Sajjad Zaheer facts for kids

Syed Sajjad Zaheer (Urdu: سید سجاد ظہیر) was an important Indian writer and thinker. He was born on November 5, 1905, and passed away on September 13, 1973. He wrote in Urdu and was a strong believer in Marxism, a way of thinking about society and economics. He was also a revolutionary, meaning he wanted big changes in society.

Sajjad Zaheer worked in both India and Pakistan. Before India became independent, he was part of the Communist Party of India. He also helped lead the Progressive Writers' Movement, a group of writers who wanted to use their stories and poems to bring about social change. After India and Pakistan became separate countries, he moved to Pakistan. There, he helped start the Communist Party of Pakistan.

Early Life and Education

Sajjad Zaheer was born in Lucknow, India, in 1905. He was the fourth son of Syed Wazir Hasan, who was a judge. Sajjad Zaheer earned his first college degree from the University of Lucknow in 1924.

Studying in England

After his studies in India, he went to New College, Oxford in England. While there, he became interested in communist ideas. He met important leaders like Shapurji Saklatvala. He also started a newspaper called Bharat in 1930. In 1931, he graduated from Oxford University. After finishing his studies, he traveled through several European countries before returning to India in 1932.

The Book Angarey

In December 1932, Sajjad Zaheer and some friends published their first book, Angarey. This book caused a lot of strong reactions. Many people, including religious and government leaders, were very upset by it. Because of this, the government in British India banned the book. After the controversy, his father sent him back to London in 1933 to study law.

Political and Literary Work

Sajjad Zaheer was very active in both politics and literature. He believed that writing could help change society for the better.

Starting the Progressive Writers' Movement

In 1935, Sajjad Zaheer went to a big meeting in Paris. This meeting was about defending culture. Inspired by what he learned there, he helped create the Indian Progressive Writers' Association in London. The first meeting of this group was held in April 1936.

When he returned to India, he organized the first conference of the Progressive Writers’ Association in Lucknow. He became the general secretary of this important group. He also started the first Marxist magazine in Urdu, called Chingari, with Sohan Singh Josh.

Working with Political Parties

Sajjad Zaheer became a leader in the Communist Party of India (CPI) in Uttar Pradesh. He also joined the working committee of the Indian National Congress. In 1939, he was put in charge of the CPI branch in Delhi. During the Second World War, he was jailed for two years because he was against India joining the war.

After he was released in 1942, he became the editor of two CPI newspapers: Qaumi Jung (People's War) and Naya Zamana (New Age). He also helped organize the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA) and the All India Kisan Sabha, which worked for farmers' rights.

Life After Partition

After India and Pakistan became separate countries, Sajjad Zaheer moved to Pakistan. There, he helped start the Communist Party of Pakistan. He was appointed as the Secretary General of the party.

Later, he returned to India. He continued to be involved in cultural activities with the Communist Party of India. He helped restart the All India Progressive Writers’ Association. He also became the secretary of the Indian branch of the Afro-Asian Writers' Association. He worked as an editor for magazines like Awami Daur (People's Era) and the daily Hayat.

Sajjad Zaheer passed away in 1973 while attending a literary conference in Alma Ata, Kazakhstan.

Literary Achievements

Sajjad Zaheer began his writing career with the short story collection Angarey in 1932. This book included stories by him and other writers. The British government banned it in 1933. This ban helped lead to the creation of the Progressive Writers' Movement.

In 1935, he wrote a novel called London ki Ek Raat. This book was based on his experiences living in London. While he was in prison, he wrote letters to his wife. These letters were published in 1944 as Nuqush-e-Zindan.

He also wrote Roshnai (1956), which was a history and memoir of the early days of the progressive movement. Another book, Zikr-e-Hafiz (1956), looked closely at the works of the famous Persian poet Hafiz. In 1964, he published a collection of poems called Pighla Neelam.

Editor and Translator

Sajjad Zaheer was also an editor for many newspapers and magazines. These included Bharat, Chingari, Qaumi Jung, Naya Zamana, Awami Daur, and Hayat.

He was also a talented translator. He translated many famous works into Urdu. These included Tagore's novel Gora, Voltaire's Candide, and Shakespeare's play Othello. He also translated The Prophet by Khalil Gibran.

Family Life

Sajjad Zaheer was married to Razia Sajjad Zaheer. They had four daughters together. One of their daughters, Naseem Bhatia, earned a PhD in history from a university in Russia.

Published Works

Here are some of the books Sajjad Zaheer wrote or translated:

• Angarey (1932)
• Beemaar
• London Ki Ek Raat (1942)
• Urdu, Hindi, Hindustani (1947)
• Letters: Naquoosh-e-Zindaan (1951)
• Zikr-e-Hafiz (1956)
• Roshnai (1956)
• Pighla Nilam (1964)
• Meri Suno (1967)
• Mazzamein-e-Sajjad Zaheer (published after his death in 1979)
• A translation of Shakespeare's Othello
• A translation of Candide
• A translation of Gora (novel by Tagore)
• A translation of The Prophet (by Khalil Gibran)