Library, school keep Khwaja Altaf Hussain Hali’s legacy alive

“Mit gaye tere mitane ke nishan bhi ab to, ai falak is se ziyada na mitana hargiz” —these lines of a ghazal written by Panipat’s famous Urdu poet, critic and commentator Khwaja Altaf Hussain Hali exactly fit here as “Hali’s Haveli” (Hali’s house) has now turned into a park where children play. The legacy of Hali is being maintained through a library on the premises of Bu-Ali-Qalandar Shah Dargah here by the Haryana Waqf Board and a school, which is being run by a social organisation.

Altaf Hussain Hali was born on November 11, 1837, in Panipat. He got his primary education here. Hali got married at the age of 17, but he left Panipat and moved to Delhi where he learnt Arabic and Persian and received patronage from two major poets, Ghalib and Shefta. After Shefta’s death he moved to Lahore and joined the Punjab Government Book Depot where he got the opportunity to read Western literature. Hali also visited Aligarh and Hisar. He took last breath on December 31, 1914, at his ancestral house in Panipat.

Advocate Ram Mohan Rai, general secretary, Hali Panipat Trust, told The Tribune that Hali was in Delhi during the first freedom revolt in 1857. The British massacred Indian youths to suppress the revolt. Hali was disheartened and returned to Panipat.

Hali was not his surname or his name. He opted the title “Hali” as he was used to writing ghazals and nazms on current topics and situations, said Rai.

Patriotism, widows’ pain, condition of women without education, their education and empowerment, national integrity and humanity were the important issues raised in Hali’s heart touching ghazals and nazms, Rai said.

His famous nazm “Hubb-e-Watan” was dedicated to patriotism in which he wrote “Teri ik musht-e-khak ke badle, loon na hargij agar bahisht mile.”

Hali advocated and respected women fraternity and shared a message of their empowerment through his nazm “Ae mao, behno, betiyon duniya ki zeenat tumse hai, mulkon ki basti ho tumhi aur komon ki ijjat tumse hai.”

Hali established a school for girl’s education. It was the first girls’ school in joint Punjab. Unfortunately, no one sent his/her daughters to his school. Later, Hali started teaching his own daughter and daughter-in-law in his school, Rai said.

Disheartened by the Hindu-Muslim division orchestrated by the British, Hali emphasised on national integrity through his nazm “Gar tum chahte of mulk ki khair, na kisi hamwatan ko samjho gair”. Hali also emphasised on humanity by saying, “Farishton se behtar hai insaan banana, magar isme padti hai mehanat ziyada.”

Rai further said to maintain the legacy of Khwaja Altaf Hussain Hali, Hali Panipat Trust was established in 2008. Sayeeda Hamid, great granddaughter of Hali was the chairperson of the trust, while Dr Arun Bhatnagar was its co-chairperson.

To make young generation aware of Hali’s legacy, a Hali Park and lake was constructed in the old industrial area in 1976 in Panipat. A library in the name of Hali is being maintained at Bu-Ali Shah Qalandar Dargah by the Haryana Waqf Board, Rai said.

Apart from it, three international level fairs were organised at Hali Park in which people from Iran, Pakistan and other countries participated. First fair was organised in 2008 in which the then Governor AR Kidwai and Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda participated. The second fair was organised in 2010 in which Vice President of India Hamid Ansari participated. In 2013 fair, the then President of India Pratibha Patil participated as the chief guest, said Rai.

In the memory of Hali, a school with only eight children of migrant labourers, began in 2008. At present, the school has 350 students on it rolls, Rai said.

Pained at the government’s attitude, Rai said Hali was the legendary poet, critic and commentator of Panipat, but the government didn’t care to protect his ancestral house where he lived and took his last breath. His old haveli was turned into a park for children, Rai said.

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Haryana Tribune