"Na Hindu dushman, na Sikh, na Isaayi, mera dushman zaalim hai oh chahe mera bhai..." (Neither Hindu, nor Sikh or Christians are my enemies. My arch foes are those who are ruthless and cruel to me). The powerful delivery of this dictum in chaste Punjabi expresses well Dr. Khalid Javaid Jan's intense feelings for the people of both India and Pakistan, which, he strongly contend, were meticulously designed by almighty god, while a divide was created by those nurturing hidden agendas.
At an event organised under the aegis of Yuvsatta, an NGO and "peace club" of D.A.V. Sr. Secondary School (Lahore), Chandigarh, Jan, a certified doctor, released his latest book Ishaq Salamat. He expressed his abiding love for the country and his special fascination for the city of Chandigarh, stating: "There is one Lahore in Pakistan where I was born and brought up and the other is here – D.A.V. School (Lahore) – which gives a feeling of déjà vu. It feels as if I have been born again."
Jan, known for his revolutionary verses, has penned more than 20 books, out of which six are dedicated to poetic compositions dealing with the issues of day-to-day life, peace, human rights and social evils. Ishaq Salamat is a collection of 65 poems on Sufism and Indo-Pak relations. It is Jan's second book in Punjabi (Gurmukhi).
"Khalid had been an avowed political ranger since his college days, which gradually emerged as the voice of the masses through his inspiring writings in support of democratic system of governance", said Prof. Gurpal Singh Sandhu of Panjab University. He added: "The recitation of his revolutionary poetic composition 'Mein Baghi Hoon' (I am a Rebel) by Benazir Bhutto at a gathering virtually changed the course of her political destiny in Pakistan."
Taking about his incurable fondness for writing, Khalid told Guardian20: "Pursuing a career in medicine had never been a cherished dream, but the lure of high-sounding degrees and designations led me to me study medicine and earn a degree. Writing had been a passion that I always wanted to pursue, heart and soul." Khalid's ideas, reflected in his poetry, try and move the conversation beyond the confines of country, cast and religion. He has been able to maintain his endearing image of being the people's poet, despite the pressures of recurring tensions on the border.
When asked about writing poetry on the Indo-Pak relations, Khalid says: "Petty political polemics are to be blamed for the widespread tyranny, suppression, violation of human rights and the mayhem happening across both sides of the fence. A microscopic minority has ruined relationships between both the countries. Those who underwent the pangs of partition and faced the trauma of displacement for years – what better medium than poetry to express those suppressed feelings?"
http://www.sunday-guardian.com/bookbeat/khalid-javaid-jan-literature-knows-no-boundaries
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