Arshi Sultan awarded Ph.D. in Urdu on Mohsin Bhopali

Bhopal, January 23 (Pervez Bari): Barkataullah University of Bhopal has awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to Arshi Sultan on her dissertation on the topic entitled “Mohsin Bhopali Ek Mutala’ah”.

She completed her research work under the able guidance of Professor (Dr.) Ateeq-un-Nisa, Head of the Urdu Department in local Sarojni Naidu Girls (Autonomous) College.

Mohsin Bhopali (1932-2007) was a famous poet of Urdu literature and he belongs to Bhopal. He completed his early education in Bhopal and then migrated to Pakistan.

Dr. Arshi Sultan has paid homage to this great poet by her research work and threw light on the various aspects of his poetry. She completed her work from Madhav Rao Sanghralay and Research Centre, Bhopal.

Mohsin Bhopali made his mark in poetry with ghazals, but gradually won acclaim especially in “Qataa” (4-line or 2 couplet poetry) and other forms including poems, nazmana (his invention which is an afsana short story in two parts, or short poem) and also worked to introduce Japanese Haiku style poems to Urdu Poetry. Perhaps the best known of his ghazals is “Chahat Mein kya Duniyadari, Ishq Mein Kaisi Majboori”.

It was his consummate skill in Haiko that established him as a master. He had the distinction of being Pakistan’s first Urdu poet to write Haiko.

He set another trend in Urdu poetry with Nazmaney – a form improvised by him. Haiko was first brought to Pakistan by the late Tanvir Abbasi, one of the most powerful Sindhi poets of modern times. He translated Abbasi’s Sindhi Haikos into Urdu in 1963 and later started composing verses in Haiko.

He tried almost all forms of poetry. He also wrote Hairaton ki Sarzamin, a travelogue about a tour of the United States. A collection of interviews, “Qaumi Yekjehti Mein Adab Ka Kirdar” is available in book form.

Mohsin Bhopali was vocal in opposing the 1992 military operation in Karachi, devoting a book of verses, Shahr-i-Ashob, to the subject. He also translated Sindhi poetry into Urdu. Critics hailed his efforts to bridge the Urdu-Sindhi gulf. Poet Khalid Alig once praised him as a committed person who never deviated from the path he had chosen for himself in youth.

Born in Bhopal, Mohsin Bhopali started composing verses in 1948 and became a disciple of Seemab Akbarabadi and Saba Mathravi. He later migrated to Pakistan. Bhopali made his mark in poetry with ghazals, but gradually won acclaim in other forms with his versatility. His associates included Qabil Ajmeri, Alamtab Tashna, Raees Amrohvi, Athar Nafees, Suroor Bara Bankvi, Qateel Shifai, Manzar Bhopali, Sahar Ansari, Jameeluddin Aali, Peerzadah Qasim and especially his childhood and Alexandra High School, Bhopal friend Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan (Pakistani nuclear physicist).