LAHORE – Baba Najmi on Thursday received lifetime membership of the prestigious Lahore Press Club (LPC), becoming the first Punjabi poet to get the honour.
Najmi, 70, a literary icon in Pakistan’s biggest province, has five compilations of Pujabi poetry under his belt, namely Sochan Wich Jahaan, Mara Naam Insan, Aakhran Wich Samunder, Sarka Rama and Sanjay Punjab da Lok Gawi. One of his poems – Chlaan Pankhi Tay Chali Thandi Hawa – was immortalised by legendary Abida Parveen.
“I am very thankful to the journalist community for this honour,” the poet said after the Club announced his membership.
The poet’s revolutionary work is not only acknowledged in Pakistan but also highly recognised across the boarder. Last December, a literary society in India erected his statue at the Mahadaish Bhagat Singh Park, in Moga.
Besides Lifetime Achievements Award from The Masud Khaddarposh Trust & Punjab Institute of Languages and Culture (Pilac) Punjab, Baba Njami has also Bulleh Shah Award 2008 from India under his belt.
Highlighting the revolutionary element in Baba Najmi’s poetry, Punjabi Parchar president Ahmad Raza told Daily Pakistan that he met the poet some 17 years ago when he was reciting his powerful Punjabi verses. “No poet of our times has written so openly against injustices as Baba Najmi,” he said.
Punjabi is a language of more than 10.7 million people in Pakistan, said Raza while lauding Shahbaz Mian (LPC president) and Abdul Majeed Sajid (general secretary) for honouring Baba Najmi.
Shahzad Ammar, a Microsoft engineer based in Denmark, was also very happy for Najmi – who he regards as his mentor -and extended his praise to the Club administration and the member journalists. Ammar said it was Najmi whose words helped him know more of his mother tongue. “It is all due to Baba Najmi that I found courage to write in Punjabi,” he added and recalled him as a ‘poet of labourers’.
“Baba Najmi is the voice of all Punjabis, anywhere in the world.”
