(This article was first published on 15 December 2021. It has been reposted from The Quint's archives to mark the birth anniversary of acclaimed poet and lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi.)
The second partition of the Indian subcontinent 50 years ago today resulted in the break-up of the then-largest Muslim country in the world, Pakistan, and the independence of a new country on its map, Bangladesh. Needless to say, the event triggered political, economic, social and cultural tensions, which are alive even today.
Like the partition of British India, the partition of Pakistan and the liberation of Bangladesh profoundly affected poets and writers in the subcontinent’s two largest countries. Among this crowd, Sahir Ludhianvi (1921-1980) and Jaun Elia (1931-2002) are of special interest because this year marks the centennial of the birth of Sahir, while 14 December marked Jaun’s 90th birthday. Both also wrote poems that are little-known and, surprisingly, have received lesser attention than other aspects of their works and colourful, unconventional lives. But more on that later.