Quick Facts
Biography
Ehsan Sehgal (Urdu: احسان سہگل, Hindi: एहसान सहगल), born Khawaja Ehsan Elahi Sehgal (Urdu: خواجہ احسان الہی سہگل ) is a Dutch poet and writer of Pakistani origin.
A scholar of Urdu literature, he moved to The Netherlands in 1978 to escape the political strife under General Zia era in Pakistan, and has lived in the Netherlands since. He is a journalist and an activist for democracy, freedom of the press and freedom of speech.
He also established the Muslim United Nations in 1980 as the founding chairperson. He received a Tamgha-e-Jang (War Medal) from Pakistan Army for the War of 1965. He has also received many awards from various Urdu literary organisations in recognition of his literary achievements, and is famous for his poetry book Zarb-e-Sukhan.
His many ghazals and na`ats have also been composed.
Personal life
Background
Sehgal was born on 15 November 1951 in Larkana, Sindh, Pakistan, into a Punjabi business family. His father, Khawaja Manzoor Elahi Sehgal, was from Pind Dadan Khan, Pakistan. Sehgal received his elementary and secondary education in Larkana. He later moved to Karachi. He was awarded a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree from University of Sindh, Hyderabad, and obtained Master of Arts Urdu (M.A.) and Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degrees from University of Karachi.
He worked in several firms and then began his career in journalism, but "unfavorable conditions" under the rule of Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq forced him to leave the country. In 1978, he sought political asylum in the Netherlands, settling in The Hague to work as a freelance journalist. He currently freelances for Urdu newspapers and magazines and online daily newspapers.
Marital life
He married a Dutch woman on 31 July 1980; she later converted to Islam, but they divorced in 2013, The couple has two daughters.
Literary career
Sehgal began his literary career in 1967. His first publication was a novel, but his next books were all collections of poetry. He writes mostly in the poetic form called Ghazal, but has also written Ruba'i, Nazm, Qat'aa, and Na`at. He also writes in the meter called Beher.
Besides the novel and books of poetry, he published a collection of quotes and articles in 1999. In 2010, having lived in the Netherlands for over three decades, he published a collection of aphorisms in Dutch. The book, De Wijze Weg ("The Wise Way"), was written and translated with the help of Naeem Arif. The Wise Way is also published in both the English and Urdu languages.
His many ghazals have been sung by several Pakistani famous singers. He has been praised by many Urdu writers and poets, especially by Ibn-e-Insha who has appreciated Sehgal's literary work in his weekly written columns in Akhbar-e-Jahan karachi. An author writes, "As far as the poetic justice in Sehgal's writing is considered, it is debatable. In spite of some shortcomings, he keeps on writing which is a good. His work over a period of time has been acknowledged."A famous poet of India Nida Fazli compared his poetry with Ghalib.
Sehgal has received awards of Molana Maher-ul-Qadri Award in 2001 from Urdu Trust London, U.K, Allama Shariq Jamal Award in 2005 from Bazm-e-Shaoor-e-Adab in Jaipur, India, and Faiz Ahmad Faiz Award in 2011 from Urdu Tahreek Aalmi London, U.K, in recognition of his best poetry works. He has also received Pride of Performance by Maraqaba Hal Holland, The Hague, Netherlands in December 2013.
Might-right-veto
Who has connections,
He is great and greeted
Who has not,
He is minor and mistreated
To kill,
Innocent Peoples
Now it is diplomacy
They are keeping
In their hands, veto
But they are preaching
To us democracy
We, people
Of the blue planet
Have to realise anyhow
It was always; it is always
It will always be that
Where is a might;
There all is right.
As journalist
Sehgal started his career as a reporter and became assistant editor for the Karachi daily Aghaz in 1970. He was also an editor of the fortnightly Karachi magazine, Tamseel.
Political role
In Larkana in 1968, when General Ayub Khan's government imposed a house arrest on Bhutto, there was a big demonstration in protest against Khan's government, where Sehgal read his poem against Ayub Khan favouring Bhutto before the demonstrators. Later, Bhutto reportedly thanked Sehgal. Sehgal also became a basic member of the youth branch of Pakistan Peoples Party Larkana. Bhutto children were his childhood friends.
Sehgal later established the Muslim United Nations during his stay in the Netherlands in 1980 and remains the founding chairperson of the organisation. He had also attended Islamic conferences in Baghdad, Iraq, on the invitation of Saddam Hussein's government.
Army service
At the age of 14, he joined the Pakistan Army during the War of 1965. He also received a Tamgha-e-Jang (War Medal) from Pakistan Army AMC Centre (recording) Abbottabad, Pakistan. .
Awards
- Molana Maher-ul-Qadri Award in 2001 from Urdu Trust London, U.K.
- Allama Shariq Jamal Award in 2005 from Bazm-e-Shaoor-e-Adab. Jaipur, India.
- Faiz Ahmad Faiz Award in 2011 from Urdu Tahreek Aalami London, U.K.
- Pride of Performance by Maraqaba Hal Holland, The Hauge, Netherlands in December 2013.
- Tamgha-e-Jang (War Medal) by Pakistan Army in the War of 1965.