RMIM Archive Article "169".


From the RMIM Article Archive maintained by Satish Subramanian

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# RMIM Archives..
# Subject: Majrooh Sultanpuri - Immortal Melodies - part 4
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# Posted by: Satish Subramanian (subraman@cs.umn.edu)
# Source: Illustrated Weekly of India
# Author: Zaka Siddiqi
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-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- Majrooh Sultanpuri 'Immortal Melodies' by Zaka Siddiqi Illustrated Weekly of India -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- His couplets have been known to come to the rescue of people from polarized groups as the CPI, Jamat-e-Islami, the VHP and BJP. During the hectic campaigning days of L.K.Advani's rath yatra, it was amusing to see a news-photo of the welcoming pandal erected along the route in a dusty town in UP. The big, bold banner had Sultanpuri's couplet written in Devnagri script: 'mayN akelaa hi chalaa thaa jaanib-e-manzil, magar log saath aate gaye, kaaravaaN banta gaya.' (I started off all alone towards the destination. People took my lead. And lo, there was a caravan formation!) One if reminded here of Ezra Pound where he termed T.S.Elliot's "The Wasteland": "a masterpiece; one of the most important 19 pages in English and one of the few things in contemporary literature to which one can ascribe permanent value". Wonder when, if ever, someone from our senior critics could be honest enough to give Majrooh due credit by acknowledging that at least these 30 ghazals are "some of the few things in contemporary Urdu literature to which one can ascribe permanent value". Anyway, Urdu poetry shall never ignore Sultanpuri for some of his couplets he created much before he was 30. 'Sar par hawa-e-zulm chale sao jatan ke sath, Apni kulah kaj hae usi baankpan ke sath' (Let the winds of oppression with all force blow over my head, My cap would remain tilted in the same rakish fashion!). 'Mujhe sahl ho gaeen manzilen, woh hawa ke rukh bhi badal gae tera haath, haath mein aa gaya, ke charagh raah main jal gae' (Travelling became so easy for me, even the wind changed its line You slipped your hand into mine and the whole path started to shine) Dekh zindaan se parey rang-e-chaman, josh-e-bahar raqs karna hae to phir paaon ki zanjeer na dekh (Dance, for beyond the prison, the gardens are blowing, and spring is glowing. Do not look at the fetters, you want to dance, is all that matters.) shab-e-zulm nargha-e-raahzan se pukarta hae koee mujhe main faraaz-e-daar se dekh loon, kaheen kaaravan-e-sahar na ho (Yonder from the marouder's ambush, In the darkness of oppression, I hear someone calling me, Let me look from up my hanging post. The caravan of dawn could that caller be?) Now entering his septagenarian years, Sultanpuri has only one book that he published in 1959. Not withstanding those poems and ghazals prophesying the coming of the commun- ist or socialist revolution by next Sunday or at the most, by the end of the current month, the collection was very well received. The 33 ghazals contained therein were recited and quoted throughout the Indian subcon- tinent wherever Urdu culture has its roots.The subse- quent editions of this collection added only 12 ghazals to bring the total number of his creations to 45. Ten to 15 more should be added in the forthcoming edition. That would make the total 60. One wonders if the history of literature could have an instance of an artiste whose contribution would be considered as being the most important of modern poets.
From the RMIM Article Archive maintained by Satish Subramanian