The partition of India in 1947 was an epochal event. It inducted the post-war era of decolonisation that came to form a landmark in world history. It also raised popular expectations: the people would be the beneficiaries of the promised 3D phenomena of decolonisation, democratisation and development. Leaders decided the fates of nations and the people provided the backdrop in the shape of slogan-raising crowds cheering the demagogues. Continue reading Book Review: This Is Not That Dawn→
AN article, ‘Rapprochement is possible, by Abrar Kazi and Zulfiqar Halepoto of the Sindh Democratic Forum in this space on Aug 21 was an invitation for a rapprochement between the “progressive Urdu-speaking” people and the Sindhis to join hands and make the province an ideal homeland. Continue reading Time for healing→
Mountain House - the Caux conference centre. Photo courtesy Rajiv AgarwalAFTER five days at the Human Security Forum in Caux (Switzerland), the news from Karachi left me stunned — more than 100 people killed in five days!
The bitterness expressed by those directly hit was unnerving. There was a report from my colleague in Dawn, Nizamuddin Siddiqui, about the travails of families trapped in their homes as bullets rained round them. There was also a plaintive email from a friend in Qasba appealing for help. Continue reading From Caux to Karachi→
A CORPS commanders’ conference held recently in Islamabad noted that some quarters are trying to deliberately “run down the armed forces”. What the generals found to be most disconcerting was that this “slandering” would hurt its image.
Coming soon after three events in quick succession — the Raymond Davis fiasco, the sting operation in Abbottabad and the PNS Mehran siege — the commanders’ statement is intriguing. It appears that those who head our armed forces draw a clear line between image and performance, as though the former is not created by the latter. ISPR is responsible for creating the shining image that is supposed to help. Continue reading Performance and the image→
Fahmida Riaz is an eminent Urdu poet, author, translator and activist. Currently, she is the Managing Director of the Urdu Dictionary Board, Pakistan. Her first poem was published in Funoon when she was only fifteen.
Fahmida Riaz has written several short stories and novels, the most well known being Pathar ki Zubaan, Khatt-e-Marmuz, Godavari, Zindabahar Lane; and Reflections in a Cracked Mirror. Some of these have been translated into English.
As a poet she has been very popular. She subtly weaves her activism into her poems thus conveying a powerful message.
In her poem on the Urdu dictionary, which she wrote on the occasion of the launch of the 22-volume lexicon, Fahmida Riaz in effect analyses the factors that have led to the decline in the fortunes of the Muslims of South Asia.
I had quoted a few lines from this poem in my column, “Will Pakistan follow Egypt?” (23 Feb 2011). Here is the complete poem for Fahmida Riaz’s fans. And she certainly has many of them.
Come let us create a new lexicon
Wherein is inserted before each word
Its meaning that we do not like
And let us swallow like bitter potion
The truth of a reality that is not ours.
The water of life bursting forth from this stone
Takes a course not determined by us alone
We who are the dying light of a derelict garden
We who are filled with the wounded pride of self delusion
We who have crossed the limits of self praise
We who lick each of our wounds incessantly
We who spread the poisoned chalice all around
Carrying only hate for the other
On our dry lips only words of disdain for the other
We do not fill the abyss within ourselves
We do not see that which is true before our own eyes.
We have not redeemed ourselves yesterday or today
For the sickness is so dear that we do not seek to be cured
But why should the many hued new horizon
Remain to us distant and unattainable
So why not make a new lexicon
If we emerge from this bleak abyss
Only the first few footsteps are hard
The limitless expanses beckon us
To the dawning of a new day
We will breathe in the fresh air
Of the abundant valley that surrounds us
We will cleanse the grime of self loathing from our faces.
To rise and fall is the game time plays
But the image reflected in the mirror of time
Includes our glory and our accomplishments
So let us raise our sight to friendship.
And thus glimpse the beauty in every face
Of every visitor to this flower filled garden
We will encounter “potentials”
A word in which you and me are equal
Before which we and they are the same
So come let us create a new lexicon.
نئی ڈکشنری
بناتے ہیں ہم ایک فرہنگِ نو
جس میں ہر لفظ کے سامنے دَرج ہیں
وہ معانی جوہم کو نہیں ہیں پسند
جرعہٴ تلخ کی مثل پی جائیں گے
اَصل کی اَصل جو بس ہماری نہیں
سنگ سے پھوٹتا آبِ حیواں ہے یہ
جوہمارے اشارے پہ جاری نہیں
ہم فسردہ چراغ، اِک خزاں دیدہ باغ
زخم خوردہ اناؤں کے مارے ہوئے
اپنی توصیف حد سے گزارے ہوئے
اپنے ہر زخم کو ہر گھڑی چاٹتے
دبلیاں زہر کی چار سُو بانٹتے
دوسروں کے لیے صرف نفرت لیے
خشک ہونٹوں پہ حرفِ حقارت لیے
جو خلا ہے جہاں اس کو بھرتے نہیں
چار آنکھیں حقیقت سے کرتے نہیں
کامراں ہوسکے ہیں نہ کل اور نہ آج
مرض پیارا ہو گر کیا کریں گے علاج
کیوں گریزاں رہے، ہم سے روٹھی رہے
آنے والے زمانوں کی صد رنگ ضو
کیوں بنا لیں نہ ہم ایک فرہنگ نو
اس اندھیرے کنویں سے نکل آئیں گر
چند قدموں کا ہے اِک کٹھن راستہ
بے کراں وسعتیں ڈھونڈتی ہیں ہمیں
روشنی ہے جہاں، پو پھٹے کاسماں
سانس تازہ ہواؤں میں لیں گے وہاں
ایک شاداب وادی ہے چاروں طرف
ٓٓآ رہے ہیں ہر اک سمت سے کارواں
اپنے چہرے سے دھو دیں گے گردِ ملال
وقت کا کھیل ہیں سب عروج و زوال
وقت کے آیئنے میں جو تصویر ہے
اِس میں شامل ہیں ہم خوش وضع باکمال
دوستانہ نگاہیں اٹھائیں گے ہم
دلربا خال و خد دیکھ پائیں گے ہم
اس گلستاں کے ہر ایک مہمان کے
روبرو ہوں گے ہم اصل اِمکان کے
جس کے آگے برابر ہیں میں اور تو
جس کی نظروں میں یکساں ہیں ہم اور وہ
بناتے ہیں ہم ایک فرہنگِ نو
The poem has been translated into English by Aquila Ismail
who holds a degree in Electrical Engineering and is editor and writer of several books on development issues. She has translated Urdu fiction into English, (including Zindabahar Lane and Godavari by Fahmida Riaz). She has been published in Dawn and Newsline. Her debut novel based on the Bihari experience in East Pakistan and Bangladesh in 1971-72 will be published at the end of 2011.
