GHALIB KE KHUTOOT

“Ghalib Ke Khutoot” by Dr. Khaliq Anjum (Vol.!) Pages 481 price Rs.75/— publishers: Ghalib Institute, Aiwan-i-Ghalib Marg, New Delhi.

Dr. Khaliq Anjum has carved out for himself a place, duly recognised by the litterateurs of Indo-Pak Sub-continent, in the domain of Urdu literature in general and in Ghalibian literature in particular. His first book about Ghalib entitled “Ghalib Ki Nadir Tehreeren” published in 1961 fully indicated that the critical and research work started on Ghalib by the scholars of older generation, namely Qazi Abdul Wudood, Ghulam Rasul Mehr, Abdus Sattar Siddiqi, Mahesh Prashad, Imtiaz Ali Arshi and Malik Ram had not only come down to the younger generation as a sacred heritage but was also in equally safe hands. “Ghalib Ki Nadir Tehreeren” was Khaliq Anjum’s first contribution to Ghalibian literature, followed by his equally important book on Ghalib entitled”Ghalib Aur Shahan—i—Taimuria”.

“Mriza Rafi Sauda”, a research treatise on one of major poets of Urdu established Khaliq Anjum’s position as a literary critic and) an authentic research scholar. “Matni Tanqeed” was yet another feather in Dr.Khaliq Anjum’s cap as it was the first book in Urdu on Textual Criticism a comparatively new subject for Urdu writers and scholars.

Now Dr.Khaliq Anjum has presented to the Urdu world a voluminous book of nearly 500 pages entitled “Ghalib Ke Khutoot” (Vol.!). “Ghalib”, in the words of Malik Ram, “is a very lucky poet, as, although over a century and a quarter has passed after his death, unpublished writings by him are still being discovered”.

Ghalib’s two collections of letters, namely “Ud-i-Hindi” and “Urdu-i-Mualla” were edited during his life-time and appeared immediately after his death. But critical and scholarly edited work on Ghalib’s letters started only in the fourth decade of the present century, when the late Maulvi Mahesh Prashad, the then Professor and Head, Department of Urdu and Persian, Banaras Hindu University, Banaras, edited the first Volume of “Khutoot-i-Ghalib”. This was published in 1941 by the Anjuman-i-Taraqqi-i-Urdu (Hind), Aligarh, with a preface by Dr.Abdus Sattar Siddiqi. The second revised and enlarged edition of this book was edited by Malik Ram and,- this edition was also published by the Anjuman-i-Taraqqi-i-Urdu (Hind) with a preface by Professor Al-i-Ahmad Surror in 1962. “Makateeb-i-Ghalib” edited by Imtiaz Ali Arshi and “Khutoot-i-Ghalib” edited by Ghulam Rasool Mehr are two valuable compilations of Ghalib’s letters which deserve a particular mention in this context. However, this list cannot be called complete without referring to           Professor Masud Hasan Rizvi, Dr. Mukhtar ud Din Ahmad, and Dr.Gopi Chand Narang, through whose efforts a large number of Ghalib’s unpublished letters have been unearthed and published in the literary periodicals of India and Pakistan.

But Dr. Khaliq Anjum’s work is a ,w Bork with a difference, and the first of its kind in the sub-continent.” The learned scholar has compiled all the available letters of Ghalibi in four volumes and determined as far as possible the date of each of those letters on which Ghalib had not put any date. H. has made full efforts to see that the correct version of these letters is included in the book “Ghalib Ke Khutoot”. The text of the letters contained in all earlier compilations has thoroughly been checked up with Ghalib’s available letters in original. In addition to indicating the source of the text, Khaliq Anjum has also added his marginal notes to a number of letters thus enhancing the literary value of the letters. An index of all Urdu and Persian couplets used in the letters as also a complete index of all the individuals, places, Books and journals, mentioned in the letters form a valuable part of the book. Another important feature of the book under review is that it contains photographs of nearly two hundred letters of Ghalib, written in the great poet’s own hand. Brief life-sketches of the addressees and in some cases their photographs also form part of this research work. To say the least “Ghalib Ke Khutoot” edited by Khaliq Anjum is an encyclopaedia of Ghalib’s letters. The book has been published by the Ghalib Institute, New Delhi which is one of India’s national institutions, founded by the late Shri Fakhrud Din All Ahmad, President of India from 1971 to 1974. The Ghalib Institute deserves to be congratulated on this publication.

Prof. Jagan Nath Azad