Ali Sardar Jafri (b Balrampur, UP 1913 –d 2000 Mumbai), a highly acclaimed progressive poet, was one of the founders of Progressive Writers’ Association and remained active in it throughout his life. He joined Aligarh Muslim University in 1933 but was expelled in 1935 because of his communist leanings. His post-graduate studies at Lucknow University were interrupted since he was arrested (1940-41) for writing anti-war poems and because of his participation in the independence movement as the secretary of the University Students’ Union. He was again arrested in 1949 in Bhiwandi for organizing a conference (then banned) of Progressive Urdu Writers. His literary career started with the publication of “manzil” (short stories) in 1938 and collection of poems “parvaaz” in 1944. He was a prolific writer, a critic and also wrote for the Indian cinema. Some of his poem collections include “nai duniya ko salaam” (1947), “asia jaag uTha” (1966) and “lahu pukaarta hai” (1978). His anthology “sarhad” was a National gift by the Indian Prime minister Atal Bihari Bajpai to his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif. He was married to “sultana” and his beautiful nazm “mera safar” has a touching reference to his wife. He wrote a few plays and produced a documentary film Kabir, Iqbal and Freedom and popular TV serial “kahkashaaN” depicting the lives and work of noted Urdu poets. A close friend Squadron leader Anil Sehgal published a book “ Ali Sardar Jafri: A Youthful Boatman of Joy” in 2001 to mark the 1st anniversary of his death.
