Pandit Hari Chand Akhtar's couplets & his claim on Pakistan!

Pandit Hari Chand Akhtar was a popular Urdu poet and apart from that a great human being whose wit (like Majaz) has acquired the status of a legend. His ghazal with the following couplets finds place in every standard collection of Urdu poetry.

shabaab aaya, kisii but pe fidaa hone ka waqt aaya
merii dunyaa meN bande ke Khudaa hone ka waqt aaya
&
unheN dekhaa to zaahid ne kahaa iimaaN kii yeh hai
ki ab insaan ko sajdaa ravaa hone ka waqt aayaa

شباب آیا کسی بت پہ فدا ہونے کا وقت آیا
میری دنیا میں بندے کے خدا ہونے کا وقت آیا

انہیں دیکھا تو زاہد نے کہا ایماں کی یہ ہے
کہ اب انسان کو سجدہ روا ہونے کا وقت آیا
پنڈت ہری چند اختر
शबाब आया किसी बुत पे फ़िदा होने का वक़्त आया
मेरी दुनिया में बंदे के ख़ुदा होने का वक़्त आया

उन्हें देखा तो ज़ाहिद ने कहा ईमां की यह है
कि अब इंसान को सजदा र'वा होने का वक़्त आया
Read the whole ghazal in all three scripts at www.bestghazals.blogspot.com

Hari Chand Akhtar's poetry is the glimpse of the era when the liberty with Sheikh/Pandit were the feature of Urdu literature. He was in a true sense a 'baagh-o-bahaar shakhsiyat'.
Once sitting amongst some Muslim League sympathisers in a poetic meet, Akhtar got irritated over the cries of Pakistan and said. 'Who will be a greater Pakistani than me?'

'My name symbolises the flag of your would-be-Islamic state', declared Pt Hari Chand Akhtar. He meant that Hari (Sanskrit=God) in common parlance would mean Green, Chand would stand for Moon/Crescent and Akhtar is the Urdu word for Star. Nobody can claim Pakistan more than me. Everybody turned silent.

Together the crescent and star in green background is nothing but the flag of Pakistan. These were poets who were secular and humanist to core. As a poet, his command over language and choice of words are remarkable.