The Fragrance of Homeland

Dr. Yaseen Iqbal Yousafzay

Publishing Date: Tuesday, November 22 2005

Authored by: Shah Nawaz Khan
Pages: 353
Price: Rs.180
Available at: Pashto Academy Bookshop
& University Book Agency, Peshawar

Poets come from the sensitive class of the society. They enjoy the joys of their society to their best and simultaneously mourn the sorrows of their society from their heart of heart. Unfortunately, our society or more specifically our age has happened to be full of so many desperations and miseries that our poets could only cry and had nothing to celebrate or enjoy. The present generation of Pukhtuns living on either sides of the Durand line inherited so many problems from their fathers and forefathers that every sensitive Pukhtun feels as if he is born in an age of dilemmas. Pukhtuns were not only continuously misguided and deceived by the lords of their days but were thrown into the middle of the wars of worlds in such a manner that they were left with the convoys of death and sorrows only. Consequently, for the last several decades, the poetry of our age could bring nothing more than depression for the mature lot and glimpses of artificial joys for the insane youngsters.

The book under review is a typical example of our modern day poetry. The poet has left his homeland decades ago in search of a prosperous living but could not forget its fragrance and that has made him to colour his sad memories and experiences into this huge volume of poetry. Throughout the 353 pages voluminous book, the theme has been kept dominant over the art and the reader should not expect soft, fluent and sweet lyrics to whistle with or dance with but will certainly learn about the adventurous past and bleak present of his fellow Pukhtuns.

In his preface to the book, the living legend of Pushto literature, Ajmal Khattak has appreciated the author's love for his nation and homeland and has encouraged him to move forward in the direction he has chosen. The style of Mr. Shah Nawaz Khan's is mature and describes the political uncertainty and scarcity of leadership in his own way:

(A leaderless squad cannot arrive at its destination, why were we left in such a desperate situation?
I have lost the sense of good and bad, why are we so aimless?)

The most dominant colour visible in the book is that of Pukhtun nationalism. Nationalism has been given different famous and infamous names by various civilizations. Sometimes, it has been associated with racism while at others it has been given the infamous name of Nazism. Keeping in view our immediate socio-political and economical environment, our poets are neither racists nor Nazis but have represented the victims scavenged in the traps of opportunist politicians, Mullahs, war-lords and invaders from time to time. Our poets have always emerged as the only guiding light and symbol of hope when none could dare to raise their voice against the wide spread injustices. Mr Shah Nawaz Khan is one of such selfless pioneers and has raised his voice as loudly as he could for his helpless nation. The typing mistakes have affected the fluency to a greater extent.

(I left the village of Aadam Khan and Durkhaanai and opted to live near Majnoon's village
I always preferred to play in other's hands and banged my knee to attack my brother.)

I hope Da Khaawrey Khoshboo (the fragrance of homeland) will be read and understood to its best.

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