By Justice Markandey Katju
Mir Anees is universally acknowledged as the best writer of the marsiya (mourning) form of Urdu poetry.
In particular are his poems about the tragedy at Karbala, a specimen of which is given below:
Farzand-e-payambar ka madine se safar hai / Saadat ki basti ke ujadne ki khabar hai
I am very fond of Urdu poetry, and so I was deeply distressed to see a pic, sent to me by my friend Ali Sajid Husain, of the mazaar of Mir Anees in Lucknow, totally desolate, uncared for and surrounded by wild foliage and tall constructions.
On seeing this pic, I posted the following on my fb page:
“The desolate mazaar of the great Urdu poet Mir Anis in Lucknow, surrounded by wild vegetation and concrete jungle.
“Anis is renowned for his marsiyas (poetry of mourning e.g. about the tragedy at Karbala).
“I appeal to the heritage conscious people, especially those living in Lucknow, to preserve this mazaar.”
The effect of my fb post was simply electric and marvellous. A large number of young people belonging to an organisation of Lucknow called ‘Mehdians Organization’ read it, and it galvanised them into action.
I requested my friend Mehalqa Mukhtar (also called Saibi Naqvi), advocate, Lucknow, to do something in the matter, and be my representative.
Following this, on September 9, she visited Meer Anees’s mausoleum from her residence in Aliganj, Lucknow, and met the members of the Mehdians team and conducted a detailed assessment of the site.
She has now sent me the following WhatsApp message:
“Inspired by Justice Markandey Katju’s appeal, Mehdians Team cleans Meer Anees’s mausoleum and sets an example
The mausoleum of the great Urdu poet Meer Anees in Lucknow had been in a poor and neglected condition for a long time. It was surrounded by overgrown wild plants and an unorganised environment. On August 25, former Judge of the Supreme Court, and great lover of Urdu poetry, Justice Markandey Katju expressed grave concern over the condition of Meer Anees’s mausoleum through a facebook post, and appealed for its preservation.
Many people saw, liked and shared the post, but some people were not content with that, but went further. They took it as a responsibility and a call to action. These people were the members of a social organisation ‘Mehdians Organization.’
Members of the organisation, including Qaim Rizvi, Kumail Abbas, Abid Zaidi, Mohammad Ali, Asad Rizvi, Ali Rizvi, Mirza Muzakkir, Ali Haider, Kashif Sarwar, Zuhair Abbas and other members, personally took cleaning tools and reached the mausoleum of Meer Anees, where they started a cleaning drive.
The organisation has around 50 members, including approximately 30 women and 20 men. The team worked throughout the day and carried out extensive cleaning of the mausoleum premises. After the cleaning, the place was brought into a condition where tributes, majlis, literary programmes and other events can now be organised.
During the cleaning drive, the Mehdians team also conducted a detailed assessment of the condition of the mausoleum, and prepared a report for its preservation and future development.
The team believes that simply cleaning the premises is not enough. The legacy of Meer Anees needs to be preserved and developed in a sustainable manner.
The team’s report mainly includes the following suggestions:
- A grand ‘Meer Anees Gate’ should be constructed at the entrance of the lane leading to Meer Anees’s mausoleum.
- Directional signboards should be installed on the main road and in nearby areas so that visitors can easily find their way to the mausoleum.
- Encroachments on the mausoleum’s land should be removed and the boundary wall should be completed.
- The area currently covered with wild vegetation should be developed into a beautiful garden where Majlis, Marsiya and Urdu literary programmes can be organised.
- The available rooms within the mausoleum premises should be properly organised and an initiative such as a ‘Meer Anees Urdu Institute’ should be started there. Classes for children and girls should be introduced for learning the Urdu language, Urdu computer typing and Urdu literature.
Mehdians Organization believes that this is not merely a matter of cleaning a mausoleum. It is an effort to preserve the shared literary and cultural heritage of Lucknow and India.
Meer Anees is internationally renowned for his Marsiyas and holds a very important place in the Urdu literature.
After seeing videos of the cleaning work carried out by the Mehdians team online, Justice Markandey Katju spoke to them and with Saibi Naqvi on WhatsApp, and lauded their initiative.
During the visit, the complete report prepared by Mehdians was handed over to Advocate Saibi Naqvi (Mehalka Mukhtar) so that it could be conveyed to Justice Katju.
After this, Justice Katju spoke directly with the members of the Mehdians team through a video call. He lauded and appreciated the work carried out by the team and encouraged the members.
He listened carefully to the members’ views and their report and assured them that the report would be presented by him to Mr. Ali Zaidi, Chairman of the Shia Waqf Board, to whom he would speak personally, urging him to release some funds for the upkeep of the mazaar, and also do what was needful.
We Read One Post and Turned It into Action
Members of Mehdians Organization say that Justice Katju’s post made them think that if we only feel sad after seeing the poor condition of a historical heritage site, no real change can take place. Therefore, the team did not simply read the post. They considered it their responsibility and took action.
The organisation appeals to the government, the Waqf Board, lovers of literature, social organisations and the citizens of Lucknow to come together and work towards developing Meer Anees’s mausoleum not merely as a tomb, but as an important heritage site representing the Urdu language, Marsiya tradition and the shared Ganga-Jamuni cultural heritage of India.
The resolve of Mehdians Organization is:
“Heritage is not only meant to be remembered; it is meant to be preserved and passed on safely to future generations.”
