Early life and education Ali Sardar Jafri was born in
Balrampur (in present-day
Uttar Pradesh), where he spent his formative years. His early influences were
Mir Anees and
Josh Malihabadi. In 1933, he was admitted to
Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) where he soon got exposed to Communist ideology and was expelled from the university in 1936 for 'political reasons'. However, he graduated in 1938 from
Zakir Husain College (
Delhi College),
Delhi University, but his subsequent postgraduate studies at
Lucknow University ended prematurely following his arrest during 1940–41 for writing anti-War poems, and for taking part in political activities organised by the
Indian National Congress as Secretary of the university's Students' Union. His first collection of poems
Parvaz (Flight) was published in 1944. In 1936, he presided over the first conference of the
Progressive Writers' Movement in
Lucknow. He also presided over their subsequent assemblies for the rest of his life. In 1939, he became co-editor of
Naya Adab, a literary journal devoted to the
Progressive Writers' Movement which continued to be published until 1949. He was involved in several social, political and literary movements. On 20 January 1949, he was arrested at
Bhiwandi, for organising a (then banned) Progressive Urdu writers' conference, despite warnings from
Morarji Desai, the Chief Minister of
Bombay State; three months later, he was rearrested. His important works as a lyricist include
Dharti Ke Lal (1946) and
Pardesi (1957) . Between 1948 and 1978 he published eight poetry collections, which include,
Nai Duniya Ko Salaam (Salute to the New World), (1948),
Khoon Ki Lakeer,
Amn Ka Sitara,
Asia Jaag Utha (Asia Awakes) (1951),
Patthar Ki Deewar (Stone Wall) (1953),
Ek Khwab Aur (One More Dream),
Pairahan-i-Sharar (The Robe of Sparks) (1965) and
Lahu Pukarta Hai (The Blood Calls) (1965). These were followed by
Awadh ki khak-i-haseen (Beautiful Land of Awadh),
Subhe Farda (Tomorrow Morning),
Mera Safar (My journey) and his last anthology entitled
Sarhad (Frontier), which the then Prime Minister of India
Atal Bihari Vajpayee carried with him on his bus journey to
Lahore in 1999. The prime minister had invited Jafri to accompany him on this trip but ill health prevented him from doing so.
Sarhad is also an audio album dedicated to Indo-Pakistan amity produced by Squadron Leader Anil Sehgal and composed and sung by "Bulbul-e-Kashmir" Seema Anil Sehgal.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee made history when he presented
Sarhad, as a national gift, to the then prime minister of Pakistan
Nawaz Sharif, during the historic
Lahore Summit, 20–21 February 1999. It was also a milestone in Jafri's life. In the course of his literary career spanning five decades, Jafri also edited anthologies of
Kabir,
Mir,
Ghalib and
Meera Bai with his own introductions. He also wrote two plays for the
Indian People's Theatre Association, produced a documentary film
Kabir, Iqbal and Freedom and two television serials: the runaway success, the 18-part
Kahkashan, based on the lives and works of six Urdu poets of the 20th century he had known personally viz.
Firaq Gorakhpuri,
Josh Malihabadi,
Majaz,
Hasrat Mohani,
Makhdoom Mohiuddin and
Jigar Moradabadi; and
Mehfil-e-yaaran in which he interviewed people from different walks of life. Both serials had tremendous mass appeal. In addition, he published his autobiography. He was also the editor and publisher of
Guftagu, one of the leading Urdu literary magazines of the
Indian sub-continent. Jafri died on 1 August 2000 in
Mumbai, the capital of
Maharashtra. To mark his first death anniversary, the book
Ali Sardar Jafri: The Youthful Boatman of Joy, edited by Squadron Leader Anil Sehgal, a close associate, was published in 2001. ==Excerpts from poems==