Catchy actMirza Ghalib in his element  

School children show how a language can be experienced and celebrated

It was an expo with a difference. No, it was not an art, fashion or product fair. It was all about language, something unheard of till then. The city of domes and minarets was witness to a unique celebration of Urdu. And it took school children to bring out the sweetness and magical lyricism of the Urdu language.

Titled after Daagh Dehlvi’s famous couplet ‘ Urdu hai jiska naam ... ’, the exhibition hosted by students and teachers of Central Public High School, Khilwath, recently at the Mehboob Husain Jigar hall in Siasat daily was a runaway success. Students of different schools in the city and lovers of Urdu flocked the show necessitating extension of the expo.

Language is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people come from and where they are headed. The expo did just that.

It not only traced the history of Urdu but gave visitors something to remember long after they left the premises. Some of the finest Urdu couplets and ‘nazms’ were on display.

What added to the appeal was the way students donned the attire and looks of the famous poets of yore. One could see the poet of East, Allama Iqbal, reclining in his trademark black suit and Mirza Ghalib with his typical cone cap and snowy beard, holding a hookah. There was also Wali Deccani, Mohd Quli Qutb Shah, Mir Taqi Mir, Hazrath Amir Khusro besides writers like Ibne Safi, Premchander.

Students waxed eloquent about the works of the poets apart from reciting their verses. Presentation of ‘ Shikwa ’ and ‘ Jawab-e-Shikwa ’, the epic poems of Allama Iqbal by students was the high point of the expo.

“We decided to present the language in all its glory as these days everyone is talking about the decline of Urdu,” said Mohd Zafarullah Faheem, Director, Central Public High School.

The limits of one’s language are the limits of one’s world. But there was no limit to the poetical appeal of the expo. Wherever one glanced one was greeted by ‘shayeri’.


Talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to this head. And if you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart. 

That’s what the Urdu expo did — it went straight to the heart.

 J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in The Hindu

Dated November 27,2015

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The ‘distance’ between a human being and being human is really long. Nonetheless, some manage to cover it effortlessly. Edhi Foundation, the Pakistani NGO, which sheltered and raised the deaf-mute Geeta drew all-round appreciation recently. This fairy tale story has a match in India too. Not long ago, the family of Madhava Reddy of Nalgonda district in Telangana was in the news for bringing up a Muslim girl, Farzana, and marrying her off in style. The surprising thing is neither the Pakistani NGO nor the Reddy family ever tried to convert the girls under their care to their religion.

There are still people, who stand by values, pluralism and tolerance. Such stories of love and care lift the spirit and reassure that all is not lost with humanity, especially at a time when the debate on intolerance rages on. Selfless acts like these come as a breath of fresh air. But I strongly feel, and many will agree with me, that the common man is still fair and unbiased and turns a Good Samaritan in times of crisis.

Despite the climate of hatred and distrust sought to be created by politicians of all hues, humanity survives. People love to share and care. There are any number of instances of mutual love and understanding shown by people of different faiths. After all, religion is there to bind and not dissociate. I know of a Muslim friend, who received help from his Hindu neighbour when he suffered a heart attack and had to be rushed to hospital in the middle of the night. Similarly heart-warming is the action of a Muslim family in protecting the lives of their Hindu neighbours during a communal riot in Hyderabad’s Old City.

Respecting diversity and celebrating individual differences is the fire that fuels lasting love. Instances of such sterling qualities of head and heart come to the fore now and then — reinforcing our faith in humanity.

In day-to-day life, most of us have experienced kind gestures shown by people rising above the considerations of faith — especially during travel time, one can see fairly regularly utter strangers going out of their way to accommodate fellow passengers.

During a recent journey to New Delhi, I was witness to a man giving up his lower berth in the train to an elderly woman although he himself was not too well. No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. One shouldn’t underestimate the power of small gestures — a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment. They make a profound impact and affect people positively. After all, we are not born for ourselves alone but to be useful to others.

Too often we come across people lending a hand to push a stalled car or helping someone with a flat tyre. Drop into any hospital and there are scenes of people consoling distressed souls with a hug or a kind word. It doesn’t cost much to do little acts of compassion which go a long way in removing misgivings while making the world a better place to live in. There are any number of shining examples of such pure love and great benevolence across the country.

During the month of Ramzan, Hindu shopkeepers making room for their fasting Muslim clients to pray and offering dates for ‘iftar’ are common in Hyderabad. Such gestures are reciprocated by Muslims during the annual Ganesh procession in the city. But unfortunately, the media glosses over such acts and highlights only the conflict points.

As an anonymous wit said quite correctly three things are important in life: The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind. In a world full of people, who couldn’t care less, let us be someone who couldn’t care more.

- J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in The New Indian Express

Dated November 23,2015.

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Blast from the past : Musical instruments and toys from the collection.Photo: Nagara Gopal.  

This winter vacation will be special for children for they can look forward to a refurbished children’s gallery at the Salar Jung Museum (SJM) in Hyderabad. Authorities are working overtime to ready a new gallery which will be unveiled on December 16.

Spread over 5,000 sq. ft on the first floor in the Central Block, it promises to be a visual treat for the youngsters. Designed by Khasim Ali Khan, a scion of the Salar Jung family, the Rs. 40 lakh-gallery will showcase hitherto unseen collections of Salar Jung. In all there will be 6,000 objects on display of which 50 percent will be drawn from the reserve collections of the museum.

Visitors can see clay models depicting life in a typical Indian village, especially in the Telangana region. This is in addition to porcelain birds and animals of China and Japan, replicas of fruits and vegetables, beautifully modelled wild animals in bronze and other metals apart from clay models of domesticated animals. The toy armies, both artillery and infantry, depict warfare at the time of the Second World War.

Tiny versions of musical instruments like harmonium, veena, guitar, tabla, dholak, being showcased for the first time also bear testimony to the vast range of interests Salar Jung had in collecting objects. The cynosure of all eyes is the huge glass case in the centre of the gallery that houses a toy train complete with railway stations, platforms and tracks. This apart, one can get a peep into the transport system of yore — Horse drawn carriages, jeeps, cars, buses, aeroplanes and even rocket models. Some of the new objects being displayed were acquired by Salar Jung himself. “The whole thing will be of immense educational value to children,” says A. Nagender Reddy, in-charge director, SJM. The existing children’s gallery on the ground floor will be converted into a textile gallery once it is shifted.


What’s more? Children can also look forward to playing virtual games in the new gallery. Two touch screen game panels are being installed at both ends of the gallery by the National Council of Science Museums to create interest among children. A world of imagination and exploration awaits kids at SJM. They can connect, understand and explore.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in The Hindu

Dated November 21,2015

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It was a welcome drizzle after a sizzling day. I glanced at the bookshelf, my prized possession, and pulled out a paperback and eased myself in the chair close to the balcony. The pitter-patter of rain drops on the windowpane interrupted my thoughts. What if there were no books, I mean the physical ones?

The idea sent a chill down my spine. I have always dreaded this possibility since the advent of the digital format. For those who grew up in the print-only world, there is a natural aversion to modern gadgets. E-books, for me, can never take the place of a real book. A book is a dream that you hold in your hand. Is that possible with gizmos like iPads, e-Readers, smart phones and tablets? No way.

But the writing on the wall is clear. Electronic books are the in-thing. They are gradually invading the market, though thankfully are not a rage yet. The world is moving towards paperless offices. Chandrababu Naidu, the computer-savvy chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, is already holding paperless Cabinet meetings. There is a distinct possibility that in the years to come books in digital formats will edge out print books. Brick-and-mortar bookstores are calling it a day in many cities. A A Hussain, a popular  bookstore in Hyderabad, has shut shop after being in business for 65 years.

However, bibliophiles can take heart. Print books have not hit a plateau yet. They are still alive and thriving. What drives their sales is the alluring covers, something e-Readers can’t boast of. The best part is the aroma that they give off. Bookworms will vouch that a new book smells great and an old one even better. Nothing can match the joy one derives flipping through the pages, relishing the font and the binding adhesive. On the contrary e-Readers are lifeless and odourless devices to say the least.

The joy of shopping for second-hand books is simply inexplicable. Sundays bring book addicts out of the woodwork as it were. They swarm over the pavements in Hyderabad looking for their favourite titles. Wonder what William Shakespeare is doing in the company of Sidney Sheldon? Or Charles Dickens rubbing shoulders with J K Rowling? Timeless classics and books of the hour are on the same footing here. From P G Woodhouse and Mark Twain to Harold Robbins and Jackie Collins — pick up the best of the reads for a song.

The other day I was leafing through a book when a piece of paper tumbled out. On closer examination it turned out to be a train ticket. I was instantly transported back to a journey made some two decades ago. One tends to keep letters, shopping receipts, invites as a marker and forget. Their discovery sends you into a nostalgic reverie, an experience electronic books can’t offer. E-books have their own niche — convenience, portability and ability to share passages. But what you read is short-lived.  Pixel screen is not the same as a printed page.

Surely life was easier when Apple was just a fruit. Technology has made men tools of their tools. It has exceeded humanity as, Albert Einstein, feared. Technology is changing books and the way we read them. Hope Kindle doesn’t pose as much a threat to books as elevators to stairs.

- J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in The New Indian Express

Dated November 10,2015.

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