Jagannath Azad (1918–2004) (Urdu: جگن ناتھ آزاد) was a prominent Urdu-speaking Hindu academic who is said to the poet wrote the first national anthem of Pakistan but many scholars of Pakistan Studies denies.
He was born on December 5, 1918 in the town of Isa Khel in Undivided Punjab, which now lies in Pakistan. In 1937, he obtained a BA from Gordon College in Rawalpindi and in 1944 went on to study for an MA in Persian from the University of the Punjab in Lahore. Azad then started a journalistic career, working for the Urdu monthly Adabi Dunya, published in Lahore. By 1946, Azad was assistant editor of the Urdu daily, Jai Hind.
After Partition in 1947, he was asked by Muhammad Ali Jinnah to write a new national anthem for Pakistan. Azad wrote the anthem in a few days and it was quickly approved by Jinnah. The anthem continued to be used for eighteen months until, after Jinnah's death, the government of Pakistan decided it needed a new anthem. It is said widely and many people believe in this but many scholars of Pakistan Studies do not accept this. Rather they say there is no clue and proves of the said theory.
Long before Hafeez Jullundhri’s lyrics were adopted as the national anthem in 1950s, Pakistan had an anthem written by Jagannath Azad, son of Lahore-based poet Tilok Chand Mahroom. Azad was commissioned by Jinnah to write the anthem three days before the creation of Pakistan in 1947.
Azad’s lyrics — “Ae sarzameene paak/Zarray teray haen aaj sitaaron se taabnaak/ Roshan hai kehkashaan se kaheen aaj teri khaak/Ae sarzameene paak” (Oh land of Pakistan, the stars themselves illuminate each particle of yours/rainbows brighten your very dust) — were replaced six months after Jinnah’s death in September 1948. The National Anthem Committee chose Hafeez Jullundhri’s poem from among 723 submissions. (For details about First Pakistani national Anthem Click Here.)
Jagannath Azad was universally accepted as an Authority on the works of Dr Allama Mohammad Iqbal. The Government of Pakistan awarded The President of Pakistan's Gold Medal to Prof. Azad for his services to Urdu Literature. Azad was a passionate advocate of close friendship and bonding between the people of India and Pakistan. (Some Scholars of Pakistan Studies does not accept this also. Click here for details)
Jagannath Azad died of cancer at a hospital on July 24, 2004 in Delhi, India. He was 86 and survived by wife and five children. During his illustrious career, Azad had served as Director Press Information Bureau (PIB), Headquartered in Srinagar. After retirement Azad was appointed Head of the department of Urdu at Jammu University and awarded Fellow Emerituship for Life. He was also President of Anjuman Taraqqui Urdu Hind, a national body for the promotion of Urdu under the Human Resource Development Ministry.
No comments:
Post a Comment