Archive for the ‘PAKiSTAN’ Category
Jigar Moradabadi
July 1st, 2011, posted in PAKiSTAN, POEPLesWHEN one talks about Urdu ghazal (poetry) one personality definitely figures in the cream of poets in the 20th century. That poet is fondly known as Jigar. And any history of Urdu ghazal in this era would be incomplete without Raeesul Mutaghazzalin (Prince of Urdu Ghazal) Jigar Moradabadi (1890-1960).
Ali Sikandar or Jigar Moradabadi (1890-1960), born “Ali Sikandar” is famous Urdu ghazal writer. He took on the takhallus (nom de plume) of Jigar.Jigar Moradabadi was born in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.
He belonged to the classical school of ghazal writing and was a mentor of Majrooh Sultanpuri, a famous lyricist of Indian Film Industry who penned many popular songs in Hindi/Urdu.
Jigar remained a keen drinker most of his life and was famous for his forgetfulness and absent-mindedness. His ghazals remain very popular with lovers of Urdu poetry. Many remark that the era of classical Urdu poetry ended with Jigar. Jigar won the 1958 Sahitya Akademi Award in Urdu for his poetry collection Atish-i-Gul.
One of his most memorable couplets is:
“yeh ishq nahin aasaan bas itna samaj lijiye,
eik aag ka dariyaa hai aur doob ke jaana hai”
The poet hailed from the city of Moradabad in the state of Uttar Pradesh in modern day India. But for Jigar, it would have remained one of the other sundry cities abounding the nation, and it is to this unique poet that the city owes its fame, despite the fact that Jigar moved from Moradabad early in his life and resided in Gonda for the rest of his life.
Jigar was much admired and read by many and his works launched him into a realm of his own, such that he was more popular than the princes and regents of the 500 former Indian princely states. The popularity could be gauged by the huge following he had among the masses, to the extent that many of his fans would besiege stations just to get a glimpse of their favorite son passing through their towns and cities.
The respect he got transcended religious and language barriers that were prevalent at that time. Though his poetry was in Urdu, he was called on to recite his works in varied platforms earning the commendations and love of both the Hindu and Muslim communities. His poetry was such that even Pandits from Sanskrit maths (schools) conferred varied honors on him.
Though his work was very much in the traditional ghazal form, he was nonetheless a trendsetter and indeed, some maintain that he reinvigorated Urdu ghazal. He works just as other masters of the form do but his choice of words and his expression lends his creations something new.
Like Persian poets, his diction was precise, that, along with the meaning and essence of the words gave the effect of fulfillment. He is a natural poet, producing the sense of drama, tweaking the range of emotions and evoking the highs and lows of happiness and sadness with his pauses and repeated renditions of the lines of poetry. His words are filled with music and he knows full well that for a poet, words are like coins: They must not be wasted. They must be used economically. In his brevity is both music and rich meaning; his rhythm touches the heart.
Jigar himself was as melodious as his ghazals. Both princes and paupers were his fans. Though he did not seek riches or fame, he became unexpectedly rich and was able to help the needy.
Many books dealing with Jigar’s poetry are available but proper and careful selection and research is still scarce. Jigar’s individuality still has great appeal. And it is this unique feature that has secured a special place for him in the field of ghazal.
The special feature of his ghazals is that they contain his life story. His life was never different from his poetry. His nature, inclination, tone and all the colors of his being are there in his poetry.
Jigar was a great admirer of beauty and was successful in painting a live picture of his earthly beloved in his ghazals but he does not stop there. His description of beauty carries us to a different timeless land where eternal beauty is supreme. The reflection of this eternal beauty is found everywhere in his ghazals. The presence of this beauty gives him ecstasy. And this ecstasy secured recognition for his ghazals.
Jigar does not follow either the so-called Lucknow or Delhi schools that were rigidly applied by many maestros of his time. His ecstatic style, careful selection of words, peculiar similes and metaphors make him unique. With his distinguished style, he creates a unique world of beauty.
His poetry is an example of Robert Frost’s definition — “beginning in delight†and “ending in wisdom.†He describes the nature of beauty:
” Kahan Ka Husn, Agar Uth Jaye Purdah
Haqiqat Kya? Agar Mubham Nahin Hai “
“If the veil is lifted revealing all, then reality is grim.†Here he applies the metaphor of a woman in veil, whose hidden attributes act seductively, as does life where real beauty lies in the veiled attributes that accentuates reality.
He goes on to say:
” Jab Ishq Apne Markaze Asli Pe Aa Gaya
Khud Bun Gaya Hasin Do Aalam Pe Chhaa Gaya “
This couplet lends a sonorous ending to the life and love when linked to the above verse.
Then in another line Jigar touches on the range of moods that paints life. He says
“ Ghum Mein Bhi Hai Suroor Woh Hungaam Aaa Gaya
Shayed Ki Daure Baadae Gulfam Aa Gaya “
Which in a nutshell means, even sorrow has ecstasy in it. This intoxicates him. How delicate this couplet is.
In another verse…
” Dil Ko Na Poochh Marakaye Husno Ishq Mein
Kya Jaaniye Gharib Kahan Kaam Aa Gaya ”
Jigar enlightens the heady battle that our heart is caught in between beauty and love, mirroring life’s challenges in one swift blow. His gentle touch of the second line renders the heart low in this consummate battle enhancing the poetry to unique levels.
The poet’s passion for love and beauty enables him to bring to the fore complex thoughts in simple terms. Even death is treated with the same ecstasy that he reserves for every single aspect of life.
The poet approaches the time-worn subject of the beloved in the same tenor, but adds his own twist by sending the readers on a different tack when they are hit by the inner meaning whereby in seeking nearness one only gets separation.His couplet:
“Kamaale Qurb Bhi Shaayed Hai Ain Bu’d Jigar
Jahan Jahan Wo Mile Main Wahan Wahan Na Raha“
says it all. The person finds the beloved only to lose his existence. There is this subtle irony of ethereal and sublime in the more direct meanings of the line. Just as in Persian poetry, the description of the beloved’s beauty and its influence on the heart and material objects are often present in Urdu poetry as well.
Jigar’s place among 20th century ghazal poets is unique because he has touched on different topics, shades and dimensions. His contemporary ghazal writers, of course, had their importance but Jigar’s art excels them all. By publishing articles about Jigar’s poetry and a selection of his ghazals, Chaudhry Ali Mubark Usmani has done a great service to Urdu literature.
Incident from Allamas life: A Poet and a Politician
June 25th, 2011, posted in Allama Iqbal, PAKiSTAN, POEPLesDr. Javed Iqbal in the biography of his famous father, Allama Iqbal, narrates one interesting incident.
The only role Allama Iqbal ever played in active politics was in 1926 when on the insistence of his followers he opted to contest the Punjab Legislative Council Membership elections. While all others withdrew their names to honor him, one diehard Malik Din Mohammad stayed in the contest. The election campaign started with all the traditional wherewithal of mud-slinging which in diction and dirtiness was not very different from that of today’s.
Allama Iqbal was unabashedly called a “kafir (due to his endorsement of Sultan ibn Saud)â€, a “Kashmiriâ€; a “pro-Ahmadiâ€; “a Wahabiâ€; “an enemy of Tasawwaf (Sufism). In short, some 14 points highlighting the absence of character in Allama Iqbal, which included the accusation of his being a wine-addict, a murderer of a Tawaif, a man with three wives, etc appeared on the walls of Lahore. This was too much for Allama Iqbal. But he was made to believe that it was a part of politics.
According to Hafeez Jullundhri, one day after a tiring campaign in the downtown area of Lahore, Allama Iqbal and he were walking on foot towards their car when something unique happened. Being a candidate, Allama had to extend his salutation to each person he countenanced while walking. In one such courtesy offer, Allama extended his “Aslam-o-Alaikum†to a person, who as it turned out, happened to be belonging to the opposite group of Malik Din Mohammad. That unruly person reciprocated Allama’s salutation, just by dropping off his, “dhotiâ€, and Lo, there he stood in the middle of the street, and in front of Allama in his utter naturalness.
This, indeed, was too much for a poet and thinker.
Taking his seat in the car, Allama addressed Hafeez Jullundhri in a somewhat dismayed and tired tone, “I have lost my sleep thinking about the causes of the decline of values, self-respect and good-conduct in this nation, and look how they are acting!â€. Hafeez Jullundhri in his typical Jullundhri way, replied to Allama, “Doctor Sahib. Do not get upset or sad. The nation has showed you whatever it possessesâ€.
The remark freshened up Allama Iqbal for the moment and he smiled, losing all bitterness. Our people also should not get upset, nor should they lose hope because “the politicians are showing whatever they possessâ€, like the man in the story.
†Nations are born in the heart of poets, they prosper and die in the hands of politicians †– Dr. M. Allama Iqbal
I Mostly Say Yes I am One When They Call Me
June 15th, 2011, posted in Ink On PAPER, PAKiSTAN, POEtRY.., SufismMystifying is the turn of time, indeed. The same Allama Iqbal who was given fatwa’s on, by his contemporary “Mullahs†is now quoted by well-reputed Mullahs of the same school of thought.
The same Bulleh Shah, who had been refused by the mullahs to be buried after his death in the community graveyard because of his unorthodox views, today enjoys worldwide reverence and is quoted by contemporary mullahs. The tomb of Bulleh Shah in Qasur and the area around it is today the only place free of collective refuse, and the privileged of the city pay handsomely to be buried in the proximity of the man they had once rejected.
Maulana Rum (aka Rumi), who was condemned as a kaafir, is not only the top selling poet across the globe but is held in high reverence by people of all religions.
Honestly, I am not such a genius person.I dont know what right is but I do know what wrong is.I think that the verses of Bulleh Shah force me to write again. Every word that was misinterpreted by mullahs, can serve a cure for all the ills we are facing in our times.
Chal Way Bullehya Chal O’thay Chaliyay
Jithay Saaray Annay
Na Koi Saadee Zaat PichHanay
Tay Na Koi Saanu Mannay
O’ Bulleh Shah let’s go there
Where everyone is blind
Where no one recognizes our caste (or race, or family name)
And where no one believes in us
Masjid Dha Day, Mandir Dha Day
Dha Day Jo Kujh Disda
Par Kissay Da Dil Na Dhawee(n)
Rub Dilaa(n) Wich Wasda
Tear down the Mosque, tear down the temple
Tear down every thing in sight
But don’t (tear down) break anyone’s heart
Because God lives there
Hindu na nahi musalmaan,
Baheeye tiranjan taj abhimaan.
Sunni na naheeN ham sheeya
Sulha kuhl ka maarag leeya.
Neither Hindu nor Muslim,
Sacrificing pride, let us sit together.
Neither Sunni nor Shia,
Let us walk the road of peace.
Props to Junoon, Rabbi, Abida Parveen, Saeen Zahoor and other musicians of our times for helping the new generation in rediscovering the message of Bulleh Shah. Junoon started the trend and was labeled as “Sufi Rock Band†– The message that pierced my heart was through them, when I was 12.
This first aspect of Bulleh Shah’s poetry and philosophy that strikes upfront is his bold and almost arrogant critique of the religious orthodoxy of his day; specifically the Islamic religious orthodoxy. His poetry is filled with direct attacks on anyone claiming control over religion.
Mulla tay mashaalchi dohaan ikko chit
Loukan karday chananan, aap anhairae vich
Mullah and the torch-bearer, both from the same flock
Trying to give light to others; themselves in the dark
Bulleh Shah’s poetry portray him as a humanist. Someone providing solutions to the sociological/political/cultural problems of the world around him, describing the turbulence his homeland of Punjab is passing through, while simultaneously searching for God. His poetry highlights his mystical spiritual journey through the four stages of Sufism – Shariat (Path), Tariqat (Observance), Haqiqat (Truth) and Marfat (Union). He starts from the rules as laid down by Islam, and eventually ends up at a point where he accepts the existence of GOD, everywhere, with no discrimination between different religions, finally becoming one with GOD.
Pointing at someone else’s faith would only unveil how weak your faith is. Picking up guns, instead of pens to enforce your way of thinking would never have an effect that the likes of Bulleh Shah had through his soul-searching and heart-melting poetry.
Islam was never spread by sword. It wouldn’t be the fastest growing religion on earth if that were the case. Islam is spread by the message of love and by deeds, not the way Taliban “ENFORCE†it.
Lord Almighty Himself says:
There shall be no compulsion in religion – [2:256]
I cannot help pasting the verse below:
Bulleh-a aashiq hoyiyon Rabb da, Hoai Malamat Lakh
Tenon Kafir Kafir aakhdey, toon aaho aaho aakh
O Bulleh, just love your God and ignore the chidings
When they say you are an infidel, say “yes I am oneâ€
