The Bazme Shagoofa group sees active participation of ‘shairs’ in the city

With work schedules and long commutes placing a premium on time, Hyderabadis find it difficult to satiate their literary thirst. Now there is a way out, they can attend a mushaira without leaving home, thanks to the WhatsApp group, Bazme Shagoofa.

The group sees postings of various kinds, from jokes to satire, humour and tongue-in-cheek comments on current affairs. There are about hundred plus members who have a fine sense of humour and ensure the group has a rollicking time. With well known humour poets like Typical Jagtiali, Iqbal Shana, Fareed Sahr, Mustafa Kamal, Tasneem Johar, Athar Aslubi, Waheed Pasha Quadri, Shahid Adili and stand-up comedian, Hamid Kamal, there is never a dull moment.

Of late the group has also started a monthly online mushaira. The Group Admin gives a verse called misra-e-tarah and the members are expected to write their poems matching the meter and rhythm. Participants post their poems throughout a predetermined day. Like any regular mushaira, the online version also comes alive with “ wah-wah ” and claps, in emojis.

“The whole thing is intended to provide fun and test ones intelligence”, says Aleem Khan Falaki, an active member of Bazme Shagoofa.

Sample this poem by Iqbal Shana with Kagaz pe rakh diya hai kaleja nikal ke as the tarah misra

Make up jo dhal gaya to baramad hui chudail

Hain beauty parlour main karishme kamal ke

Main ne khasai se to kaleji kaha tha bas

Kagaz pe rakh diya hai kaleja nikhal ke

The members also post hilarious poems of yore. Recently there was a video of the late Sulaiman Khateeb, the famous Deccani poet, reciting a nazm on ‘Harraj ka Palang’ . It was pure fun listening to the master satirist and brought in a wave of nostalgia.

be. Now get ready for the next online mushaira. The 'misra-e-tarah' for the for the next mushaira on the group is :

Mere rashke-qamar teri pehli nazr

Jab nazr se milaee maza agaya


The Group Admin gives a verse called misra-e-tarah and the members are expected to write their poems matching the meter and rhythm.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in The Hindu

Dated May 21,2018

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Image Courtesy : Google

Heat, sweat and the sticky feeling of here we go again. There is no turning away from this unpleasant situation.

Heat, sweat and the sticky feeling of here we go again. There is no turning away from this unpleasant situation. It’s the time of the year when summer throws its arms around you in a warm hug. For the well-heeled, the season augurs happy times—going to the beach, lolling up in the bed and watching TV all day long. But for many it’s out-of-the-frying-pan-into-the-fire kind of situation with power outages and water scarcity adding to the misery.

Summer means different things to different people. For some vacation is having nothing to do and all day to do it. But moms and dads dread its onset for a different reason. With schools closed, tranquillity goes for a toss. Summer vacation and kids make a good working definition of hell. One makes you sweat and the other fret. The little ones get into the hair and there is no way you can shake them away. Hot days and hotter nights. To remain holed up in home is to tie oneself up in knots. What do you expect the kiddies to do if not let out the steam. When they turn a Kohli then the idiot box and glassware go for a six.

But of late children are being deprived of their well-deserved holidays. For many there is no escape from the classroom. Even as temperature soars, some schools and colleges are conducting special classes in the name of improving academic performance. What about children’s right to holidays? On the contrary, some educational institutions are holding summer camps that impart skills and hone the innate talent of students. Summer Samurai, the holiday special programme of the Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society, has become a good hunting ground for talent. Malavath Poorna, the tribal girl who ended up scaling Mount Everest, discovered her mountaineering skills here. Such programmes of course help kids get into a positive frame of mind and imbibe the can-do spirit.

 Image Courtesy : Google

Time was when summer vacation meant a grand get-together of families—catching up with cousins, recalling granny’s tales and indulging in oodles of fun and frolic. Unfortunately smartphones have snatched away this good clean fun too. Today’s kids live in the virtual world. They would rather go for gaming on mobiles than play outdoors. A few love to bury their nose in a thriller while some like to just laze around. Of course summer is when languor finds respectability. Whatever happened to games like gilli-danda, marbles, kho-kho, and  chor-sipahi? These favourite activities of the 1960s and 70s are on the verge of extinction now. Time the traditional Indian games are revived.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in The New Indian Express

Dated May 17,2018

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Shop away ,be it carpets or glittery bangles, Old City is teeming with variety. 

PHOTO : KVS Giri and By Arrangement

Shoppers keen to beat the Ramzan crowd and frenzy have already begun their Id shopping.
Whoever said money cannot buy happiness simply didn’t know where to go shopping. Ask any Hyderabadi and he will share the best kept secret — the Charminar and its surrounding areas in the heart of Old City. . And the season when the shopping frenzy here reaches a peak is just round the corner. Though Ramzan, the month of fasting, is still a few days away, the festive mood has already enveloped this part of the city.

The weekend saw hectic business at Patherghatti, the economic hub of the purana shahar . Call it ambience, variety or pricing, many still prefer to shop at Charminar, although there is no dearth of commercial hubs in other parts of the city. Among the shoppers were young Sabiha and her parents from the neighbouring state, were surprised at the frenzied activity and wondered whether Id was just the following day.

The commercialisation of Ramzan has never been so blatant. What is essentially a time for fasting and piety has been turned into a business opportunity. A popular Haleem maker puts up hoardings at strategic points in the twin cities welcoming Ramzan a good 50 days ahead. Is it salutation of the holy month or Haleem, the signature dish of Ramzan? No wonder a Hindu friend of Moulana Husamuddin Aaqil once innocently asked “When is your month of eating beginning?”

The shop-till-you-drop syndrome will come into play as Id approaches but many people prefer to get done with their Id shopping early to avoid the swelling waves of shoppers in the days to come. Cashing on the trend, traders too have upped the ante. Unlike the previous years, fresh stock of clothing has already arrived in the market. “Seeing the changing preferences of the customers, we have brought in new stock a month ahead,” says Haji Abdul Lateef, proprietor of a popular cloth store at Patherghatti.

Haleem kiosks have also sprung up much earlier in many areas, though the popular restaurants are yet to formally launch the special flavour for Ramzan. From big traders to hawkers everyone is out to make a fast buck. A carnival like atmosphere can be seen in most parts of the city. Not just Charminar, areas like Nampally, Mallepally, Mehdipatnam and Toli Chowki are also witnessing increasing footfalls.

There is much to tickle the taste buds as also the soul-strings during Ramzan. Among the devotional merchandise, the holy Quran remains the fastest moving product on the shelf since it was revealed during Ramzan. Bookstores have stocked fresh sets of Quran, particularly its translations in Urdu and English. CDs of the Quran in voice of popular qaris (reciters) like Imam of the grand mosque in Makkah, Abdul Rahman Al Sudais, are much sought after. As always, the Mohammmed Cap Mart has unveiled a new line of prayer rugs. Soft, velvety ‘jainamaz’ with beautiful Islamic motifs are on display at the 113-year old Mart in Patherghatti. One can shop for the best of carpets and prayer mats from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Belgium, Iran and other countries.Indeed the ID season has just begun.


Many people prefer to get done with their Id shopping early to avoid the swelling waves of shoppers in the days to come. Cashing on the trend, traders too have upped the ante.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in The Hindu

Dated May 8,2018

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Image Courtesy : Google

The rich man’s guardian and the poor man’s friend.

The rich man’s guardian and the poor man’s friend. The only creature faithful to the end. Yes it’s obedience and loyalty is legendary. But I have my own misgivings about dogs. This distrust is the result of my encounters with the bow-wow. The other day I was walking down the street when I was caught unawares by a doggy taking the afternoon nap under a car. I usually let sleeping dogs lie but this one seemed determined to give me the fright of my life. Of course its bark was as worse as its bite. All my attempts to shove it away came a cropper. Saliva dripping from its snarling mouth, the pooch leapt at my leg. I felt red hot pain and later saw blood oozing from the calf.

My earlier encounter was even more scary. I was returning home from night duty when a pack of dogs encircled me. I flailed wildly, threw the bag in my hand and managed to escape with a few scratches.

But the miserable part was the first bonus I got from the Express going to the dogs—literally. I had to spend the entire amount towards the anti-rabies vaccine.

On one occasion I went to the house of a CCMB scientist to interview him. When he opened the door I found to my shock a huge dog staring at me. Repeated assurances of its docile nature failed to calm my ruffled nerves. Mustering every ounce of courage, I moved inside gingerly. Even as I struck up conversation, I could feel a chill running down my spine.

The most terrifying moment was when the scientist went to the other room to answer the phone leaving me in the company of the Great Dane. I sat bolt upright—a silent prayer on my lips. I sweated heavily under the collar. There was palpable fear and I missed a heartbeat.

The barrage of questions unleashed by the vet is often more terrifying than the bite itself. Did the dog bark while biting or pounced without barking. Was it a normal or a mad dog. Did it know you. Did it bit anyone else before you. Why did it bite you. Any old enmity or did you provoke the dog yourself? Even before one recovers from this fusillade, the vet throws a googly. “Keep an eye on the dog. Watch the behavioural changes in it. The next ten days are very crucial. If the dog dies you can count your days.”

This nightmarish experience turned my friend, Abid Moiz, into a fine humour writer. Victims of dog bites can find solace in his essay ‘Sag Gazeedah’.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in The New Indian Express

Dated May 2,2018

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Naveed Qureshi’s insights into behavioural patterns of fowls has earned him recognition in poultry expos

For him happiness is a fluffy pet chicken. Bundles of love wrapped in colourful plumage. Building a house may give one great satisfaction but he draws pleasure in making coops for his pets. That's Naveed Qureshi for you.

He suffers from what they call the Obsessive Chicken Disorder. From being just a hobby, the passion for chicks has become the be all and end all of his life. Imagine somebody spending nearly six hours a day nurturing pets. Naveed does just that. He is nuts about the fowls and loves to watch them play more than the idiot box.

An exotic poultry breeder, his house in Paramount Colony, Toli Chowki, is home to 400 birds. And all of them are ornamental and fancy chickens. They include Cornish (England), Modern English Game, Japanese Bantam, Silver Campine (Belgium), Spitzhauben (Germany), Silkie-Bearded White, Frizzle Bantam, Polish Owl Face Buff and Serama Bantam (Malaysian). He also has parrots, pigeons and Persian cats. Naveed now plans to open an exclusive swan park in Hyderabad. A little prodding and he plunges into the history of domesticated species - ducks, geese, turkeys, guinea fowl, partridges, peafowl, pheasants, quails.

"The genealogy of the domesticated chicken stretches back to 7000 to 10,000 years. Red Jungle Fowl is the chicken's wild progenitor", he says fondling the cute feathery creatures.

Initially he collected fancy birds from all over the country at fancy prices. But of late he started concentrating on breeding a new exotic variety - Naked Neck Polish. It is called so as it has no feathers on its neck. It has taken him nearly a decade to obtain this unique variety by mixing the Polish breed with the Indian Naked Neck. He didn't stop at that but strove to achieve different colours - white, black, grey, golden, silver and multi colour. These birds sport v-shaped red comb, white and red mixed ear lobes. Now it is a subject of poultry research at the state and national level.

"Naked Neck Polish is Telangana's gift to the world and I am now in the process of getting it registered with the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources", says Naveed. He is all praise for Dr. D. Venkateshwar, Director, Animal Husbandry, for the support.

Love for the pets runs into his genes. Even as a child, Naveed was fond of birds and collected a variety of species. Of course he used to get an earful from his mother whenever the birds created filth. "Without pets the house will be clean but my heart empty", Naveed remarks.

Do not count your chickens before they are hatched. This may be a sound advice. But Naveed takes it with a pinch of salt. He has a way with the fowls thanks to years of exposure to their fascinating world. His knowledge of the breed character, production, performance and egg quality parameters has won him accolades in the poultry expos. Naveed can read the behaviour of the birds. "I know what they want to tell just looking at the angle of head and body and their postural changes", he says.

Would he like to sell his collection? "No, never", remarks Naveed for whom the chicks are the visible soul of his house.

Pets sure are humanizing. They remind one about the responsibility and obligation to preserve, nurture and care.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in The Hindu

Dated April 26,2018

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Image courtesy : Google

These are surreal times 

Politics sans principles 

Humanity sans morality

Lynching order of the day 

Intolerance sign of the times 

Animals safer than man

Deer is safe, cow is safer

But women are under seige

Hounded, raped and abused 

Beti bacho, beti padhao 

What about the victims of lust

Are they mere expendables?

The nation failed them

Where are they safe

At home, school, place of worship? 

The sacred Tiranga

A rallying point for martyrs 

Now a shield for rapists 

Will politics of expediency end

Will justice emerge unscathed 

Will their innocence be avenged 

Corruption rules the roost

Law breakers call the shots 

Perhaps justice is really blind

Nations at war

Human rights at stake

Blood cheaper than water

Don't limit your challenges 

Challenge your limits

Swim against the tide

Emerge from the comfort zone

Look for a way

Not a way out

Nothing like a challenge 

To crush the lust in you

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

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Image : Courtesy Google

While traditional bookstores are struggling to survive, those dealing in second-hand books continue to prosper. The online onslaught and the Kindle boom has not impacted them. Many well-known book shops in Hyderabad like A A Husain have called it a day as the industry is going through a rough weather but there is no slide in demand for the used books.

This is heartening news with the World Book Day round the corner. The footfalls on city footpaths bear this out. Come Sunday and general holidays bibliophiles cram the pavements at Abids to pick up their favourite books at throwaway prices. From St. George’s Grammar School to Tilak Road, Nampally Station Road and beyond they can be seen scanning through the titles. Wonder what is William Shakespeare 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 Wodehouse, William Blake, Mark Twain to Harold Robins and Jackie Collins one can pick up the best of the reads for a song here. For many it makes sense to indulge in pavement shopping.

“Why spend a huge amount on a new book when you get the same at a cheap rate”, asks Kumar who is a regular at the Sunday bazaar. The range of books available are mind-boggling. Not just fiction, there are also books on medicine, interior decoration, history, travel, cookery, fashion, management, health, architecture and puzzles.

“There is never a dull moment. The demand is steady and people come here regularly looking for books”, says Shareef, who is selling books at Abids for over two decades. He may not have read a single book but he is quite familiar with books and authors. Name a title and he will ferret it out in a jiffy.

Whenever they visit Hyderabad, my book-addict nieces, Saiqua Parveen and Rukhsana Parveen, make it a point to drop in at Abids on Sundays. They linger for hours on the titles spread. Often one strikes gold as many rare and out of print books can be found here and for as cheap as Rs.20 to Rs.200.


There is something for everyone here. The Laad Bazaar near Charminar also comes alive with bookworms on Sundays. This street which normally throbs with women looking for colourful bangles offers substantial amount of collectibles and books on Sundays. Hyderabad footpaths sure offer a rich sensory browsing experience.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in The New Indian Express

Dated April 23,2018

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