Lalit Gupta
Dr Mushtaq Ahmed Wani’s latest book in Urdu ‘Feminism in Urdu Literature’, being first of its kind comprehensive account about feminist writing in Urdu literature by a writer from Jammu and Kashmir, is undoubtedly a significant scholarly work.
Dr Mushtaq Ahmed Wani, who hails from village Behota, Marmat, Doda, and having 25 years experience as teacher in School Education Department, is well known writer of short stories, scholar and critic. His Ph.D. thesis later published as a book was titled ‘Takseem Ke Baad Urdu Novel Mein Tehzeebi Bohran’. His other publications in Urdu include two anthologies of short stories; ‘Hazaron Gum’ and ‘Meetha Zehar’ and two works on Research and criticism; ‘Aina Dar Aina’ and “Etibar-o-Mayar’.
The present book-an abridged version of the mammoth thesis submitted by the author to Rohil Khand University, U.P., for the successful award of Doctor of Literature (D. Lit) degree-is an encyclopedic work which while tracing the socio-cultural status of women in major ancient civilizations also takes into account the 19th and 20th century women rights movements in America and Europe that led to the unprecedented freedom of expression and action enjoyed by the fairer sex in the modern times.
Today, the Feminist consciousness emerging as a spirit of the age has emerged as a global trend. It has now become a movement or school-of-thought popular among the writers of modern sensibility. The whole movement of feminism, feminist theory and criticism has been the rediscovery of a hidden tradition of women’s writing and the rediscovery and republication of a number of novels and other works by women.
Like other parts of the world, educated women in the sub-continent are also fully aware of their rights and the problems faced by them. Urdu literature is becoming richer by women’s writings and enjoys a certain amount of freedom of expression in this segregated society. The history of women’s writing in Urdu literature is not a recent phenomenon. But unfortunately, the male politics as present in Urdu circles kept this view suppressed for a long time and only recently there is an effort to highlight the writings of feminist writers.
Feminist writing in fiction writing can be traced in modern Urdu fiction and Ismat Chughtai is the first feminist fiction writer in Urdu. Other important fiction writers include Quratulain Haider, Khalida Husain, Fatima Hassan, Gillani Bano, Bano Qudsia, Zahida Hina, Mumtaz Shireen, Jameela Hashmi and Azra Abbas and many more. They have enriched Urdu literature with their writings. The name of Quratulain Haider is not comparable with other writers. She is one of the greatest novelists in Urdu and her novel ‘Aag Ka Dariya’ is a masterpiece of fiction writing. She has written her novel in the technique of stream of consciousness, such as Virginia Wolfe and James Joyce. She has also written short stories such as ‘Sita Haran’, ‘Jila Watan’ and an autobiographical novel, ‘Gardish-i-Rang-i-Chaman’, a cultural historical document about changes in history and culture. Dr Mushtaq Ahmed Wani’s book is divided into seven major chapters. The first chapter traces the rise of feminist socio-cultural movements in America, Great Britain and Germany along with situation of women in Indian society. The second chapter deals with feminism and world literature as well as traces development of women writing in Urdu in India by enumerating names and their works.
The third chapter is about a brief survey of feminist tendencies in pre-Independence Urdu women poets. While the fourth chapter highlights feminism in poetry of post-Independence female poets with special reference to poems and gazals starting from Ada Jafri to Frida Rehmat Allaha. The fifth chapter deals with feminism in Urdu novels of Deputy Nazir Ahmed, Rattan Nath Sharshar, Mirza Mohammad Haji Ruswa, Rashada Al Khiri, Prem Chand, Krishan Chander, Rajinder Singh Bedi, Nazar Sajjad Haider, Razia Sajjad Zaheer, Ismat Chugtai, Jamila Hashmi, Bano Qadisa, Razia Fiaz Ahmed, Jeelani Bano, Wajida Tabussum, Farida Rehmat Allah and others.
The sixth chapter takes into account the feminist elements in Urdu short stories starting with Nazar Sajjad Haider and followed by Mumtaz Shireen, Rasheed Jahan, Ismat Chugtai, Quratulain Haider, Ameena Abu-al-Hasan, Bashri Rehman, Zakia Mashehadi, Wajida Tabussam, Asha Prabhat, Qamar Jahan, Nigar Azim, Tarunam Riyaz, Qamar Jamali, Shakeela Rafiq, Sultana Mehar, Nagma Zia-ul-Din, Zahida Hina, Nazma Usmani, Kehkashan Parveen , Kehkashan Anjum, Farida Rehmat Ullah, Renu Behl, Sayeeda Nighat Farooq and others. The seventh chapter contains conclusion followed by bibliography.
Dr Mushtaq Ahmed Wani’s present book by presenting a broad survey of Feminism in Urdu Literature has thus emerged as important scholarly resource for scholars as well as lovers of Urdu. Other than providing an overview of feminism in Urdu literature, the book would be especially beneficial to the large number of students of Urdu literature in Universities, colleges and schools of the State as a ready reference for the study of general history and development of literature in Urdu as well.
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