Dr Kausar’s collection of poetry launched

LAHORE: The first collection of poetry of Dr Kausar Jamal Cheema titled ‘Soz-e-Daroon’ (the fire within) was launched on Friday evening at Cosmopolitan Club by Sanjh Publications.

The collection has both Urdu and Punjabi poems. Dr Kausar recited her poems and several scholars and poets appreciated her work. Poet Nazeer Qaisar chaired the event.

Dr Kausar has been writing poetry for decades but it was not exposed to people because she would write on any paper within her reach at the time.

She ascribes the development of her poetry writing endeavour to her school days.

She attended Madrasa tul Banaat and started her school in grade 3. She said ‘On the very first day her teacher gave her a newspaper in which there were ‘Aqwal-e-Zarrin’ (golden quotes) and asked her to select ten of them, write in a notebook and learn them by heart. She said later on she excelled in studies and got her PhD from Imperial College London in 1982.

She recited a number of poems, including her her favourite poem ‘Agahi’. She also recited her two Punjabi poems ‘Keeri Kara’ and ‘Wakhri chup si’ and received loud applause. She specially mentioned Mujahida and poet Anmol Gohar among others for encouraging her to publish her poems in book form.

Poet Nazeer Qaisar said, “All poetry is connected to life. We have to be born once with our own effort and we do so when we create. A poet is born again with every poem she/he creates. One should live in as many names and forms as possible. A poet stays alive and enables others to stay alive too.” He thanked Amjad Saleem Minhas and Farkhanda Amjad of Sanjh Publications for introducing him to a splendid poet Dr Kausar.

Farkhanda Amjad said “Dr. Kausar’s verses touch the reader’s heart. In her Punjabi poems she has captured the culture along with the contemporary life.” Poet Shahzad Nayyar said, “Dr Kausar’s Punjabi poems have remarkable flow. When personal thoughts are expressed in a way that they become universal thoughts, they reach out to a large number of people. One can feel the depth of true feelings in her poetry.” Mujahida Butt who had been a student of Dr Kausar Jamal, said “Dr Kausar kept writing for 60 years and now that work is before us. She has written poems on varied subjects. Among other things she has also highlighted the atrocities in Kashmir and Palestine. There is universality in her poetry.”

Dr Shahida Dilawar Shah said, “Her diction is simple and her poems depict true feelings.” Waqas Ahmad Shahbaz, who moderated the session, said, “What I find most touching in Dr Kausar’s poetry is the depiction of woman in her many relationships, particularly mother. Woman in her poems appears to be in search of identity on many instances.” Gulnar Tabassum, another speaker, said she was emboldened with Dr Kausar’s bold style at college in Kasur. Gulnar was a first-year student then and a sportswoman. She said, “I find her Punjabi expression very natural.” In the end the publisher Amjad Saleem Minhas thanked all speakers and guests.

Dr Kausar Cheema retired as Dean of Natural Sciences from Lahore College for Women University, was first principal Jinnah College Queen’s Road, Lahore and before that was principal Girls College Kasur. She is one of the very first people in Pakistan to work on environment and has done projects of Unesco, British Council and many others. Environment and health are the areas in which she has worked most and is still working.