Three Tragic Voices of Urdu Poetry: Shakeb Jalali, Mustafa Zaidi, and Sara Shagufta Introduction Urdu literature has produced some of the most sensitive and powerful poetic voices in South Asia. Among these, three poets stand out not only for their remarkable work but also for the tragic way their lives ended. Shakeb Jalali, Mustafa Zaidi, and Sara Shagufta each brought a unique style and perspective to Urdu poetry, but all three died by suicide, leaving behind a legacy of unfulfilled potential and haunting verse. Shakeb Jalali (1934–1966) Shakeb Jalali, born Syed Hassan Rizvi, was a deeply introspective poet whose work explored themes of alienation, pain, and the search for identity. Despite his limited output, his ghazals and nazms resonated with an intensity rarely seen in Urdu poetry. On 12 November 1966, at the age of 32, Jalali committed suicide by throwing himself in front of a train near Sargodha. His poetry, full of raw emotion, has since become symbolic of the stru...
After October 8, 2005 I was teaching a 7th-grade class at the time. I was writing something on the board with a piece of chalk. It must have been around 10:30 or 11:00 when Sarwar Masi Shahid called out to me urgently, "Come out, come out quickly." At first, I didn't understand, but then I led the entire class outside to the ground. The internet wasn't as common back then. The school was soon closed, and after a short while, the staff was also sent home. When I got home and watched the TV, I saw the devastation in Kashmir and the surrounding areas. My heart was deeply troubled, and I was overcome with sorrow. In the evening, I wrote this poem. Watch my youtube Channel English Translation: After October 8, 2005, It was as if the entire region was in mourning, Nature had unleashed its fury, And the land trembled beneath us. Homes turned to rubble, Lives were lost in the blink of an eye, The cries of the wounded echoed in the valleys, And the mountains bore witne...