (Mir Gul) regarding the Baloch people to which he replied in these glaring words:

Oh my invaluable poet

The condition of this mundane life is not worth telling

All the ethics of this living have turned turtle

The lust of wealth has made us blind

The state of field is the replica of the miseries of a peasant

And the same is the worst condition of the shepherd also

Half naked barefooted, so pauper to arrange foods

Anguish and shows anger at his fate

Wealthy and rich classes are leech of the society

Who extract his hard earned money like leeches?

Mir Gul Khan was not in favour of personal endeavour against oppression and injustice but believed in a joint struggle against this exploitative system. He wanted to take along with him all the suppressed including the shepherds, peasants and workers to take head on the exploiters. He urges his fellows to unleash their wrath against their joint enemy:

Fellows rise with new determination

And symbol of the red flag in hand

The wealthy are parasites and cruel

They suck our blood and control our resources

And lead a luxurious life

Therefore, rise with fresh vigour and energy

To throw them away from power

His Revolutionary Spirit and Mass Appeal

Ideological maturity of a person plays an important role in the development and growth of his person. Since Mir Gul Khans ideological orientations were both progressive and revolution, therefore, a significant part of his poetry is marked with an intense revolutionary zeal which ignited the hearts and minds of his readers. However, his revolutionary spirit did not provoke him to indulge in petty sloganeering. On the contrary he carefully and masterly handled the sensitive subjects of his poetry. His poetry is not a propaganda that serves any particular political interests but is common heritage of Baloch people.

The element of social and political awareness was there in Baloch poetry right from the beginning yet Mir Gul Khan Naseer put it on a sound ideological basis. It was natural for man like Mir Gul Khan, who carried a deep love of humanity in his heart, to be influenced by the progressive and revolutionary movement because at that time all scholars of India were united and were busy in a joint struggle against British imperialism. The Russian Revolution of 1917 was a colossus event in human history which was warmly welcomed through out the world by the subjugated and suppressed nations. Mir Gul Khan’s poetry in Balochi language, particularly “Ship Groog” shows that Marxism had left a visible mark on his mind. Having been influenced by Marks’ theory of dialectic materialism he would interpret the struggle between various classes of society in the light of the actual designs of the feudalists.

Mir Gul Khan was most probably the first among the new Balochi literature who established the foundation of protest, rebellion and resistance in modern Balochi poetry. His poetry carries a strong protest against political pressures, social injustice, economic exploitation and overall suppression in society. In one of his poems “Usteman Shair”, a poet of the masses, he not only identifies himself with the weak and less privileged but also wrote that any poet who does not highlight the pathetic plight of his people in his poetry is not in essence a poet but a mere slave of personal desires.

It is not possible to write happy songs in such a situation

Praise the braids or beautiful face of my beloved,

Or talk of pleasant companies of my companions

I cannot sale my conscience

I cannot compromise with a life full of luxuries and comforts rather I am a companion of the deprived and the subjugated. It is true that Mir Gul Khan was driven by passion and anger and in his quest for social and political revolution made tall claims and, at times, even violated the artistic and aesthetic principles but on the whole his poetry embraces the principles of aesthetic and creative art.

As mentioned earlier every poet is a product of his environment and times and as such draws his spiritual food from his surroundings. This fact does not allow a poet to remain isolated from his environment. Mir Gul Khan is not an exception to this generalization and followed the national tradition in which a poet is very much there in battlefield along with the public. Apart from being a poet, he was also practically involved in politics and, therefore, fully participated in the nation’s struggle for their rights. He considered the sardars as the representatives of the exploitative system.

Children are counting their tears

The old are facing innumerable sufferings

And mothers silently bear their losses.

The poor neither get alms nor loans

O brother

Only the Sardar rules

As Mir Gul Khan was poet of the masses, therefore, he presented his revolutionary philosophy to the masses in the language of the ordinary people. In one of his poems “bagi aan” i.e. I am a rebel; he presented his tempestuous views in an artistic manner but in a very simple language:

I am a rebel! rebel!  rebel!

I am fire, and sword

I am cannon of revenge

I fight against tyranny

I am a rebel!

The audience of Gul Khan Naseer’s poetry is the masses and there is not a shadow of doubt that he was a representative poet of the masses who strongly identified himself with the ordinary people. Due to his strong commitment with Baloch people, Gul Khan Naseer has not only got the honour of being a representative poet of Baloch culture but had also got other feathers in his cap. For instance, he was an intellectual, a journalist, a writer, a historian, a researcher, a politician and a son of the prominent Sardarkhel tribe. But it is his greatness that in spite of being a member of that tribe he stood against it along with the masses in favour of them and advocated their cause till the end. In one of his poems “Announcement” he announces thus:

Mir Gul Khan was brave man and talked to the masses without any fear.

Whether we go astray

Or fell in a deep gorge

Whether we get lost in

a desert or jangle and get destroyed

But we not accept

A treator as our leader

Mir Gul Khan Naseer and Nationalism:

Before             the partition of India most poets of Balochistan wrote poetry in Urdu. For example, Mir yousif Aziz Mugsi, Mir Muhammad Hussain Unqa, Gul Khan was much impressed with these poets, therefore, he began to compose poetry in Urdu to create unity among the Balochs and make them love their motherland. But after the partition of India and the departure of British he realized that freedom had merely changed the faces of their masters. The manner of exploitation was changed but the exploiters were still there. He felt that they did not get rid of imperialism and poverty. Similarly the hardships and miseries that had made life difficult for the poor and downtrodden did no subside. In such a situation it was indeed difficult for Mir Gul Khan to become a silent spectator and see his people suffering. Therefore, he picked his pen again and began write daring verses against the ruthless rulers.

Although he belonged to Sardarkhel tribe but he was by nature a free man that’s why he stood by the weak in their struggle. Meanwhile he also raised his voice against the jirga system and those who promoted this system. He was against the advocates of jirga system because he did not want the fate of the poor to be decided in these jirgas.

Initially Gul Khan Naseer’s poetry had a tribal shade to it, but very quickly he turned this tribal shade into a national one and became a nationalist politician. In this way his national poetry and nationalism became one. Gul Khan Naseer opens his Balochi collection “Gulbang” qwith a prayer, he says:

Oh Lord create amongst Balochis such a brave one

who is intelligent, sacrificing and merry hearted

and enlightened and whose vision is as vast and

Endless as the oceans. His thinking is free of

Out dated culture and tradition and ancient tales.

Who is joyous and lively in the toughest of times,

Whose heart is free from the dangers of storm.

Oh Lord, keep the Balochis alive and shining

And humiliate the ones with bad intentions for them.

Gul Khan Naseer adored his nation and made Balochis the basic centre of attention of his poetry. But Gul Khan Naseer’s Baloch vision is not just racial but also class based.  Gul Khan Naseer’s Baloch is an ordinary Baloch, i.e a camel driver Baloch, a Farmer Baloch, and a Fisherman Baloch. He repeatedly mentions the labourers Baloch but never mentions the Governor Baloch, Inspector Baloch, Deputy Commisioners Baloch, etc. According to Mir Gul Khan Balochs are high spirited and have chaste character. Therefore, he urges them not be lazy, defeated and low and opportunistic. Mir Gul Khan Baloch is fast and swift like an arrow leaving the bow who should always act like an arrow shooting from an iron wall. Mir Gul Khan’s Baloch is like a thunderbolt which burns everything to ashes.

In short most of topics of Gul Khan Naseer’s poetry are concerned with progress, revolution, masses and nationalism.

Ghazal

I am always restless due to the agony of my heart

And like a moth to the candle, I am devotee to my mother-land

And crave for its freedom

My eyes are shedding tears on my heart

For I weep day and night due to the sufferings of Baloch-land

In this world my life is like a candle that burns for a single night

And my existence lacks sustainability and eternity

If I do not keep the” hidden secret of my existence” with me

Then it’s quite impossible if I keep the secrets of others in my heart

Although, Abdul-Aziz Kurd is shining in the symposium of mother-land like a star today

But O’ Yousuf, my Comrade, I am sad and gloomy due to your physical departure and separation

Mir Gul Khan Naseer – A Freedom Fighter

By: Mir Ghaus Bakhsh Bizenjo

A congregation held by Awami Adabi Anjuman on the occasion of Mir Gul Khan Naseer’s 73^rd Birthday on 30^th June 1987 in Liyari Karachi. The gathering was presided by Mir Ghaus Bakhsh Bizenjo. The following is his address on the occasion which was compiled by Noor Muhammad Sheikh. It is being published in this book with courtesy to Awani Adabi Anjuman.

Respected friends,

Gul Khan Naseer lived a life comprised of all aspects. His life is filled with all colors like a bouquet made by the gardener himself.  Whichever aspect of his life is brought into light it fills the observer with admiration and respect for him. Looking at him as a poet, his contribution to Balochi poetry has been that of reformer. He gave Balochi poetry a new direction and added new colors to it. Gul Khan was a great poet of his time but he spent his whole life facing hardships and troubles.  One of the reasons that caused his sudden death was that he delayed his treatment. He had the support of several friends and relatives but his self reliance didn’t allow him to ask for financial assistance for his treatment at Karachi. I didn’t have the opportunity to attend his funeral neither could I see him for the last time before burial because I was in prison at that time. It was later when I came to know that he had not been able to make it to Karachi for his treatment in time and when he was brought to the city it had already been too late.

Exalted politicians and poets like Gul Khan who dedicated their lives for a noble cause and followed their models with utmost sincarety have a history of facing financial and social complications. Hence, that tradition treated Gul Khan in the same way.

My relation to Gul Khan wasn’t of an ordinary friendship neither was it of a year or two. In fact our affiliation was so strong that I praise Gul Khan it will be as if I am praising myself.  Gul does not need any praises. With the passage of time and the current era of agony, libraries, research centers will be named after him and his tomb will be built. The speakers at this gathering have shared their views on different known aspect of Gul Khan’s life according to their understanding and acquaintance. His life from beginning to the end had bitter experiences. A few people like me and Gul Khan who were mentioned before by earlier speakers dedicated our lives to save the identity of those impoverished people who have their own land in Asia but have been divided by the powerful forces. We strived to protect their identity.

The darkest era of our history starts when czars head from Moscow to conquer Turkistan, Kirgizia, Turkmenistan and Bukhara. In the meanwhile British had reached Calcutta. Punjab and Sind were independent.  Punjab was ruled by a Prince and Sind was under the control of feudal lords. The British were concerned with the possible advance of Czars towards India. Joining Sind and Punjab together they made it to Balochistan via sea. Balochistan shared cordial relations with its neighbor Afghanistan. Despite its intentions to indulge in armed conflict the British Army could not fight in Balochistan due to communication hurdles and was defeated. They attacked Balochistan again and this time with a conquest in their favor.

From that moment to now there hasn’t been a single day which can be called a day of happiness for the small group of those who strived for the rights of impoverished humanity. From the British conquest to 1920 several uprisings surfaced against the British rule in Balochistan. The mode of resistance against the British changed in 1920 and a few years passed without any opposition. However, from 1839 to 1920 there wasn’t a single year when the British didn’t face armed resistance.  After 1920 the Baloch youth initiated a different mode of struggle towards democracy. They had learned from their experiences in the past that armed struggle didn’t pose enough trouble for the British. A political party “Anjuman  e Ithihad Balochaan” was formed to struggle for the rights and freedom of people of Balochistan in a democratic way. Mir Aziz Khan Kurd, Yousaf Aziz and other renowned persons emerged from the party. We were also members of that caravan. We fomented alliance with Indian Freedom Movement.   This was a change from the traditional ways of Baloch resistance. Since the democratic struggle was new to the Baloch, bitterness surfaced and at times complications arose to the level that some suggested raising arms again. But during this phase Baloch nation’s identity and its sufferings at the hands of the British were highlighted to the people on India and to the world at large. It was reminded to the people that Balochs are an independent nation under the suppression of British Empire and we will strive to end that.

However, with the withdrawal of British in 1947 the question of our status was raised. The Baloch made it clear to the Indian National Congress that geographically the do not belong to the subcontinent and are a part of Central Aisa. Therefore, any decision made for the subcontinent cannot be considered for Balochistan and its status should be considered in accordance with the pacts of 1839. Consequently, India was divided on 14^th August 1947. Pakistan and India were declared as independent states. But before that on 11 August Kalat’s independence was announced. The British decided to leave Kalat to it its status of prior to 1839 and its status as an independent state was restored. We had disputes over a few areas but those were resolved and an agreement was signed by Khan of Kalat, Liaquat, Quaid e Azam and Nishter. It was decided that the disputes will be resolved with mutual coordination. But what happened later is known to everyone. With a country like this and with such gruesome circumstances how can a poet be mild with his words?

Pakistan was found on the resolution of 1940. It was a pact of different nationalities. The resolution clearly said that the states will be completely independent and autonomous in the federation. But when Pakistan’s structure was being created the pact we signed was ignored and not taken into consideration. We struggled for an independent Pakistan to liberate the muslims but neither the muslims of India nor those of Pakistan could attain freedom. The states of Punjab, Sind, Bengal, Balochistan and NWFP created Pakistan by signing the resolution of 1940. No one else but these were the founders of Pakistan.

These Generals were in the British Army and used to fire bullets on the freedom lovers. Today, these traitors of Pakistan and the enemies of freedom have become the owners of the country. Today these old rivals of freedom fighters treat us they enemies are treated. This is not the Pakistan we strived for. The servants of the British have become our rulers.

In circumstances as such how could Gul Khan talk about gardens and nightingales? He was a member of this caravan and spent his whole life in pain and anguish. Gul Khan’s poetry is of great value to those who understand the worth of freedom and its blessings. But to those who were brought up with care, who only know about gardens and nightingales but not about bullets, won’t understand any of Gul Khan’s poetry. Gul Khan wasn’t only a poet but a combatant in the fight for freedom. He used to say the following couple to me:

Poetry is for those

Who fight in the battle field

He said political struggle had been a cause of inspiration for him. He used to say that beauty in poetry belongs to those poets who are in the front row of the battle field and are the first ones to take the sword of the sheath. Unless you lead your companion in the battle field you can’t become a good poet. He used to tell me “your politics revives mine.”

Gul was a fighter in the struggle towards democracy, humanity and nobility. He struggled through his poetry and suffered imprisonment to achieve that cause. He kept fighting for humanity and human nobility. And undoubtedly for the cause of Baloch because Balochs too are part of humanity. If Baloch suffers and faces cruelty it is a shame for the whole of humanity. As long as fair play and kindness fails to prevail everywhere, humanity can’t prosper. I think attaining independence and self determination for the Baloch will bring pride to all humans. If tomorrow we stress towards the betterment of a particular section of humanity we won’t be at fault. To back a victimized Baloch is to support to the victims of Sindi, Punjabi, Pashtoon or other ethnicities. But human beings have also include some of the worst living beings. Our blood thirsty and imperialist backed agent rulers are worse than predators. They have hijacked the resources of the people and have usurped their right to self rule. No matter what ethnicity these people belong to, either they are Baloch or Punjabi they are worth being denounced.  Whereas the Gul Khan of every nation should be praised and appreciated.

We believe in humanity. It to say that Baloch are narrow minded, biased and backward is totally wrong.  Progressive and revolutionary people are always broadminded. The first step towards bringing revolution is to love humanity. But it is also the responsibility of the victims to try and cut that end of that deprives them from their rights. That is what the people of Balochistan think. We are not narrow minded neither are we backward but we realize our right to independence and we know how to fight for the protection of our identity.

Whatever I have said is all I can do for Gul Khan’s soul. I have elaborated his and his companion’s ways. I can have my say only in plain words because I can’t do poetry.

Chief of the Poets—Mir Gul Khan Naseer

Your death is a great tragedy O’ Gul Khan Naseer

Today every Baloch languishes in worry and sorrow;

Immersed in threnody, mothers of nation yell Mir, Mir

Left he the Baloch nation, orphan and destitute

Ah Gul Khan Naseer

A pain-stricken poet had uttered these lines in the grip of utter sorrow and grief on his death. Mir Gul Khan Naseer was born in Mengal village of Nushki in 1914. He belonged to the Sardarkhel family of the Mengal tribe. He acquired his primary education from his native village and after passing his primary levels, he took admission in the Middle School at district Mastung. After having passed middle, he took admission in Quetta Sandeman School where he passed matric from. He made to the Islamia College Lahore for higher education and he passed Intermediate in Faculty of Arts (FA) from this college. He, however, could not continue his further education on account of some indispensable circumstances. My acquaintance with late Mir Sahib was from the times of school when I was too acquiring education from Government Sandeman High School Quetta. Mir Sahib was a student of 9^th class then and I was in 7^th class. Besides us, number of other Baloch students were also acquiring education from this school whose names as follow: late Mir Baz Khan Mengal, late Mir Abdul Wahid Azad Jamaldini,late Mir Noor Muhammad Lehri, late Mir Fazil Khan Muhammadshai, Mir Dost Muhammad Lehir, Mir Wahid Bakhsh Mengal, late Mir Muhammad Bakhsh Lehri, Mir Abdul Hameed Jamaldini, Mir Muhammad Anwar Jamaldini, Mir Ibrahim Khan Mengal, Mir Saleh Muhammad Marri (late),, late Mir Ali Muhammad Rind, Mir Fazil Khan Mengal, Mir Lal Bakhsh Mengal and Mir Behram Khan Mengal. The foundations of Baloch Students Association came into existence with the mentioned names in 1931 and late Mir Fazil Muhammad Khan was selected as its president.

By this time the rule of English was at its peak on Sub-continent and two used to be two Balochistans—on British Balochistan and the other State Balochistan. The State Balochistan comprised of States of Kalat, Kharan and Lesbela. The high-handedness of English in British Balochistan and State Balochistan had reached its pinnacles. The Prime Minister appointed by the English had set the stage of his atrocities in State Balochistan. Same was the case with British Balochistan. In both these Balochistans, mention of politics was considered as a gigantic sin. However, the new generation of Baloch could not help being influence by the new political waves.

This atmosphere also left its deep imprints on Gul Khan Naseer and he adopted struggle against imperialists forces as a motto of his life since childhood and afterwards he remained steadfast to the very principal until his last breath. Therefore, his all life remained behind the gallows.

His spirit for independence left such deep influence on his poetry that he dedicated all his poetry in the favour of oppressed.

Mir Gul Khan Naseer was a born poet. He started saying poetry when he was in 6^th class. He poetry began with the Brahvi language. Initially he would only say poetry in Bravhi. A rhyme of him is presented here in Bravhi language.

Sitam na hurak karawan basonay,

            Janat na phulatiaan ahysunay

Caravan of cruelty see has arrived

            Bringing the flowers of paradise

Later on when Mir Sahib grew up, he began to say poetry in Balochi, Persian and Urdu. His poetry is being presented in these languages as a modal.

Baz Barja Da Showar Guzar Bayed Kard,

            Seena Ra Khugar Khunam Tabar Bayed Kard

Translation: He is advising the human beings that if they want their desired destination, then they should make themselves habitual of tolerating hardships. And that they have to tread hard and difficult paths to achieve emancipation from slavery and have to render all sorts of sacrifice. Your resolve must be always high for independence.

Urdu Poetry:

Aa gia Waqat-e-Imtian Baloch

            Ab hay kuch aur aasman Baloch

He gave this message to the Muslims of Indo-pak Subcontinent in 1935:

Kufr k Zulmat Kady main nor-e-emaan chahiey

            Kashti be badan ku fazal-e-yazdan chahiey

By the time Gul Khan Naseer completed his education, the independence movements had gained momentum in India. Having being influence by these circumstances, the spirit of struggle against English imperialists took further roots in him. The high handedness of English had reached their zenith in the state Balochistan which was known as Kalat state. Under such circumstances, establishment of a political party had become indispensable. The first political leader of the area, late Mir Abdul Aziz Kurd, had already laid down the foundations of Kalat State National Party and in this way the independence seeking and nationalist groups could find a political platform.

These days the great Baloch leader Mir Yousaf Ali Khan Magsi was incarcerated in Mastung jail. He announced his support for the platform first of all and in this way Kalat National Party (KNP) emerged as a national and representative political party. Mir Gul Khan Naseer also participated in this party and played a pivotal role. He became an important member of the party. Besides him, his colleagues included Mir Ghaus Bakhsh Bizenjo, Abdul Raheem Khawjakhel, Malik Faiz Muhammad Yousafzai and Abdul Kareem Shorash who played an active role in the party. The Kalat State National Party emerged an active party by the participation of these leaders. This was the time of 1933 when Khan Mir Ahmed Yar Khan was crowned on the throne of Kalat. He was a liberal, educated and democratic person. He initiated negotiations with the members of Kalat State National Party and sought their cooperation in the work of his governmental machinery. As a result, the prominent leaders of national party cooperated with him and also accepted government designations. And Mir Gul Khan Naseer also accepted the designation of officer in the administration of State of Kalat. He was appointed as ombudsmen and later was promoted to administrator and junior minister. In this way he also acquired experience of employment apart from politics and journalism and by virtue of this experience, he also became an historian apart from being poet as during the employment period, he was appointed in different areas of State of Kalat and wherever he went, he collected the samples of ancient Balochi poetry. He would meet people having taste of poetry and would also collect information about the background of tribes which equipped him with the historic facts. Apart from Balochi poetry, ancient Balochi poetry has a significant place in Balochi because some facts are always hidden in the background of ancient Balochi poetry.

During the employment period of Gul Khan Naseer, the interference of English remained active in State of Kalat and its administration and finally a time came when the nationalists resigned from their jobs in protest and launched a political movement. Along with many other colleagues, Gul Khan Naseer also resigned from employment and following this he remained linked with politics until his death.

Mir Naseer Khan Noori enjoys the most exalted position amongst the Khans of the Baloch in the history of Balochistan. He is the first Baloch monarch who established a systematic government of the Baloch and expanded the frontiers of Balochistan from Bandar Abbas to Multan. The cities of Sindh Karachi and Jaacobabad were under his rule. Baloch consider Mir Naseer Khan Noori a saint. Even today people visit his mausoleum in Kalat in flocks. All Baloch use the maxim of ‘Ya Naseer Khan Wali’ in the times of adversity. Mir Gul Khan naseer also derived his link from the same great Baloch leader and adopted the title of ‘Naseer’. His unpublished poems “Alfnama-e-Azadi, Agia waqat-e-Imtain Baloch, Jirga, Mery Deis k Nau Jawan So rahy hain, Satio Tumain Salam, Mera Payera Deis, Sardaro say, Raaj Kary Sardar, Bhaia aur Nidamat k Anso, are Mir Sahibs historic poems. He was basically a great poet of the Balochi language. In the world of Balochi poets, he is regarded as the Chief of Balochi Poets (Malik-ul-Shuaara. His first collection of poetry is ‘Gulbang’ which probably came on the scene between 1940 and 50. Subsequent to this, the following collections of his poetry were published: Dostein or Sheeren, Shap Girok, Hamal Junaid, Grand Balochistan ki Kahani Shaarion ki Zubani, Balochi Razmia Shaari, Balochi Ashqiaa Shaaria, Faiz Ahmed Faiz k Sari-e-wadi Sina ka Manzoom Balochi Tarjuma, “Seenai Gichik’, Jang Mashadihidna and in Brahvi his last collection of poetry was Shah Lateef Gosheet. This was his last translated work which Balochi academy published just before a year of his death.

Mir Gul Khan Naseer was a public and revolutionary poet. He would enthrall the political conventions and in poetic symposiums. His poetry would convey the message of hatred and revenge from the atrocities and exploitation. He would paint such a picture of the mother country and the poverty of the poor that the people would return with a new zeal. He was much pained on the condition of Balochistan and the miseries of Baloch masses. He wanted to see his nation happy and developed. He would teach people the lesson of advancing ahead and to bring to an end the exploitative system. His poetry is replete with the enthusiasm of movements.

Qadam, qadam rawa beet, dilair o pehlwan beet

Pa nishan-e-madar-i-watan, fida go jism-o-jan beet

Pa naam o nang of abro, saran wati diyan beet

Ghulam aa chey dar kapat, qadam qadam rawan beet

Pada, Pada they aur Na pada. Utho, tho Naujawano.

Such thousand other poetry are liked by people which they would listen and relish. He infused courage, belief and energy in the masses through his poetry. Mir Gul Khan Naseer wrote most of his books in jails which were published with the cooperation of the friends. Mir Sahib also authored many books in prose. His first prose books is History of Balochistan based on two volumes which he wrote on the utmost desire of Khan Mir Ahmed Yaar Khan. Later he wrote Kooch o Baloch history. He translated from Persian into Urdu the Akhund Muhammd Siddque Mullazai’s Khawanian Kalat ki Mukhtasar Tareekh which is popular with the name of Kitab al Abrar. It was published by Nisa Braids before two years of his demise. He also translated General Dyr’s book ‘The Raiders of Frontiers’ into Urdu and named it as Balochistan k Sarhadi Chapamar. His last book in prose is ‘Tareekh-e-Balochistan—Daur-e-Qadeem and Jadded ki Roshni main’ (The History of Balochistan—in the light of ancient and modern age).

Besides being poet and historian, Mir Sahib was also a journalist. He published a weekly newspaper working with Mir Ghulam Muhammad Shahwani, ‘Nawa-e-Balochistan which was banned after lapse of some time on account of its progressive thought expressions.

Apart from journalism, he also played a significant role in politics. Mir Gul Khan Naseer was a mountain of perseverance and determination. He was never afraid of the hardships. He was much soft spoken, soft tempered and well dressed human being. He would tolerate criticism in politics with a broad gesture. After a long political struggle and countless sacrifices, he defeated the millionaire of Balochistan known as King of Marble Mir Nabi Bakhsh Zehri in the first ever general elections of country in 1971. Even the bail of the Zehri sahib was also confiscated. He was elected on National Awami Party ticket from district Chagai Balochistan. And when the coalition government of banned Awami National Party and banned Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam was formed, Mir Ghaus Bakhsh Bizenjo became governor of Balochistan and Sardar Attaullah Khan Mengal the Chief Minister and Mir Gul Khan Naseer was appointed as Senior Minister.

He managed the affairs of his department much efficiently. He had the portfolio of education. He called a convention of the Baloch intellectuals and thinkers in Quetta for the development of Balochi language and hence marked a history wherein Baloch intellectuals participated from all over the Balochistan. He would like Roman font writing for Balochistan writing. When the coalition government of Awami National Balochistan Party and Jamiat-e-Ulam Islam was dissolved as a result of various internal and external conspiracies, a strong reaction was seen against it in Balochistan. People protested against the dissolution of their elected government. Thousands went to jail and the renowned political workers and leaders of Balochistan were arrested. Mir Gul Khan Naseer was also arrested. He passed a five year long period in Mach central jail and Hyderabad Jail. The whole family of Mir Gul Khan Naseer faced thorny problem. He elder brother Mir Lawang Khan was martyred. In 1978 the military government withdrew the conspiracy case which the former government had formed. As such Mir Sahib was released from prison along with his other colleagues and a time also came when Mir Sahib resigned from the leadership of PNP. This sagacious political worker, poet, intellectual journalist and historian of Balochistan breathed his last in a hospital of Karachi during the mid-night of the 7 and 6 December 1983. He  was diagnosed for lung cancer. His body was shifted to his native village Killi Mengal in Nushki where he was laid to rest. His death unleashed a wave of sorrow and grief in the intellectual, poetic and political circles of the entire country. Specifically, his death was felt as a great loss and national tragedy for Balochistan. Mir Gul Khan Naseer served the masses almost for half a century. Most of his life passed in jails. He was the national poet of the Baloch. The nation had awarded him with the title of Malik-ul-Shuaara (the chief poet) which he rightly deserved.

Shikast Bal Umeed Raft Az Jahan Fani Naser

Che Nau Nazad Mam Watan Farzindi Muni o Khabeer

A GALANCE AT THE LITERARY AND HISTORICAL SERVICES OF MIR GUL KHAN NASEER

Mir Gul Khan Naseer was a great poet, literary figure, historian and politician. He had allocated his entire life for the welfare, economic liberty and prosperity of his nation. He desired to see a nation divided into various tribes to be united and organized and for this purpose faced many troubles and challenges. He used his tongue and pen for this purpose with all honesty and enthusiasm. It is hard to find any such personality in the history of Balochistan who possesses so many qualities.

Mir Gul Khan Naseer began his political life in such an environment which was not appropriate for the political activities from any aspect. The people, who live in Balochistan, know it well that what were the social and economic conditions of Balochistan 40 to 50 years ago. Balochista was a tribal society where the means of communication were extinct and there was lack of educational awareness. Tribal leaders had all the authority in them and the social development was all dependent on them. To interfere in the power circles of these tribal leaders was not possible. Mir Gul Khan Naseer laid the foundation of political movement in Balochistan along with his other colleagues. This can rightly be said that Mir Sahib is one of the founding fathers of political movements in Balochistan. With being politician, he was also a high profile literary figure and poet. He cannot be compared with any poet of the world. His poetry was not limited to Balochistan only but poetry contains international importance. Mir Sahib has written poetry in various languages which including English, Hindi, Urdu Persian, Bravhi and Balochi. But, his Balochi poetry touched its pinnacles. Mir Sahib’s poetry was purposeful and he always remained linked with his purpose. His poetry is replete with courage, encouragement, enthusiasm and purposefulness. Mir Gul Khan Naseer would express his purpose in his poetry so beautifully. The reader finds lesson of absolute determination in his poetry and finds the courage and spirit to fight against troubles and difficulties. The glad tidings of ending of the dark night and drawing of bright morning are found in his poetry which discourages the frustration and promotes hope for success.

In hi all writings, the utmost want of achievement of his purposes is present. Mir Sahib wanted that the Baloch nation should achieve liberty from centuries old slavery and should achieve emancipation from the life of middle ages. Mir Sahib was the sympathizer and friend of all the oppressed and suppressed nations whether they were the masses of Palestine or the people living in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Mir Gul Khan Naseer was they sympathizer of all equally. Mir Sahib was a true patriot. The spirit of his love for his country and the masses taught him to write the history of the Baloch people. Before his work on history, the foreigners had also written the history of Balochistan but the history of these foreigners cannot be called the true history of the Balochistan because they include nothing more than the style of people’s living and the chronology of the tribal chiefs. They aimed at providing knowledge to the foreign rulers about the tribes and their chiefs habits and specifications so that English could decide their future policies, keeping in view these details. Mir Gul Khan’s history reflects the Baloch’s social and cultural life. Undoubtedly, in his history there are certain things which do not meet the requirements of modern day scientific historiography but still this the most important book amongst the books written on the history of Balochitan.

Mir Gul Khan Naseer lived his entire life in troubles and difficulties. Akin to the other great personalities of the world, on his death world acknowledged his achievements and success and now we have to make efforts to transform the achievements of Gul Khan Naseer to the next generations.

Mir Gul Khan is not today among us but his services and poetry replete with encouragement is present among us. We should derive benefits from his achievements and should enlighten our ways with his bright thoughts, moving ahead.

MIR GUL KHAN NASEER—JOURNALIST

Around 30 to 34 years before, a new hotel with accommodation facilities names as standard hotel was established on Mission Road Quetta. Even today this hotel exists. Gul Khan Naseer stayed in this hotel. He was editor of a Weekly Newspaper Nawa-e-Balochistan. The owner of the news paper was Balochistan’s industrialist Mir Nabi Bakhsh Zehri who had resigned as Naib Tehsil and was living in Quetta. Mir Gul Khan Naseer was my elder and my helper and he also belonged to Nushki, the place from where I had come. Therefore, I would go to meet my elderly to the Standard Hotel. The room in which he was living was almost bearing the number 24. Since the hotel was new, it was so clean and Mir Gul Khan Naseer had developed fondness for it. This was the beginning of the Mir Gul Khan Naseer’s journalistic life. However, I had heard that Mir Sahib had also remained linked with a famous weekly of Quetta, ‘Istaqlal’ for a short period of time. Mir Gul Khan Naseer seemed happy and satisfied with his journalistic life. His enthusiasm with work reflected his commitment with the journalism.

The high interest and consistency of Mir Naseer Khan rose the Nawa-e-Balochistan to the position of imminence. The newspaper acquired importance so quickly in the eyes of the masses and in that of the government. Therefore, government turned a sympathetic view to the newspaper as well as Mir Naseer Khan. Ghulam Muhmmad Shahwani would also be there in company of Mir Gul Khan Naseer often. It was due to Mir Gul Khan Naseer that my acquaintance developed with Ghulam Muhammad Shahwani. There I also developed acquaintance with another kind personality who was known with the name of Muhammad Panah. He was also an interesting person. He would always smile, pressing his lips where as the laughters of Ghulam Muhammad Shahwani would echo in the corridors of Standard Hotel. Mir Sahib had the company of these both personalities. The relation of Malik Muhammad Pana can be evaluated by the fact that he had special importance amongst the acquaintance of Mir Sahib.

The importance of Standard hotel was increasing day by day because of Mir Gul Khan Naseer and the newspaper. His room, which was also the office of the newspaper, was becoming the centre of Balochistan’s intellectuals and politically aware people.

Mir Gul Khan Naseer’s way of thinking was clear. He didn’t accept the editorship of Nawa-e-Balochistan because Mir Nabi Bakhsh Zehri was an industrialist nor because he got an employment. He had rather committed to bring all his potential in use for the service of the masses. He would consider Newspaper as the best way of acquiring his purpose. Therefore, He took the responsibility of the editorship of Nawa-e-Balochistan. Mir Gul Khan Naseer was of the view that the newspaper which he should publish should the representative of the aspirations of the masses.

He made Nawa-e-Balochistan a popular name. The purpose for which Mir Nabi Bakhsh Zehri had established the newspaper was the promotion of his business and that did not seem to apply to the purpose of Mir Gul Khan Naseer.

It was often asked from Mir Gul Khan Naseer that Mir Nabi Bakhs Zehri was a capitalist and he was against capitalism then why did he accept the job. So Mir Gul Khan Naseer would state his viewpoint this way:

“Our country has acquired independence from neo-colonialism recently but in Balochistan the capitalism and Jirga systems are still intact. Our immediate purpose is to fight against these outdated systems and against the eradication of a black law like FCR. The class of Sardars is bound to melt whereas Nabi Bakhsh Zehir has recently risen. He is also against Sardars and is busy in consolidating his position in the society. We need him and he needs us. Therefore, we should side with him. Therefore, I accepted the editorship of Nawa-e-Balochistan.”

The logics of Mir Gul Khan Naseer would convince and the acquaintances would go silent. The policy of Nawa-e-Balochistan was becoming clearer day by day. The editorials written by Mir Gul Khan Naseer were the evidence of it. Gul Khan Naseer was counted as the hardest enemies of Jirga System and Sardari System. This policy of Mir Gul Khan Naseer was not acceptable to the Sardars and Government a least bit and Mir Nabi Bakhsh Zehri went in loss in this deal. He could not tolerate the government’s anger. The purpose for which he had established newspaper was not fulfilled. The purpose of Gul Khan Naseer was gaining weight.

As a result, Mir Nabi Bakhsh Zehri closed the Nawa-e-Balochistan and the weapon was snatched from the hands of Gul Khan Naseer with which he was fighting the cause of the masses.

Mir Gul Khan Naseer was deeply saddened. He was a poet. He would be flying in the times of ecstasy but would be aggrieved in sad moments. Finally, the laughters of Ghulam Mir Shahwani proved handy. By this time, Ghulam Muhammad Shahwani was the editor of the first daily of Balochistan ‘Itehad’. He had asked permission for Nawa-e-Watan. Fortunately, after the closure of Nawa-e-Balochistan, the permission for Nawa-e-Watan was granted and Ghulam Muhammad handed over that declaration to the Mir Gul Khan Naseer.

Mir Gul Khan Naseer was revitalized. Nawa-e-watan appeared splendidly on the horizon of Balochistan’s journalism. Now there was no hurdle in the way of Mir Gul Khan Naseer to bring in use his policy. He began publishing Nawa-e-Watan with much enthusiasm and I was asked to be a part of this newspaper’s editorship. Hence, I was appointed as assistant of Mir Gul Khan Naseer.

The office of the Nawa-e-Watan remain at the same place where the office of the Nawa-e-Balochistan was—the room of the Standar Hotel. Nawa-e-Watan became the representative of the masses of Balochistan. Whoever would face a problem, he would reach at Nawa-e-Watan Hotel in search of Mir Gul Khan Naseer. The room of Mir Gul Khan Naseer was open for every ordinary and important person. Each and every news would reach to Mir Gul Khan Naseer. Mir Sahib remained all the more immersed in his journalist life.

We had a bicycle and a few chairs and Mir sahib’s bed and a rolled mat. Sometimes me, Mir Sahib or the peon of the office would use bicycle to go the press and office. Apart from the chairs, the bed of Mir Sahib was also used for sitting and when the newspaper would get published, the mat would be stretched in the drawing room and peon would bring some curd. We three and if any acquaintance would be there would past tickets on the newspapers’ folding and would post Nawa-e-Waqat.

This was a golden period of journalism in Balochistan. By this time, the weekly newspapers had great importance. And the newspaper writers were held in high esteem. The field of journalism was taking roots in Balochistan and new thinking and new ideas introduced new approaches in journalism in Balochistan. The importance of journalism increased countrywide following the independence. The national journalism had began to develop. Lucky Sata, Pakistan Times, Imroz, Lal or Nihar brought a revolution in journalism.

The young journalists earned good name in Quetta. Besides Gul Khan Naseer, Ghulam Muhammad Shahwani, Abdul Samad Durani, Abdul Kareem Butt, Najam Qazalbash, Zamrud Hussain, Gull Muhammad Irawi, Syed Kamil Qadiri, Abdu Hayee Babar, Abdul Rehman Ghaur, Syed Fasieh Iqbal, Abdul Rehman Kurd, Abdul Kareem Shorish and other younsgsters rose the image of journalism in Balochistan.

The trainerees of these young journalists are still here. Maulana Abdul Kareem Abu Jameel, Muhammad Hassan Nizami, and Molvi Abullah would bring colours to the press conference. Apart from these, the national newspapers and news agencies’ reporters increased the importance of journalism in Balochistan.

Master Kamal-ddin was the representative of Daily Jang. Anjum Qazal Bash would represent Daily Imroz. Qazi Anwar-ul-Hassan and Mehmood were the representatives of the Pakistan Times and Dawn respectively. Mazam Ali and Azam Ali brothers would represent PPI and UPP. Rafique Paracha was the representative of APP. For some time Hassan Ikhtra had come and gone back. Shams-ul-Haq was also among these young newspaper representatives.

Apart from Nawa-e-Balochistan and Nawa-e-Watan, the weekly newspapers of Balochistan included Paigham-e-Jadeed, Khawar, Chiltan, Tameer-e-Balochistan, Tanzeem, Zamana, Misaq-ul-Haq, Nawa-e-Bolan, Rehbar-e-Niswa, Karawan, Kohsar, and Sarban.

Quetta Times was the only English weekly of Balochistan. A café known as Dawn Cafe located at Jinnah road would be the gathering place of editors, journalists and newspaper representatives. They would be found here often. Apart from meeting each other, these people would also meet the people. You could meet any journalist at Jinnah Road and Dawn Café. Perhaps, this tradition exists even today.

Various commentaries, criticism and analysis would be made on the headlines, news items and editorial at Café Dawn. Mir Gul Khan Naseer was popular on account of sociable and interesting disposition and all had become friends. I can’t remember if Mir Sahib had participated in any government press conference.

His newspaper never got concession of government advertisement. Nawa-e-Balochistan and Nawa-e-Watan would get published in Islamia Press. Usually all the newspapers and journals would get published in this press. Haji Muhammad Yousaf, the owner of Islamia Press, was the friend of all. He had arrangements for debt accounts. Therefore, the publication of Mir Sahab’s newspaper would not face financial constraints.

The workers of Press and the experts of writing would consider Mir Sahib as their friend. He would get his newspaper inscribed by Ghulam Nabi and Barkat Shahbaz. The editorials of Nawa-e-Watan would became subject for discussion often in political, social and press corridors. The headlines of Gul Khan Naseer would leave a splashing effect. He would take out such headlines of news that would stir the relevant people. The ones who go resort of excess would be panicked and the one whose appreciation was desired, he would go into high ecstasy reading the news.

Mir Gul Khan Naseer was much popular as a newspaper writer. By this time, his journalism was heavy on the politics which provided bases for the future politics of Mir Gul Khan Naseer. The copies of paper which would be published and distributed would leave stirring effects. Whenever I would visit Nushki, would find the people waiting for the newspaper of Gul Khan Naseer. He and his newspaper would be mentioned in each gathering.

The newspaper of Mir Gul Khan Naseer arouse awareness amongst the masses and people became acquainted with the use of press. They would turn to Mir Gul Khan Naseer for each of their problem and its solution.

Mir Gul Khan Naseer never visited other places from Quetta for collection of subscriptions for newspaper. Whenever the VP of newspaper would be sold most of the VPs would be taken up. Apart from this, the associates of Mir Gul Khan Naseer would help him financially. Mir Ghaus Bakhsh Bizejo was such a friend of Mir Gul Khan Naseer without whom the thinking of Mir Gul Khan Naseer would remain incomplete. Bizenjo sahib would stay at Standard Hotel with Mir Gul Khan Naseer for months. Those days, the association was exemplary. Both were the twin young leaders of Balochistan and both were seen together mostly. Most of the time, the dressing of both would also be same. Highly determined and impressing friends would also go ahead together. Mir Ghaus Bakhsh Bizejo would always encourage Mir Gul Khan Naseer, would share his grief and would remain alert to solve his journalistic problems.

Popular political and social personalities would come to meet them at Standard Hotel. Mir Abdul Aziz Khan Kurd, Abdul Rahim Khwajakhel, Malik Muhammmad Khan Yousafzai, Sher Muhammad Khan Marri, Abdul Kareem Shorish, Mir Fazil Khan Muhammadshai, would be seen in the room of Mir Gul Khan Naseer most of the time. Mastung, Kalat, Makran, Khuzdar, Jhalwan, Lesbela, Chagi, Kharan and from other areas the political and social workers would come to meet them. The educated and employed class would bring their problems. They would mostly ask for the cooperation of Mir Sahib for their employment and promotion problems.

Samim Sarangzai and Ameer Jan Muhammadshai were close associates of Mir Sahib. Mir Sahib would face criticism most of the time. People would criticize Mir Sahab aloud. But, he would try to satisfy them with much tolerance. It was felt that the newspaper of Gul Khan Naseer was his own and his will had much to do with newspaper.

I came to know about the poetry of Mir Gul Khan Naseer in Standard Hotel. He had said some of his poetry in 1950 in Balochi. He gave me his collection for reading and it was his poetry that diverted my attention towards Balochi language and literature. In Standard Hotel I took the book of Dames from Gul Khan Naseer and became aware of Balochi Classical poetry. —- Translated by Safiullah Shawani

Mir Gul Khan Naseer would publish the Urdu translations of his poetry in Nawa-e-Watan. In 1951, the first Balochi literary monthly Oman began to be published. Maulana Khair Muhammad Nadvi, the patron of Oman, shifted to Karachi and I met him with Mir Gul Khan Naseer.

The first literary union of Balochi language Balochi Zuban-e-Diwan was established in the same Standard Hotel. Gul Khan Naseer was elected as the president of Anjuman. This Anjuman published the first collection of Gul Khan Naseer’s poetry Gul Ban. In the same way, a book on modern Balochi literature was published and foundations of modern Balochi literature were laid down which began to develop.

It was in the Standard Hotel where the book of Mir Gul Khan Naseer History of Balochistan’s first volume was published. Hence, various aspects of Mir Gul Khan Naseer began to nourish in the times of Standard Hotel.

The popularity of Mir Gul Khan Naseer and his public popularity and journalistic and political engagements turned the attention of CID department towards him. For many days, the staff of CID would visit the Standard Hotel and visit the room. Many officers of CID would come to Standard Hotel to meet Mir Sahib on pretext of meeting him and would have discussions with him. Gul Naseer would express his views without any hesitation.

On the other hand, the class of Sardars became the arch enemy of the Mir Gul Khan Naseer and the reports against Mir Gul Khan Naseer on daily basis further turned the government’s attention towards Mir Sahib. And during this days, an interesting case was fabricated against Mir Sahib. He was alleged of being communist. Mir Sahib would go to the hearings most of the times. Gul Khan Naseer had to prove his innocence. The people sided with him greatly and he was acquitted. On account of the efforts of Gul Khan Naseer and his associates, many people got jobs in journalism field. They began their careers and today they have reached to high posts in their jobs.

A decisive turn had occurred in the life of Mir Gul Khan Naseer. On the one hand, his popularity was increasing in the masses and other the other hand, the propagators of Sardari system and the protectors of this outdated system had become apprehensive of him. Hence, Mir Gul Khan Naser had to spread light amongst the masses like a fire. Mir Gul Khan Naseer was shown the way of prizes, and comforts. If he had quit his principle, those all blessings would be brought to his feet. In other case, the chains and gallows had become his fate like Parami Thyus.

Mir Gul Khan Naseer remained determined and he took the same decision which Parami Thyus had given to the Rytus’ and Hormeez.

“I will not bargain my chains in return for life of slavery. It is better to be chained with mountains than to become the slave of Zeets.”

Hence, the life of Mir Gul Khan Naseer was sacrificed at the altar of chains which we know very well.

Mir Gul Khan Naseer: the pioneer of Balochi revolutionary poetry

By Fazal Baloch

December 6 is marked as the 28th death anniversary of Mir Gul Khan Naseer who enjoys an unparalleled position in the pantheon of Balochi poets. With his inspirational verses, he gave a new dimension to modern Balochi revolutionary poetry in the post-partition period. Born in 1914, at Nushki,Balochistan, Gul Khan made his first appearance in the realm of literature in the early 40s during the hay-days of the Progressive Movement. He was among the few Progressive Balochi writers who stayed committed to the ideology of the said movement till their last breath. Initially, he used Urdu as the medium of his poetic expression, but soon diverted his attention from Urdu and began inking poems in his first language, Balochi. “Gulbang”, the first collection of his Balochi poetry appeared in 1951. It is also marked as the first ever collection of modern Balochi verse. As he drew inspiration from the Progressive Movement, the poor peasant who is bereft of attire and footwear, time and again appears in his poetry, for whom he dreams of a society where injustice, cruelty, indiscrimination and suppression have no room. In Gul Khan’s poetic dictionary, one can hardly find expressions like rosy cheeks, intoxicated eyes and scented locks. Instead, it is adorned with typical expressions like hunger, empty stomach, shirtless people, darkness and oppression to mention a few. It may seem somewhat strange, yet true, that despite his close affiliations with tribal leaders, so for, Gul Khan Naseer is the only Balochi poet who vehemently condemns the deeply rooted tribal society of Balochistan. He has always viewed the tribal sardars and landlords as the tormentors of poor farmer and the ordinary masses and raised his voice for social justice, equality and, above all, reverence of humanity. A quatrain goes like:

When the world starts to constrict around the poor man His mutilated naked form is left to fend for his hungry gut

Then it’s better from this life of misery and torture If war ensues, heads roll & lavish palaces are burnt to the ground (Translated by Anonymous.)

Mir Gul Khan Naseer has rendered equally valuable contributions in the field of translation. In 1980, he translated Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s Sar-i-wadi-Seena into Balochi under the title Seena-i-Keechag aa. In 1983, he translated a few selected poems of Shah Abdul Latif Bhathai entitled Shah Lateef Gosheet. His interest as a translator was not confined to literature. He has also rendered a couple of English books into Balochi. In 1979, he translated General Dyre’s The Raiders of Frontiers under the title Balochistan kay Sarhadi Chapa Mar. Similarly, in 1969 he rendered Longworth Dams the Baloch Race into Balochi under the title Kouch o Baloch.

As a historian Mir Gul Khan Naseer is an authority figure on Balochistan history. His book Tareekh- i-Balochistan is considered as an authentic source on the subject. Mir Gul Khan Naseer was a born nationalist and remained associated with various political organisations in his political career, which spans more than four decades. In 1936, he served as the first general secretary of the Anjuman-i-Isamia-i-Kalat. In the following year, he became the first vice president of the famous Kalat State National Party. After the annexation of the Kalat state into Pakistan, he joined the Pakistan National Party and the National Awami Party and served as the latter’s provincial president in Balochistan. In 1972, he served as the senior minister in the maiden provincial cabinet of Balochistan.

Mir Sahib was incarcerated on and off on various trumped up charges and he spent a total of some fifteen years behind bars. Though these years were traumatising as he underwent severe inhuman torture in torture cells, they were quite productive for Balochi literature as he accomplished most of his literary projects during the days of his imprisonment. Mir was a seasoned politician, but today he is better known for his revolutionary poetry. He enjoys the same status in Balochi literature as does Habib Jalib in Urdu. He is the first modern Balochi poet who made his oppressed people aware about their rights to liberty and self-determination. Today, from Atta Shad to Allah Bux Bozdar, almost upon all modern Balochi poets, the imprints of Mir’s poetry can easily be traced. Even the poets somewhat skeptical about Gul Khan’s poetic sensibilities couldn’t avoid his impact. In 2001, the government of Pakistan, belatedly realising the meritorious services of Mir Gul Khan Naseer, posthumously awarded him the Sitara-i-Imtiaz. According to Prof Dr Abdul Saboor Baloch, along with Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Mir Gul Khan Naseer was too nominated for the Lenin Prize by the USSR government, but the latter was not granted permission by the Ayub Khan’s regime to fly in to receive the said award. Mir Gul Khan Naseer passed away on December 6, 1983, from chronic lung cancer.

Courtesy by Daily Times

Dr. Sakina GAYBALIYEVA

National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan

 İnstitute of Folklore

sakina051@rambler.ru

PATRİOTİC İDEAS İN THE POETRY OF MİR GUL KHAN NASEER

Summary

Mir Gul Khan Naseer actively joined literary life of Balochistan, Pakistan and the world of literary process from the very beginning of activities. He was a prominent politician, poet, historian, translator and journalist of Balochistan, Pakistan. Mir Gul Khan’s poetry is filled with revolutionary and anti-imperialist themes and it reflects his progressive nature and national ideals. Mir Gul Khan Naseer stood firmly against the class differences that prevailed at that time. His poems exhibit his dislike for the chauvinistic attitude of the rich towards the poor.

In this article general information about activities of Mir Gul Khan Naseer is given and distinguishing features of his poetry are investigated.

Key words: Mir Gul Khan Naseer, patriotic ideas, poetry, Balochistan, Pakistan.

The poetry of Mir Gul Khan Naser – a whole stage in development of balochi literature, a unique phenomenon of the connection between the completeness of poetic perception of the world and ethnocultural features of Balochistan. His works bear a vestige of a complete view of national reality as an organic component, a part of all mankind, depth of self-knowledge and, as a result, familiarization with human values. From the very beginning of his activities, Naser actively joined the literary life of Beluchistan, Pakistan and the world of literary process. His activities, which brought to the poet deserved popularity and glory in the world, are one of bright and original pages in the literature of Pakistani people in the second half of the XX century (БСЛ., 1998).

His valuable orientations are directed on preservation and strengthening the best achievements – human reason and moral, which he inherited from previous generations. But the identity of the poet is first of all the identity which arose on the social and psychological subsoil of the people; the spiritual richness of the nation of Naser is comprehended as the main initial stage of the movement to vital national self-knowledge and self-affirmation, as an indispensable condition of outlook expansion and development of cultural values of the whole mankind.

The homeland for Naser is a wide and multidimensional concept. Civil motives of rejection of slavery ("Mard o mullah”), glorification of a revolutionary feat sound in the early lyrics of Naser. Nasser connects social problems with deep, historical processes. Mir Gul Khan Naser loved his Homeland, his people and his history very much. As well as many other Pakistani poets he addressed to homeland history quite often, while describing the episodes speaking about a liberty and rebelliousness in a poetic form. Anyone will experience Naser’s love for his Homeland when they read his verses. He loves and supports the people for their poverty very much. Many works of the great balochi poet testify to his love for the homeland, to absence of indifference to his destiny. He reflects on love to fatherland, thus dividing the invented patriotism andthe genuine one. It’s painfully for the poet to see how those who have the power oppress simple people. In the poem "Mard-o-Mullah” Mir Gul Khan Naser describes a usual way of people’s life:

One is a Master, One is a Mir (a leader or chief)
One is a Ruler, One is a Pir (a saint)
One is sad, another is happy

One makes heaps of wealth
One is starving, One is fed
One’s faults are visible, another’s are hidden

One rides his steed,
Wears only the best
His galloping horse kicks up dust

While another is bare-footed,

Naked and hungry.

In his works he often addresses to history. The poet specifies responsible, offers ways of disposal of misfortunes:

Why are you hiding the truth like this

Humans of every kind are alike
Men and women, both, are equal
Just as Honour and Dignity are the same

Humans aren’t high and low.

O Moron! Just read the Quraan
You’ve been misled by the Satan.

Thus the poet simply advises exploiters of mankind to read the Koran and to be convinced that the sacred book tells about equality of people. The poetry of Mir Gul Khan Naser admires the patriotism. The poet expresses irresistible grief over the homeland in the poems, about his hopelessness about poverty and sufferings.

As an artist Naser enriched balochi literature with new subjects, ideas, the conflicts, plots and images. He showed that there was "no person in general”, "no people in general”, that all are involved in the powerful circulation of history. The world is split, the mankind is split and presented with a choice: either to reconcile with the destruction of personality, or to look for a way of her spiritual revival (Пикулин, 1959).

Mir Gul Khan Naser is carried by the deep, never weakening interest in balochi literature and balochi history of the XX century, boundless respect and love to them through all life.

Naser’s works help fellow citizens to understand regularity of events that happen, arm them with the correct understanding of modern reality,  the ability to glance at the future. It is possible to cultivate a feeling of patriotism in the young on his works.

The poetry of Mir Gul Khan Naser is filled with revolutionary and anti-imperialistic themes and it reflects his progressive character and humanistic ideals. The poet was against class distinctions which prevailed at that time. His verses show his hostility to the chauvinistic relation rich to the poor.

The artist, who had been unknown the day before, appealed to the people who had neither the wealth, nor the power, to people  deprived of any education, a thicket – illiterate, filled with need, oppressed by excessive work and without a single gleam. They were called by him to be straightened, the pride of the person awoke in them…

Gul Khan Naser recognized people of revolution closer and more deeply since his youth. He came to the historical road of the country – the road of the revolutionaries.

Naser didn’t allow the courage of the magic pen to tremble throughout the chain of prosecution, which testifies to the greatness of  the spirit of the true poet…

"A person is formed by his resistance to environment””, – Naser wrote many years later. This resistance to the surrounding filthy lucre and cruel world, unwillingness to live as others around did, defined the character of future poet in his youth.

The poet of the East, he believed in the power of the word for which it is possible and had to convince people in the need to preserve peace and friendship on earth (Ганковский, 1966).

His activities incorporated talent, wisdom and attitude of his people. The works of the poet, which absorbed all valuable of life experience and spiritual heritage of the Balochs, enriched Pakistani literature as well as the world one. Verses and prose of the poet are pierced by motives of civic consciousness and humanity, they are noted not only for the genre variety, originality, but also for the depth of thought and feelings. In the publicistic articles and speeches he always responded vividly to the most actual problems of the present.

The activities and public work of Gul Khan Naser were pierced by the feeling of high patriotism, deep responsibility for the future of his people. In the most crucial, fatal days the poet was always near his people, supported their efforts to preserve peace and consent in society (БСЭ., 1975).

His verses are pierced with passionate love to his people and fierce hatred towards imperialists rages. Gul Khan Naser, a self-sacrificing fighter for freedom and happiness of the people, continued his fight in imprisonment, battling furiously and irreconcilably by means of the force of poetic weapon. In his verses he addresses to the distressed people, urging them to rise against governors and venal imperialists. He calls them criminals:

They are criminals and pimps,
Traitors of humanity,
Blood sucking Leeches and Poisonous snakes

They travel in cars and planes
Their houses are furnished with velvet carpets.

The poet continues. He addresses to the mullah and asks:

I know your mouth is watering
You’re living off loans from the Rich
Mullah! Now just think

From where did they get this wealth?
How did they amass this fortune?
How did they become our masters?

Mullah! Now stop making excuses
The mother’s womb didn’t provide them with all these riches
Nor did the sky rain money on their heads

Listen to my words,
Open your eyes which have been blinded.

The poet as the courageous fighter opens truth before eyes:

They have stolen the rights of the weak,
They have looted the property of the poor.

The great national poet, the ardent patriot, the tutor of his people in the spirit of humanity and boundless belief in the better future writes:

Don’t stray people off the path of God
Just to satisfy the affluent

Don’t sell your faith for cash
Don’t present the lies as truth…

The times have now completely changed…

There won’t be any more killings in the name of religion

Humanity’s liberation is inevitable.

Here is the slogan of Mir Gul Khan Naser – "To exempt mankind from inequality”.

Mir Gul Khan Naser was the poet with the expressed lyrical beginning, in which most of all the essence of his activities, his art gift and his potential are also shown. But his creative heritage isn’t limited to poetry. Naser is also an original prose writer, a publicist, a historian and a theorist of literature, a critic, a translator. His activity in this field deserves complete analysis for creation of a systematic picture of his creativity and professional shape.

Nasser’s creativity in the XX century has a huge impact on culture and public life, on the development of balochi literature. Nasser’s traditions were carried on by the balochi writers developing a nationality, patriotism, the realistic image of life in the activities.

References:

Большая советская энциклопедия (БСЭ). 1975. Москва: стр.224

Большая советская литература (БСЛ). 1998. т. 19. Москва: стр.152.

Ганковский Ю.В. 1966. Пакистан (справочник). Москва, , Издательство Наука, стр. 444.

Dames M.L. 1907. Popular poetry of the Beloches. V 1-2. p. 41-42.

Пикулин М. Г. 1959. Белуджи. Москва: стр. 76.

Труды XXV Международного Конгресса Востоковедов. 1960. II, Москва: стр.93.

http://www.encyclopaediaislamica.com

بلوچ و بلوچستان – ادبيات بلوچي ،

A Poet’s Personality

By Munir Ahmed Badini

In the ‘First Circle’ Solzhenytsen has spoken something very important through the utterance of one of the characters of the Novel, that to live in this world, and to face it’s odds nothing else is required but a strong personality.

And today we are sitting in this august gathering in the memory of a man who, in spite of all the odds and unfavorable circumstances lived a full life through the sheer force of his personality.

And, perhaps stealthily a smile may be dancing there at your lips and, you may be asking yourself that ‘Did Gul Khan Naseer really live a full life’? And your thinking is right in the sense that apparently the facts of Gul Khan Naseer’s life show the contrary to what I have just said. As we see that Gul Khan Naseer was never happy; all the time he was in jail; all the time the forces of tyranny and suppression hanged over his head therefore, how one could say about such a personality that he lived a ‘full life’ Strange.

He was born in a desolate village at Nushki. And the first things which he saw there, in his surroundings were the rugged mountains and dry hills that made a queue to the south-east of his village, and a desert lazily stretched to the northwest of that silent and lonely village which reminded one about the infinity, quiet, deep and eternal…

The camel caravan, the herds of sheep and goat, the azure sky, the bristling spring waters and the birds flying over the desert were the physical background in which the poet first found himself. And apart from his physical background existed the closed and narrow bonds of tribalism, tradition and superstitions in which the mental and spiritual growth of the poet was occurring…

Therefore, your smiles, dancing at your lips, are meaningful smiles and carry some weight that how personalities can develop in such an atmosphere?

But let me say that Gul Khan Naseer, out of the strength of his personality did cross all these narrow bonds and faced them courageously. He bravely fought against the forces which were anti-personality, anti-man, anti-social.

And let me say before this intelligent gathering that I am not going to discuss Naseer as poet, as politician as journalist and as an historian but, Naseer as a personality.

Again you may be thinking that I may be confusing things. But my reply to you is that first I want to be clear in my own thoughts about this man; as I visualize that he was not a saint nor a prophet nor a mythological being, but a human being, a poet, a politician, a journalist and an historian, but he carried something different in his personality. No doubt he did poetry; he wrote history: he created sad songs and composed songs of love too, but all this came afterwards; after deciding the important question of all questions: What he wanted to be in life? Or say ’what I am’? And I fell that without answering this question first, possibly he might have bowed down before the might of the tribal chiefs of his will might have ceased in the goals…

A strong personality first answers the basic question of his life; the remaining actions that emanate from it are in fact the reflection of that basic question…

The famous Denish thinker Kierkegaard, a century back had said that three stages come I each man’s life. The first stage being the aesthetical’ in which the man shuns pains and avails pleasure; in the second stage, which is the ‘ethical stage man bows down before the idols which once he had rejected and had rebelled against them, but now he accepts the ‘truths’ of ethical stage as normal, logical and beyond any doubt; his rebellion of ethical stage is an old story now…

Therefore, according to this great hunched back thinker of Copenhagen, most of the people after crossing their first stage of life become stuck to the second stage till their death, but there are certain authentic personalities which cross the second stage and enter into the third stage, which he calls the ‘religious stage’. In this third stage they become full personalities. Kierkegaard gives the example of Prophet Ibrahim who sacrificed his son Ismail at the altar. Ethically it was illogical, irrational and nonsensical but, religiously he felt that it is ‘The Truth’, the ‘Reality’ so he went on with the ritual of sacrificing his dear son…

The main characteristics of this religious stage are that man feels no doubts about his actions; he becomes totally convinced of the truth of his intentions and actions…

Gul Khan Naseer’s experiences were not religious. Gul Khan Naseer was not a philosopher in the strict sense of the word. Perhaps he had never heard of Kierkegaard. But he was a truth seeker, as we all are truth seekers; Gul Khan Naseer wanted to understand his reality as we all want to understand that. Gul Khan Naseer wanted to comprehend the reality which is related to our political, social, economic and cultural life and expressed I in his poetry. And like him we are also interested to know our collective life, that what we are? Where we stand in today’s changing world? What is our future? Perhaps we don’t know all this, or perhaps some invisible forces are stopping us from knowing our truth or to let us enter into the third stage of our lives. Or perhaps our conceptual thinking is in its infancy that we don’t perceive the real meaning of our lives… And in spite of all our confusions there is restlessness, and an urge to understand, change and to be transformed, right from our hair to our feet…

We feel that we are fed up from this happening in our surroundings, but there is a great fear to come out and say it openly; we are stuck to our ethical stage, although we want a great leap; a big jump and a jump into the abyss of our being… But oh our fears and our trembling!: A ‘yes’ and a ‘No’ at the same time. Isn’t it a contradiction to live in ‘yeses’ and in ‘Nos’ at the same time? Moreover, how can we live, in such a situation, for a long time? Tragic.

We are in a crisis, but we don’t accept it: although we discuss it in our day to day talk that there is a crisis, but perhaps we, in our heart of hearts are convinced that all is ok, all is well and we are secure, and things are going smoothly, no problem… May be we are waiting for somebody to tell us about our crisis and put before a solution. We want out ‘reality’ and our ‘truth’ from the mouth of somebody else. Isn’t it strange! Who is going to save us from this crisis? Our God But how that could be possible if we don’t believe that there is a deeper experience of our hearts, the real source and the strength of our personalities…

Are we personalities? May be we are worms on the surface of the earth. But no, we are human beings, breathing, walking, sleeping, drinking and eating and thinking. But why during this period of crisis we lack something very substantial, our infinite freedom and with it attached our great fears. O god we are waiting but, waiting for whom?

Our crisis is perhaps that we are missing our strong personalities who though had all those contradictions, all that restlessness and nauseating feelings which we feel, but who taught us the way to fight, to struggle and not to bow down… Where are these people now in this darkness? Perhaps we don’t need their poetry and their tales but, we need their personalities in the midst of this crisis…

But they can’t come back; to think of their coming back is an absurd idea, but nostalgia is there, it is natural…

Giul Khan Naseer is one of such personalities which we always miss. Why? I must not answer this question for you, you better ask your own hearts and accept that which your heart tells you about.

To praise our personalities is not a sin but to create myths is bad. The basic need of the time is to understand the works of your scholars, poets and politician objectively, so that we may analyze their works in the light of reason and logic.

To know that how Gul Khan Naseer resisted evil; how he fought against all types of oppression. Be it social, political and cultural we must acquaint ourselves with his vision about our individual as well as collective life. We may not agree to what he had said but, we can’t deny the fact that he gave such vision; the vision that we the inhabitants of this part of the world have a future, and that we have to realize this vision first in our own hearts; in other words to become strong personalities first, so that we may be in a position to resist that which negates us which annihilates us and which makes us nobody…

It was this vision for which Naseer always invoked us for action and it was this vision for which he tried to awaken us from our deep slumber…

Perhaps he was impressed from the philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore, who ad given the concept of ‘Universal man’ is the ideal of all mankind, brave, courageous and master of his own destiny…

Gul Khan Naseer’s vision of Bloch is not different from that of Tagore; Naseer infact always tries to paint this vision with different colours; sometime very clearly and at other times vaguely but, he is persistently after it to paint it in perfect colours… Therefore, his interlocutor is no doubt Baloch, but he is after the ‘universal man’ ; Baloch is a part of that…

All the great writers of the world have their starting pints; from Peblo Neruda, the rivers of Cuba; for Naguib Mahfooz streets of Cairo and for Solzhentysen the Grulags so, far Gul Khan Naseer this village and the desert that stretches at its back is the starting point of all his creations but like all other great poets and writer of our time his end is universal progress, equality of men and the end of all those ‘negations’ which turn man into not being.

At the end my first question again, Did Gul Khan Naseer live a full life? Yes. Because he sacrificed all that was an impediment in the growth of his personality. That is his true greatness.

Man is mortal, Gul Khan Naseer was a man therefore, he was mortal, but mankind for which he composed poetry is immortal; you cannot eradicate mankind, it is immortal and the good deeds for mankind make a great personalities immortal too…

O Comrades Salute to You!

On the meander of life’s road

On the curved way of life

When feet refused to take steps ahead

Those were you who encouraged us

When our identity was fading

O Comrades Salute to you!

When due to fear of life

All enthusiasm was being cold

When hopes started dying

Those were you who never stopped

The journey towards change

On the curved way of life

O Comrades Salute to you!

When the eyes of people were obeying

The fake glow of Capitalism

When the words were enslaved by the tyranny of dictators

Those were you who kicked all power-centers off

And bravely stepped ahead

On the curved way of life

O Comrades Salute to You!

When even the care-taker of the garden,

Himself ruined the beauty of roses and tulips

And crushed their petals with his feet

Such weird time was that

As if decay was our ultimate destination

Those were you who stepped forward with high spirits

On the curved way of life

O Comrades Salute to You

You are the mark of the passage and the path

You are the light of Mother-land

You are the vast sight

Though far from us

But you breathe in us

You are our pulse

You are our devotion

You are our dignity

With all respect

O Comrades Salute to you

Oath of Freedom

I swear upon Mir and Qambar’s boldness

I swear upon Omar and Mahnaz’ colourful Love

I swear upon Chakar and Gohram’s courage

And Rind and Lashar’s determination

I swear upon Bijar’z commitment and simplicity

I swear upon Mir Hasan’s sense of brotherliness

I swear upon Ahmad’s stand against enemies

I swear upon the red sword of Bibo

I swear upon Mehrab’s devotion and sacrifice

I swear upon the soil where Abdullah’s blood dropped

I swear upon the each stone where Noori ruled

I swear upon the holy blood of all martyrs

And all the doughty sons who fought with evil forces

I swear upon Khuda e Dad Khan’s helplessness

And I swear upon Chakar e Azam’s craving for pain..

I swear upon the mountains where Balochs reside

I swear upon the slacks from where we had migrated

I swear upon Bolan’s huge and strong rocks

I swear upon Moola’s wild and curved passages

I swear upon the hot and poisonous air of deserts

I swear upon the tearful songs of the cameleers (Saraban)

I swear upon the beach of Makran’s noble sea

I swear upon Hammal and Jiyand’s manly hood

I swear upon this soil which is the birthplace of Baloch Nation

I swear upon its lap and its treasures of respect and dignity

That my country will remain free till a single Baloch is alive on this land

This is my religion and my faith .

MARD ‘O’ MULLA by Mir Gul Khan Nasir (English Translation)

One is a Master, One is a Mir (a leader or chief)
One is a Ruler, One is a Pir (a saint)
One is sad, another is happy

One makes heaps of wealth
One is starving, One is fed
One’s faults are visible, another’s are hidden

One rides his steed,
Wears only the best
His galloping horse kicks up dust

While another Bare-footed,
Naked and hungry
Miserably drags himself through life

Without a doubt it’s God’s will
It is written in the Righteous Book (Quraan)
That the path is narrow and quite tough

Five fingers can never be equal
God himself has made it that way
So, you should accept this as fate”

Waves of anger rising in my heart made me interrupt him
I said: “May you be smitten O Mullah!
Don’t lie so much

Evenings of begging have left you blind
The Devil has over-powered you
Why are you hiding the truth like this

Humans of every kind are alike
Men and women, both, are equal
Just as Honour and Dignity are the same

Humans aren’t high and low
O Moron! Just read the Quraan
You’ve been misled by the Satan

These Mirs, Masters and Sardars (Tribal Chieftans)
These Pirs, Clerics and Zardaars (the Wealthy)
These are the real roots of evil

They are criminals and pimps,
Traitors of humanity,
Blood sucking Leeches and Poisonous snakes

They travel in cars and planes
Their houses are furnished with velvet carpets
And they eat from golden plates

I know you’re mouth is watering
You’re living off loans from the Rich
Mullah! Now just think

From where did they get this wealth?
How did they amass this fortune?
How did they become our masters?

Mullah! Now stop making excuses
The mother’s womb didn’t provide them with all these riches
Nor did the sky rain money on their heads

Listen to my words,
Open your eyes which have been blinded
The answer is right infront of you

They have stolen the rights of the weak,
They have looted the property of the poor
And disrobed everybody in sight

Who has told you this is fate?
It’s an argument not thought out,
A serious blow to faith

Mullah! Now don’t you mislead
Don’t stray people off the path of God
Just to satisfy the affluent

Don’t sell your faith for cash
Don’t present the lies as truth
And stop your incessant gibbering

The times have now completely changed
You’re going to vanish alongwith the rich,
The aristocrats and the powerful monarchs

A better age will dawn on us
When no one will be worried for food
And there won’t be wars for money

Mullah! It’s time you woke up and smelled the air
Because in this new world your obsolete teachings won’t work
There won’t be anymore killings in the name of religion

Humanity’s liberation is inevitable
Mullah! If there’s any doubt in your heart
Then you ought to be taught a lesson

Mir Gul Khan Naseer’s Literary Contributions for Balochi Language and Literature

When we discuss the world of literature and literary persons then we find famous names in the history of the world of literature. Just like England has Shakespeare, Russia has Alexander Pushkin and Tolstoy , Iran has Firdousi, Hafiz, Saadi and Khayyam, Azerbaijan has Nizami, Fuzuli, Georgia has Shota Rustaveli, Kazakistan has Aay Qunarbaev. Similarly, Takistan has Aini, Ukraine has TARAS Bulba, Uzbekistan has Alisher Nowai, Turkmensitan has Makhtumkuli Fraghi, India has Rabindernath Tagore.

Pakistan has Allama Iqbal, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Habib Jalib, Ahmed Faraz and so many others. If we discuss literary geniuses with Pakistan: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has Rehman Baba and Khushal Khan Khattak Sindh has Sachal Sarmast, Shah Latif Betahi, Punjab has Bule Shah, and likewise Balochistan has Mullah Fazul, Mullah Qasim, Jam Durak, Ram Ali Mari, Masth Tawakali and so many others who are very famous for their literary contributions. One of these figures is Mir Gul Khan Naseer, the renowned thinker and national poet.

Mir Gul Khan Naseer is not only a great poet of Balochistan but can also of the region. Bloch nation like others has produced some great and remarkable poets whose names easily stand alongside the name of world’s great poets. One of them is the great poet of the nation Mir Gul Khan Naseer.

He was a prominent, progressive poet, politician, historian and journalist of Balochistan. Gul Khan Naseer was born on 14 May 1914 in Killi Mengal Nushki. He received his early education from  Killi Mengal, Nushki and completed his secondary school from Government Sandeman High School Quetta.

The land of Nushki is very fertile and has produced so many great writers poets and journalists. Their contributions have been important in promotion of Balochi language and literature. Some prominent names can be quoted as:

Mir Gul Khan Naseer

Azat Jamaldini

Asil Khan Mengal

Gohar Malik

Abdullah Jan Jamaldini

Munir Ahmed Badini

And publication like Matak Balochi and Balochi Zind

Mir Gul Khan Naseer has remarkable contributions in the field of translation. In 1980 he translated Fais Ahmed Faiz’s Sar-i-wardi-Seena into Balochi under the title Seena-i-Keechag. In the year 1983 he translated poems of Shah Abdul Latif Bitai entitled as “Shah Latif Gusheet” He translated General Dyre’s The Raiders of Frontiers in 1979 titled “Balochistan kay Sarhadi Chapamar”.  In 1969 he rendered longworth Dans The Baloch Race into Balochi under the title “Kouch o Baloch”

Gul Bang

History of Balochistan

Daastan-e-Dostain o Sheereen

Shapgrok

Hamal-o-Jihand

Koch o Baloch

Garand

Balochistan Ke Kahani Shahru Ke Zubani

Balochi Razmia Shaeri

Balochi Eshqia Shaeri

Balochistan Ke Chapamar

Senahi Kechag

Mashad Na Jang Nama

Balochistan kadeem aur Jadeed Tarich ke Rushni May

Shah Latif Gosheeth

Tarikh Kwanen Kalat

Hume Gwank

Purang

Hapth Hakil

GulGal

Shanbalk

Mir Gul Khan was a middle class Baloch leader and legendary Baloch poet and writer. He was against the chieftains and Sardars of Balochistan. He attributed all Baloch sufferings to Sardars and their tribal system. He said in one of his most popular poems that sardars have blackened their faces by conspiring against Baloch Nation.

O my creator give me courage to awaken

The baloch from their deep slumber

The Sardars have darkened the faces of Baloch people

Let me put them one by one behind the gallows

Mir Gul Khan Naseer left a big literary heritage in shape of his poetry and written books. Now it is the responsibility of the young generation to avail from his literary works and promote his ideology by translating his books in other languages so that people from other parts of the world can also benefit from the philosophy and intellects of Mir Gul Khan Naseer.

People’s poet of Balochistan Mir Gul Khan Naseer was a man full of love for humanity and was an advocate of peace. He said all the sons of Balochistan are his own sons just like ……………………………..

Gul Khan Naseer the Politician

Mir Gul Khan’s political career was a long one: starting from Anjuman-i-Ithihaad-i-Balochistan and moving on to Anjuman-i-islami Kalat, Kalat State National Party, Muslim League, Usthman Gul, Pakistan National Party and National Awami Party.

In 1970 General Elections were held in Pakistan. Mir Gul Khan Naseer won the seat in the the provincial Assembly of Balochistan after defeating the billionar and king of Marbel Mir Nabi Bux Zehri with a big margin. Mir Gul Khan Naseer won the seat with 5463 votes defeating his opponent who could only secure1816 votes.

Gul Khan Naseer took oath as a provincial minister of Balochistan. He also visited Afghanistan as a minister of Balachistan government in 1972 and met the then Afghan Ruler Zahir Shah with his delegation.

In 1983 Gul Khan was diagnosed with lung cancer. He passed away on 5^th December 1983 in the Mid East Hospital Karachi. He was taken back to his village Killi Mengal, Nushki and laid to rest at his ancestral cemetery.