The Siddis of A.C. Guard practise in preparation for playing at a political rally, in Hyderabad on Thursday. (DC)

An ethnic group of African descent is hot favourite among parties for election campaigns.

The drums thud faster. The slow tom-tom changes to a resonant pitch. Then the rhythmic beat of teen-mar takes over. The cheer leaders couldn’t hold back. Some break into a slow jig and then dance with abandon. Their dark faces glistening with sweat, the drummers raise the tempo sending everyone foot-tapping. Election time is ‘marfa’ time in Hyderabad.

No party can do without the sturdy bandmasters of A.C. Guards. Interestingly, they owe allegiance to none. And they don’t care which party wins the battle of the ballot. Morning they may drum up support for a Congress candidate, afternoon for its arch rival, TRS and before the day ends play for a Majlis nominee. All that they are interested in is to make hay when the sun shines. The Siddis of A.C. Guard have their hands full as the D-day draws near.

An ethnic group of African descent, they are a class apart when it comes to playing the Arabi duff and marfa. Though there are other bands in town, but many make a beeline to A.C. Guards to liven up celebratory occasions like marriage. For elections too leaders turn to the Siddis to pep up their electioneering.

Donning their trade mark attire — white shirts, lungis and red-chequered scarves, the Siddis cast a spell when they roll and crash the drums. Sometimes they also use the huge dhols and tiliya (brass pot) to produce the cham-cham sound.

But playing band for elections, many say, is not remunerative. They have to accompany candidates on padyatras in hot sun —  not knowing when the programme will start and end. The most difficult part is getting the payment. 

“Once the programme is over everyone disappears and catching hold of the leaders is difficult”, says Ahmed of Saleem Arabi Marfa Party echoing the views of many others. As such many prefer the marriage parties where the band is played for a fixed time and payment is prompt, not to speak of generous tips from guests.

Impressed by their physical strength and horsemanship, the 6th Nizam, Mir Mahboob Ali Khan, recruited them for his African Cavalry Guards. Later they were provided housing quarters and the area they inhabit now is also known as Siddi Risala.

There are only three main bands here, each with a group of 50 to 60 members. The Siddis are a closely knit community. But the generation next is not interested in music and dance.

“They want to study and take up decent jobs,” Afsar of KGN Arabic Duff tells this newspaper.

 

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in Deccan Chronicle

Dated November 30,2018

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No bogus voting, impersonation is a sin, Muslims told.

 To vote or not to vote the Hamletian dilemma persists for some. As the five yearly date with democracy draws near election authorities are pulling out all stops to motivate people to exercise their franchise. For a change ulemas too have jumped onto the bandwagon. Many mosques in the city now see the khateebs using the Friday sermon to enlighten the Muslim community on the importance of voting.

Ulemas are taking pains to explain the importance of taking part in the electoral process especially at a time when minorities are being targeted at every level. Choosing leaders of honesty and integrity is the need of the hour, they feel. “Vote is both our strength and need and staying away from elections is nothing but foolishness,” says Mufti Syed Ibrahim Husami who has authored a book on elections and importance of voting. The 130-page book, which discusses various aspects of elections in the light of the Shariah, is doing brisk business in mosques and the other bookstores. It is only once in five years that one gets the chance to play a kingmaker and throwing away this opportunity makes no sense, the Mufti says.



Everything may be fair in love and war but not in elections. The Shariah says a big ‘no’ to bogus voting, impersonation and voting by underage persons. A Muslim woman can’t masquerade as someone else’s wife and vote. These are sinful acts and prohibited in Islam. Should one vote for a Muslim candidate or a non-Muslim? What is the ruling for a woman who is in ‘iddat’ (period of waiting after the death of her spouse or after divorce). Can she go out and vote? A number of such questions are rankling in the mind of the ummah (community). Find answers to all these in the light of Quranic injunctions and prophetic sunnah (traditions) in the book — Vote aur Inteqabaat, Ahmiat o Zaroorat — answers this book.

The Mufti discourages voting on religious lines. Candidates who best serve the interest of the community should be chosen irrespective of their religion.

Making out a strong case for voting, ulemas say not doing so is ‘haram’ (forbidden) since voting is essentially a testimony in Islam. And testimony has to be given when the occasion arises. The way giving false testimony is a major sin so is voting in favour of an unworthy candidate. Vote is also a trust and returning it to the correct person is necessary. Under no circumstances it should be cast for monetary benefit or under duress to an unworthy candidate, they argue.

Religious scholars dispel the notion that politics and religion are two different things. Politics is very much part of Islam, they say and list out examples of prophets holding the reins of administration. The book discusses at length such key topics as vote under the Shariah, its importance, whom to vote, electoral process. It also cautions contestants against indulging in character assassination of their opponents and resorting to unfair practices to win.

Except for those in ‘iddat’, there is no bar on Muslim women to vote.  But getting women out to vote is a task. Traditionally they are much less inclined than men to vote. For the first time the election machinery is also making use of the women SHGs to enlighten the fair sex on the need to vote. They are particularly being deployed in the old city of Hyderabad.

A campaign vehicle with Urdu language EVM-VVPAT ( voter verifiable paper audit trail) machines is going round the congested lanes of the Old City. The SHG members go door-to-door to meet the women inmates and encourage them to exercise their franchise.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in Deccan Chronicle

Dated November 27,2018

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Urdu poetry is now richer by a new genre, Triveni. The credit goes to filmmaker and lyricist Gulzar.
    A poetic unit of three verses, Triveni packs a punch in the last line by turning around the meaning expressed in the first two verses.
    Gulzar, who has mastered the art of writing the Triveni, regaled the audience the other day at the Maulana Azad National Urdu University (Manuu).
    What was billed a seminar turned into a mushaira with the renowned poet holding everyone spellbound with his three-liners. Right from Vice-Chancellor Aslam Parvaiz to professors and students, Gulzar’s recital swept everyone off their feet.
   A book penned by Canada-based Hyderabadi scholar Dr Syed Taqi Abidi, Gulzar ki Taqleeqi Sinf, Triveni, Tashreeh o Tajziya was released on the occasion.         
    Three-line poetry is not new to Urdu language.
    There are various forms like the musallu, the haiku, tikoni, salees and the tipai where an idea is expressed in three lines. But Triveni differs in that it’s free from the restrictions of radeef and qafia (rhyming).
    The thought expressed in the first two lines takes a new twist when the third line is read.
    For the last few years, Gulzar has been writing Trivenis on subjects as varied as love, the calamities of life, social milieu and moral values.
    The best part of Gulzar's shayeri is that one doesn't need to consult a dictionary. His poetry is simple and down to earth. What’s more, he doesn’t hesitate to borrow commonly used English
    Asked why he named his three-line verse Triveni, Gulzar said the first two verses meet like the Ganga and the Jamuna and complete a thought and an emotion. But beneath these streams runs another river, the Saraswati, which is apparently hidden. He likens the Triveni’s third line to the Saraswati which makes a world of difference.

Sample this triveni:

Samne aye mere, dekha mujhe, baat bhi ki
Muskuraye bhi purani kisi pehchan ki khatir
Kal ka akhbar tha, bas dekh liya, rakh bhi diya
(You come before me, acknowledge me, and even talk to me
Your smile reveals our long acquaintance
Like yesterday’s newspaper, read and discarded) 

   At a time when Urdu readership is dwindling, Gulzar remains its face.
In his own inimitable way, he is trying to keep the flickering flame burning. He wants the language to be made simpler for Hindi readers.
    He superbly captures the dilemma facing Urdu thus:
Badi aristocracy hai zaban main Faqeeri mein, nawabi ka maza deti hai .

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in Deccan Chronicle

Dated November 25,2018

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The place remains chaotic, loud and as frenzied as ever.

The place remains chaotic, loud and as frenzied as ever. But there is a pleasant change now. You can breathe easily and appreciate your favourite monument without the fear of being knocked down. Tourists visiting Charminar are now whistling their relief. They can have a leisurely dekho of the historic edifice.

For years Hyderabad’s most popular icon was stuck in a time warp. Reaching it involved navigating obstacles and potential hazards from potholes to throngs of distracted pedestrians—not to mention automobile fumes and the swirling traffic. Every time I went there I had to literally fight for space. Not anymore. Now you can saunter around, popcorn in hand, and look at the architectural wonder raised to ward off recurring plague. Thank God the Charminar Pedestrianisation Project being implemented in fits and starts is at last showing results.

My friend from Chennai who recently visited Charminar couldn’t believe his eyes when he could move around the monument at an unhurried pace and take selfies without the fear of honking traffic. Driving through Charminar is still not easy. You have to pick your way past the street-level chaos peculiar to the old city of Hyderabad. If one can ride here, one can ride anywhere goes a popular saying.

But this doesn’t deter visitors. For tourists a visit to Hyderabad remains incomplete without a visit to Charminar. The same is the case with the locals. Come festivals or marriage season shopping around the monument is must. A bride’s trousseau is incomplete without a visit to Laad Bazar, the famed bangle street.


Politicians have their own reasons to root for Charminar. They find it the best place to stage protests and take out rallies. That’s not all. There are many myths associated with Charminar. For rumour mongers there is nothing like the ‘Charminar ki pudi’ to set afloat idle gossip. Sometime ago, archaeologists too fell prey to it and dug up a major portion of the road from the monument in the hope of uncovering a secret tunnel connecting it to the Golconda Fort. But in the end it turned out to be nothing more than a ‘Charminar ki pudi’.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in The New Indian Express

Dated November 19,2018

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Saeed Shaheedi, poet of 'Barq-o-Aashiyan', excelled in all genres of poetry. A tribute to the prolific writer

There is no dearth of poets in Hyderabad. But, he remains a cut above the rest. You can rock to his romantic ghazals and also sob to his soulful dirges. That’s Saeed Shaheedi for you. A poet who defies definition.

A prolific writer, Saeed has left his stamp in all genres of Urdu poetry – Ghazal, Qasida (panegyric), Naath (eulogy of the Prophet), Manqabat (sufi devotional poem), Rubai (quatrain), Munajaat (supplication), Salam (salutation), Marsia (elegy) and Noha (lamentation). He carved out a special niche for himself as versifier of Ahl-e-Bait. His devotional poetry written in praise of the Prophet’s family is a big draw during the Muharram mourning sessions. Saeed is equally popular for his ghazals where he is at his best depicting the feelings of love and bereavement.

Born Mir Abid Ali, he is known by the nom de plume Saeed. During his lifetime, he figured among the show stealers. His style of rendition apart, the profundity of thought, the pungent freshness, poignancy and music in his verses cast a mesmerising spell. The effect is much the same even now as the poet himself remarked once:

Jab bhi mehfil main chidi meri ghazal

Sari mehfil ko tadapta dekha

(Whenever my ghazal is recited/ The entire assemblage is seen in spasm)

What is unique about this Shayer-e-Deccan is that he could express exquisite sentiments with beauty, ardour and pathos in short beher (meter). His lyrical power is extraordinarily versatile and renders the whole gamut of human emotions with consummate felicity. Most of his ghazals betray a nostalgic longing for the beloved. Sample these verses:

Kaise sukoon paoon tujhe dekhne ke baad

Ab kya ghazal sunaoon tujhe dekhne ke baad

Teri nigah-e-mast ne maqmoor kar diya

Kya maikadh ko jaoon tujhe dekhne ke baad          

 His ghazals are distinctive and moving. Using elegant vocabulary and metaphorical allusions, Saeed is able to express different shades of feelings while adhering to rhyme and meter. See how in this ghazal he plays on words and emotions which he alone could do.

Kis ko pane ki baat karte ho

Hosh udane ki baat karte ho

Jam khali laga ke honton ko

Ladkhadane ki baat karte ho

Known as poet of ‘Barq-o-Aashiyan’, Saeed’s shayeri is full of references to lightning and nest. He employs these metaphors superbly in different contexts to depict the ravages suffered by a hapless lover at the hands of the beloved and to cock a snook at destiny.

Barq ke liye kya kya zahmaten uthata hoon

Aashiyan ke jalte hi aashiyan banata hoon

Aashiyane ki bunyad rakh ker Saeed

Barq ka housla azmate hain hum

 It is difficult to gauge the depth of his poetry as he mastered the art of expressing difficult situations in an easy way. The agony of Karbala, the most poignant chapter in Islamic history, has a bearing on his poetry. No wonder his verses have the sensation of smouldering embers. But, they don’t scorch the readers and listeners – rather bestow the warmth of life upon them. Saeed surely is one of a kind. This is best summed up in his own words:

Ghalib nahin main phir bhi Saeed itna kahoonga

Har ek se hat kar mera andaze bayan hai

Poetry runs in his genes with his father, Mir Mehdi Ali, being a poet himself. Saeed gave a hint of his brilliance when he took part in the annual mushaira held at Nizam College as a student. Those present, including the then Prime Minister Maharaja Kishan Prasad, couldn’t miss the great poet in the making.

Mubtalaye zulf ghabrate nahin

Khelte hain khaid mein zanjeer se          

Though Saeed worked in the Excise Department, he remained a poet at heart. He was bestowed the title of said-us-shora and travelled widely addressing poetic sessions both within and outside the country. His poems were regularly broadcast from All India Radio and BBC. Perhaps, Saeed had an inkling of his fame and said it in a subtle way in this couplet:

Aankhen khul jaayengi zamane ki

Meri aankhen to bund hone do

There could be no better tribute to this master poet than publication of his complete works. Another great son of the soil, Dr Syed Taqi Abedi, deserves compliments for bringing out the Kuliyat-e-Saeed Shaheedi to mark his birth centenary celebrations held on January 23, 2018.  A collector’s issue, the 759-page tome contains all the 3,869 verses composed by him along with the views of top writers.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in Telangana Today

Dated November 18,2018

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Iqbal Academy brings to light unpublished works of Allama Iqbal

Die-hard fans of Allama Iqbal, one of the greatest of Urdu poets, can now look forward to reading his little known and yet unpublished verses. The Iqbal Academy, Hyderabad, has planned to bring out this 200-page book titled Baqiyat-e-Iqbal in India. After much deliberations, the Academy took this decision on the occasion of the poet’s 141st birth anniversary on November 9.

The poet-philosopher has a huge fan following in the Urdu world, particularly in the sub-continent. Many theories abound as to why these verses were not published during the lifetime of the poet. Some say these were early poems of Iqbal and naturally lacked the philosophical profundity of his later works. Therefore, they were not included in the published works. Some believe that Iqbal had dropped these early verses as his thinking and philosophy had changed a lot by the time his celebrated book Bang-e-Dara was published. Whatever be the reson, these early poems have the distinct stamp of Iqbal — thestyle, diction and the unique choice of words.

Though the Baqiat-e-Iqbal was published in Pakistan way back in the 1950s, it remains unavailable in India. “We will have the credit of publishing it for the first time in India,” says Ziauddin Nayyar, vice president, Iqbal Academy.

Interestingly it was in Hyderabad that the first works of Iqbal was published by Abdul Razzak in 1916. The first Youm-e-Iqbal (Iqbal day) was also celebrated in the city on January 7, 1938 and the Bazm-e-Iqbal , the first Iqbal society was set up here. Also, Hyderabad’s connection with the poet who penned the famous nazm Sare jahan se accha goes deeper. He had visited Hyderabad thrice, first in 1910. He was the guest of the then Prime Minister, Maharaja Kishan Prasad. During his brief visit Iqbal was taken to the Qutb Shahi tombs where he penned the poem Gorastan-e-Shahi mirroring the rise and fall of kingdoms.

The Iqbal Academy, which has a collection of 6000 books on the poet, proposesto set up a research centre and extend all facilities to scholars who intend to do doctoral theses on Iqbal. Last weekend a programme was organised at the Academy’s premises in Gulshan-e-Khaleel complex, Masab Tank to commemorate Iqbal’s birth anniversary.


The poet-philosopher has a huge fan following in the Urdu world, particularly in the sub-continent.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in The Hindu

Dated November 14,2018

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