On the eve of Republic Day, Hyderabad witnessed a strange spectacle. The protests against CAA/NRC spilled into celebrations. And for a change poetry dominated speeches. There were no slogans or banners – only verses to mark the ‘Youm-e-Jamhuria’ programme convened by the Alliance Against CAA and NRC, of which the Asaduddin Owaisi led AIMIM is a part. People in their hundreds assembled at the Khilwat ground to register their protest and also to celebrate RD.

Following the High Court directive, the programme venue was shifted from the historic Charminar to the nearby Khilwat ground. The court also curtailed the time given to the organizers by asking them to wind up the programme by 9.15 p.m. Soon after the Maghrib namaz, the programme started around 6.30 p.m. In view of the large number of leaders present on the dais, Mr. Owaisi urged them to limit their address to just 5 to 7 minutes so that the poets invited for the programme could be heard.

Whatever the occasion, Hyderabadis turn to shayeri for both pleasure and inspiration. It was no different this time. A good number of people dropped in just to listen to Rahat Indori, who is making waves with his verse ‘Kisi ke baap ka Hindustan thodi hai’. Other big names like Manzar Bhopali, Sampat Saral, Shabeena Adeeb, Nabia Khan, Hashim Ferozabadi, Aamir Aziz, Husain Hyderi and Iqra Khan graced the occasion.

The programme commenced with the famous poem ‘Kab tak mere Moula’ written by Hyderabad poet, Shaz Tamkanat. Warasi brothers cast a mesmerising spell with this soul-stirring qawwali:

Main ek harfe tamanna hoon

Badi der se chup hoon

Kab tak mere Maula

The audience was moved when this verse was rendered:

Aye kashife israre nihani tere sadqe

Ab Shaz ko de hukum tere sadqe

Tehra huva darya hoon badi der se chup hun

In the backdrop of the magnificent Khilwat palace, the poets set the evening afire with their searing verses. Women also turned up in large numbers. When protest poetry is on can the revolutionary nazm of Faiz Ahmed Faiz be far behind. The moving poem ‘Hum Dekhenge’ reverberated in the Khilwat ground as the Warsi brother sang:

Hum dekhenge

Lazim hai ke hum bhi dekhenge

Wo din ke jis ka wada hai

Jo lauh-e-azl mein likha hai

In view of the paucity of time, the organisers interspersed the programme with poetry and speeches. The crowed lustily cheered when it was announced that the Telangana Chief Minister, K. Chandrashkar Rao, had tweeted that a resolution against implementation of CAA and NRC would be passed in the ensuing session of state Assembly. Many in the crowed were seen waving the tricolour as the mushaira was on.

Local poet, Sardar Saleem, regaled the audience with his ghazal:

Khabar rakhna bhi mushkil

Nazr rakhna bhi mushkil

Bharosa ab to Chowkidar pe bhi mushkil

Hussain Haidary of Delhi received lot of applause when he highlighted the diversity of class, caste, region and philosophy through his poem ‘Hindustani Musalman’.

Main kaisa Musalman Hoon Bhai

Main Shia hoon ya Sunni hoon

Main Khoja hoon ya Bhori hoon

Main gaaon se hoon ya shehri hoon

Main Baagi hoon ya Sufi hoon

Main quomi hoon ya dhongi hoon

Main kaisa Musalman hoon bhai?

A Jamia product, Aamir Aziz, created quite a stir with his powerful poem written in the wake of recent attack on JNU students.

Sab yaad rakha jayega

Sab kutch yaad rakha jayega

Tumahari lathion se golion se jo khatl huye hain

Mere yaar sab

Unki yaad mein dilon ko barbad rakha jayega

Sab kutch yaad rakha jayega

Young woman poet, Nabia Khan, was a big hit with the audience when she pointed out how the present revolution is being carried out by women wearing bindi and burqa. Her poem “Ayega inqilab’ seemed to strike a chord in the listeners as it made veiled references to the Shaheen Bagh protest.

Ayega inqilab

Pehan ke bindi, chudiyan, burqa, hijab

Kabhi Shaheen Bagh ban ke

Kabhi Jamia ki shaan ban ke

Lene tumhare zulm ka hisab

Ayega inqilab

Iqra Khan, who introduced herself as the daughter from the land of Modi and Amit Shah won over the audience with her nazm which focussed on the role of women:

Kisi ke dum se nahin tu roshan

Ke tu auje noor hilal hai

Tu ab kisi ki amaan mein nahin

Ke tu ab khud alambardar hai

Popular poetess, Shabeena Adeeb, fired up the atmosphere with her poem ‘Hindustan hamara hai’. In her characteristic style she went hammer and tongs thus:

Hindustan hamara hai

Yehin jiyenge, yehin marenge

Ye armaan hamara hai

Another well known poet, Manzar Bhopali, left his mark with his sarcastic verses.

Maut se jo dar jaaon zindgi nahin milti

Jung jeetna chaho kashtiyan jaladena

Ghairat-e-jihad apni, zakhm kha ke jaagegi

Pahla waar tum karlo, doosra hamara hai

Many hung on to listen to Rahat Indori. And of course he lived up to his reputation. He recited the hugely popular ghazal which has the recurring words ‘thodi hai’ much to the delight of the crowd.

Main jaanta hoon dushman bhi kam nahin

Laikin hamari tarha jaan hateli pe thodi hai

Sabhi ka khoon shamil hai yehan ki mitti mein

Kisi ke baap ka Hindustan thodi hai

Rahat Indori came up with a new verse which ridicules the insistence on producing documents to establish identity.

Main jab mar jaaonga to meri alag pehchaan likh dena

Lahu se meri peshani pe Hindustan likh dena

Image credits: Dheeshma Puzhakkal

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in NewsMeter

Dated January 25,2020

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A Hindu priest and a Muslim social worker have come together to promote harmony during times of polarisation and communal discord.

           Mujtaba Hasan Askari with Rangarajan

They are two of a kind. And yet they are poles apart. Their faith, culture, attire and calling differ. But what bonds them is their outlook and perspective of life. A Hindu priest and a Muslim social worker have struck the right chemistry to work together for fostering love and brotherhood. At a time when polarisation on religious lines is taking place, the duo seem to be out on mission impossible.

C.S. Rangarajan, chief priest of Chilkur Balaji temple and Mujtaba Hasan Askari of Helping Hand Foundation (HHF), are working silently and ceaselessly to give communal harmony a chance. They are doing their best to promote shared values and uphold the doctrine of 'unity in diversity' through well thought out programmes. It's heartening to see the two making efforts to restore peaceful co-existence. "Our aim is to ensure that human values are placed above religion and faith. Humanity is the biggest religion", they say.

Both batchmates of College of Engineering, Osmania University, Rangarajan and Askari quit their lucrative jobs at the peak of their career to bring social change in the society. While the former turned to spirituality and became chief priest of Chilkur Balaji temple, the latter founded the NGO, Helping Hand Foundation to serve the people in their own way. What brought them together is a Dalit woman, Kamlamma, who sells flowers at the Chilkur temple. In 2018 she tied rakhi to Rangarajan and he learnt later that she was deaf.

Rangarajan felt it was now his bounden duty to help out the woman. A social reformer, he wants to purge the society of caste based prejudices. Without losing time, he took the poor lady to the  Gandhi Hospital where the ENT surgeon diagnosed her with profound hearing loss and recommended a hearing aid which was very expensive. When this story appeared in a local newspaper, Askari got in touch with Rangarajan and informed him that his NGO was ready to pick up the bill. The hearing aid costing Rs. 55,000 finally restored the hearing of Kamalamma.

"It is a divine intervention that brought us together. God operates through human beings", says Rangarajan.

The Good Samaritans did not stop at that but kept meeting regularly to exchange ideas and do something positive for the society caught in the whirlpool of political turmoil and religious polarisation.

Last year one Lucas from Lalaguda approached Rangarajan in Chilkur and explained his inability to support his daughter's education at St Francis College, Begumpet. The priest immediately contacted Askari and the latter arranged money from the HHF. The interesting aspect was a Muslim NGO reaching out to help a Christian girl on the recommendation of a Hindu priest. Since then the duo are working closely to promote inter faith dialogue. A few month ago, Rangarajan even visited the Masjid-e-Ishaq in the old city where HHF runs a primary health care centre. He addressed the community on the need of communal harmony. For them humanity is an integral part of religion while religion is a private thing.

Rangarajan and Askari plan to promote communal harmony in a visible way through social work and dialogue. In the coming days they intend to conduct health camps by Muslim doctors in some temples and by Hindu physicians  in a few mosques. The idea is to make a difference with the work they do.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in Deccan Chronicle

Dated January 23,2020

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Using simple language, Rahim Saib Mian, Nazeer Dehqani, Ali Saib Mian and Aijaz Hussain tugged at the heart-strings of Urdu poetry lovers with their rustic poems

It sounds rough, crude and unpolished. Yet, it is lyrical in its own way. Like the countryside it portrays, rustic poetry has a freshness of its own. For urbanites it may appear jarring at first but the idyllic locations, singing birds and flower-laden meadows depicted in simple language lift spirits. A bit romantic, a little rustic with a sense of whimsy. That’s what dehqani shayeri is all about.

Rahim Saib Mian is the foremost humour poet of dehqani language. Other big names like Nazeer Ahmed Dehqani, Ali Saib Mian, Ajaz Husain Khatta, Suleman Khateeb, Sarwar Danda and Himayatullah just followed him. At a time when none thought of writing poetry in rustic language, Rahim Saib Mian took the lead. What’s more, he made his poems lively and pleasing with sound devices. The ‘khat-khat’ of train, the boom of aeroplane, the cluck-cluck of frogs and chirping of birds can be heard in his poems. Sample some verses:

Aagaya mahe Muharram de dhana-dhan ki dhana-dhan
Seena kubi ka hai maatam de dhana-dhan ki dhana-dhan
Ladke school ko jakar chutti bara baje pakar
Ghunse ladte hain ghama-gham de dhana-dhan ki dhana-dhan

Nazeer Dehqani took this kind of poetry to greater heights. Use of rural metaphors and simple language differentiates him from other poets. In a way, he raised the standard of Deccani shayeri and people started liking the dehati words used by him. See how he captures the rainy scene in the poem Shayer Aur Barsat.

Handeria ghup padya tha, chau-taraf sanyata chaya tha
Jabardasti har ek apne ku ghursi main chupaya tha

Nazeer Dehqani displays a fine sense of romance in his poems. On learning about the arrival of his beloved, Mirza Ghalib rued the absence of a straw mat in his house thus:

Hai khabar garm un ke aane ki
Aaj hi ghar mein boriya na hua

The same sentiments are expressed by Nazeer Dehqani in his typical style on arrival of his beloved. He says:

Gharonde banane ko ji chahta hai
Bana kar mitane ko ji chahata hai
Uno kab-bi nai so mere ghar po aaryn
Kulatiyan lagane ko ji chahta hai
Main tang aagaya naaz uthate uthate
Janaza uthane ko ji chahta hai

After his death in 1984, his sons published his funny poetry under the title Sada-e-Dehqani.

Ali Saib Mian is another great poet of dehqani shayeri. He was so impressed by the poetry of Nazeer Dehqani that he decided to adopt his rustic Deccani style. Ali Saib Mian had a natural penchant for humour and satire. And he used this trait to perfection in his mizahiya shayeri. He did his schooling from Ashraful Madaris and Chadarghat High School and then joined the Osmania University. But his interest in studies gradually declined as he started paying more attention to poetry. Initially, he began parodying famous poets like Ghalib, Momin and Jigar and earned a lot of name and fame.

But when he listened to Nazeer Dehqani’s poetry at a mushaira in Warangal, he decided to follow the great poet. Ali Saib Mian gained such popularity that he was considered an able successor to Nazeer Dehqani. He became a regular feature at the annual ‘Numaish’ held in Hyderabad. Ali Saib Mian presented funny plays during the exhibition. His role as ‘bhoi’ is remembered even to this day.

After giving up college, he worked for brief periods in the Civil Supplies Department and the All India Radio. But given his waywardness and restive nature, he couldn’t stick to any job for long. Later, he realised how he was wasting away his time and this is best explained in this verse:

Haddiyan tute talak to aytiyan karate rahe
Gandon ki baat ayee to ghirkyan phirate rahe
Umar tamam yunch kati Ali Saib ki
Amma ka khaye, mamu ke bakriyan charate rahe

Ali Saib Mian had a heart which bled for the poor and marginalised sections of society. He particularly felt anguished for the farmers who toiled day and night but didn’t get their due. His poem which has the matla (rhyming words) ‘leao khutba’ has become very popular.

Bagh lagarun mehnat se, phal dusre kharein leao khutba
Ankhon main mitti daale so daale munh main bharein leao khutba
Phatre hava mein udte phir-rhin, kaisa zamana aya hai
Gadi aage, ghoda peeche, chal batarin leao khutba
Puchne wala kaun hai yan, ab tum bhi tadi deo Ali Sahib
Ghazlan, nazman log chura ko sikke jamarain leao khutba

His book Gokhru Ke Kante contains some of his best poems such as Birbaboti, Zindagi Ki Motor, Aisa Kyun, Patang, Kumbi Ki Aas, Ek Chuvve Ki Kahani. In the poem Chal Diye, Ali Saib shows his expertise in repeating words.

Gadbadi mein aye the, haur gadbada ko chal diye
Hosh mere inke peeche phad-phada ko chal diye
Kyun bhi ji ghat kar ko main puchiya tha un se dil ki baat
Munh mein munh mein kya ki kya ki bad-bada ko chal diye

Another important poet of this genre is Aijaz Hussain. He became famous with his takhallus ‘Khatta’. His shayeri is not just sour but has a bitter-sweet flavour to it as well. How he came to adopt this strange pen-name is a story by itself. Once a teacher from North India made an uncharitable remark on the Hyderabad language that khatta khane wale kya jane (what do people who eat tamarind know). Aijaz Hussain took umbrage at this comment and adopted ‘Khatta’ as his takhallus.

He gained expertise in narrating events in everyday language. His poetry takes pot-shots at social, cultural and economic aspects of life. Even as his pungent verses inflict lacerations at the body politic, they also serve as balm to the festering wounds. He was greatly affected by the annexation of Hyderabad and wrote:

Qutb Shah dilasa de Osman ku
Zakhm khake ghabrae so chan ku
Wo puche hai kaisa hai mera Deccan
Wo mera watan

Born at Shadnagar in 1922, Aijaz Hussain was inclined towards poetry right from his student days. Though he didn’t produce huge work, his shayeri is enough to perpetuate his name. Aijaz Hussain motivates youth and students towards a life of action with his poetry. In the nazm Sawal, he calls deeds key to success. Sample this verse:

Parhej kare nai dawayian piye kyun
Maseeha ku nahaq ilzam diye kyun
Laban po dua, peeth ghode ki khali
Ye kaisa tamash tha, aisa kiye kyun

Aijaz Hussain takes a strong position against blind aping of the West. While Allama Iqbal, the poet of East, stirs one to action through his philosophical poetry, Aijaz Hussain conveys the same sentiments in a funny way. He makes a subtle difference between the Western and Eastern values in his own way. He says:

Mom hai ye hatkadiyan tu haat ku harkat to de
Haat mein pehne chudiyan khulenga phagdiyan kab talak
Mashriqi hirniyan ku chod diya, haq dubaya inka tu
Raj tere ghar karen maghrib ki ghodiyan kab talak

A strong votary of Urdu, Aijaz Hussain was very happy to see the language progress with the establishment of the Osmania University. In his characteristic style, he pays tribute to the varsity founder, Mir Osman Ali Khan, the 7th Nizam, thus:

Tere raj Urdu huee surkhru
Tera daur tehzeeb ki abroo
Bila shuba inka tu Sultan tha
Sitare the aalam, tu asman tha
Gaya Rab kane liye faqeerana shan
Huva dafn shahan ke nai darmian

After merger of Hyderabad into the Indian Union, Aijaz Hussain migrated to Pakistan. And yet, he never forgot Deccan or the Deccani shayeri. He breathed his last on June 1, 1993, but remains alive with his dehqani shayeri.

Bare duniya mein raho, gham-zada ya shaad raho
Aisa kutch karke chalo yan ke bahut yaad raho

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in Telangana Today

Dated January 12,2020

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The ongoing stir against CAA and NPR/NRC has thrown up an all women collective in Hyderabad. More than 50 women drawn from 20 different organisations met in Hyderabad  on Monday and resolved to take forward the agitation till the ‘draconian laws’ are repealed. The group which goes by the name of ‘Women Of Hyderabad Against’ CAA & NRC/NPR has members representing Muslim, Hindu, Christian and Sikh communities.

After a marathon meeting, the group termed the NPR/NRC exercise ‘anti poor, anti Dalit, anti women and anti minority’. The whole thing is a burden on the nation when it is faced with economic slowdown and falling GDP rate. Government ought to address issues of women’s safety, rising prices, farmers suicides and joblessness rather than engaging in a divisive agenda, the meeting said.

“This is not a fight of just Muslims alone but a fight to save the Constitution and country from breaking up”, said Asma Zehra, Rafia Nausheen and Mary Alphonsia. Although an exclusive women’s group was formed, they were not averse to networking with other NGOs in the fight against CAA, it was clarified.

Speaking to reporters , they said, that  small  groups of women would go around different areas to caution people about the danger posed by CAA and NPR/NRC. Women would face more problems than men in producing documents to establish their citizenship, they said. As it is there is lot of gender bias in the society and the new law would put married women, particularly, to immense difficulties in providing documents. Moreover, using religion as the criterion for citizenship struck at the very root of secular India, they said.

The women expressed serious concern at the atrocities perpetrated on JNU students and wondered whether humanity had died in India. The images of abuse and terror coming through TV channels and social media tarnished the image of India which is known for its unity in diversity. “It is strange that after coming to power through people’s votes, the BJP government is asking them to prove their citizenship. Let them dissolve the Parliament and seek election afresh”, demanded Dr. Ayesha Jabeen and Prof. Jameelunnisa.

The women group wanted the Chief Minister, K. Chandrashekar Rao, to pass a bill against CAA and NPR/NRC in the Assembly on the lines of Kerala government. The women had a word of praise for the Telangana police for showing a humane face during the Million March while their counterparts elsewhere were supporting the ‘fascist agenda’ of the government.

Many women felt the voice of people had risen in the present agitation while that of politicians got subdued. ” It is better that politicians stayed away as otherwise they would sabotage the movement”, they said.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in NewsMeter

Dated January 06,2020

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Majlis president, Asaduddin Owaisi, held consultations with party MLAs, MLCs and Corporators on Monday in connection with the anti CAA rally proposed to be taken out on January 10. He urged them to ensure that the rally was a resounding success and also absolutely peaceful. “All eyes are on the Majlis rally and it is your responsibility to make it success”, he told them.

Later addressing party workers at AIMIM’s headquarters at  Darussalam, he said it was originally planned to take out a rally through the city but police had denied permission and allowed the rally in the Rajendernagar police station limits,only. Therefore, the party had decided to organize a protest march from Mir Alam Idgah to Shashtaripuram on Friday under the banner of Mushtaraka Muttahada Majlise Amal (United Joint Action Committee), an umbrella group of various socio-religious organisations.

The Hyderabad MP appealed to people from across the city to join the rally in order to  send out a strong message against CAA and NPR/NRC. He asked Muslims to offer  Friday prayers closer to the Mir Alam Idgah so that they could be in time for the rally which is likely to   end by 5 p.m, Friday. Women were also welcome to take part in the rally as CAA was an issue which concerned all.

Barrister Asaduddin Owaisi  urged party workers to ensure that ambulances were given way during the rally and also people rushing in emergency were allowed to move freely. He further cautioned them to look out for trouble makers and alert the police if they see them.

Mr. Owaisi criticised the government for hiding the truth about CAA. In fact NPR and NRC were two sides of the same coin but neither the Prime Minister nor the Home Minister was telling it. He said India’s foundation was laid on secularism which meant that the country would not have any religion. But at the same time it would respect all faiths and even those who followed no faith.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in NewsMeter

Dated January 6,2019

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Dr Taqi Abedi’s love for Urdu literature knows no bounds and can be seen in the 62 books he has written so far

He is a doctor alright but in him dwells a writer. After a busy day in the hospital, he retires into his study during night and loses all track of time. A kind of unwinding for him. That’s Dr Taqi Hassan Abedi for you. A physician whose true calling is writing. With him medicine and literature seem to share a kind of synergy. There is no conflict of interest between his profession and passion. In fact, being a writer has helped Dr Abedi in his work as a physician.

What does it mean to be a doctor and a writer at the same time? “Reading and writing have broadened my perspective of life,” says the Hyderabad-born Canadian physician. Love for literature made him more empathic and caring towards his patients. The most surprising thing is that this doctor-writer has done more for the promotion and propagation of Urdu than any university professor. The sheer number of books written by him – 62 till date – is a pointer to his infatuation with Urdu literature.

Diagnosing ailments of others comes easy to him but his own malady eludes a remedy. He is a doctor with an incurable passion for Urdu. No, it’s not a case of physician heal thyself. He is smitten with the love of Urdu poetry. And his obsession grows by the day. Dr Abedi loves to introduce himself as ‘Peshe se tabeeb, Urdu ka vakeel and adab ka mareez’. The last two attributes stand out like the porcupine’s quills. He never tires of championing the cause of Urdu nor hides his maddening love with literature. While living in dayaar-e-gair (outside the sub-continent), he has done yeomen service to Urdu by introducing its well known as also little known writers to the world. His scholarly works on Mirza Ghalib, Allama Iqbal, Mir Anees, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Altaf Hussain Hali, Amjad, Sayeed Shahidi are matchless. Besides adding a critical body of work to Urdu literature, they offer new vistas of understanding about these poets.

A man of many parts – doctor, poet, critic, author – all rolled into one, Dr Abedi has bagged several awards, including the ‘Life Time Achievement award’ from the Doha-based Urdu language literary organisation, Majlis-e-Frogh-e-Urdu Adab. He has also secured the Fakhre-e-Urdu International award, Urdu Markaz International, Los Angles, Writer of the year award, Eastern News Canada, Award for Distinguished services and contribution to Urdu literature, Aligarh University Alumni, New York, Allama Iqbal Award of Excellence, Canada, besides awards from Sahitiya Academy, UP (Sahitya Akademi??????).

Having obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in medicine from Osmania University, Dr Abedi served in Iran, England, US and is presently working in a hospital at Ontario, Canada. His dalliance with Urdu poetry began right from his student days and it has taken him to different parts of the world where he delivers talks to packed audience. Early in life he was seduced by books and his fascination continues. His library has a staggering 14,000 books, a good number in English and Persian.

Dr Abedi has a great affinity towards Ghalib and Iqbal and is inspired by the latter’s philosophy of action, courage and self-reliance. He says:

Khud roshni phailegee muhabbat ki zameen par
Iqbal aur Rumi ke kutch ashaar suna do

He is known more as an expert in Iqbaliat and Ghalibiat besides being an authority on Anees, Dabeer and Faiz. While his major work comprises critical analysis of these poets, he has also written two books of poetry – Gulshan-e-Roya and Josh-e-Mawadat. Sample some of his verses:

Sahil pe khade ho ke tamasha nahin karte
Hum doobti kashti ka nazara nahin karte
Toofan se lada dete hain jo apna safeena
Sahil ko kabhi apna kinara nahin karte

Sublimity of thought is central to his poetry. He expresses his ideas in the poignant ways of Anees and sometimes adopts the philosophical tone of Iqbal. The following verses mirror the realities of the present times where marauders masquerade as honourable men.

Aaj haivan-sifat pahne hain insani naqab
Aaj har haath main rehti hai tamaddun ki kitab
Bhatke huye manzil pe pahunch jayenge khud hi
Raston se agar rahnumaon ko hata do
Logon main fakhat ayeb nazar aate hain jisko
Iss ko bhi kabhi aiyna khane main bitha do

Dr Abedi’s nazm Husn-e-Mutlaq is one of his most acclaimed poems. Characterised by sensual imagery, it paints a vivid portrait of beauty in all its dimensions. Here, the poet tries to see beauty in everything and from different angles. A mesmerising spell takes hold as one reads this poem.

Husn se dekho to har cheez haseen hoti hai
Husn se hat kar har ek cheez asar khoti hai
Husn ahsas main rehta hai jawani main nahin
Nasha hai khoon main angoor ke pani main nahin
Husn jab jheel main palta hai kanwal banta hai
Husn jab sher main dhalta hai ghazal banta hai

Dr Abedi has penned many naaths in praise of the Prophet of Islam. A popular naath which can be heard at religious gatherings is:

Woh jis ke liye mehfil-e-konain sajee hai
Firdaus-e-bareen jis ke waseelay se banee hai
Woh Hashmee Makkee Madanee ul Arabee hai
Woh mera Nabi mera Nabi mera Nabi hai
Woh mera Nabi hai

Dr Abedi has done encyclopaedic work on Mir Anees, Mirza Dabeer, Mirza Ghalib, Altaf Hussain Hali, Allama Iqbal and Faiz Ahmed Faiz. He has thrown light on many undisclosed aspects of these master bards. His books – Tajzia-e-Yadgar Anees,  Rubayat-e-Dabeer, Kulliyat-e-Ghalib, Inshaallha Khan Insha, Faiz Fahmi, Faiz Shinasi, Iqbal Kay Irfani Zaweye and Choon Marg Ayed – are a must-read for research scholars.

In the last mentioned book, Dr Abedi makes a mention of various ailments that afflicted Allama Iqbal and impacted his life. These details he has extracted from the letters written by the ‘Poet of East’ himself. The doctor in him comes to the aid of Dr Abedi in explaining the diseases.

A strong votary of Urdu, Dr Abedi feels it is the best remedy to unite hearts in the present troubled times. No other Indian language has the capacity to integrate people like Urdu since it is an embodiment of composite cultures. “Urdu is one of the several languages of Muslims but the language itself is not Muslim,” he says.

Urdu is definitely spoken by Muslims but it is more Hindustani in nature, embracing diverse traditions. Therefore, its preservation and propagation is the responsibility of everyone and not just Muslims alone. Quoting TS Eliot, he says any language which has rich classical literature wouldn’t perish. If Urdu dies, it would be an irreparable loss for the country as a whole.

Dr Abedi refers to the beautiful way Bihari Lal Mushtaq, a student of Mirza Ghalib, captured the syncretic culture in this couplet. What is unique about this little known verse is that the numerical value (Abjad notations) of both Jamuna and Zam-Zam are the same – 94.

Hum hain Hindu, tum Musalman donon baham ek hain
Jis tarha aadad Jamuna wo Zam-Zam ek hain
(I’m a Hindu, you a Muslim, together we are one
Like the numerical of Jamuna and Zam Zam are one)

For Dr Abedi, Urdu is not just a lingua franca but a beautiful flower vase representing different faiths. It has the mohabbat (love) of Hyderabad in it, nazakat (elegance) of Lucknow, saqafat (culture) of Delhi, sajawat (embellishment) of Agra, saadat (fortune) of Sindh, zakawat (knowledge) of Bengal and latafat (tenderness) of Kashmir.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in Telangana Today

Dated January 05,2020

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Support is pouring in for the Million March against CAA, NPR and NRC scheduled for January 4. Staff and teachers of private schools in Telangana have decided to take part in the protest at the Dharna Chowk from 2 pm to 5 pm. As many as 40 different organisations have given the call for the protest demonstration under the banner of Telangana and AP Joint Action Committee.

There are 22,000 private schools in the state, of which 1,200 are in the twin cities. Hundreds of teachers from these schools are expected to turn up at Dharna Chowk to express their resentment against CAA, NRC and NPR. “The new law aims at dividing the country on religious lines, and we will not allow it to happen,” declared Mr Abdul Khurram of Dawn School.

Speaking to presspersons here on Friday, JAC office bearers Mohd Anwar, Sajid Mehmood and Sanullah urged parents and students to join in the protest. For women and children, transport would be arranged from different points in the city to the venue. They assured that the protest would be peaceful and police personnel would be presented roses tomorrow.

The Advocates’ Telangana State Joint Action Committee also pledged support to the Million March. About 500 advocates would be joining the dharna tomorrow. JAC members Valiur Rahman, Syed Shah Nawaz and Mohd Sohail Malik described the legislations as “arbitrary and discriminatory”. They said that the implementation of the legislation would lead to polarisation. They were working to create awareness among people about the negative impact of these measures. Demanding the Centre to repeal CAA, the JAC members said they would visit the district and Munsif courts to motivate advocates to come out against CAA.

Million March convenor Mohd Mushtaq Mallik said India was known for its unity in diversity. However, this harmony was sought to be disturbed now. The fate of 130 crore people couldn’t be decided by 305 MPs. The whole nation had stood up against CAA, NRC, and NPR, as they realised the danger posed by them, except for the fascist forces. “Our fight is to protect the country from a second partition,” he said.

Mr Mallik said 17 non-Muslim organisations had also pledged support to the Million March. He said it would be difficult for the Prime Minister to identify protestors with their dress, as Muslims would dress like Hindus and vice versa.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in NewsMeter

Dated January 03,2020

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