Emerging stronger from personal tragedies

Moin Amar ‘Bumboo’ doesn’t leave any subject untouched, as proved by his umpteen witty poems which are bound to evoke laughter among listeners

Life is such a tragicomedy. When seen in close-up, it is a tragedy and in long shot, it is a comedy. But, some like Moin Amar Bumboo have the guts to emerge stronger from misfortunes. He not only managed to put his bad luck and personal losses on the back-burner, but developed the knack to laugh at destiny. Today, he is humour personified. It’s difficult to believe that this man could have faced a whole lot of problems.

His motto in life is not just to survive but thrive. And he does so with passion, compassion, humour and style. Early in life, he lost his father and was deprived of motherly love too. His grandmother, who was a pillar of support, also passed away even as he was settling in life. The series of personal tragedies shook Moin but he managed to overcome the bitterness. He developed a fine sense of humour and tried to cock-a-snook at fate. With the takkhalus ‘Bumboo’, he burst on the poetic scene of Hyderabad and took everyone by storm.

Aasoon ki hansi udaya hun
Hadison main bhi muskuraya hun
Jis ko main chahta tha aye Bumboo
Uski shaadi main jaake aaya hun

A unique thing about Deccani poets is their pennames. They are so typical and funny that they are enough to make one laugh. Bumboo completes the quartet of Deccani humour poets with amusing pennames – Gilli, Danda and Belan. Though he treads the same path of tanz-o-mizah, his style is poles apart.

Aisa shayer nazr aata nahin roz Urdu ka
Qhaqhon se jo udata hai mazak aansoo ka
Gilli wo Belan wo Danda ke Deccan main Shadab
Sare bazaar izafa huva hai ek Bumboo ka

It was the late Himayathullah, the famous Deccani poet, who encouraged him and gave him a break in the musharias held at Numaish Club. Later, he appeared in many musharias organised under the banner of Zinda Dilane Hyderabad. Initially, it was saas-bahu, saale-saalian, budha-budhi that formed the stuff of his humorous shayeri. But, on the suggestion of Himayathullah, he started concentrating on current topics. The later day poetry of Bumboo shows how he succeeded in targeting rather unveiling truth behind serious matters with a humorous touch.

Lock-up main be-qusoor hain, goondon ko choot hai
Khota nahin mila to khare ko pakad liya
Police ki karwaian Bumboo na puchiye
Dhobi nahin mila to gadhe ko pakad liya

Politics, Gujarat riots, Palestine, cricket – everything figures in his poetry. On the hot topic of cow slaughter, Bumboo says:

BJP ke daur main bas dal hi chatna kate
Gaae bi nai katna kate, bakre bi nai katna kate
BJP ki taeed main Babu ka ab ye haal hai
Sorain Musa nadi main, machar bi nai katna kate

A good poet holds mirror to the world. That’s what Bumboo does. A keen observer, he captures the politics of hate and violence in his verses very effectively.

Oundhe chalaan, oundhe kamaan, oundhi siasat nakko na
Jo janta ka gala dabaye, aisi hukumat nakko na
Bandon ke to gale kaatrain, neta Khuda ko sajda karrein
Dono farishte kandhon ke bole, aisi ibadat nakko na

When N Chandrababu Naidu was the Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh, there was severe shortage of water in Hyderabad. To conserve the precious liquid, authorities introduced alternate day water supply. This caused untold miseries to people. Bumboo gives vent to people’s angst thus:

Ek-din-aad fourun hatao Chandrababu Naidu
Rozana paani pilao Chandrababu Naidu
Ek arsa ho gaya paani nahaye Bumboo ko
Kum se kum moo-haat dhulao Chandrababu Naidu       

Bumboo seems to have an uncanny nose for poll outcomes. Much before Naidu lost the election, he wrote:

Acche nai dikhrain aasar rehtain ki nai rehtain ki
Babu ab cycle po sawar rehtain ki nai rehtain ki
Janta karri cheeq-pukar rehtain ki nai rehtain ki
Ab ke election main sarkar rehtain ki nai rehtain ki

Time was when communal riots had become a regular feature in Hyderabad. Trouble broke out on and off and people feared stepping out of homes. See how well this panic Bumboo presents in this verse:

Dekho Begum waqt hai aisa bola-chala maaf karo
Sultan Shahi tak main jaaroon, kya hota hai ki kya nai ki

Deccani poets have been writing about ‘ishq-o-muhabbat’ for ages. But, when Bumboo dabbles in this subject, he brings a fresh approach and style to romance. Sample these verses:

Bun ko ghar-damaad Bumboo sarkashi nakko karo
Khamakha barbad apni zindagi nakko karo
Saas ke tum har hukum par sar jhukado shouq se
Rah ke paani main, magar se dushmani nakko karo

In poem after poem, Bumboo presents the witty exchanges between mia-biwi in different ways. He often drags his wife to take pot-shots. Interestingly, his wife, Mohammadi Begum, is also a poetess. She writes under the penname, ‘Bijli’.

Ladne ko jab wo aaye, dupatta nikal gaya
Main charon khane chit gira, deeda nikal gaya
Ladki karate seekhi thi, ladka tha be-khabar
Thappad pada to naak se bheja nikal gaya

Bumboo, who retired from the Tribal Welfare Department, took active part in the plays and mushairas aired by All India Radio, Doordarshan and ETV (Urdu). He travelled widely and took part in concerts both within and outside the country. His book Bumboo Bazar published in 2011 is a treasure trove of humour. Be it azad nazm, ghazal or haiku, Bumboo guarantees mizah unlimited. His travelogue, Hyderabadi Bumboo Ireland Main, is also quite interesting. He is now working on two more books of poetry, Qhaqhon Ka Parcel, and Baigan Ki Shayeri and they promise to be as funny as the first one. In his own words:

Tanz-o-mizah ke teer chalaroon, nai hanse to paise wapis
Baais saal se sub ko hansaroon, nai hanse to paise wapis
Tum Bumboo Bazar khareedo, mung ko padho ya kutch bhi karo
Ek ku dus ka bhau lagaroon, nai hanse to paise wapis

Bumboo keeps his fingers on the pulse of the people. He portrays day-to-day events like compulsory wearing of helmet, talaq, Mahila Court, numaish and dog catching squad of the civic body in his shayeri. He finds a funny angle in all these things. Sample this verse:

Mehr bhi apna maaf main karteun, laikin tum aaj ghar-maich raho
Baldiye wale kutte pakadrain, ghar se bahar mat niklo

His long poems – Urdu ka Shikwa Zamane Se, Karishma Helmet Ka, Char Sau Saala Jashn Manana Hoga – are simply thought-provoking. Bumboo has ably filled the void caused by his predecessor, Sarwar Danda. And he hopes posterity will remember him like the master poet.

Andaz-e-mizah ab naya ejaad karenge
Nakaam muhabbat ke bhi dil shaad karenge
Ek din wo zaroor aayega, is shahr ke log
Dande ki tarha, Bumboo ko bhi yaad karenge

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in Telangana Today

Dated September 15,2019