Josh Malihabadi

Josh remained in Pakistan until he died on 22 February 1982 in Islamabad. Mustafa Zaidi, Faiz Ahmad Faiz and Syed Fakhruddin Balley were the closest companions and friends of Josh and Sajjad Hyder Kharosh (son of Josh). Faiz Ahmad Faiz visited Islamabad during his illness and Syed Fakhruddin Balley remained entirely engaged with Josh and Sajjad Hyder Kharosh. Poet Faiz, who coincidentally landed in Pakistan on 22 February 1982 after a long self-imposed exile to meet General Zia Ul-Haq, the then military ruler of Pakistan, and complained to him for not attending Joautobiographyuneral.' Professor Ehtesham Hussain was the first eminent figure who started working on Josh's biography, with his implied consent. He was in the early stages of his work, when suddenly Josh migrated to Pakistan. It's evident that the scholar Ehtesham lost his passion and never completed the work. Professor Mohammad Hassan, a promi ent scholar of Ehtesham's lineage, then wrote a nearly 100 page epilogue on Josh in 1987, that will soon be published by JLSC, Calgary. Hilal Naqvi, eminent poet and researcher almost devoted his entire life in gathering and publishing Josh's work. The list of Josh's admirers are so long and over a span of nearly 100 years, but the most prominent contributors and writers amongst them include, professor Ehtesham Hussain, Rais Amrohvi, Mustafa Zaidi, Sehba Luckhnavi, Professor Qamar Raes, Ali Sardar, Professor Mumtaz Hussain, Ali Ahmed Fatmi, Shahid Mahuli of Ghalib Institute, Delhi, India, Professor Sahar Ansari, Rahat Saeed, Jaun Elia, Muhammad Ali Siddiqui, Professor Hasan Abid, Jaffar Ahmed, Parvin Shakir, Iqbal Haider, Shaista Rizvi. Josh's maternal grandson Farrukh Jamal Malihabadi, granddaughter Tabassum Akhlaq has also carried over the legacy of his poetry. Presently, artist Fahim Hamid Ali is working on a presentation of Josh. Josh Literary Society of Canada (JLSC) was formed by Iqbal Haider, Arshad Vasti, Shaista Rizvi, Naheed Kazmi, Nighat Haider, Hasan Zaheer, Aqeel Athar, Alim Ghaznavi, Abdul Qavi Zia and others in February 1983 in Calgary, Canada. JLSC convened its first literary conference in Calgary in February 1986 under the title of Josh – The Poet of the Century, with a keynote article by the eminent scholar Professor Mumtaz Hussain. Then Josh Society and Irteqa Foundation of Karachi together commemorated Josh Centennial a 3-day, mega literary event in Karachi, followed up by other one day programs in Delhi, Allahabad, Lucknow, Lahore, Hyderabad and Dubai. Josh Literary Society has published and reprinted 14 books on Josh. JLSC has also convened and celebrated many other Centennials or seminars like Firaq Gorakhpuri, Majaz Lucknawi, Mustafa Zaidi, Juan Elia, Saadat Hasan Manto, Rashid, Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Ismat Chughtai. The Josh Memorial Committee was formed in 1986 by Tabassum Akhlaq and she is the current chairperson. The committee organises seminars on Josh Malihabadi's personality, history and literary work. These seminars are usually held on his birthday and death anniversary (on 5 December and 22 February respectively). In August 2012, the Government of Pakistan announced Hilal-i-Imtiaz for Josh Malihabadi. This award was presented to his granddaughter and founding chairperson of Josh Memorial Committee, Tabassum Akhlaq by the President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari in a ceremony held in the Presidency on Pakistan Day 23 March 2013. The lifelong mission of Josh can be summed up in his own words: Kaam hai mera taghayyur, Naam hai mera shabaab Mera naara: inquilab-o-inquilab-o-inquilab My task is change, my name is youth! My slogan: revolution, revolution and revolution! A noted scholar and literary critic of Pakistan Pervez Hoodbhoy is quoted as saying about his poetry, "Poetry flowed from Josh's pen like water from a bubbling spring."

• Padma Bhushan Award, India's third highest civilian honour in 1954. • The Title of "The Poet of the Century" was given by the "QAFLA-PERA'O" Lahore, announced by the QAFLA_SALAR Syed Fakhruddin Balley, Jawaid Ahmad Qureshi, Wazir Agha, Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi and Ashfaq Ahmad, in 1992. • Kamal-e-Sukhan Award was announced for Hazrat Josh Mallihabadi by The Old Boys Association EMERSON College, Multan in 1999. • Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Crescent of Excellence) Pakistan's second highest civilian honor on 23 March 2013. • Ali Sardar Jafri captured Josh's biography in a serial named Kahkashan aired on DD National