Parveen Shakir: Poetry Queen Who Changed Women’s Voices Forever

Parveen Shakir was born on 24th November 1952 in Karachi, Pakistan. Her family originally came from Bihar, India, but they had moved to Pakistan. Her father, Shakir Hussain Saqib, was a poetry lover who filled their home with beautiful Urdu verses. From her childhood, Parveen was not like other girls. While her friends played with dolls, she played with words.

Even as a small child, Parveen noticed something that troubled her deeply. All the girls around her stayed silent. They never talked about their dreams, feelings, or desires. Society expected them to be quiet and obedient. This silence felt like a heavy burden on young Parveen’s heart. She decided she would not carry this burden of silence.

Parveen started writing poetry at a very young age. She would scribble verses on her school blackboard and write poems in her diary. Her inspiration came from simple things like flowers in her mother’s garden or the changing seasons. Once, after failing a mathematics test in winter, she wrote her first serious poem.

She discovered that she could turn her sadness into beautiful words. This became her lifelong habit – transforming pain into poetry. Nobody knew that this shy, book-loving girl would one day become the voice of millions of women who had been forced to stay silent for centuries.

A Heart Full of Dreams and Pain

After completing her education, Parveen became a teacher at Abdullah Girls College in Karachi. She was brilliant in her studies and later passed the difficult civil service examination. This was a considerable achievement for women in the 1970s, when few girls were allowed to work in government offices. Everyone celebrated her professional success, but her personal life was heartbreaking.

Parveen fell deeply in love with a government officer. Her passion was pure and honest, and she dreamed of spending her life with him. However, their families opposed the marriage because of religious differences between the Shia and Sunni communities. This rejection broke her heart completely. She poured all her pain into her poetry, writing about lost love and shattered dreams.

Later, she married her cousin, Dr Naseer Ali. Everyone hoped she would find happiness in married life, but reality was different. Her marriage was full of misunderstandings and family pressures. Society expected her to be a perfect wife and mother while managing her career.

The stress became too much to bear, and finally, her marriage ended in divorce. She became a single mother to her young son, Murad. In those days, divorced women faced terrible social judgment. Parveen experienced this cruelty firsthand but never gave up on her dreams or poetry.

The Revolutionary Voice of Women

Parveen Shakir completely changed the world of Urdu poetry. Before her time, most poems were written by men from a male perspective. In serious literature, women’s feelings, struggles, and desires were rarely discussed. Parveen decided to change this forever. She used simple, everyday words that other poets considered too ordinary for serious poetry.

Her famous poetry collection, “Khushbuu” (Fragrance), revolutionised Urdu literature. She wrote openly about topics that were considered taboo for women. She discussed love, desire, rejection, workplace discrimination, and single motherhood with complete honesty. Many conservative people were shocked by her boldness, but millions of women felt like someone was finally speaking their truth.

Parveen questioned society’s double standards everywhere. She asked why men could have multiple relationships without judgment, but women were blamed for expressing love even once. Her poem “Ek Buri Aurat” (A Bad Woman) directly challenged people who called independent women bad names.

She refused to hide her own experiences. Through her poetry, she shared her pain of divorce, struggles as a working mother, and discrimination she faced in her government job. Her honest words gave courage to countless women who were suffering in silence.

Legacy That Lives Forever

Despite her success as a poet, Parveen’s personal life remained difficult. She often felt lonely and misunderstood. After her divorce, she struggled with depression and self-doubt. Many people could not understand how she could be so bold in her poetry but vulnerable in real life. In one emotional interview, she said with tears in her eyes, “Life has not been fair to me.”

However, Parveen never became bitter or angry with the world. She found joy in small moments like her son’s laughter, peaceful evenings, reading old books, or receiving appreciation from her readers. She continued writing fearlessly until the end of her life. In her later poems, she encouraged women to become financially independent and emotionally strong. She often said, “A woman’s self-respect cannot be bought or sold.”

Tragically, Parveen Shakir died in a car accident on 26th December 1994, when she was only 42 years old. Some people believed there were suspicious circumstances around her death, but her real story is not how she died but how she lived. She said, “If my poetry can heal even one broken heart, my purpose is fulfilled.”

Today, more than 25 years after her death, Parveen Shakir’s poetry is still read and loved by millions of people in India, Pakistan, and around the world. Her poems are translated into many languages. Young women still find strength in her words when they face discrimination or heartbreak.

She proved that literature has the power to change society. Parveen Shakir will always be remembered as the brave woman who gave voice to every silent girl and showed them that their feelings matter, their dreams are valid, and their stories deserve to be heard.

Also Read: Rajinder Manchanda Bani: The Voice of Pain, Hope, and Endurance

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