This story is from November 16, 2008

City poet's tryst with citizenship

Few know that Mansuri, who was born in Ahmedabad and died in New Jersey on November 6 at age 72, was asked to leave not only this city but even the country in 1969.
City poet's tryst with citizenship
Ahmedabad: "Nadini reit ma ramatu aa nagar male na male" (Will I ever live in this city that plays on the sands of the river) this Gujarati poetry composed by Farid Adil' Mansuri has strains similar to those of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal Emperor, wrote during his exile.
Few know that Mansuri, who was born in Ahmedabad and died in New Jersey on November 6 at age 72, had written this when he was asked to leave not only this city but even the country in 1969.
This, because the Centre was reluctant to grant him Indian citizenship.
This poem reflects the plight of the poet who lent a rare depth and richness to Gujarati and Urdu literature. Mansuri has several published collections of poetry and drama to his credit.
Adil was born in 1926 at Dhalgad pol in the walled city of Ahmedabad. In 1948, just before Indo-Pak partition, Mansuri's parents with his nine siblings moved to Karachi to hunt for a livelihood.
In Karachi, while visiting mushayaras frequently, Mansuri soon realized he had a flair for poetry. During this phase of metamorphosis the budding poet had a friend called Adil, which he later adopted as his pseudonym.
But, even in Pakistan he remained a Gujarati at heart and wrote his first poetry in Gujarati. In 1955, when his father's health deteriorated, the family returned to Ahmedabad with Pakistani passports.

Adil's poetry and literary compositions quickly earned him fame. But, the young poet faced a rare dilemma he had no home country. The Mansuris had applied for Indian citizenship. But, authorities chose to extend their visas, while citizenship remained an elusive dream.
Neither Pakistan nor India seemed to have a place for them. In 1969, Ahmedabad saw widespread communal strife. Local authorities refused to extend the family's visa and even threatened to abandon them in no-man's land between India and Pakistan.
Adil then went to Delhi and met famous Urdu shayar Kumar Vasi and sought his help. "Vasi was a well-connected person and he convinced the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to first give us a five-year visa and then later grant us citizenship. We are indebted to the late PM," says Abdul Mansuri, Adil's youngest brother, who still lives in Ahmedabad.
In 1985, Mansuri shifted to New Jersey with his family. In June, 2008, Mansuri visited Gujarat to receive the Vali Gujarati award from the state government.
Adil had promised his friends and fans that he would return to Ahmedabad in December and stay here for long. But, that was not to be. He passed away in New Jersey on November 6.
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About the Author
Prashant Dayal

Prashant Dayal is special correspondent at The Times of India, Ahmedabad. He reports on crime and politics. He likes to work among people and bring out their real-life experiences in his column "Jeevti Varta".

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