Front Cover

Guernica(painting)- It is one of the most famous paintings by Pablo Picasso in which the painter condemned the Nazi German aerial bombing that destroyed Guernica, Spain on April 26, 1937 and killed an estimated 1600 people.

Letter from the Editor

Dear Readers,

The western music of our time and youth age – it may be a blah blah at first sight but actually has some messages for us.

The rock lifestyle has always been popularly known as being associated with sex and drugs. Many of rock and roll's early stars (as well as their jazz and blues counterparts) were known as hard-drinking, hard-living characters. Musicians had always attracted attention from the opposite sex; Groupies, girls who followed, spent time with and often did sexual favours for band members. Drugs were often a huge part of the rock music lifestyle. In the 1960s psychedelic music arose; some musicians encouraged and intended listeners of psychedelic music to be under the influence of LSD or other hallucinogenic drugs as enhancements to the listening experience.

In the 1960s music reflected the tensions of the Vietnam War era and played an important role in American culture. The verbal content of rock songs turned toward rebellion, social protest, sex, and, increasingly, drugs. However, much of the rock and roll cachet associated with drug use dissipated as rock music suffered a series of drug-related deaths, including those of Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain of Nirvana (official cause of death is suicide by shotgun wound to the head) and many. The social impact is so large that rock stars are worshipped worldwide. Drugs and rock music is a part of a common youth scene and that both some rock musicians and some rock fans are experimenting with many types of drugs.

Many rock artists, including Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Pete Townshend, Steven Tyler, Scott Weiland and others, have acknowledged battling addictions to many substances including cocaine and heroin. Samar too condemns the addiction of drugs and helps the society to keep drugs out of our Neighbourhood. For several decades drugs have been one of the major problems of society. This editorial aims to encourage readers to internalize the anti-drug message.

In the language of rockers we say “Stay away from drugs and keep rocking.”

Yours truly,
Editor

Your Voice

I'm highly impressed with this lecture series. It is good to have such types of series which will inculcate the qualities of a good human being in us. Topics such as this (Infatuation and affection) require a deep study of human emotions. It’ll not only help us to overcome our mental block but also from falling prey to our (sometimes cruel) emotions.WELL WRITTEN!!!

Emad, Bangalore

Debates on Reservation

Last month I was in Delhi and went through different magazines and newspapers, all of them were filled with recent debate started by young minds of India. The topic of debate was reservation for backward classes in educational institution. They were blaming our HRD minister.

Despite there are several arguments by several respected persons against reservation, I’m with reservation because of following reasons –
1. Socially backward classes will get message that there is hope for them to sit with others with dignity.
2. Now poor students can also go to big institutions.
3. India’s image that t has a system of caste based discrimination will be wiped out.

Swatantra, Patna

India is a developing country and has a wide difference between start and end of literacy graph.for some or other reason.mandal commision raised reservation of obcs to relevel this graph. But the most important thing to be noted is that reservation is applied at undergraduate level. But do you think that these children of obcs become capable of appearing for PMT or IIT entrance. They need reservation not for PMT ant IIT but in LKG and UKG. If they have no reservation at LKG and UKG reservation at undergraduate has no meaning at all.

Shahbaz, Patna

Leaders are always clever, instead of providing facility to MBC, OBC, BC students they are going for easy solution ‘RESERVATION’. There should not be such kind of solution which creates difference among SC, MBC, FC, and OBC. In my point of view government should take strict decision to educate them. Half of the effort should be given in educating them.
While their preparation of entrance exam from class 8th till 12th they should be given special kind of facility (which they require like good books for maths, physics, chemistry, biology, commerce, economics, accounts and good coaching centre) free of cost ,so that their little money can be used up in eating as well as in amusement. And like this all Indian students will have same kind of sword to fight the battle. Those who will get good rank in entrance exam like IIT JEE, PMT, and AIEEE etc. will get seats accordingly.
Advantage….
1. More and more students will sit for entrance exam with good intention; number of good students will increase.
2. Number of seats in good institution will also increase.
3. Moreover India will develop soon, with its outstanding students.

Anonymous

Any body who doesn’t like reservation for backward castes must consider this simple law of political theory – “equal law for equals and unequal law for unequals”
If there are several people standing in a row for 800 meters race, they will be asked to take start from different points because then only, nobody could get unnecessary benefit of the curvature of the racing track. This methodology is used to pick up the champion due to his ability not due to his circumstances. Had all the racers been kept in same straight line then the racer in last row would have never win the race (even if you have given him the best food and the best physical training). So it means to have an equal footing for everyone you have to treat them unequally.

And anybody who thinks that efficiency of society is hampered then he must think twice.
The students who take admission in engineering and medical by giving heaps of donations are neither efficient nor honest but there is no hue and cry for this matter because they are the people who belong to affluent class. Moreover, we are thinking about social justice whenever we talk about reservation and even if it comes at the cost of excellence it doesn’t matter because it’s in the greater benefit of society.

But the problem here is that the Government has made it an instrument of minting the vote currency. The government expends only 3% of central budget on education but so much time and resources on the issue of reservation because it pays back quickly on the other hand the gestation period of education is very long. The whole system of primary education has collapsed, teachers are used as polling officers in the frequently arriving elections the schools even do not have dusters chalks and blackboards, school buildings are used as cow sheds. So we should fight against these anti people governments not the idea of reservation.

Sarfaraz, Patna

Lecture Series

Patriarchy

Let’s start our lecture on Patriarchy. First, we should know what it stands for, the meaning –
A system of society where males are dominating and are real head is called a patriarchal society. In this society, female gets second position.
First of all, we need to know the origin of patriarchy. From where does the patriarchal system developed?
Noted historian, Rahul Sankritayayan in his book-‘Volga se Gaga’ gives a brief history of development of patriarchy.

In Stone Age, men and women were not differentiated. Both men and women did the same work. They both go on hunting, gathering food, cutting trees, working on farms, etc. Women were no less than men. But over the time patriarchal society developed. People started agriculture and migrated in search of fertile land. The quarrel among different tribes to conquer more lands for agriculture was the result. The tribes attacked one another. Plundered their grains and tools. They even carried women as a property or as a sign of victory. Gradually women became the sign of honour and respect. They became the primary part of the house and were given household responsibilities and men worked in the fields. Men had to protect their women and for that confinement in home was necessary. Slowly and slowly they became physically weak. Their intelligence also got suppressed because only men took all the political decisions in tribal community. Further, male started dominating female which is specially known as male ego and is viewed as naturally inherited.

Today, one can again feel the resonance of patriarchal society. It still engulfs the Indian culture whereas in other countries, it is subduing.
This was the brief history of Patriarchal society. There are several characteristics of a patriarchal society. The first and foremost characteristic feature of patriarchal society is that identity of a male-head is the identity of the family. A woman has no identity of her own. She is known as someone’s daughter, wife, sister etc. Even today in rural areas one knows women as Chunnu’s aunty, Bablu’s wife etc. In developed states, wife of Ravi Mishra is called Mrs.Mishra. Why not husband of Neetu Devi is known as Mr.Devi. This is patriarchy.

Another feature of Patriarchal society is the Pardah System. Women are kept under a veil. She could not go to places where males are sitting or working. She has no freedom to choose her workplace. She clothes, she walks, she sits, and she stands according to men’s voice. Although pardah signifies a women’s right to procure privacy for her, her will to live with democracy but with men will it becomes her shackle.

In patriarchal society women are made prized possessions for family or clan. In patriarchal society, insulting one’s woman means a heinous crime. Men become thirsty of blood of each other and irony is that woman has no say in this regard. She can’t say anything about her own insult. This leads to infamous ‘honour killing’ where daughter of their own family is killed by male members of family. This is because male members are the ones who decide how to undo the dishonours of their honour.
In this regard, one can notice there are several abuses (common and uncommon) used in northern Hindi speaking states of India which are based on women. Alas! It is the status of a woman. All of these abuses are made and used by man to make them furious over each other. It is the status of honour of males. (Huh! Shame upon them)

Further on, in recent history we have several examples where panchayat gave decisions (in rape case) to rape a woman of the family of culprit (the rapist) to create justice. This is because a woman is the most delicate honour for males surrounding her. A patriarch would rather choose to destroy her (woman belonging to the accused) instead of destroying the culprit.

In patriarchal society, there is no social, economic, spiritual right for women. A woman never decides what should be done in her father’s family or in that of her in-laws. It’s a sacred domain of males. Regarding participation in political process, women weren’t given right to vote till 1929 in England which is said to be cradle of democracy.
Even in property sharing, marital decisions, in rituals, she has no right. We will find umpteen numbers of religious decrees against women. All the religion asked women to sacrifice herself and her wishes for greater good of society. Irony is that in the whole history of human civilization there is no prophet who is woman. There are only few women saints in history. This is because patriarchal society doesn’t allow a woman to attain salvation rather she is told that she’ll get her fruits for her good deeds in heaven. It means a woman become follower in a patriarchal society. Even she can’t select her leader whom she is to follow.

Seeing through the deeds of time we are not able to see any end to the patriarchal system. Evident to this is the development of cinema, politics, and time. After knowing much about Patriarchy now it is time for us to decide what is wrong and right. Consider yourself as a female and then draw a conclusion of what is happening and what should happen. Lecture series have a motto and after this lecture we hope at least the readers would boycott the patriarchy system because we know that journey of thousand miles begins with a single step.

Prepared by:
Asim & Shahbaz

A Journey to the Western Music

Throughout history all cultures have been influenced by music. Before the Baroque era in music there were many forms of western music. Most of this music was monophonic, sung in chant used mostly for religious purposes. During the previous millennia most music was sung in chant form with very little accompaniment, save a harp or a violin. In these times music was a simple art, sung by the people to praise the Lord. Eventually polyphonic music developed, first starting as monophonic chant, and later polyphonic music was created. During this time the music notation system was standardized, originally a modified Greek system; music notation evolved into the notation that is used today. Having the use of music notation set the foundation for Baroque music and for all music after that.

In the late sixteenth century and early seventeenth century the Baroque style of music started in Italy. Italy, where the renaissance started, was able to create a new type of music rich in feeling. In the seventeenth century a famous and a genius composer was born in Salzburg, Austria. His name was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who composed more than six hundred compositions including his famous works that are widely acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music. Mozart is among the most popular classical composers. Mozart once said –

“Music, even in situations of the greatest horror, should never be painful to the ear but should flatter and charm it, and thereby always remain music.”

After Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, a famous German composer and a pianist was born. Beethoven's personal life was troubled. In his late twenties he began to lose his hearing, and yet continued to produce notable masterpieces throughout his life. Beethoven also radically redefined the symphony of Mozart. Both Mozart and Beethoven is milestone in the field of music. Both had a unique style of composing.

Gradually different artist invented different style of composing music. This is popularly known as musical genre. A music genre is a division of music that share a certain style or "basic musical language". Music may also be categorized by non-musical factors such as geographical origin. Categorizing music, especially into finer genres or subgenres, can be difficult for newly emerging styles. But still music can be classified into Classical music and Popular music.
Classical music is a traditional genre of music conforming to an established form and sometimes religious. Works by Franz Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van Beethoven exemplify this style. Unlike classical music popular music is broad and at its broadest, it refers to all music other than classical music, also known as art music. In the early 19th century, the traditional songs of the common people were referred to as popular songs. By the late 19th century these songs were referred to as folk songs. Popular music originated in the mid 19th century, and is commonly subdivided into genres, and genres into sub genres. Different genres often appeal to different age groups.

Some popular genres are:

• Jazz
• Rock and Roll
• Rock
• Rhythm & Blues (R&B)
• Reggae

Jazz –

It is a kind of music that developed in the southern United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was developed by West African Blacks. Jazz has been described as "America's Classical Music," and started in saloons throughout the nation. The root of jazz is the blues, the folk music of former enslaved Africans in the U.S. South and their descendants, heavily influenced by West African cultural and musical traditions, that evolved as black musicians migrated to the cities.

According to jazz musician Wynton Marsalis:
“Jazz is something Negroes invented, and it said the most profound things -- not only about us and the way we look at things, but about what modern democratic life is really about. It is the nobility of the race put into sound ... jazz has all the elements, from the spare and penetrating to the complex and enveloping. It is the hardest music to play that I know of, and it is the highest rendition of individual emotion in the history of Western music”.

Jazz became world popular when Louis Armstrong, an American trumpeter and vocalist, invented a new style music. He is another Jazz master who is one of the most loved and best known of all jazz musicians. He first achieved fame as a trumpeter, but toward the end of his career he was best known as a vocalist and was one of the most influential jazz singers. Armstrong had many hit records including "Stardust", "What a Wonderful World", "When The Saints Go Marching In", "Dream a Little Dream of Me", "Ain't Misbehavin'", and "Stompin' at the Savoy". "We Have All the Time in the World" featured on the soundtrack of the James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

Tony Bennett, a famous jazz singer, once said –
"It's America's classical music ... this becomes our tradition ... the bottom line of any country in the world is what did we contribute to the world? ... We contributed Louis Armstrong"

Some of the famous jazz artists are - Muhal Richard Abrams, Carl Allen, Geri Allen, Wessell Anderson, Tatsu Aoki, Peter Appleyard, Louis Armstrong, The Art Ensemble of Chicago, Albert Ayler etc.

Rock and Roll –

Rock 'n' roll is a genre of popular music, originated in the 1950s. The song is mostly an instrumental piece, with a rhythmic drum and bass line. In the early rock and roll style of the early 1950s, the saxophone was often the lead instrument, replaced by guitar in the late 50's.
Rocking was a term first used by black gospel singers in the American South to mean something related to spiritual rapture. By the 1940s, however, the term was used as a double meaning, seemingly referring to dancing, but with the hidden sub textual meaning of sex; an example of this is Roy Brown’s "Good Rocking Tonight." This type of song was rarely heard by mainstream white audiences.

What should be considered the first rock and roll record? Well this is a debatable question. There are many candidates for the title of the first rock and roll record. In 2004 and 2005, debate was sparked between fans of Elvis as well as many in the music business who claimed "That's All Right Mama" was the first rock and roll song and those who feel the proper claimant should be Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock" — both songs celebrating their 50th anniversaries in those two years.

But the title of "The King of Rock 'n' Roll" or "The King", was given to an American singer and actor Elvis Aron Presley simply known as Elvis. He was the most commercially successful singer of rock and roll. Presley started as a singer of rockabilly, earliest form of rock and roll, but very soon the young Elvis has become an icon of modern American pop culture. He has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1986), the Country Music Hall of Fame (1998), and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame (2001).In 1984 Elvis was given the W.C. Handy Award from the Blues Foundation in Memphis for "keeping the blues alive in his music - rock and roll.”

In 1993, Elvis Presley's image appeared on a United States postage stamp as young Elvis.

Some of the most influential Rock n roll artists are –
Elvis Presley, The Beatles, James Brown, Bob Dylan, Buddy Holly, Jimi Hendrix, Ray Charles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd etc.



Rock –

A popular music style developed in the United States and Great Britain in the late 1960s. In 1960s The Beatles were the biggest musical act of the twentieth century, consisting of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr ). “Beatle mania" (term that was used during the 1960s to describe fan frenzy, particularly by young teenaged girls, toward The Beatles) stole the momentum from the blues scene and understood how to turn that music into a mass-media attraction. Rock music as a major business was born. In the wake of Beatlemania other British bands headed to the U.S., notably the Rolling Stones and other acts like The Animals and The Yardbirds. They turned down the Beatles' clean-cut image and presented a darker and more aggressive image.

The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show
(1964)

The Rolling Stones, the Kinks and The Who represent the triad of British rock bands of the mid 1960s that would influence entire generations of rock bands for decades. The Who were composing autobiographical songs of the angry and frustrated urban youth. The Rolling Stones were composing autobiographical songs of the decadent punks of the working class. The Kinks were composing realistic sketches of ordinary life in conservative England. The three together provide a complete picture of the time.


The most influential bands of the second generation were Cream, Led Zeppelin and Bob Dylan. Cream and Led Zeppelin started playing very loud blues. Cream's lengthy solos and Led Zeppelin's fast riffs created the epitome of "hard rock". Bob Dylan was arguably the most influential musician of the era. He led the charge against the establishment with simple songs and poetic lyrics. A generation believed in him and followed his dreams. Music became the expression of youth's ambitions. In the 1980s, popular rock diversified into many subgenres:

Hard rock, glam metal and Instrumental rock

Hard rock is a kind of Rock music. It is symbolised by a heavy use of distorted electric guitar, bass guitar and drums. British rockers like The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, The Who and The Kinks modified rock and roll and created the basis for hard rock by adding to the standard genre harder sounds, heavy guitar riffs, often bombastic drumming and harder vocals.
During the 1970s hard rock spawned a new genre of music, known as heavy metal the pioneers of heavy metal, such as Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, and Queen.

Psychedelic rock

Psychedelic rock is a musical style inspired by or attempting to replicate the mind-altering experience of drugs such as cannabis, psilocybin, mescaline, and especially LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide). However, an inner core of the psychedelic style of rock that came to public attention in 1967 can be recognized by characteristic features such as average melodies; mystical lyrics often describing dreams, visions, or hallucinations; longer songs and lengthy instrumental solos; and "trippy" electronic effects such as distortion, reverb, and reversed, delayed and/or phased sounds. The album that brought psychedelic rock into pop culture was The Beatles's Revolver.


Progressive rock

Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music which arose in the late 1960s, reached the peak of its popularity in the 1970s. Progressive rock songs have long compositions, sometimes running over 20 minutes, with intricate melodies and harmonies. Progressive rock artists reject the limitations of popular music and aspire to create music for serious listening. The major artists that defined the genre in the 1970s are Jethro Tull, Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Rush, Gentle Giant and King Crimson.

Classic rock

In the mid-1980s, a radio station programming format evolved from the album oriented rock (AOR) format, commonly known as Classic rock. The core albums, artists, and songs most often represented in classic rock radio represent a subset of the albums and artists that were actually popular during the so-called "classic rock era". British hard rock and progressive rock bands make up a central pillar of classic rock artists; significant among these are AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd, Cream, and Queen.

Punk Rock and New Age

Punk rock is an anti-establishment rock music movement which began around 1974–1975. The phrase "punk rock" (punk means a beginner or novice) was originally applied to the untutored guitar-and-vocals-based rock and roll of United States bands of the mid-1960s such as The Standells, The Sonics, and The Seeds, bands that now are more often categorized as garage rock. It is represented by The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, The Damned, and The Clash. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, New age born out of the punk rock movement. The genre was fashionable during the 1980s, but became popular again during the 2000s.

Alternative rock

The terms alternative rock and alternative music1 were coined in the early 1980s to describe punk rock-inspired music genres which didn't fit into the mainstream genres of the time. At times it was used as catch-all phrase for rock music from underground artists in the 1980s and rock music in general in the 1990s. More specifically, it is made up mostly of genres that appeared in the 1980s and became popular or well known by the 1990s, such as indie rock, grunge, gothic rock, and college rock. Important bands of the '80s alternative movement included R.E.M., Sonic Youth, The Smiths, Pixies, Husker Du, The Cure, and countless others. In 1990s bands like Nirvana, Guns and Roses, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Linking Park etc joined the stream.

R&B ( Rhythm & Blues )

R&B was used to designate upbeat popular music performed by African American artists. It was strongly influenced by jazz and jump music as well as black gospel music. Musicians paid little attention to the distinction between jazz and rhythm and blues, and frequently recorded in both genres. "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On", the first hit by Jerry Lee Lewis was an R&B cover song that made number one on pop, R&B and country and western charts. Other artists who popularized R&B included Professor Longhair, Clarence "Frogman" Henry, Frankie Ford, Irma Thomas, The Neville Brothers, and Dr. John.

Reggae

Reggae is a music genre developed in Jamaica. Reggae may be used in a broad sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, including ska, rocksteady and dub. The term is generally used to distinguish a particular style that originated in the late 1960s. Reggae is founded upon a rhythm style which is characterized by regular chops on the back beat, known as the "skank", played by a rhythm guitarist, and a bass drum hitting on the third beat of each measure, known as "one drop."

One of the main themes of reggae music has been social liberation. This has both political and religious aspects. The music attempts to raise the political consciousness of the audience, like Bob Nesta Marley, a Jamaican singer, guitarist, songwriter, and activist. Much of his music dealt with the struggles of the impoverished and gave a voice to the oppressed around the world while spreading messages of hope and unity. His songs expressed his experiences of struggles of everyday life in Jamaica in a way that all could relate to, making his music universally loved.

Bob Marley once said
“My music fights against the system that teaches to live and die”.

Repression of many kinds, and especially repression linked with the prohibition of ganja (marijuana), which is considered a sacrament by Rastafarians, is another recurring theme in the music. Bob Marley is a prominent marijuana icon. The pioneers of reggae are Bob Marley, Johnny Clarke, Horace Andy and Barrington Levy etc.

Bob Marley is a prominent marijuana icon.

Social Impact of Rock n Roll – will continue in the next issue.

AZMI

Poets of the world

Mirza Ghalib


Long years ago ….. One day, I was dejected, disappointed and thought hell of myself. It was time of endless agonies for me. When I got no relief by any mode, I went to call on the God and wept all of my woes. I told Him about my sufferings, my hardships. He calmly said – My boy! The story you told me is neither rare nor priceless .There are several human beings in this world who have suffered a lot. And that’s why for people like you I have created – “Ghalib”.

“Ghalib? What’s that?” My amazement was natural. He again smiled and said nothing. There was great peace in His eyes. He gave me a golden book with golden pages. I opened it. There was written in the book in beautiful calligraphy-----
Meri qismqt mein gham gar itna tha
Dil bhi ya rab kayee diye hote
(If there were so many disappointments in my life then god you must have given me a number of hearts too)

And all of my disappointments disappeared like bubbles. I was happy like a child. I came back hopping and galloping all along the way to my home.

This was my first meeting with ‘the Ghalib’. And for the rest of my life I never parted myself with that gift of God. Ghalib’s poetry is poetry of sufferings—sufferings of spiritualism and sufferings of life. That’s why it’s medicine for all the sufferers of this world.

Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib was borne in 1797 in Delhi. His paternal & maternal family boasted of royal lineage. Ghalib himself showed complacency on a number of occasions about his family tree. He would mention about Afarsaib (the great king of middle Asia), Rustum and Sohrab with proud but alas this doesn’t work for your living. His father died when he was only 5 years old. His uncle took the responsibility of his upbringing and he was married at very early age of 16. Again, after some years his uncle died leaving him alone in this world. Then he and his family had to face the living on the edge.

But young Ghalib did not left taking lessons from reputed elders of his family and other learned men of Delhi. In his childhood itself he started writing pieces of verses. Ghalib made the poet Mirza Bedil of Azeemabad (modern Patna) his idol. Mirza Bedil was famous for difficult metaphors and unmatched similes. Ghalib himself was under the influence of sweetness and charm of Persian language. He used too much Persian idiomatic expressions and poetic devices in his Urdu poetry but it was of no use because what he wrote were meaningless poems. His friends and well-wishers would advise him to make his language simple but it went in vain. In Mushairas when he would recite his ghazals, he would not get any applause. Instead, people would taunt him with this she’r (couplet)—

Kalaam e Meer samjhen zubane Meerza samjhen
Magar inka kaha ye khyd samjhen ya khuda samjhe
(We can understand poetry of Meer and meerza but what he says, only he can understand or else God)

In reply Ghalib would say these words---

Na sataish ki tamanna , na sile ki parwah
Na sahi mere ash’ar mein maani na sahi
(I have no desire of applause nor of results, let my poetry have no meaning it doesn’t matter)

The apostle of Urdu ghazals, Meer taqi Meer did a forecasting about Ghalib that this boy could become a great poet if he gets an able teacher otherwise he would say meaningless things all of his life .Perhaps , Ghalib understood the weight of this statement and contemplated on his poetry in the course of his literary life. Later when his Deewan was published, he cut his collection of poems by two third on the advice of his close friends. And the rest what history and world of literature has got is one of the finest creations of man in field of art and philosophy till yet.

When he was young, he wrote in Persian because at that time Urdu was termed as inferior language in comparison with Persian (interestingly he wrote more in Persian than Urdu) but he was primarily called a Urdu because it is his Urdu poetry that gave him name and fame. In beginning Ghalib made his takhallus (pen name) Asad which meant the lion. But later he chose the word Ghalib which now has become a synonym of Urdu poetry. He used this word brilliantly in the last couplet of each ghazal. He would address Mr. Ghalib with a very witty and humorous remark He would make fun of himself. Take an example—

Kaha hai kisne Ghalib bura nahin lekin
Siwaye iske ki aashufta sar hai kya kahiye
(Who says Ghalib is not a wicked man only fault is that he is a nut)

Take another one---
Ka’ba kis munh se jaoge Ghalib
Sharm tum ko magar nahin aati
(Have shame upon yourself Ghalib, how’ll show your face to ka’ba)

Many moments in Ghalib’s life were such as they are unfolding the long reels of cruelty. Ghalib and his family would go hungry and thirsty for many days but he never left hope. He never left his family; instead he adopted children of his brother who had lost his mental balance. He was teased and taunted by his neighbourers but he said nothing to anybody. For eating he fought court cases which were shameful act for a soft writer like him. And think for a while to fetch bread for his family and himself he has to face dark night of prison – Yes, Prison! (It’s not a metaphorical expression). He remained locked in prison for months. See what he wrote in prison –

Zulmat kade mein mere shab e gham kam josh hai
Ek shama hai daleel e sahar woh khamosh hai

Daagh e firaq e sohbat e shab ki jali hui
Ek shama rah gayi hai so woh bhi khamosh hai
(A candle was burnt by the last impression of my meeting with my beloved
Now that candle of hope too is silent)

Ghalib got help from his wealthy wellwishers like nawab of Lharoo for the best part of his life. In last years of 1850s he was appointed as the court poet of Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar. But it was too late. The revolution of 1857 and its suppression in 1858 snatched everything. Delhi the city he loved too much was transformed into a big graveyard. His children died in front of him. His own health fell like dry leaves. Such a witty and humorous man writes in disappointments –
Ibn e mriyam hua kare koi
Mere dukh ki dawa kare koi
(May there be Jesus, son of Mariyam, but who’ll medicate my woes)

Although there were so many painful moments in his life he remained calm and composed. He faced each and every cruel assault of time and fate with courage and patience. He writes in a letter to Munsh Hargopal tafla (his favourite pupil) – “zindagi ki pareshaniyan to tahayaf hain inhe mardana uthao.”(Difficulties of life are gifts take them with manly attitude)

And really he was master of sensitivities. He knew how to describe the beauty of life’s drama even if you are in immense pain. Even living among tough and toiling hardships he would never forget his tasawur-e-jaanan (reminiscences of beloved). This dog eat dog world was only a bazecha-e-atfal (play ground of children) for him. He did not care for religious extremities. He was equally ignorant towards shaikh and brahman. He wanted only to spread the most subtle and elegant ideas which he was getting from ghaib (unknown divine power), perhaps the most intelligent and sacred sarosh (angels) were guiding him to perform his chosen duty. He could see this world with entirely different pair of eyes for example look at this she”er –

Sab kahan, kuchh laal o gul mein numayan ho gayeen
Khaak mein who kya suratein hongi ke pinhan ho gayeen
(Not all of them only few people in this world are so beautiful that after their death when they are disguised in the soil, the soil gets such an immortal fertility that it produces the most charming and fragrant flowers of this world )

Uff! What a great human he was. Even he couldn’t tolerate the agony but still he was writing about the beauties, fragrance, merry and ecstasy.

He was famous for rare usage of word, unseen and unread metaphors. He gave Urdu poetry some of the classics which will remain fresh for centuries to come. Many of his couplets have been read and recited umpteen numbers of times. They have become ‘zarbul masal’ that is, these couplets are used as proverbs in literary and daily usage of Urdu-Hindi language. Like two of them are

Bahut be aabru hoke tere kooche se hum nikle…….
(I returned from your home with plenty of disgrace)

woh aaye ghar pe mere khuda ki qudrat hai……
(It’s god’s grace that he came to my abode)


One of the reasons which elevate the height of his art of poetry is that he follows the idea of perfect freedom in thought. He had deep knowledge of traditional asset of literature but he didn’t keep himself in the bond of any particular style of thought and art. That’s why his poetry is not a fairytale. It tells about boiling nerves and blood stained heart. He gave us rare and new ideas, and a method to perform them, a philosophical art to think and a way to identify and criticize them. Ghalib sees his own images in mirror which he shows to the world. The story he is narrating is the melancholy commentary of his own experiences and he enjoys it. Ghalib’s personality is not only an article of respect but he is the finest literal company. You may go there with any robe and colour it will recognize you. It already knows about your sufferings so it will give you peace and pleasure. No doubt he possesses a remarkable individuality. He himself says

Ghalib ka hai andaz-e-bayai aur……
(Ghalib’s art of poetry is different from others……)

Ghalib was drunkard by default and died in 1869 due to alcohol he was fond of and that he was drinking for several years. He lived in Agra, he lived in Calcutta, in Benaras in Rampur but he died in his dear city of Delhi. Those zigzag streets in ballimaram behind Jama Masjid still have his imprints. His footmarks from gali qasim jaan to payewalan are still there as living memoirs of this legendary character. His house where he died, his grave where he was buried and several other marks of his life are living and pleasant not sorrowful and mourning as he had advised to his well wishers -

Ghalib e khasta ke beghair kaun se kam band hain
Royie zaar zaar kiya kijiye haye haye kyon

(Nothing in this world will cease to work after this miserable Ghalib then why should anybody mourn and cry for him)


I still remember his wry smile when he shook his hand with mine. His energy traveled through my body to my soul and gave my pen an incredible and renewable source of vitality. I became able to write these words about him who has become an institution in disguise for me.

MILIND

The night in a shelter home

To the nation and society, it is very awkward to believe that there is a huge mass of men and women who have been deliberately debarred from equal citizenship rights. There is a whole nation on this earth whose people don’t enjoy equal opportunity for their dignified life. Some of the people I’m talking about reside very near to our homes, offices, temples and educational institutions - in this ancient city of Patna. They are symbolically called homeless people. They will be found near railway stations, footpaths, under the bridge, in open grounds anywhere in the city where they are not disturbed. And here disturbance doesn’t mean notching their dignity. They can live with in numerous abuses, thrashings, and a lot of urines, spits and huge amount of rubbish.

A campaign called Ashray Adhikar Abhiyan is being carried out in this serene city of Patna. Eventually, I came to know about this noble work through Ms.Dorothy. I went to see the working condition of the shelter home e that of people residing in these homes.

Nearest shelter home to me was Golghar shelter home. It was made in the campus of Golghar. It covered roughly 1000square feet and provides shelter to 80to100 people in a single night. It was made up of bamboos and tarpaulin. Though tarpaulin can’t resist lashing and piercing cold wind but beds made up of hays (pual) were quite helpful. When mercury dips down to very low point, population in the shelter home also increases. Mainly rickshaw walas, labours and blood donors come there to sleep. All of them come here in Patna to find their live hoods. The story behind each of them is painful thought provoking. They are native of Vaishali, Samastipur, Sitamrihi, Saharsa and some of them are from Bengal also. Some of them have lost their homes and some of them frequently visit their homes. The pressures of population on farm track, lack of employment, loss of crops have forced them to migrate to this big city of Patna. Here they sell their labour to earn better and comfortable living but they end to live on footpaths and dividers of road. Blood donors are interesting creatures - they sell their blood twice or thrice a week for Rs.500 to 700.They have came too far on this path and now they can’t do anything judicious to their health. They are part of the whole nexus of blood donation mafia.

In the shelter of Mahmudichak, Rajendranagar.I found many labourers and rickshaw walas. The shelter home was made was made in a government school. The arrangements were marvellous and remarkable thing was that those were made of virtual zero-resources provided originally. The same thing I found in Bihari Sao lane. The walls and floors were tattered. There were many vents in ceilings. It was good luck for me that night no rain cloud came there In Mahmudichak I met a person called Radha Ray he sells his labour to earn livelihood for himself and his family. He told me it is very difficult to live on your farmland. Sometimes it rains heavily and sometimes draught appears to swallow fruit of their hard labour. Cultivation is very difficult in villages due to these conditions. He mathematically proved me how it happens that everybody is leaving for urban areas. He told me that if a farmer has one beegha (a common unit of tract; smaller unit is kattha) and he grows wheat on it he will get 40Kg approx of wheat per kattha of land. Since one beegha is equal to 20 kattha he will get 800 Kgs of wheat from his land. Selling the produce at the rate of 6Rs/Kg he will get four thousand eight hundred rupees. He will expend Rs150 per kattha (approx) thus Rs3000 will be his expenditure. Hence his profit will be a meagre sum of Rs1800. Even if it’s exaggerated, take it to Rs.3000. It means a farmer has to survive with his family with Rs.300 till the next crop is cut and sold. And thus, they are compelled to find any other job in cities like Patna. So the root problem is in the village. Ramadhan mahto who is from Hajipur told me that if government provides us a shelter home even in live of 100to200Rs we are ready for it. It’ll be great help for us.

In Bihari Sao lane I had my dinner with rikshawwalas they had cooked delicious khichdi (a food made with rice and pulses). They told the same story. The same problem – everywhere. The roof was in a dilapidated condition thanks to rain god that it didn’t rain. They showed me their situations but they hoped that one day it will be better. In all three shelter homes, I founds ray of hopes. They hope for their future for their loved ones.

Next morning I woke up early. The sun hasn’t risen yet. It was 5:45 am in the morning of chilly winter season. A call for prayer was coming from nearby mosque. A municipality tap of water was running without any routine. A street dog was drinking water from the flowing sewage. There were one or two human beings just started packing their bags. The common people of the city had just started to be grinded in the cruel life. I finally came back to my sweet home.



MILIND

Know Your Neighbour

NAME:

Conventional long form: Union of Burma conventional short form: Burma and Myanmarlocal short form: Myanma Naingngandaw former: Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma

BACKGROUND:

Britain conquered Burma over a period of 62 years (1824-1886) and incorporated it into its Indian Empire. Burma was administered as a province of India until 1937 when it became a separate, self-governing colony; independence from the Commonwealth was attained in 1948. Gen. NE WIN dominated the government from 1962 to 1988, first as military ruler, then as self-appointed president, and later as political kingpin. Despite multiparty legislative elections in 1990 that resulted in the main opposition party - the National League for Democracy (NLD) - winning a landslide victory, the ruling junta refused to hand over power. NLD leader and Nobel Peace Prize recipient AUNG SAN SUU KYI, who was under house arrest from 1989 to 1995 and 2000 to 2002, was imprisoned in May 2003 and is currently under house arrest.

LOCATION:

South-eastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand


CLIMATE:

Tropical monsoon; cloudy, rainy, hot, humid summers (southwest monsoon, June to September); less cloudy, scant rainfall, mild temperatures, lower humidity during winter (northeast monsoon, December to April)

POPULATION:

42,720,196

Population below poverty line:

25% (2000 est.)

NATIONALITY:

Noun: Burmese (singular and plural) adjective: Burmese

LANGUAGES:

Burmese, minority ethnic groups have their own languages

LITERACY:

Definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 85.3% male: 89.2% female: 81.4% (2002)

GOVERNMENT TYPE:

Military junta

CAPITAL:

Rangoon (government refers to the capital as Yangon)

CURRENCY:

Kyat (MMK))

INDEPENDENCE:

4 January 1948 (from UK)

EXECUTIVE BRANCH:

Chief of state: Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Sr. Gen. THAN SHWE (since 23 April 1992) Head of government: Prime Minister, Gen SOE WIN (since 19 October 2004)

FLAG DISCRIPTION:

Red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing, 14 white five-pointed stars encircling a cogwheel containing a stalk of rice; the 14 stars represent the 7 administrative divisions and 7 states

ECONOMY – OVERVIEW:

Burma is a resource-rich country. Burma has been unable to achieve monetary or fiscal stability, resulting in an economy that suffers from serious macroeconomic imbalances - including a steep inflation rate and an official exchange rate that overvalues the Burmese kyat by more than 100 times the market rate. In addition, most overseas development assistance ceased after the junta suppressed the democracy movement in 1988 and subsequently ignored the results of the 1990 election..

INDUSTRIES:

Agricultural processing; knit and woven apparel; wood and wood products; copper, tin, tungsten, iron; construction materials; pharmaceuticals; fertilizer; cement

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE:

4.2% (2003)

COMMUNICATIONS:

Telephone, Radio, Television, Internet

TRANSPORTATION:

Railways, Roadways, Airports, Waterways



Farooque

VOTE OF THANKS

We are proud to present the sixth edition of ‘SAMAR’. We hope you must have enjoyed the last edition of the magazine. You can also read the magazine online at www.mysamar.blogspot.com. You can also give your feedback through e-mail or post.

Last but not the least; again we would like to thank the readers, writers and sponsor of ‘SAMAR’.

EDITOR

NOTE: Do you support reservation or not please post your views through
post or e-mail.





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BACK COVER

Pictures defines different instruments of western music.