Jatinder Sethi was born in Lyallpur, now Faisalabad, in pre-Independence India. He finished his M.A. (English) from Delhi University in 1956, and went off to London to study Advertising in 1958. He passed his Membership Exam of The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (M.I.P.A) in1965, and joined Rallis India in Bombay. Later, for over 20 years, he worked for the advertising agency Ogilvy &\; Mather. Now retired, he helps his son in his ad agency in Delhi.
Ed. Note. Mr. Sethi’s article on Delhi in the 1950s is a complement to this article.
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Saba Phir Humain Puuchti Phir Rahi Hai
Chaman Ko Sajane Ke Din Aa Rahe Hain
This sher (couplet) from Faiz Ahmed Faiz's ghazal Naseeb Aazmane Ke Din Aa Rahe Hain urged me to think of my old days. I wanted to renew the memories of those happy time when I was part of the crowd spending nights listening to Urdu poetry from the zaban (lips) of some of the great Urdu poets alive at that time.
Now at the age of 85, I am trying to re-kindle that flame for myself. To paraphrase Faiz ,Apne Chaman Ko Phir Tero-Taza Rekhne kay liye.