Picture of Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, is one of the greatest teachers of 20th century.
Letter from the Editor
Dear readers,
Right to information has got a jolt when government started talking about deletion of file notings from the scan of RTI act. File notings are so important part of information conveyed by government officials that it can be spared at any cost. If file notings are deleted from the act, then RTI will lose its colour and shine. File nothings are the messages or orders written by any government officer on the side margin of an application or letter. These notes tell us that where the file is going? Whom is it refered to? If a file is lillegally stopped or lopped off, by any officer, file noting can tell us who is responsible for that. Without the revelation of file notings, any applicant cannot catch the officer who is doing the misdeeds. Only thing he can know that whether his application is submitted or not, whether it has been forwarded or not. He cannot know whether somebody has taken any step or not on his file.
According to the definition of RTI (ch 1, clause 1, sub clause (f) of Right to Information Act, 2005) published in the Gazette of India , 21 June 2005, information means anything like floppy , files, films, tapes, CDs etc. if file notings are deleted than many kinds of opinions, orders, comments, advises will not be shown to the applicant. This needs government to amend the RTI Act and nobody likes it else government.
We support people’s initiative and we condemn anything, which curbs the empowerment of common people. We urge our readers and general intelligentsia to oppose the steps, which are against the freedom of people and support the people’s intitiative through RTI.
Thank you.
Yours truly,
Editor
Right to information has got a jolt when government started talking about deletion of file notings from the scan of RTI act. File notings are so important part of information conveyed by government officials that it can be spared at any cost. If file notings are deleted from the act, then RTI will lose its colour and shine. File nothings are the messages or orders written by any government officer on the side margin of an application or letter. These notes tell us that where the file is going? Whom is it refered to? If a file is lillegally stopped or lopped off, by any officer, file noting can tell us who is responsible for that. Without the revelation of file notings, any applicant cannot catch the officer who is doing the misdeeds. Only thing he can know that whether his application is submitted or not, whether it has been forwarded or not. He cannot know whether somebody has taken any step or not on his file.
According to the definition of RTI (ch 1, clause 1, sub clause (f) of Right to Information Act, 2005) published in the Gazette of India , 21 June 2005, information means anything like floppy , files, films, tapes, CDs etc. if file notings are deleted than many kinds of opinions, orders, comments, advises will not be shown to the applicant. This needs government to amend the RTI Act and nobody likes it else government.
We support people’s initiative and we condemn anything, which curbs the empowerment of common people. We urge our readers and general intelligentsia to oppose the steps, which are against the freedom of people and support the people’s intitiative through RTI.
Thank you.
Yours truly,
Editor
Your Voice
I would like to thank all the writers and readers whose support is making this magazine popular. They all are tying to increase the sweetness of this fruit. In this process, most of the efforts of those hard working students are commendable. Where ‘Democracy’ gives the knowledge of Rights and power of an individual, the article on Kasturi Ranga Aiyangar was a new kind of bow in their quiver, which one finds rarely in the magazine. It was a good effort from the writer.
In last issue I had read the story ‘Tasadduq bhai’; I would like to give special thanks to the writer of this story. I am impressed with him. This story has encouraged other students to write such stories. The hero of this story looks like an imaginary character but writer has filled all the colours to make him alive.
The Editorial was also meaningful. We should always read editorial.
Indeed these efforts will bring something like revolution in this field. I would rather say that Samar is like an ocean and everybody should plunge in this ocean at least for once and Samar will do the rest.
Aditya
Patna
“Power corrupts a man and absolute power corrupts absolutely”
There is nothing much one can do to help the present situation. The only thing one can do is to try to persuade educated class of society as well as ourselves to join the politics and thus give our democracy a real meaning. Until then the situation will remain stagnant.
Emad
Bangalore
In last issue I had read the story ‘Tasadduq bhai’; I would like to give special thanks to the writer of this story. I am impressed with him. This story has encouraged other students to write such stories. The hero of this story looks like an imaginary character but writer has filled all the colours to make him alive.
The Editorial was also meaningful. We should always read editorial.
Indeed these efforts will bring something like revolution in this field. I would rather say that Samar is like an ocean and everybody should plunge in this ocean at least for once and Samar will do the rest.
Aditya
Patna
“Power corrupts a man and absolute power corrupts absolutely”
There is nothing much one can do to help the present situation. The only thing one can do is to try to persuade educated class of society as well as ourselves to join the politics and thus give our democracy a real meaning. Until then the situation will remain stagnant.
Emad
Bangalore
Brain drain
We are in 21st century but still Brain Drain is a sensational topic for all of us. It is acting as a hurdle for the developing countries like India. The graph shows that how drastically it is increasing in the developing countries as concerned with the topic. Brain Drain means migration of intellectuals, engineers, doctors etc. It is also acting as the economic hindrance for the nation. Today not a single developing country can provide so many facilities, better standard of living as much can a developed country can. Better jobs, temptation of money, better standard of living are some of the reasons of Brain Drain. In foreign countries, migrated peoples are treated as a second-class people but still they desire to live there. When the people go to foreign they took years and years to accept foreign cultures but after accepting foreign culture they feel little bit relaxed. The remittances send by them in the form of foreign currency or anything have no compensation for the money invested on them by their nation’s government. But they didn’t realize these things and do not ever think on these topics.
With the dawn of 21st century, economic scenario of India and other developing countries has changed. Now India is also providing equal opportunities for her people. The migration of people from India to foreign countries has reduced, but still is has not completely stopped. People are serving their nation.
It has entered in our social habit now. For India, the process of development includes foreign job. Every affluent person has very near relatives in America or European countries. Moreover, this is considered as symbol of status and in marriage negotiations, this certificate of foreign job puts the groom’s family in invincible position. It is a national shame.
We had read in our schoolbooks that the fire extinguisher goes fist to those places where the fire is mire severe. Similarly, doctors, engineers, advocates, journalists and managers are needed most in our villages but all of us know that instead of going to villages they are going to America.
At last, I would like to conclude and also suggest that every person must feel that your country is the best and try to live in the circumstances provided to you in your country. I also want to suggest those peoples who are working in foreign countries that they must come back and serve their country.
~ADIL
With the dawn of 21st century, economic scenario of India and other developing countries has changed. Now India is also providing equal opportunities for her people. The migration of people from India to foreign countries has reduced, but still is has not completely stopped. People are serving their nation.
It has entered in our social habit now. For India, the process of development includes foreign job. Every affluent person has very near relatives in America or European countries. Moreover, this is considered as symbol of status and in marriage negotiations, this certificate of foreign job puts the groom’s family in invincible position. It is a national shame.
We had read in our schoolbooks that the fire extinguisher goes fist to those places where the fire is mire severe. Similarly, doctors, engineers, advocates, journalists and managers are needed most in our villages but all of us know that instead of going to villages they are going to America.
At last, I would like to conclude and also suggest that every person must feel that your country is the best and try to live in the circumstances provided to you in your country. I also want to suggest those peoples who are working in foreign countries that they must come back and serve their country.
~ADIL
A Tribute to Bhagat Singh
September 28th is the birth anniversary of one of the most heroic figures of the Indian freedom movement. Bhagat Singh, an outstanding revolutionary and martyr of the Indian freedom struggle and a great source of inspiration to the revolutionary mindset of the Indian youth.
His Life
On 28th September 1907, Bhagat Singh was born in the Khatkar Kalan village into a family of Sandhu Jats. He was born in the midst of two decisive phases of the Indian National movement – the phase of the Extremisms of Lal-Bal-Pal and the non-violent mass action of Gandhian phase. In 1919, He was just child when Jalianwala Bagh Massacre took place in Punjab. That incident deeply affected the little child. In 1920 when he was 13, he actively participated in Non-Cooperation movement started by Mahatma Gandhi. He showed his enthusiasm by burning his government-school books and any British-imported clothing. But in 1922 Chauri Chaura riot took place that compelled Gandhi to call off this movement and he was disappointed by Gandhi’s decision. One can easily see the hatred of a kid against British administration and love towards his own country.
In 1923, Bhagat Singh joined the National College, Lahore. There he started reading European philosophies of Marx, Lenin, and Mazzini etc. At this age, he was completely dedicated to the cause of national liberation. Nothing illustrates better than his attitude to his marriage. He ran away from Lahore to Kanpur and left behind a note for his father in which he clearly explained him his dedication to the noblest cause and that is freedom of the country. In that note he had also mentioned about his two uncles who had gone that way and they had left two widows and he cannot leave another.
After reaching Kanpur, he worked with Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi where they brought out a weekly newspaper called Pratap. Here Bhatgat Singh met with new people like B.K.Dutt, Shiv Venna, and B.K.Sinha etc. Ajoy Gosh in his book wrote about his first meeting with Bhagat Singh where he perceived Bhagat Singh from his shabby dress as a typical village lad lacking smartness and self-confidence.
In 1924, Bhagat Singh became a member of the Hindustan Republican Association. The main organizer of this association was Chandra Shekhar Azad. Arms revolution was understood as the only way to fight against British imperialism. Therefore, the British government branded revolutionaries as terrorists. Later in 1925, he returned to Lahore and within a year, he along with his workers started a youth organization and named it Naujawan Bharat Sabha. In 1926, Bhagat Singh along with Sohan Singh Josh started a monthly magazine Kirti in Punjab. In 1927-28, he along with the other leaders was first arrested on charges of association with Kakori case. The first thing he did was to change the name of the organization (HRA) into Hidustan Socialist Republican Association.
His Life
On 28th September 1907, Bhagat Singh was born in the Khatkar Kalan village into a family of Sandhu Jats. He was born in the midst of two decisive phases of the Indian National movement – the phase of the Extremisms of Lal-Bal-Pal and the non-violent mass action of Gandhian phase. In 1919, He was just child when Jalianwala Bagh Massacre took place in Punjab. That incident deeply affected the little child. In 1920 when he was 13, he actively participated in Non-Cooperation movement started by Mahatma Gandhi. He showed his enthusiasm by burning his government-school books and any British-imported clothing. But in 1922 Chauri Chaura riot took place that compelled Gandhi to call off this movement and he was disappointed by Gandhi’s decision. One can easily see the hatred of a kid against British administration and love towards his own country.
In 1923, Bhagat Singh joined the National College, Lahore. There he started reading European philosophies of Marx, Lenin, and Mazzini etc. At this age, he was completely dedicated to the cause of national liberation. Nothing illustrates better than his attitude to his marriage. He ran away from Lahore to Kanpur and left behind a note for his father in which he clearly explained him his dedication to the noblest cause and that is freedom of the country. In that note he had also mentioned about his two uncles who had gone that way and they had left two widows and he cannot leave another.
After reaching Kanpur, he worked with Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi where they brought out a weekly newspaper called Pratap. Here Bhatgat Singh met with new people like B.K.Dutt, Shiv Venna, and B.K.Sinha etc. Ajoy Gosh in his book wrote about his first meeting with Bhagat Singh where he perceived Bhagat Singh from his shabby dress as a typical village lad lacking smartness and self-confidence.
In 1924, Bhagat Singh became a member of the Hindustan Republican Association. The main organizer of this association was Chandra Shekhar Azad. Arms revolution was understood as the only way to fight against British imperialism. Therefore, the British government branded revolutionaries as terrorists. Later in 1925, he returned to Lahore and within a year, he along with his workers started a youth organization and named it Naujawan Bharat Sabha. In 1926, Bhagat Singh along with Sohan Singh Josh started a monthly magazine Kirti in Punjab. In 1927-28, he along with the other leaders was first arrested on charges of association with Kakori case. The first thing he did was to change the name of the organization (HRA) into Hidustan Socialist Republican Association.
The British government created a commission under Sir John Simon to report on current political scenario in India. The Indian political parties opposed the commission and demanded Simon to go back. On 30th October 1928, Lala Lajpat Rai led the protest against the commission in silent non-violent march rather in a peaceful way. But the police responded violently. Lala Lajpat Rai died when Police chief, Scott, beat him brutally. Bhagat Singh determined to take revenge of Lajpat Rai's death. Sukhdev and Rajguru also joined him and ploted a plan to shoot the British official responsible for the killing, Deputy Inspector General Scott. But accidentally he shot down Assistant Superintendent Saunders
In 1929, Bhagat Singh and B.K.Dutt threw bombs onto the corridors of the assembly and raised the slogan "Inquilab Zindabad!" ("Long Live the Revolution!"). A shower of leaflets followed this. Both of them refused to run away from the scene and then they were arrested. During his trial, Bhagat Singh refused to employ any defence counsel. In the same year, Bhagat Singh wrote a letter to Sukhdev in which he said:
“I can say with all my might that I am immersed in the hopes and doubts that give life a meaning. But when the time comes, I will sacrifice everything. In the true sense this is a true sacrifice…you will recognise soon.”
During the trial for the Assembly bombing, the British came to know of his involvement in the murder of J. P. Saunders. Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev were charged with the murder. Bhagat Singh decided to use the court as a tool to publicize his cause for the independence of India. Later, Bhagat Singh, Sukh Dev and Raj Guru were awarded the death sentence.Despite great popular pressure and numerous appeals by political leaders of India, Bhagat Singh and his fellow comrades were hanged in the early hours of March 23, 1931. At the time of his martyrdom, he was on 23 years old.
“I can say with all my might that I am immersed in the hopes and doubts that give life a meaning. But when the time comes, I will sacrifice everything. In the true sense this is a true sacrifice…you will recognise soon.”
During the trial for the Assembly bombing, the British came to know of his involvement in the murder of J. P. Saunders. Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev were charged with the murder. Bhagat Singh decided to use the court as a tool to publicize his cause for the independence of India. Later, Bhagat Singh, Sukh Dev and Raj Guru were awarded the death sentence.Despite great popular pressure and numerous appeals by political leaders of India, Bhagat Singh and his fellow comrades were hanged in the early hours of March 23, 1931. At the time of his martyrdom, he was on 23 years old.
His Ideologies
During the freedom struggle, revolutionaries had raised their fingers at the ideology and methodology of Gandhi and Congress. They even apprehended that freedom might prove mere transfer of powers from white ones to coloured ones. Bhagat Singh deeply studied European movements, and attracted to anarchism and communism. He expressed his views on almost all problems of Indian Society. In his early life, one can see the influence of anarchist philosophy on his life. He wrote many articles on anarchism and in 1928 Kirti serialized his articles. Bhagat Singh in one of his essays declared, “The people are scared of the word anarchism”. According to him, the ultimate goal of Anarchism is complete independence. When he was in condemned cell in 1931, he released a pamphlet ‘Why Am I an Atheist?’ in which he clearly expressed his views on God and religion. He believed in total eradication of religion, God, state and private property.
Russian revolution influenced him and forced him to study Marx and Lenin. In his pamphlets, one can find the essence of Marx as he described religion as “the opium of the people”. He considers religion and God as the products human ignorance, fear, lack of self-confidence. He acknowledged Bakunin’s God and the State, which severely criticises God. When he got rid of anarchist philosophy then he understood that only socialism could be the solution to the problems. He along with his fellow comrades argued that ‘radical change’ was necessary. Gradually he realised the need of mass mobilisation by the communist party.
Last Days
Bhagat dingh was convicted of sedition and treason and awarded death scentence by the Lahore high court. He was to be hanged till death on 24th March 1931. This news spread like wildfire and all the residents of Lahore started a series of processions and protests. They thronged outside the jail. They wee keen to defeat the jail authorities and set Bhagat singh free. British authorities, fearing an uprising by public, decided to hang the three friends a day ahead of the decided day i.e.24th March.
On 23rd March Bhagat Singh was going towards the hanging rope while singing the famous song from Punjab, which his martyr uncle Udham singh used to sing –
Mera rang de basanti chola…
O! Maiee rang de basanti chola.
He knew that nation is never going to forget him and his sacrifices.
(Bhagat Singh in prison)
During the freedom struggle, revolutionaries had raised their fingers at the ideology and methodology of Gandhi and Congress. They even apprehended that freedom might prove mere transfer of powers from white ones to coloured ones. Bhagat Singh deeply studied European movements, and attracted to anarchism and communism. He expressed his views on almost all problems of Indian Society. In his early life, one can see the influence of anarchist philosophy on his life. He wrote many articles on anarchism and in 1928 Kirti serialized his articles. Bhagat Singh in one of his essays declared, “The people are scared of the word anarchism”. According to him, the ultimate goal of Anarchism is complete independence. When he was in condemned cell in 1931, he released a pamphlet ‘Why Am I an Atheist?’ in which he clearly expressed his views on God and religion. He believed in total eradication of religion, God, state and private property.
Russian revolution influenced him and forced him to study Marx and Lenin. In his pamphlets, one can find the essence of Marx as he described religion as “the opium of the people”. He considers religion and God as the products human ignorance, fear, lack of self-confidence. He acknowledged Bakunin’s God and the State, which severely criticises God. When he got rid of anarchist philosophy then he understood that only socialism could be the solution to the problems. He along with his fellow comrades argued that ‘radical change’ was necessary. Gradually he realised the need of mass mobilisation by the communist party.
Last Days
Bhagat dingh was convicted of sedition and treason and awarded death scentence by the Lahore high court. He was to be hanged till death on 24th March 1931. This news spread like wildfire and all the residents of Lahore started a series of processions and protests. They thronged outside the jail. They wee keen to defeat the jail authorities and set Bhagat singh free. British authorities, fearing an uprising by public, decided to hang the three friends a day ahead of the decided day i.e.24th March.
On 23rd March Bhagat Singh was going towards the hanging rope while singing the famous song from Punjab, which his martyr uncle Udham singh used to sing –Mera rang de basanti chola…
O! Maiee rang de basanti chola.
He knew that nation is never going to forget him and his sacrifices.
(Bhagat Singh in prison)
~Azmi
References
Bhagat Singh, ‘Why I am an Atheist’, 1930
Vinod Mishra, ‘Shahidon ke khat’, 1990, Publication Division – Government of India.
Niraja Rao, ‘ Bhatgat Singh and the Revolutionary Movement’, www.revolutionarydemocracy.org
Ajoy Ghosh, ‘Essays on Bhagat Singh and his friends’.
References
Bhagat Singh, ‘Why I am an Atheist’, 1930
Vinod Mishra, ‘Shahidon ke khat’, 1990, Publication Division – Government of India.
Niraja Rao, ‘ Bhatgat Singh and the Revolutionary Movement’, www.revolutionarydemocracy.org
Ajoy Ghosh, ‘Essays on Bhagat Singh and his friends’.
Poets Of The World
Amir Khusrau
If any body prepares a list of geniuses born in India, he can’t resist himself in putting Amir Khusrau among top class geniuses of that list. He was a pure Sufi, a delicate poet, master musician, an able courtier and a mysterious mystic. Once you meet him, you can’t forget him for whole of your life. Here we are concerned with Sufi poet Khusrau only who used to say in Indian colloquial language –
Khusrau baji prem ki khelun pi ke sang
Jeet gayi to piya more hari pee ke sang.
(I’m playing a game with my beloved; if I win he will become mine, if lose I will become his)
His style of living was like that he is in continuous romance with his divine beloved. He is being haunted, he is being cajoled, by his beloved and he is writhing like fish when his beloved is far from him. He is in a state of khumar (sense of sub consciousness), he cannot distinguish anything else his beloved. He is under influence of a spiritual wine, which has captured his mind, he is in a mood of whirling dervish, he says –
Prem pati ka madwa pilayi ke
Mohe matwari keeni re mose meine milaike
(He has given me wine of love; he has made me crazy by his divine eyes)
Abdul Hasan Yamimddin Khusrau was born in 1253 A.D. in Patiali, Etah (UP) or Mominabad. His father was chieftain or noble man in king’s court. Therefore, Khusrau never had any problem of livelihood. It was nature’s grace only that he developed his inner talent, which is mysticism. Since childhood, he was fallen in love with nature and its umpteen beauties. Sense of bewilderment was arousing in him as his age was developing. But everything in life is not like silvery bed sheet; you have to sleep on rough surfaces also, as it happened in Khusrau life when his father died in 1260. His maternal grandfather, Imad ul mulk became his guardian. In 1266, he got an able & brilliant teacher in Khwaja Alauddin whose keen eyes caught the talent of Khusrau. He encouraged him in writing poetry. According to his life sketch in his own words, Khusrau had said that in 1266 he was writing good musical poems. This phase continued till 1270 when he wrote his first deewan called – tohfat us sighr – from here, what he started, continued till his death. Three years later his maternal grandfather died, now Khusrau had to find his way on his own. He joined the court of nephew of Balban (Balban was sultan of India at that time). Then he roamed here & there with sultan & kings. In 1281, he went to Multan, where he met Hasan sajzi whose friendship gave him chance to have deep insight into tasawwuf (spiritualism). There he wrote his second deewan called wasat-ul-hayat (middle of life). After many ups & downs in life, he came back to Delhi in 1288 & joined the royal court.
In Delhi, he spent his bigger part of life. Delhi & its residents fascinated him. He loved Indian culture & simple people of this beautiful nation. He was primarily a Persian poet and most of his writings are in Persian but on the other hand, he is the first one who sang and composed poems for simple, illiterate village folks. The time when he was writing historical Masnawis (long poems), a particular dialect, which was mixture of Sanskrit, Persian, Braj bhasha, Punjabi, Haryani was being developed in vicinity of Delhi. This language was called Hindwi. Khusrau loved & nurtured this language with his gifted art of poetry. Khusrau started the tradition of poetry in Hindi, which continued till 20th century. Khusrau gave Hindi its first khari boli composition.
He became master of this language, which was still neither perfect nor matured. For example, the master artisan Khusrau carves out a ghazal from big trees of verses. It has all the she’ers (couplets) with first lime in Brajbhasha & second line in pure Persian.
Zihal Miskin makun taghaful, Doraye naina banaye batiyan
Ki tab e hijran na daram aye jaan, ne lehu kahe lagaye chhatiyan.
Shab e hijran daraz choon zulf, wa roz waslat jo umra kotah
Sakhi piya ko jo main na dekhun, to kaise katun andheri ratiyan
Yaka yak az dil do chashme jadoo basad farebam baburd taskin
Kise padi hai jo ja sunaye piyare pee ko hamari batiyan
Choo shama’e sozan, choo zarrah hairah hamesha giriyan ba ishqe aan ma
Na neend naina, ne ang chaina ne aap aaye, na bhaji patiyan.
Be haq roze wisal e dilbar ki daad ma ra fareb Khusrau
Sapet man ko daraye rakhoon jo jaan paoon piye ki ghatiyan
Do not think otherwise about my misery, you are weaving tales by blandishing your eyes; my patience has over brimmed, O my beloved why not you take me to your bosom?
Night of separation is very long like hair and day of meeting is short like life, my friend! How can I pass this dark night without seeing beloved’s face?
With a sudden shiver and with tricks of his eyes, he robbed peace of my mind;
Nobody is so caring that he will report this matter to my beloved.
Tossed & bewildered like a flickering candle, I roam about in fire of love; neither sleep in my eyes, nor rest in body, neither he comes nor sends any message.
In honour of the day of access to my beloved who lured me so long, O Khusrau! I shall keep my feelings suppressed if ever I get a chance to get at this trick.[1]
The above ghazal is a masterpiece of Khusrau. One can notice that, the first line of first couplet is hybrid of Braj & Persian. This Khusrau has done to attract those men & women who were far from literature. Khusrau got immense success & popularity among local people. There are innumerable instances in his poetry where it seems he has submitted his poetry for the masses.
He wrote doha, paheli, mukrani, widai geet which are so popular in north India that they are sung every now & then. Even after eight hundred years, these poems are as fresh as they were before. You must have heard this song –
Kahe ko biyahe bides re – lakhi babul morey
Bhaiya ko dijo mahal do mahale, ham ko dijo pardes re
lakhi babul morey
Hum tore babul – pijare ki chiriya, kuhuk kuhuk rah jaye re –
lakhi babul morey
(Why you are marrying me to such far place – my prosperous father.
You are giving bungalows to brothers & banishment to me – o prosperous father.
I’m a miser bird of your cage sobbing & sobbing only – o prosperous father)
Another example of his love for Indian culture and its simple living style is his art of writing paheli (riddles). Look at this riddle
Farsi boli aaina, turki sochi payi na
Hindi bole aarsi aaye, Khusrau, munh dekhe jo bataye
(Answer – Mirror)
Khusrau was a musician too. He used to compose tunes for his poem. Some of his poems have been set on tunes i.e. first he made tunes then wrote poems. Khusrau had travelled extensively all over India, from Awadh to Bihar, Bengal, from Chittor to Gujarat Sindh and from Punjab to Multan, Afganistan. He had seen varieties of culture & traditions. He was fond of colloquial style of singing hymns & poem. He used to sit among those common people so he would become a singer in the same style as the common people used to follow. On the other hand, he visited Khanquahs and other places where Sufis from Shiraz, Khurasan, and Nishapur were coming to India. In these places, a particular kind of concerts were performed which were called Qaul (in Arabic, qaul means saying, to talk) this qaul developed into qawwali. Khusrau adopted versions of qawwali and grinded it with Indian sur taal. What he produced was called ‘Sama’. In this Sama Khusrau himself sang his ghazals using Hindustani classical music He invented various forms and pattern of songs like talbana, naqshgul, tarana and khayal. His purpose was to touch the masses. Interestingly, most of his ghazal were not be read but to be sing. He himself says–
“If it fails to become a part of people’s memory, it is still unborn although given birth to.”
What Khusrau had initiated in a small corner of Delhi is now famous all over the globe. People in huge numbers come to enjoy those traditional performing arts, which Khusrau had developed. It can be said that Khusrau was the greatest ghazal singer ever lived.
While exploring to various beauties & vistas, one day he met Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya. He became his disciple immediately. He was spellbound to see the spiritual beauty of his master. He could not resist himself falling in love with Nizamuddin. Nizamuddin possessed umpteen numbers of beautiful colours in his character & Khusrau was bewildered spectator of those colours. He himself was coloured in the same colours possessed by the sage, his beloved his master –
Bali bali jaoon tore rang rejwa
Aapni si rang dini re mose naina milaike
(I go fascinated with you, you are such a dyer, or master of colours that you have coloured me in your own colours only by peeping into my eyes)
This love of two stalwarts was very famous in Delhi. In fact, Khusrau spent big part of rest of his life with Nizamuddin at latter’s abode in south Delhi. He wrote several poems in praise of Nazammuddin, they are still sung by qawwals daily in the evening at dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin –
Main nizam se naina laga aayi re
Gar gawari kahe so kahe
Nar naari kahe so kahe
Main nizam se naina laga aayi re
(I have fallen in love with Nizamuddin, let folks men & women say anything, I have fallen in love with Nizamuddin).
He was an Indian by his heart & soul. And Indian Sufism provided its soft and quintessential values to him. He was justly and aptly inclined towards the Hindu – Muslim unity. He never accepted the conflict of religions .He never allowed religious sentiments to overshadow his inner will to love the beauties of nature & life. He says about himself –
Kafire ishqam musalman darkar nist;
Har rage jan tar gashteh hajate zunnar nist.
(I’m a worshipper of love, I need not to remain Muslim; every single vein has become thread, now I don’t need Brahminical thread).
These beautiful ideologies he learnt from the company of various Sufis he met in his wandering life. When he writes about the simple lovelorn lines for simple peoples, he do not forgets the taste of those Sufis who were his majestic mentors. In the highest ecstasy of Qalandar (a stage in Sufism where the person forgets his whereabouts) his heart sings like this –
Nami danam che manzil bood shab jaye ki man boodam
Chahar simt raqse bismil bood shab jaye ki man boodam
(I don’t know where I had reached, where I was last night
A dance of wounded was being performed, where I was last night.)
And no doubt among all the Sufis he respected Nizamuddin most. Perhaps he loved him more than anything in his life. After the death of his mentor Khusrau got so dejected and withdrawn from worldly affairs that soon his own death arrived to his doorstep. Nizamuddin died in April 1325 A.D. and Khusrau died in September 1325 A.D. Khusrau was buried behind the same courtyard where he used to sing qawwalis. There you will find the famous she’r Khusrau said, in disappointment on death of Nizamuddin –
Gori soye sej pe mukh par dare kes
Chal khusru ghar aapne rain bhaiyi chanhun des
(The beauty is sleeping while hiding her face from me; come on Khusrau, go to home, it is dark now)
Khusrau is sleeping at the foot side of grave of his master Nizamuddin for seven hundred years.
If any body prepares a list of geniuses born in India, he can’t resist himself in putting Amir Khusrau among top class geniuses of that list. He was a pure Sufi, a delicate poet, master musician, an able courtier and a mysterious mystic. Once you meet him, you can’t forget him for whole of your life. Here we are concerned with Sufi poet Khusrau only who used to say in Indian colloquial language –
Khusrau baji prem ki khelun pi ke sang
Jeet gayi to piya more hari pee ke sang.
(I’m playing a game with my beloved; if I win he will become mine, if lose I will become his)
His style of living was like that he is in continuous romance with his divine beloved. He is being haunted, he is being cajoled, by his beloved and he is writhing like fish when his beloved is far from him. He is in a state of khumar (sense of sub consciousness), he cannot distinguish anything else his beloved. He is under influence of a spiritual wine, which has captured his mind, he is in a mood of whirling dervish, he says –
Prem pati ka madwa pilayi ke
Mohe matwari keeni re mose meine milaike
(He has given me wine of love; he has made me crazy by his divine eyes)
Abdul Hasan Yamimddin Khusrau was born in 1253 A.D. in Patiali, Etah (UP) or Mominabad. His father was chieftain or noble man in king’s court. Therefore, Khusrau never had any problem of livelihood. It was nature’s grace only that he developed his inner talent, which is mysticism. Since childhood, he was fallen in love with nature and its umpteen beauties. Sense of bewilderment was arousing in him as his age was developing. But everything in life is not like silvery bed sheet; you have to sleep on rough surfaces also, as it happened in Khusrau life when his father died in 1260. His maternal grandfather, Imad ul mulk became his guardian. In 1266, he got an able & brilliant teacher in Khwaja Alauddin whose keen eyes caught the talent of Khusrau. He encouraged him in writing poetry. According to his life sketch in his own words, Khusrau had said that in 1266 he was writing good musical poems. This phase continued till 1270 when he wrote his first deewan called – tohfat us sighr – from here, what he started, continued till his death. Three years later his maternal grandfather died, now Khusrau had to find his way on his own. He joined the court of nephew of Balban (Balban was sultan of India at that time). Then he roamed here & there with sultan & kings. In 1281, he went to Multan, where he met Hasan sajzi whose friendship gave him chance to have deep insight into tasawwuf (spiritualism). There he wrote his second deewan called wasat-ul-hayat (middle of life). After many ups & downs in life, he came back to Delhi in 1288 & joined the royal court.
In Delhi, he spent his bigger part of life. Delhi & its residents fascinated him. He loved Indian culture & simple people of this beautiful nation. He was primarily a Persian poet and most of his writings are in Persian but on the other hand, he is the first one who sang and composed poems for simple, illiterate village folks. The time when he was writing historical Masnawis (long poems), a particular dialect, which was mixture of Sanskrit, Persian, Braj bhasha, Punjabi, Haryani was being developed in vicinity of Delhi. This language was called Hindwi. Khusrau loved & nurtured this language with his gifted art of poetry. Khusrau started the tradition of poetry in Hindi, which continued till 20th century. Khusrau gave Hindi its first khari boli composition.
He became master of this language, which was still neither perfect nor matured. For example, the master artisan Khusrau carves out a ghazal from big trees of verses. It has all the she’ers (couplets) with first lime in Brajbhasha & second line in pure Persian.
Zihal Miskin makun taghaful, Doraye naina banaye batiyan
Ki tab e hijran na daram aye jaan, ne lehu kahe lagaye chhatiyan.
Shab e hijran daraz choon zulf, wa roz waslat jo umra kotah
Sakhi piya ko jo main na dekhun, to kaise katun andheri ratiyan
Yaka yak az dil do chashme jadoo basad farebam baburd taskin
Kise padi hai jo ja sunaye piyare pee ko hamari batiyan
Choo shama’e sozan, choo zarrah hairah hamesha giriyan ba ishqe aan ma
Na neend naina, ne ang chaina ne aap aaye, na bhaji patiyan.
Be haq roze wisal e dilbar ki daad ma ra fareb Khusrau
Sapet man ko daraye rakhoon jo jaan paoon piye ki ghatiyan
Do not think otherwise about my misery, you are weaving tales by blandishing your eyes; my patience has over brimmed, O my beloved why not you take me to your bosom?
Night of separation is very long like hair and day of meeting is short like life, my friend! How can I pass this dark night without seeing beloved’s face?
With a sudden shiver and with tricks of his eyes, he robbed peace of my mind;
Nobody is so caring that he will report this matter to my beloved.
Tossed & bewildered like a flickering candle, I roam about in fire of love; neither sleep in my eyes, nor rest in body, neither he comes nor sends any message.
In honour of the day of access to my beloved who lured me so long, O Khusrau! I shall keep my feelings suppressed if ever I get a chance to get at this trick.[1]
The above ghazal is a masterpiece of Khusrau. One can notice that, the first line of first couplet is hybrid of Braj & Persian. This Khusrau has done to attract those men & women who were far from literature. Khusrau got immense success & popularity among local people. There are innumerable instances in his poetry where it seems he has submitted his poetry for the masses.
He wrote doha, paheli, mukrani, widai geet which are so popular in north India that they are sung every now & then. Even after eight hundred years, these poems are as fresh as they were before. You must have heard this song –
Kahe ko biyahe bides re – lakhi babul morey
Bhaiya ko dijo mahal do mahale, ham ko dijo pardes re
lakhi babul morey
Hum tore babul – pijare ki chiriya, kuhuk kuhuk rah jaye re –
lakhi babul morey
(Why you are marrying me to such far place – my prosperous father.
You are giving bungalows to brothers & banishment to me – o prosperous father.
I’m a miser bird of your cage sobbing & sobbing only – o prosperous father)
Another example of his love for Indian culture and its simple living style is his art of writing paheli (riddles). Look at this riddle
Farsi boli aaina, turki sochi payi na
Hindi bole aarsi aaye, Khusrau, munh dekhe jo bataye
(Answer – Mirror)
Khusrau was a musician too. He used to compose tunes for his poem. Some of his poems have been set on tunes i.e. first he made tunes then wrote poems. Khusrau had travelled extensively all over India, from Awadh to Bihar, Bengal, from Chittor to Gujarat Sindh and from Punjab to Multan, Afganistan. He had seen varieties of culture & traditions. He was fond of colloquial style of singing hymns & poem. He used to sit among those common people so he would become a singer in the same style as the common people used to follow. On the other hand, he visited Khanquahs and other places where Sufis from Shiraz, Khurasan, and Nishapur were coming to India. In these places, a particular kind of concerts were performed which were called Qaul (in Arabic, qaul means saying, to talk) this qaul developed into qawwali. Khusrau adopted versions of qawwali and grinded it with Indian sur taal. What he produced was called ‘Sama’. In this Sama Khusrau himself sang his ghazals using Hindustani classical music He invented various forms and pattern of songs like talbana, naqshgul, tarana and khayal. His purpose was to touch the masses. Interestingly, most of his ghazal were not be read but to be sing. He himself says–
“If it fails to become a part of people’s memory, it is still unborn although given birth to.”
What Khusrau had initiated in a small corner of Delhi is now famous all over the globe. People in huge numbers come to enjoy those traditional performing arts, which Khusrau had developed. It can be said that Khusrau was the greatest ghazal singer ever lived.
While exploring to various beauties & vistas, one day he met Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya. He became his disciple immediately. He was spellbound to see the spiritual beauty of his master. He could not resist himself falling in love with Nizamuddin. Nizamuddin possessed umpteen numbers of beautiful colours in his character & Khusrau was bewildered spectator of those colours. He himself was coloured in the same colours possessed by the sage, his beloved his master –
Bali bali jaoon tore rang rejwa
Aapni si rang dini re mose naina milaike
(I go fascinated with you, you are such a dyer, or master of colours that you have coloured me in your own colours only by peeping into my eyes)
This love of two stalwarts was very famous in Delhi. In fact, Khusrau spent big part of rest of his life with Nizamuddin at latter’s abode in south Delhi. He wrote several poems in praise of Nazammuddin, they are still sung by qawwals daily in the evening at dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin –
Main nizam se naina laga aayi re
Gar gawari kahe so kahe
Nar naari kahe so kahe
Main nizam se naina laga aayi re
(I have fallen in love with Nizamuddin, let folks men & women say anything, I have fallen in love with Nizamuddin).
He was an Indian by his heart & soul. And Indian Sufism provided its soft and quintessential values to him. He was justly and aptly inclined towards the Hindu – Muslim unity. He never accepted the conflict of religions .He never allowed religious sentiments to overshadow his inner will to love the beauties of nature & life. He says about himself –
Kafire ishqam musalman darkar nist;
Har rage jan tar gashteh hajate zunnar nist.
(I’m a worshipper of love, I need not to remain Muslim; every single vein has become thread, now I don’t need Brahminical thread).
These beautiful ideologies he learnt from the company of various Sufis he met in his wandering life. When he writes about the simple lovelorn lines for simple peoples, he do not forgets the taste of those Sufis who were his majestic mentors. In the highest ecstasy of Qalandar (a stage in Sufism where the person forgets his whereabouts) his heart sings like this –
Nami danam che manzil bood shab jaye ki man boodam
Chahar simt raqse bismil bood shab jaye ki man boodam
(I don’t know where I had reached, where I was last night
A dance of wounded was being performed, where I was last night.)
And no doubt among all the Sufis he respected Nizamuddin most. Perhaps he loved him more than anything in his life. After the death of his mentor Khusrau got so dejected and withdrawn from worldly affairs that soon his own death arrived to his doorstep. Nizamuddin died in April 1325 A.D. and Khusrau died in September 1325 A.D. Khusrau was buried behind the same courtyard where he used to sing qawwalis. There you will find the famous she’r Khusrau said, in disappointment on death of Nizamuddin –
Gori soye sej pe mukh par dare kes
Chal khusru ghar aapne rain bhaiyi chanhun des
(The beauty is sleeping while hiding her face from me; come on Khusrau, go to home, it is dark now)
Khusrau is sleeping at the foot side of grave of his master Nizamuddin for seven hundred years.
[1] For the translation of this poem refer to Amir Khusrau, Publication Division, 1978
~Milind
Highest Production and Lowest Consumption
It is not that nothing has been achieved in India over the half century or since 1947. Positive things have certainly happened. First, the rapid elimination of famines in India after independence is an achievement of great import. This is certainly an accomplishment, which contrasts with the failure of many other developing countries in preventing famines.
Second, the stagnating agriculture that so characterized and plagued pre-independence India has been firmly replaced by a massive expansion of the production possibilities in Indian agriculture, through innovative advances. The technological limits have been widely expanded. What holds up Indian food consumption today is not any operational inability to produce more food but a far-reaching failure to bring food within the reach of more deprived sections of the population.
How can things be changed? The first thing to get rid of is the astonishing smugness about India’s food record and widespread ignorance that supports it. India has not, we must recognise unambiguously, done well in tackling the persistent hunger. Estimates of general level of under nourishment – what is sometimes called – ‘protein – energy – malnutrition’ – in India is nearly twice higher than Sub Saharan Africa. It is astonishing that despite of intermittent occurrence of famine in Africa, it manages to ensure a much higher level of nourishment than India does. About half of the children appear chronically ill and half of the women suffer from anaemia. India’s record is among the worst in the world. India has done worse than any country in the later respect.
Poverty, healthcare and education take us to the next question. People have to go hungry if they do not have means to buy enough food. It is particularly important to pay attention in the areas like employment opportunities, other ways of acquiring economic means and food prices too which influence people’s ability to buy food.
Since maternal under nourishment is casually linked with gender bias against women in India. It appears that the penalty India pays by being unfair towards women hits all the Indians, boys as well as girls, men as well as women. Even though there ambiguous empirical evidences regarding the relative backwardness of girls Vis a Vis boys, there are no dearth of definitive evidences of the neglect of pregnant women.
India has largest food mountains and lowest level of nourishment. In 1998, stocks of food grains in central government’s godowns were around 18 million tonnes. This amount would be so much that if all sacks of grains are piled up together, it would stretch more than million kilometres, taking us to the moon and back. Since 2000, the stocks have risen some more and now the sacks would take us to the moon and back to the earth and again to the moon.
We are evidently determined to maintain at heavy cost. India’s unenviable combination of having worst nourishment level in the world and the largest unused food stock in the world is a dubious distinction for us. This is just because of high price system that generates a massive shortage, which keeps the hands and the mouths of the poorer consumers away from food.
We have reached a stage in our agriculture evolution when our production will increase only when we improve our consumption.
Instead of that, millions of Indians are sleeping hungry every night. The responsibility falls on the underdogs of our country i.e. the politicians and the high-level people who are not paying a little attention towards them, and indeed WE.
~Aman
Second, the stagnating agriculture that so characterized and plagued pre-independence India has been firmly replaced by a massive expansion of the production possibilities in Indian agriculture, through innovative advances. The technological limits have been widely expanded. What holds up Indian food consumption today is not any operational inability to produce more food but a far-reaching failure to bring food within the reach of more deprived sections of the population.
How can things be changed? The first thing to get rid of is the astonishing smugness about India’s food record and widespread ignorance that supports it. India has not, we must recognise unambiguously, done well in tackling the persistent hunger. Estimates of general level of under nourishment – what is sometimes called – ‘protein – energy – malnutrition’ – in India is nearly twice higher than Sub Saharan Africa. It is astonishing that despite of intermittent occurrence of famine in Africa, it manages to ensure a much higher level of nourishment than India does. About half of the children appear chronically ill and half of the women suffer from anaemia. India’s record is among the worst in the world. India has done worse than any country in the later respect.
Poverty, healthcare and education take us to the next question. People have to go hungry if they do not have means to buy enough food. It is particularly important to pay attention in the areas like employment opportunities, other ways of acquiring economic means and food prices too which influence people’s ability to buy food.
Since maternal under nourishment is casually linked with gender bias against women in India. It appears that the penalty India pays by being unfair towards women hits all the Indians, boys as well as girls, men as well as women. Even though there ambiguous empirical evidences regarding the relative backwardness of girls Vis a Vis boys, there are no dearth of definitive evidences of the neglect of pregnant women.
India has largest food mountains and lowest level of nourishment. In 1998, stocks of food grains in central government’s godowns were around 18 million tonnes. This amount would be so much that if all sacks of grains are piled up together, it would stretch more than million kilometres, taking us to the moon and back. Since 2000, the stocks have risen some more and now the sacks would take us to the moon and back to the earth and again to the moon.
We are evidently determined to maintain at heavy cost. India’s unenviable combination of having worst nourishment level in the world and the largest unused food stock in the world is a dubious distinction for us. This is just because of high price system that generates a massive shortage, which keeps the hands and the mouths of the poorer consumers away from food.
We have reached a stage in our agriculture evolution when our production will increase only when we improve our consumption.
Instead of that, millions of Indians are sleeping hungry every night. The responsibility falls on the underdogs of our country i.e. the politicians and the high-level people who are not paying a little attention towards them, and indeed WE.
~Aman
Vote Of Thanks
We are proud to present the 8th edition of ‘SAMAR’. We hope you must have enjoyed 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 People’s initiative for complete Right to information? Kindly post or e-mail your views on the following address given below.
WEBSITE: www.mysamar.blogspot.com
E-MAIL : samar_themagazine@yahoo.co.in
POSTAL ADDRESS: SAMAR
HOUSE NO: 388A/3J
New Patliputra colony
Patna – 13
# 0612-3257077
Last but not the least; again we would like to thank the readers, writers and sponsor of ‘SAMAR’.
EDITOR
NOTE: Do you support People’s initiative for complete Right to information? Kindly post or e-mail your views on the following address given below.
WEBSITE: www.mysamar.blogspot.com
E-MAIL : samar_themagazine@yahoo.co.in
POSTAL ADDRESS: SAMAR
HOUSE NO: 388A/3J
New Patliputra colony
Patna – 13
# 0612-3257077
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
April 2008
Samar - a bimonthly and bilingual magazine