P rominent t ajik f igures of the

Iraj Bashiri

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

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Tajikistan's rustic scene forms the backdrop to Sobirov's early

works, which include "Mo Kudakon Budim" ("We Were Children,"

1984); "Kudakiam Hanuz Girion Ast" ("My Childhood Still Weeps,"

1984); "Kudaki Ku?" ("Where is Childhood?", 1984); and "Farzandi

Dihqon" ("The Farmer's Child," 1984) All these works hark to the poet's

formative years, while contributions like "Tojikzan va Pakhta" ("Tajik

Woman and Cotton," 1989) describe the sentiments of a more mature

and sophisticated poet.

Sobirov did not praise the Soviet system. In fact, he rose against

Communist aggression during the heyday of the Party and survived. He

confronted social issues frankly and pursued his goal of reforming soci-

ety with an unrelenting zeal. For instance, in "Sahna" ("The Stage,"

1984) he criticized all levels of Soviet society except the working

classes. With "Pas az Mo" ("After Us"), however, he crossed the line

and was subjected to vociferous criticism. He refused to conform. Con-

versely, in 1978, in an assembly at the Union of Writers of Tajikistan,

he criticized Soviet activities in Afghanistan. Since this behavior was

against the clear Soviet dicta that poets should praise the achievements

of the Soviet military, Sobirov's name was entered into the list of sub-

versives.

Sobirov's contributions in the 1980s concentrate on Soviet activities

in the republics of the former Soviet Union, especially Georgia, Uzbeki-

stan, and Tajikistan. Why shouldn't the Tajiks walk daily by the statue

of Ahmad Donish rather than the statue of Lenin? Or more poignantly,

why should the Tajik youth be exposed constantly to the thoughts of

Lenin and Marx rather than to the guidance of their own learned men?

But perhaps the most telling pieces among his later contributions are

"Zaboni Modari" ("Mother Tongue," 1984) and "Hoji Komunist" ("The

Communist Pilgrim"). In these pieces, he exposes the duplicity of those

who bear ill will against the Tajiks, as well as the apparatchiki who,

after the establishment of the Coalition Government in Dushanbe, made

the pilgrimage to Mecca to show their attachment to Islam.

In his verses, Sobirov allows the content to take precedence over the

form. His fame, however, is more due to his patriotism and stance

against Communist aggression than for either his poetic style or his in-

troduction of innovative methods into Tajik literature.

Sobirov's rustic background and youthful difficulties, as well as his

love for his mother and for his homeland, form the major foci of his

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