ABSTRACT
Writing in appreciation of Wazir Agha’s style of writing an Inshaiya (a short light essay), Joginder Paul describes how Agha’s writing opened up different dimensions to his personality. The diverse and light way in which he uses language creates the impact of a mock epic. Paul writes about the difference between the Inshaiya and Fikahiya (a farce). In an Inshaiya, there is full scope to present serious concepts while ‘seeming mischievous’ as well as a diversity of style. In a Fikahiya and in a Tanziya, the intention is to evoke laughter or hurt. The Inshaiya, according to the writer, tries to appropriately civilise one’s expression. Wazir Agha’s role in popularising this form is duly established in this piece. Earlier Patras and Rasheed Ahmad Siddique had used this form. Wazir Agha is the one who actually realised the inner form of the Inshaiya and added playfulness to it. The genre is uninhibited, and it draws the reader intimately into its fold in the hands of Agha.
