Saleem Kausar: From Refugee Struggles to Beloved Poet of Millions

Muhammad Saleem Kausar entered this world on 24 October 1947, when India split into two nations. His birthplace was Panipat, but like thousands of other families, his parents had to leave everything behind and cross the border to Pakistan. They finally settled in Khanewal, Punjab, where little Saleem grew up hearing stories of the homeland they had lost.

The boy who would later become famous as Saleem Kausar spent his childhood listening to elders talk about their old villages, friends they would never see again, and dreams that Partition had broken.

Even as a young boy, Saleem had a special gift with words. Neighbours would come to him when they needed letters written or wanted someone to put their feelings into verses. He would sit under the night sky, looking at the moon and stars, and somehow beautiful lines would form in his mind. His family later moved to Kabeerwala, where he met established poets who encouraged his talent.

He started attending mushairas, those poetry gatherings where people shared their hearts through verses. But when things were going well, all his poet friends moved to Radio Multan, leaving Saleem alone. This loneliness became the first real pain that shaped his poetry, teaching him what it meant to be left behind.

The Big City Dream with Empty Pockets

When opportunities dried up in Kabeerwala, young Saleem made a brave decision that would change his life forever. With only 20 rupees in his pocket, he travelled all the way to Karachi, hoping the big city would give him the chance he needed. Karachi in those days was not easy for newcomers, especially for someone with dreams of becoming a poet.

Saleem lived in a small two-storey house in a neighbourhood that many people called dangerous. The area had so much trouble that some folks were scared even to visit, but Saleem discovered something beautiful there – neighbours who became his family.

Life in the city of lights started from the very bottom. Saleem took whatever work he could find at Urdu newspapers – copying articles, doing calligraphy, checking for mistakes – anything that would put food on the table. The pay was small, and some days were more challenging than others, but he never stopped writing poetry.

Every day, he would fill the empty spaces in newspapers with his verses, hoping someone would read them and feel less alone. There is a lovely story from those struggling days – when people asked Saleem what he did for work, he would say, “I write poetry.” When they pushed him to tell them his “real job,” he would repeat with a gentle smile, “I write poetry.” This became his way of saying that poetry was not just his work, but his life.

When Words Touched Million Hearts

His ability to speak directly to people’s hearts made Saleem Kausar different from other poets. His breakthrough came with the ghazal “Main khayal hoon kisi aur ka” – a line that perfectly captured how it feels to love someone who thinks of someone else.

This poem became so popular that singers across the country wanted to perform it, and even today, people remember these words when they think about unrequited love. The success of this ghazal proved that Saleem had an exceptional understanding of human emotions.

His poetry was not limited to love stories. He wrote about separation, waiting for better days, dreams that seemed impossible, and the everyday courage that ordinary people show. Even though Karachi around him sometimes witnessed violence and unrest, Saleem refused to let bitterness enter his verses. Instead, he saw all human suffering as part of a larger story that deserved compassion, not anger.

His approach was simple – he believed that poetry could heal both the writer and the reader. During his most difficult financial times, when he barely had enough money to survive, Saleem continued writing because he felt that sharing hope through words was more important than earning money. He often said his heart was like a treasure that became richer the more he shared it with others.

A Simple Life with Grand Impact

As Saleem Kausar became more famous, he chose to live the same simple life he had always known. His days were spent writing new poems, attending poetry gatherings, and creating beautiful calligraphy, especially writing the Prophet’s name in different artistic styles. He saw himself as someone whose job was to keep hope alive in people’s hearts.

Saleem believed that poets had a special responsibility to speak for those who had no voice and to stand against injustice wherever they found it. Even when people called poets dreamers, as if dreaming was something to be ashamed of, Saleem wore that label with pride.

His greatest happiness came from his family’s success. All seven of his children earned master’s degrees, one becoming a university teacher and another a doctor. But even with all these achievements, Saleem’s biggest dream remained unchanged – he wanted his poetry to help lift people “out of the darkness of ignorance” and make them shine like “stars, moon, and sun.” In 2015, he received Pakistan’s “Pride of Performance” award, but he always said his real reward was the love his readers gave him.

His famous poems like “Muhabbat aik shajar hai,” “Yeh chiragh hai tau jala rahe,” and “Zara mausam badalnay dau” continue to comfort people across generations. His life story teaches us that the most beautiful poetry often comes not from comfort but from the determination to keep believing in love and hope, even when life seems determined to break that belief.

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

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