Nigar-i-Sehr Ki Hasrat Mein: Meraj Muhammad Khan Aur Awami Hakmiat Ki Purazm Jidojehd
Compiled and edited by Dr Syed Jaffar Ahmed
Institute of Historical & Social Research
ISBN: 978-969-9147-17-3
575pp.

What was the charisma in the personality of Meraj Muhammad Khan (MMK) that continues to attract the writers to pen books on his life and activities? Starting his public life as a student leader representing the National Students Federation (NSF), MMK stood against Gen Ayub Khan’s martial law and had Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (ZAB) nominate him as his successor before serious differences took them apart.

MMK’s popularity appears to have increased after his death in 2016, with a book in Urdu on him, by Rasheed Jamal. About his death, the latter wrote that the last lamp of left-wing politics had been extinguished. This was followed by another book, in 2017, by Arshad Butt, who called him a great revolutionary leader of the politics of resistance.

Recently, Shamim Ahmad, a former chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and a friend of MMK, came up with a book titled My Friend Meraj — An Intimate Biography. It delves into the often-volatile life and times of the leftist politician and perennial activist.

Now, another book on MMK, Nigar-i-Sehar Ki Hasrat Mein [Longing for a Beautiful Dawn], has been published. It is compiled and edited by Dr Jaffer Ahmed and is based on observations and articles on MMK by a number of writers, some documents, MMK’s interviews by some prominent journalists and others, his own narration of the torture and the humiliating treatment meted out to him by the police, and recollections from various sources on his love-hate relationship with Bhutto, etc. The title of the book has been derived from a verse of Sahir Ludhianvi, the famous socialist poet from the Bollywood industry.

Dr Jaffer has called the book a “Festschrift”, ie a volume of writings by different authors presented as a tribute or memorial. It contains writings on MMK’s more than 60 years of political struggle and his own narrative of early life in Qaim Gunj in India’s Uttar........

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