Namm

NUMM (Mumkin hai chashm-e-numm)

                                                                                                                                       Lyrics by Ahson Talish 

Mumkin hai chashm-e-numm teri, tera ghuroor ho,
Mumkin hai ke yeh aag, paani se dur ho,
Mumkin hai sarayat kare zehar ragon mein,
Mumkin hai is zehar ka asar dur dur ho,
Mumkin hai mumkin na ho yun mera palatna,
Mumkin hai esterab mein bhi kuch suroor ho,
Mumkin hai aa bhi jao tum mere khayal mein
Mumkin hai dur dur raho, dur dur ho,
Mumkin hai nazar bhar ke tumhe dekh lein,
Mumkin hai ek nazar mein kabhi ishq dur ho,
Mumkin hai mera veham ho, mera khayal ho,
Mumkin hai mere haal mein bhi tera kasoor ho
Mumkin hai tujhe chah ke bhi, chah na sakoon,
Mumkin hai tere paas bhi aa na sakoon,
Mumkin hai yeh fareb ho, teri adavat,
Mumkin hai tujhe keh ke bhi mile na sukoon,
Mumkin hai mujhe pe reham ho ya mujhse saval ho,
Mumkin tai mère saval par woh lajavab ho....

It is possible that your moist eyes, is your arrogance,
It is possible that this fire, can be extinguished by water,
It is possible that  poison spreads into the veins,
It is possible that this poison's effect is far, far (widespread),
It is possible that it may not be possible for me to turn back like this,
It is possible that in (this) uneasiness too there is a bit of intoxication,
It is possible that you come in my thoughts,
It is possible that you stay far far (away), you are far far (away),
It is possible that I (may) get my eyeful (/my fill) of looking at you,
It is possible that with one look, sometimes, love goes away,
It is possible that it is my delusion, or (just) my thought,
It is possible that my state also has your fault in it,
It is possible that despite of loving you, I cannot (may not?) love you,
It is possible that I cannot come close to you,
It is possible that it is a deception, your bitterness
It is possible that even after telling you, (I)  don't get peace,
It is possible that I am shown mercy or that I am questioned,

It is possible that at my question, he is (left) with no answer

Translation by Meenakshi Garodia at 
http://ruminatingrhetoric.blogspot.in/2014/01/numm-mumkin-hai-chashm-e-numm.html
Video at- 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kwf5nUROZGU&list=RDKwf5nUROZGU#t=0

Aatmhatya (suicide/ in hindi- killing one's soul)

Woh saal hi aisa tha

sab predictions yehi kehte the 

sookha parega aisa ke ankh 

taras jayegi ansoo ki ek boond ko bhi!

har cheez par ayegi aisi museebat ke

har koi mangega panah!

qudrat jisko hamesha abuse kiya

us ma ki tarah
jisko hamesha gaali di

par jab usne apni rehmat chheni 

tab samajhe
qayamat kisko kehte hain!

aise waqt me rishte kaise phalte?

na barish ki woh mehak

na nami

bas har taraf
thaka dene wali 

ankhen chaundhyane wali dhoop

aisi dhoop to khadi pakki faslon ko bhi sookha deti hai

phir mera rishta to tha bhi aisa nazuk

kya jaana tha ke barish ki boond ke intezar me 

yeh sookh jayega

aur phir khabar wohi ayegi hamare baare me akhbaar me

ke ek kisan ne phir ki aatmhatya!

najaane yeh log isko aatmhatya kyun kehte hain 

hatya to jism ki
karte hain na

aatma to amar hai

na jalti hai

na rukti hai 

na thehri hai 

na dabi hai kahin

noor ki boondo me se ek boond

jo sada behti rehti hai

phir na koi sooraj usko jala paya 

na qudrat khatam kar paayi usko

aur na hi maut!

dard- 2

Iss dard ka koi naam nahi
iss dard ki koi zaat nahi
iss ka dharam imaan nahi
yeh jab rago me behta hai
dil khoon ke aansoo rota hai
na koi paata hai na khota hai
iss me to koi jeet haar nahi
iss dard ka koi naam nahi

jism ke ek ek reshe se
yeh jaan salab kar leta hai
honto ko chup lagti hai
ankhon me paani deta hai
iss dard ka koi naam nahi

yeh ajab sa ek rishta qayam kar deta hai
 dard dene lene wala
dono ko sooli deta hai
adhi adhoori saanson pe rakhta hai
na jeene deta hai na marne deta hai
iss dard ka koi naam nahi
iss ki to koi zaat nahi
iss ka dharam imaan nahi!!

Visit to the National Museum

In this semester, I am teaching a course to First Yr.Under-grad students which deals with Ancient/Medieval/ Modern History and Thinkers around that time. I had recently visited National Museum with my cousin from UK (by the way, All Britishers take their Museums and their history very seriously!).  I had heard Neil Mcgregor, Director of British Museum, in a conference on Museums, we had hosted at JNU . The way he narrated the stories around historical artifacts and their politics, was very fascinating! For example- post-Independence there was a fight  over the artifacts as well (among other things) between India and Pakistan. So, to avoid any further conflicts between the two new nations, Britishers kept the precious things in their safe custody! Similarly, Israelians- Palestanians have had issues and Dalai Lama and China have also had arguments over Buddhist artifacts from that region. Thus, British Museum has a great collection of objects from all its colonies, which they have not and Cannot return back, due to present day political climate!

In the same conference, my ex-colleague, Kavita Singh, had talked about how in India museums are treated as 'sacred' spaces, where at some places people are expected to remove shoes, and mostly there is a code of conduct for behavior.

 National Museum , actually a project of the British was later on taken over by Indians under the patriotic nation-building exercise, is a fascinating place!
(You can read more here- http://www.nationalmuseumindia.gov.in/ )

And, if you have a good guide who can explain the different eras, its different objects, their intricacies, etc. the time travel between different periods,it is absolutely brilliant. I loved our guide, Chitra, a passionate, knowledgeable art historian who finished the 90 minute tour in almost two hours, painstakingly explaining everything to the group. So I thought it would be a good idea to take my students there! 

I requested for Chitra again but was turned down by National Museum authorities as they said all guides are well trained and they would not like to encourage favoritism. There was no reason not to trust them! 

We reached for the afternoon walk (which starts at 2.30pm). The tickets were subsidized for students at Rs. 1/- We were all very happy, until we moved to the first era. My group of 18 young restless students, engaged by this young 20 something guy, who was leading them now. I kept myself at the back consciously and occasionally rested at the numerous benches and chairs. It was a tough task to control my unruly crowd. Suddenly, I felt like a sheep-herder trying to control my flock of sheep from moving here and there, touching stuff or taking photos. (You can take photos by paying an extra amount, which we had not paid). Starting with Harappa/ Mohenjodaro, we moved to Gupta/Maurya Age.

 Then I saw some students giggling uncontrollably. The guide sahab was giving the gyaan on Buddha's statues. He was trying to explain the long ears as a sign of divinity (true), and the head showed post-Enlightenment head, an over-flowing brain (SHOCKING!).

  Another student corrected him, when he called Ram's brother Shiva, instead of Lakshman in a painting depicting a scene from Ramayana!

 Students felt there was too much emphasis on Buddha, with a separate hall dedicated to Buddhist Art, which also houses Buddha's relics in a gold and diamond encrusted base (often, you can see Buddhist monks praying/chanting in this section)! Later, I found out that National Museum also gets grant from some South-East Asian countries for their Buddhist treasure!
Personally, I loved the Sun god statue from Konark temple. A unique statue which wears a beautiful smile, along with boots, very unusual.

Girls got all excited when we visited the Jewelry hall. Guide just sat in a corner, and allowed everybody to feast their eyes on marvelous pieces of jewels from different eras.  (Chitra had taken us to every showcase herself, and explained different pieces and their eras, but then she was a woman!)

A couple of students befriended him and found out, that guide sahab was a MBA preparing for CAT, and this he did as a part-time job!

Post-arms and ammunition section (again very beautiful hall with daggers, swords, soldier's uniforms, pistols, rifles, etc.), we finally bid adieu to the guide sahab, and the museum. We left the premises after getting ourselves and our bags screened, checked and frisked (they check in case somebody may decide to carry a souvenir from the museum).

The Minimalist State- Socialism Whither?

When there was recent controversy on 26th Jan 2015, regarding the Modi government's removal of the terms- Socialist and Secular in media ads by I&B Ministry, everybody was up in arms. The government's commitment to secularism is for all to see, but socialism has become obsolete in the present era, thanks to both NDA and UPA governments. 

 The State as we knew it, was mostly seen as "mai-baap", the protector/ the nurturer/ the provider. As we move in the present era, we see State almost becoming just an arbitrator, a by-stander, neutral umpire kind of authority. As the State starts withdrawing from different arenas, the private interests move in to fill the gap. Citizens are supposed to pay for services they earlier took for granted, or were highly subsidized for them. The education sector is now filled with private universities, where you pay for your degree. The fees is so much on the guarantee that they will not make you repeat another year however badly you may do, assurance is you will pass. After all, you do not pay so much to fail in private universities!

 Another area that of concern is the security. The police is under-staffed, inadequately paid and have been waiting for reforms forever now. The acute shortage of security has led to a rise of private security firms. Recently, I argued with a private security guard who almost hit my rickshaw walah with his lathi at Lajpat Nagar market. I told him he has no authority, he is no police, then rickshaw wala defended him by saying the market association has employed his firm for security and regulating traffic around the market. Thought that was the work of police, but recent burglaries have made the Market associations/RWAs/ Banks to get their own private armies of security guards. As much as it has led to employment for thousands (very basic requirements), their legitimacy has always been a grey area.

 Indian farmers until the 1990s were the State's favourite' children. The recent issues around the Land Acquisition Bill have come as a rude shock for them as they suddenly find the State abandoning their interests' and taking side of the corporates'. Corporates' pay more taxes and also fund the political parties, so no surprises there.

In more and more cases of indigenous communities/ tribals vs. mining companies, State is now taking side of the companies.  

 The rise of NGOs in the social sector, taking interests of women, aged, children, minority groups, tribals, etc. forward is again State giving up its welfarist agenda and outsourcing it to the other organizations and giving them some funding for it, or doing it together as Public Private partnerships. 

If you want to use better infrastructure pay toll at Highways. In a Capitalist economy, government moves out and regulates the field for different players who work on profit through competition (telephone services/ Airlines, etc.). There are no more permanent government jobs coming, people work on contracts in the hope that secure government jobs would come, but not much has happened there.   

The newest thing that we are supposed to pay for now is the internet! Free air that we breathe even that is posionous now, so no free things anymore!
We did blame the state for everything, but it was more like you would blame your parents for things that go wrong, there was some affection because you knew your interests' are important for them, but that romanticism is lost now. State as our parents' generation knew it, is dead now! This new State cares for the money and will support anybody who can pay, regardless of caste/creed/nationality- tourists/MNCs/ NRIs!! 

Vitiated Working Spaces in Modi's India

I have been working on Old Delhi for almost ten years now. I have observed how Muslims lived in Old Delhi but went out for work/ education, etc. especially lately in the past ten years. A lot of kids from Old Delhi go to good private schools, and then go on to complete their education from Delhi University. The links with the outside world increased when these graduates took up jobs in MNCs and often worked in call centers, etc. The myth of self-employed Muslims spending their entire lives in Old Delhi was breaking, as the new generation went out, worked, partied, made friends, got married outside the walls of Old Delhi.

Recently, with concern I heard the story of how with the rise of BJP's Modi, the office atmospheres are getting vitiated. The development agenda which led the party to power, but now the Parivar is all over the place with conversions/re-conversion debates, etc.  What this means for an average Muslim office-goer is listening to pro-Hindutva/RSS debates, anti-Muslims comments, etc. in office spaces. The friendly common ground of Junior/Senior executive MBAs where people laughed and joked has suddenly become Hindu/Muslim again! It is like the 1980s-90s when Ram Janambhoomi Movement was at its peak!I remember my father who worked in a government office and got into improptu debates/discussions with his non-Muslim colleagues feeling isolated because of his religious identity. Now, I heard it again from a close relative about the feeling of isolation when the rest of the colleagues discuss Hindutva agendas, or how Hindus should convert India back! The fear is the loss of common grounds of interactions. The hardening of religious identities mean different things to a Majority person as opposed to what it signifies for a Minority person. He will again go back to his living segregated space around the familiar walls with his religious group. The living spaces will again be homogenized with followers of the same group, and before anything major happens (God forbid!) the battles of - them versus us- are often psychologically fought. This may just be the beginning of the fault lines again in the new century!!   

Jang by Sahir Ludhyanvi

Khoon apna ho ya paraya ho
nasl-e-adam ka khoon hai aakhir
Jang mashriq mein ho ke maghrib mein
amn-e-aalam ka khoon hai aakhir

Bam gharo par giray kay sarhad par
Rooh-e-taamir zakhm khaati hai
Khet apnay jalay ke auro ke
zeest faaqo say tilmilaati hai  (zeest- life, faaqo- hunger)
Tank aagay badhay kay peechay hatay
Kokh dharti ki baanjh hoti hai
Fateh ka jashn ho ki haar ka sog
Zindagi maiyaton pay roti hai

Jang to khud hi ek masalaa* hai   (*masalaa-problem)
jang kyaa masalon ka hal degee
aag aur khoon aaj bakhshegee
bhookh aur ehtiyaaj kal degee   (*ehtiyaaj- needs]

Bartaree* ke suboot ki khaatir  (bartaree-superiority)
khoon bahaanaa hi kyaa zaroori hai?
ghar ki taareekiyaan mitaane ko
ghar jalana hi kya zaroori hai?

Isliye ae shareef insaano
jang taltee rahe to behtar hai
aap aur ham sabhi ke aangan meiN
shamaa jaltee rahe to behtar hai!
 

खून अपना हो या पराया हो

नस्ल-आदम का खून है अखिर
जंग मश्रिक में हो के मग्रीब में
अम्न-e-अलम का खून है अखिर

बम घरो पर गिरे के सरहद पर
रूह-ए-तामीर ज़ख्म खाती है

खेत अपने जले के औरो के
ज़ीस्ट फाको से तिलमिलाती है  (ज़ीस्ट- life, फाको- hunger)

टंक आगे बढे के पीछे हटे
कोख धरती की बांझ होती है

फतेह का जश्न हो कि हार का सोग
ज़िंदगी मैयतों पे रोती है

जंग तो खुद ही एक मसला* है   (*मसला-problem)
जंग क्या मसलों का हल देगी
आग और खून आज बख्शेगी

भूख और एहतियाज कल देगी   (*एहतियाज- needs]

बर्तरी* के सुबूत की खातिर  (बर्तरी-superiority)
खून बहाना ही क्या ज़रूरी है?
घर की तारीकिया मिटाने को
घर जलाना ही क्या ज़रूरी है?

इसलिये अए शरीफ इंसानो
जंग तल्टी रहे तो बेहतर है
आप और हम सभी के आँगन में
शम्मा जलती रहे तो बेहतर है!