Urdu short story on Internet: How afsana, mini stories reach audience in the era of social media

 

On one hand, there is a fear that social media is affecting the print.

But on the other hand, it also provides opportunity to take your writings to a wider audience. 

As usual, there are pros and cons. Urdu readers and writers are using the new media to express themselves.

One of the biggest challanges is that Facebook is auto-translating posts.

Hence, if you write something in Urdu text from a region where Urdu is the not the first language, then for the reader it automatically translates it into Hindi or English or Kannada.

To deal with this, the best way is to write text and then post it in 'Image form'. 

Imagine, an eminent author wrote a long article in Urdu and on Facebook, it was translated in English by the social media network, extremely bad translation and even author's name was translated!

So, in order to deal with these issues and to ensure that not just the font is readable but also what you write, is visible to the reader, not some 'auto-translation'. On Twitter, there is a restriction--you can't post more than 280 characters, which means just 2-3 short sentences, hence, this is the way to tackle the restriction. 

So an afsaana or 'afsaancha' i.e. short story or mini story or any other creative work can be posted under the hashtag #Urdu and #UrduTwitter. As there is limit of 280 characters for a tweet, this is posted as an image file, and appears as photo, and hence even an entire short story fits in one tweet.

These are just a few examples of these short stories in Urdu.

You can read some of them under this hashtag at these links:

1. Jalwa dikhane ka shauq LINK

2. Aapki zabaan alag, Aapka culture alag LINK

3. Ansune naam, Anjaane log LINK

4. Qissa-e-Kitab LINK

5. Ye Urdu ke dost hain ya dushman LINK

6.  Whatspp group ka Sher  LINK

7. Fatihana muskurahat LINK

8. Woh be-imaan kaise ho sakta hai LINK

9۔ Yagya jaari hai LINK

10. Guzishta sadi ka Shahar. Khawab Kahani. LINK

Hindi shouldn't become India's national language, says eminent Hindi author in literary festival in Raipur

When renowned Hindi poet and author Ashok Vajpeyi, said that Hindi isn't India's national language and should not be one, the newspapers lapped it up and published the statement in a big way.

Vajpeyi, 73, was speaking at Raipur literary festival in Chhattisgarh.

He said what is not commonly spoken--the fact that Hindi is not Rashtriya Bhasha.

No wonder, some newspapers tried to sensationalise the statement.

Vajpeyi said that Hindi was never India's national language, but it was often termed as a national language.

"Nowhere in constitution, it is written that Hindi is national language", he was quoted in Patrika newspaper. Aajtak reported, "It is a foolish thought that why Hindi is not our national language. After all, why should it be the national language.

If Hindi has to be national language, then why not Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada--languages in which wonderful literature is being penned". [SEE LINKS of the reports HERE & HERE]

"India is not just a country but one of the most ancient and composite civilisations of the world. The beauty of India is in diversity", he was quoted. Dainik Bhaskar carried the story as a lead in the paper.

SENSATIONAL HEADLINE!

It quoted  him saying that when one language is made the sole national language, it becomes a 'tanashah' [dictator]. LINK

There are many languages in India and all of them should be celebrated."

Vajpeyi is a poet, intellectual and a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi award for his poetry. He was also chairman of Lalit Kala Akademi. The Raipur Sahitya Sammelan concluded in Chhattisgarh recently.

INDEED INDIA HAS NO NATIONAL LANGUAGE

What Vajpeyi said may shock many people in the Hindi heartland, but it is true. Hindi is an official language along with English [Rajbhasha, not Rashtriya bhasha], but not national language.

In fact, all the 20-odd languages listed in the eighth schedule have equal status in the country. The Gujarat High Court had also held that there is no national language in India. See another report in The Hindu and a blog post on IBN website.

UPSC misuses autonomy, UPA remains apathetic: Movement needed to restore Arabic, Persian, Pali in Civil Services

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The decision of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to remove Arabic, Persian and Pali from the list of optional subjects in the civil services examination, has invited strong condemnation from across the country.

There is a vast literary treasure in India in these three languages that have the status of classical languages in the country.

There are million of books in libraries in these languages apart from revenue records in many states that are in Persian. Old historical structures and coins carry plaques in these languages.

In taking the decision to remove these languages, the UPSC has misused its autonomy. Unfortunately, it is the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) which is at the helm, when the decision has again been taken.

Nearly two decades back, there was a similar decision. After strong protests, the decision was revoked. Congress was the ruling party. PV Narsimha Rao was the prime minister then. Now it has happened once again. Why there is an effort to remove these languages from UPSC, the apex

The UPSC members have done great disservice to the nation with this act. They have shown their lack of awareness about Indian culture and history, when they decided to remove these languages from the list of optional subjects.

They also removed French, German and Russian. In fact, keeping Arabic, Persian and Pali in the same bracket, shows how the mandarins of the top body, seem tohave no idea about the extent of literature these classical languages has and how much important it is for India.

Already, we don't have enough students taking languages in universities.

With diminishing options, the Arabic, Persian and Pali departments in universities in the country, will be severely affected.

It will be a big loss for our heritage.

There will perhaps be a situation when there will be more experts of these languages outside the country, than here.

DP Agarwal is the chairman of the UPSC. The commission has ten members viz. Rajni Razdan, Venkatarami Reddy Y, Alka Sirohi, David R Syimlieh, Manbir Singh, Amar Pratap Singh, DK Dewan, Vinay Mittal, P Kilemsungla, Chhatar Singh.

It beats the brains how these 'intellectuals' took this insane decision. As far as Persian is concerned, India has preserved the original classical form of the language. Not just Mughals, hundreds of princely states used it as an official language in 19th century and even later.

The texts, manuscripts are lying in libraries and archives departments and they will not be researchers, students, to decipher them. What a shame!

The UPSC is also playing with the future of students. Sadly, the UPA claims that it wants to increase job opportunities for Muslims, but under its tenure, the languages are being removed. Two of these languages give students of 'madarsas' the option to dream big.

In fact, several Muslims have taken Arabic and Persian as optional subjects and have cleared the examination to become IAS, IPS and IFS officers. Recently, teachers and students protested outside UPSC and the chairman had refused to meet their delegation.

United Muslims Front (UMF) held a major protest that was led by the front chief Shahid Ali.

The All India Association of Arabic Teachers & Scholars (AIAATS) in collaboration with the All India Persian Scholars’ Association (AIPSA) organized a symposium in Delhi on the issue, but now seminars are not required.

The need is for action. There have been protests in Lucknow and Allahabad. The issue is that UPSC's action is illogical and shows that its top officers have little idea about Indian history and have no focus on keeping the standards of learning in the universities.

It is time to condemn their decision, which is either due to prejudiced mindset or total lack of knowledge.
The need of the hour is to petition the President of India, whom UPSC annually submits its report. Also, write letters to Prime Minister, urge the MPs to take up the issue in the Parliament. If there is more delay, the decision may not be overturned.

Do act now. 

Bihari to Bangladeshi and Beyond: Abdus Samad's novel on partition of India and the after-effects on people in East Pakistan

Abdus Samad's Do Gaz Zameen

It was almost 15 years ago that I first read Abdus Samad's famous novel,'Do Gaz Zameen', that had got him the prestigious Sahitya Akademi award.

For quite sometime I was yearning to read it again. I got it from a library and read the novel that focuses on partition of the India. Unlike most other novels that primarily look at Punjab, it focuses on Eastern India--the affect of partition on Biharis and Bengalis.

Umpteen litterateurs have touched the after-affects of partition in Northern India, but the plight of refugees in the region where East Pakistan was created, didn't get as much expression in Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi and English literature.

Abdus Samad's novel is important not just in this context. Like Uttar Pradesh (UP), millions of Muslims left for Pakistan [West] from Bihar also.


Apart from Karachi and Lahore, Biharis also went to East Pakistan in huge numbers and from the other side of the border, Hindu Bengalis came to India. Through a Muslim family settled in a town Bihar Sharif [Nalanda], he begins his narration.

The Novel

The head of the family represents the elite Muslims. There is wide support among Muslims for Congress, which has Gandhi in the forefront, but also has Ali brothers, Maulana Abdul Bari Firangimahli and Abul Kalam Azad.

But Muslim League is slowly gaining ground. The next generation is divided between supporters of Congress and Muslim League. Till now the plot is quite similar to many other famous novels that have dealt with this subject in the past.

But Abdus Samad's fantastic narration keeps you spellbound. In Congress, there is a section that has clear right-wing leanings. Riots occur and when there are complaints made about local leaders' involvement, there is little action.

Pakistan, yes, but where?

Muslims are terribly out of touch with reality. A large number attends league functions and raises slogans but have no idea that when Pakistan would be created, it would not be in the midst of the Indo-Gangetic built, but far away.

Post-partition, Muslims feel guilty. However, there are opportunists who were in league but have quickly donned the Gandhi cap. Meanwhile, there are growing fears. Land ceiling is about to take place, zamindaris ending and Muslims fleeing the country side due to fear of reprisal.

Those unwilling to go find it hard to survive. If a family member has left for Pakistan, the property is seen as disputed, as was the situation in the era when custodian had become a dreaded word. People wanted to sell their land to migrate, but weren't getting the price.

Even as there is a great exodus, there are millions who have no wish to go away. An elderly woman who sees youngsters going to Pakistan and never returning while young girls here waiting and remaining unmarried, rues, 'ye muaa Pakistan, sabko khaa jaata hai'.

Post- partition years in Bihar

Finally, Urdu speaking Biharis have got citizenship

Muslim lawyers don't have adequate clients now as landowners have left and not just Muslims but Hindus also desert them.

Businessmen also find it tough and so is the condition of government officials and others. Any mischief maker's complaint that a person has received cash or letter from a kin who went to Pakistan, is immediately under suspicion.

There are inquiries and cases, blames of being a spy or traitor. Elderly Muslims who had faith in Congress find their own sons challenging their conviction.

Failing to get jobs, youth go for 'gardania passport' (illegal way) to get to East Pakistan, where there were more opportunities for them.

Biharis in East Pakistan: A new life begins

Once in Bangladesh, the situation was rosy in the initial years. But it also deteriorates with time. In fact, Samad gives us a peek into the mind of Bangladeshis and muhajirs [Punjabi and Bihari Muslims] who went to Pakistan.

That many people who went to Bangladesh, got jobs and money, but were still not satisfied. They rued that in Western Pakistan, the muhajirs had got a much better deal--in terms of getting bigger houses and more creamy positions in the government.

When novel's protagonist argues with them saying that there was large exodus of Hindus from Punjab and hence more houses to get in return in West Punjab, he is told that no the Bengali qaum doesn't treat the muhajirs well enough.

Oblivious to Amar Sonar Bangal!

In parties and functions, the new entrants who are now well-entrenched look down at the Bangladeshi, terming them as "Ye naachne-gaane wali qaum' [referring to the penchant for dance and music among Bangladeshi Muslims], which was scorned and seen as 'un-Islamic'.

The novel portrays the largely West Pakistan dominated army officers as government officials as ignorant and contemptuous towards the country, looking at it as just a land of opportunities, despite the fact that people here had opened up hearts for them.

There are heated debates over Qaid-e-Azam's vision [Mohamed Ali Jinnah] and the policies during the period of Liaqat Ali Khan and later years. Our protagonist, an 'ashraaf' Muslim, who sneaked into East Pakistan, by calling a 'lower caste Muslim' 'Chamu' as his uncle, manages to get a job, due to a Bengali Muslim gentleman.

English translation

Romance and revolution

He enjoys their hospitality and fells in love with the gentleman's daughter. But the situation is turning fluid. There is growing resentment over the authoritarian rule of the West Pakistan. What follows is a long saga. There is blood and gore. Muktibahini arrives.

Bangladesh emerges as a sovereign nation, after General Niyazi surrenders in Dacca. Biharis stuck in Bangladesh fear for their fate. Innumerable perish, rest of Biharis lead a life of misery in camps as people belonging to no country, while many others manage to escape.


The Biharis who were fortunate enough to come back to West Pakistan, now find that there are no more opportunities for them here. Was it a 'hijrat' indeed when they first left India?

Is Dubai, the El Dorado of Middle East, the next destination?


How many more Hijrats!

Back in Bihar [in India], Muslims are picking up pieces, on the land where a million mosques, madarsas and grave yards tell the story of Indianised Islam for over 1,300 years. And that despite occasional obstacles or communal riots, it is here lies there destiny and dreams.

The novel was translated in Hindi also by the same title. In English, it is available as 'A strip of land, two yards'. It is a fascinating novel and sheds light on the life of people affected by the communal politics and the mindless violence in Eastern part of India, before and after independence.

Though it doesn't have a canvas as wide as many other novels, Do Gaz Zameen gives a reader valuable insight into the politics in Bihar during the pre-independence period. Along with Qurratul Ain Hyder's Aag ka Darya, Abdullah Husain's Udas Naslein, this is another important work, helpful in understanding the era.

Long back, I had written a post on this blog on some of the important novels on Indian Muslims, their culture, psyche and their aspirations. Do read the post, 'Major literary works of Indian Muslims'. 

[*The novel's title comes from Poet-King Bahadur Shah Zafar's famous couplet 'Kitna badnaeeb hai Zafar dafan ke liye/ Do gaz zamiiN bhii mil na sakii, kuu-e-yaar meN]

Alwida Shafiqa Aapa: Urdu world bids adieu to the leading woman satirist

Eminent writer and one of the most well-known Urdu satirists, Shafiqa Farhat, passed away on Sunday. The 76-year-old author had a long literary career, spanning over half-a-century.

She had devoted her life to literature and teaching. She hadn't married but Shafiqa Aapa probably never felt lonely as she had numerous friends, a great social circle and admirers. Such was her simplicity, warmth and hospitality that everybody felt drawn to her.

Shafiqa Aapa was a humanist and a strong believer in secularism. She had friends in all communities. I remember an incident involving Hindi writer Kanti Kumar Jain whom she considered her elder brother.

Once her relatives from Pakistan had come and they saw her tie the 'rakhi' on his wrist and putting tilak, they were quite horrified. Shafiqua Aapa was sitting on the floor with all the paraphernalia that was required to celebrate raksha-bandhan with her brother.

One of her sisters objected and said that she had turned this house into a temple. Shafiqa Aapa got enraged and categorically told her that this was her own culture and of this country, if they are staying here they better accept it or push off. It was rare of her to get into such rage.

Her father, who was a police officer in British India, was a strict man. After shifting from Nagpur to Bhopal in 1950s, she became an intrinsic part of the literary circles of the city. She was Head of Department of Urdu in MLB College, which had for long one of the best Urdu departments in the country.

A prolific writer, she has many books to her name.When she finished 'Jaane Anjaane Chehrey', President APJ Abdul Kalam had met her in the ambulance, as she was seriously ill then. Later she had recovered a bit. Once again she was active as always, planning literary meets or concerned about students' problems in a particular college due to lack of teachers.

Despite her failing health, she remained active till her last days. I still recall the excitement in her voice when she would call me up and tell me about her upcoming work or a special issue published on her works. She often invited me and a photographer friend of mine to her house in Koh-e-Fiza.

She was always concerned about marriage of the photographer friend for whom she always suggesting girls. She was headstrong and remained firm on her beliefs but unlike many other litterateurs, she was always generous in praise for fellow writers.

She had just finished her novel on Bhopal Gas Tragedy and insisted that it was her best work. Unfortunately she passed away, even before a function of the book release. She was buried in Bada Bagh graveyard in Bhopal, the City she had made her home and which gave her immense love.

I didn't delete her number for years after her demise. The name 'Shafiqa Farhat' remained in my phone book for a long time. But then I lost the cell phone. Still, I remember her voice, the affection she had for me, as if it was just yesterday.

[The photo shows former President APJ Abdul Kalam, when he was in office, meeting Shafiqa Farhat, who is in ambulance]

Qurratul Ain Hyder: Legendary author, one of the finest writers of South Asia, is no more

Shams Ur Rehman Alavi

One of the greatest litterateurs of the 20th century, Qurratulain Hyder, who is best known for her novel Aag ka Darya [River of Fire], died at the age of 80. 

She was ill for sometime and was admitted at the Kailash Hospital in Noida [Delhi]. Ainee's demise has come as a big loss to the world of literature. She was the most towering figure in Urdu fiction and Padma award apart from the prestigious Jnanpith and Sahitya Akademi awards. 

She was born in Aligarh in 1926 though her hometown was Nehtaur in Bijnor district. Her father Sajjad Hyder Yaldaram and Nazar Zahra were well-known writers and influential personalities of their times. 

She lived briefly in Pakistan after partition, then moved to England and returned to India to settle here. A firm believer in composite culture, Hyder had admitted that partition had come as a jolt to her and she was terribly unsettled as a result. 

It took her years to come to terms with the reality of two nations. The result was the magnum opus, 'Aag ka Darya' which set new standards in Urdu novel. Some of her famous works are: 

Aag Ka Darya

It was the first beerbahuti of the season that Gautam had seen. The prettiest of rain-insects, clothed in god's own red velvet, the beerbahuti was called the Bride of Indra, Lord of the Clouds..... Gautam Nilambar, final year student of the Forest University of Shravasti, had walked all the way from Shravasti to Saket... 

That's how the novel begins in the 4th century BC and traces the entire 2500 years of Indian history to finally end in 1956, seven years after the partition of sub-continent. When it was published, the astonishing sense of history, the vast canvas of the novel and Hyder's understanding of the idea of civilisation, had amazed the readers and critics alike. 

The characters like Gautam, Hari Kishan, Kamaal, Champa, who appear in various eras under different names [like Abul Mansoor Kamaluddin, Kamal Reza Bahadur and Kamal Haider], are taken away by the tide of time and then reappear. 

Her genius lies in the description of cities like Benares, Lucknow, Bahraich [Shravasti] and when she recollects the past and people in a particular period of time. She is equally at ease writing about nawabs, maharajahs and feudals, as she is about folk singers of Bengal, the fakirs, the phaeton pullers, boatmen and the porters. Through their eyes, she explores the world.

'In a cool grotto Gautam chances upon Hari Shankar, a princeling yearning to be a Buddhist monk. He falls in love with he beautiful, sharp-witted Champak. And thus begins a magnificent tale that flows through time, through Magadh, Oudh, British Raj, into time of Independence. 

The story comes full circle in post-Partition India when Hari Shankar and his friend Gautam Nilambar Dutt meet in the grotto in the forest of Shravasti, and mourn the passing of their lives into meaninglessness, their friends, who have left for Pakistan, and what remains of their country. 

It is believed that one of the character of the novel Champa Ahmad, who never marries, after Kamaal leaves the country, is none but Qurratulain Haider herself. What 'happens between then and now is history, full of clangour of conflict, deviousness of colonisers, apathy of maharajahs and irrelevance of religion in defining the Indianness'. 

[Published in English by Kali for Women, transcreated by author] 

Aakhir-e-Shab ke Hamsafar 

This is another of her major works. This novel is set in Bengal and runs along side important historic moments and periods like the rise in nationalistic feelings, the growth of revolutionary movements in Bengal, independence of the country along with partition, the demand for Bangladesh and ultimately the creation of the new country. 

Mere Bhi Sanamkhane 

The novel set in Oudh, depicts the changing order as the fedual system is giving way to a new society. Kunwar Irfan Ali is a staunch believer in traditional values and culture while Rakhshanda doesn't want to cling to the old set of ideas and is keen on adapting to the new culture. 

Gardish-e-Rang-e-Chaman 

The story starts from the period of first war of independence (mutiny) and continues till the ninth decade of twentieth century. It is especially important as it depicts the social changes in the century, with a woman at the centre-stage and her perspective at the turn of events. When rural folk were suffering, the soldiers were rebelling and there was disillusionment, the elite of Zamindars and rulers of princely states, were making merry at the cost of their suffering subjects, and supporting the British Raj. 

Chandni Begam 

Again this novel is set in Lucknow. The story of two families. In the Teen Katori House, the family is ultra-modern but at the same time, feudalism flows in their blood. The other family living in Red Rose House is no different. 

Qambar Miyan is a communist but when it comes to class consciousness, he is no different from a feudal lord. The third family belongs to those working in a 'nautanki' [street theatre] company. Safeena-e-Gham-e-Dil focuses on freedom movement. 

Her other famous works include 'Dilruba', 'Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya na Kijo' [Don't bring me to this world as a daughter in the next life], Sita Haran, Chai ke Bagh, are mostly on the social status of women. 

Childhood, family & career 

She was just six when she wrote her first story. Another of her story 'Bi Chuhiya' was published in the kids' journal Phool, Lahore. She had spent her initial years in Port Blaire, Andaman and Nicobar islands, later studied at Dehradun, the historic Isabella Thoburn (IT) College at Lucknow and School of Arts London. 

There was a strong tradition of learning amongst women in her family that had come from Central Asia. Her ancestor Hasan Tirmizi had settled in Nehtaur in UP. Even her great grandmother Syeda Umm-e-Maryam had translated Quran into Persian. 

Her father Sajjad Haider Yaldaram was a celebrated writer of his era. Her mother Nazar Sajjad Haider had published her first novel Akhtarun Nisa when she was just 14 in 1908. The author's initial stories were published in Humayun magazine. 

After partition she lived in Pakistan for sometime where she served as Information Officer for the ministry and later made documentaries. But following the publication of Aag ka Dariya and the controversies over her outlook regarding the partition of the sub-continent, Hyder returned to India in the early 60s. 

She joined Imprint as an editor in 1964 and later Illustrated Weekly of India between 1968 and 1975. In 1967 she got the Sahitya Akademi award for her collection of stories 'Patjhar ki Aawaz', the same year her mother passed away. 

In 1969 she got the Soviet Land Nehru Award. In 1984, Hyder was honoured with Padma Shree and Ghalib Awards. The highest literary award of the country Jnanpith was conferred on her in 1990. Until then only Firaq Gorakhpuri had got this award and after her Ali Sardar Jafri received it. 

Hyder had translated [transcreated]  Aag ka Darya, [River of Fire] a few years back. Thanks to Nand Kishor Vikram for chronological records. See more about Annie at my other site Urdu India. Raju Bharatan's informative tribute at Rediff is here. They worked together at Illustrated Weekly. The same site has a audio tribute. 

Storm in Hindi blogosphere & Shah Alam camp stories (Gujarat riot victims)

Renowned Hindi author Asghar Wajahat's book 'Main Hindu huuN' is a collection of stories that mainly address communalism and other social issues.

The last chapter titled 'Shah Alam Camp ki ruuheN' is a series of ten mini stories and a few of them were posted in some blogs, which have caused a stir.

Bloggers not familiar with Wajahat, felt that the writer was identifying himself with the trauma of Muslims alone [Is that wrong when the stories are in the context of Gujarat riots?]

First read translation of one of the stories:

When night descends on Shah Alam camp, the children don't fall asleep. They wait for the spirits of their dead parents...Siraj asked his mother, 'how are you?', She looked happy. Now I am a spirit, a soul, nobody can set me afire...Siraj said, 'mother can I become like you?'

A few Hindi bloggers are supporters of Sangh ideology also [I have no problem with that personally though, everybody is entitled to his views) but when it comes to literature, the level of debate should be a bit more serious and things must be put in perspective.

Veteran blogger Ravi Ratlami has now posted the entire series of mini-stories on his blog here. If you can't read devanagari script....here is excerpt of one of these mini-stories:

...saaraa camp jab so jaata hai to bachche jaagte haiN, unheN intezaar rahtaa hai apni maaN ko dekhne kaa....abba ke saath khaana khaane ka....'kaise ho Siraj'. Amma kii ruuh ne Siraj ke sar par haath pherte hue kahaa.
tum kaisii ho amma?

maa khush nazar aa rahii thii, bolii, Siraj, ab main ruuh huun..ab mujhe koi jalaa nahin sakta
'Amma kyaa main bhii tumhaari tarah ho saktaa hun?'

Another one:

Shah Alam camp mein aadhi raat ke baad roohen aati hain. rooheN apne bachchoN ke liye swarg se khaanaa laati haiN. paani laati haiN, davaayeN laati haiN aur bachchoN ko detii haiN. Yahii wajah ahi ki Shah Alam camp mein na to koi bachcha nanga bhuka rahta hai aur na bimar.


yahi wajah hai ki Shah Alam camp ab bohat mash'huur ho gaya hai. Duur Duur mulkoN mein uskaa naam hai. Delhi se ek baDe netaa jab daure par gaye to bohat khush ho gaye...aur bole 'yeh to bahot badhia jagah hai..yahaan to desh ke sabhii musalman bachchon ko pahunchaa dena chahiye'.

The leader who came from Delhi to inspect it, was delighted to see the Shah Alam camp and said, 'All Muslim kids of the country should be brought here.

शाह आलम कैम्प में आधी रात के बाद रूहें आती हैं। रूहें अपने बच्चों के लिए स्वर्ग से खाना लाती है।, पानी लाती हैं, दवाएं लाती हैं और बच्चों को देती हैं। यही वजह है कि शाह कैम्प में न तो कोई बच्चा नंगा भूखा रहता है और न बीमार। यही वजह है कि शाह आलम कैम्प बहुत मशहूर हो गया है। 

दूर-दूर मुल्कों में उसका नाम है। दिल्ली से एक बड़े नेता जब शाह आलम कैम्प के दौरे पर गये तो बहुत खुश हो गये और बोले, 'ये तो बहुत बढ़िया जगह है. . .यहां तो देश के सभी मुसलमान बच्चों को पहुंचा देना चाहिए।'



Meanwhile, the controversy over Blog Aggregator Narad removing a blogger from its database and banning him for 'offensive' language has also caused a major controversy.

Pratirodh, the Resistance, protests 'Narad, send us also to jail' here. And do read this post by Masijeevi here.

Was Rahul's language derogatory or it was in the tradition of (aughar parampara). Ravi Ratlami has again written a post about this censorship here under the title 'there is life beyond Narad'. Though many like Epandit (here) support Narad's move.

The question is that whether an aggregator has the right to ban a blogger's post.? May be they have. It's an ideological issue as well, whether heavily pro-RSS writings can pass off easily while leftist/ultra-leftist thoughts are curbed. Yes Narad is a big platform and may be it is the owners' prerogative to remove a blogger.

But aren't there other options for a reader who gets offended. He can flag the blog post. He can post his comment against it. Nasiruddin at Dhai Akhar writes here. It seems the blogger (Rahul) has removed the post from his blog (bajaar) now.

Whatever. Indian English blogs don't seem to have taken much notice of the scene in Hindi blogosphere. The world of Hindi 'chittha' (blog) has indeed become fascinating. There are serious issues that are discussed and there are bloggers who have got social concerns.

Many of them are from small towns in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and other states unlike big English bloggers who are mainly from metro cities. The Hindi bloggers are more emotional, write passionately and are eager to discuss the issues.

Either it is the voice of Narad team members like Jitendra Chaudhary, Sanjay Baingani, Fursatiya or the dissenters, their writings are much more addictive. When they write, these bloggers pour their hearts out. Seems Hindi blogging has surely come of age. My mother tongue is Urdu. And that's why I do relate to the Hindi blogs quite easily.

With Google making it easy to write in devanagari script, Hindi blogging scene is only going to hot up further in coming days. A few controversies may, in fact, help in the Hindi blogosphere as it can send both the blog-dadas and general bloggers into the introspective mode.

Shaukat Siddiqui's 'Khuda Ki Basti': An epic Urdu novel that depicts human suffering and the spirit to survive against all odds

It was a strange feeling. I had just started reading one of the greatest Urdu novels ever written, 'Khuda ki Basti' and finished a few chapters of it but the next morning I got the news that Shaukat Siddiqui, the author, had passed away in Pakistan.

I had always heard names of three great post-partition novels 'Aag ka Daryaa' by Qurratul Ain Hyder, Udas Naslein by Abdullah Husain and Shaukat Siddiqui's Khuda ki Basti, ever since my childhood.

Hyder's Aag ka Darya was readily available and I also got its English transliteration 'River of Fire', in order to lend it to friends.

I could not find Udaas Naslen but I bought its translation that was published in India a couple of years back under the title 'Weary Generations' I got from Hazratganj [Lucknow].

The third novel Khuda ki Basti [The Blessed City/God's Own Land] eluded me for long. All efforts to get it were in vain for years.

A library where I found it in index, had refused to lend it to me as it was in two volumes and the first part had been missing. Recently they somehow got the first volume and hence I issued the whole book comprising two volumes.

I had not read Shaukat Siddiqui, though he belonged to Lucknow, my birthplace. An Urdu novel that has seen over 50 editions would surely have some unique quality, I knew, but I regret that I could read it so late. It is a very dark novel and while reading it, I, for once, had to review my opinion about the critics of Qurratul Ain Hyder.

Yes, I staunchly felt that those who termed Hyder as a 'bourgeoise writer' and charge her of 'writing for the upper/upper-middle class and romanticising the past', were nothing but a frustrated lot. But as I read Shaukat Siddiqui's masterful story, I could see the real Lucknow, the real Lahore and the real Karachi.

The life of ordinary people in the aftermath of partition, the large number of real people who suffered and who are always on the brink--trying their best to prevail upon their misfortune but whose every effort is thwarted. 

The dreams of the teenaged boys and street kids and their language could never have been written by somebody else with such perfection. Siddiqui never returned to Lucknow but his portrayal of the life of the City's [Lahore-Karachi have the reflection of Lucknow also in the novel] poor and under-privileged class is unmatched [and scary].

The story of teenaged Sultana, whose dreams die young and poverty forces her mother to ask her to elope with a suitor but even he doesn't turn up and her mother has to marry the person who had his eye on the daughter.

Sultana's brother who works at a mechanic's workshop is fired. He runs away but lands up in a juvenile home from where he goes to a pickpocket's school. One of his friend, who earned a few paisas by pushing the cart of a leper beggar also has a tragic fate. 


Other characters of the novel including Sultana's younger brother and her suitor also struggle to survive. Though the noel is terribly gloomy but the characters keep you spellbound. In their struggle for survival, some characters find peace though it is short-lived. 

However, Shaukat Siddiqui has succeeded in writing an exceptional novel that looks like an insider's account of the world where the word 'people' doesn't mean just the businessmen, politicians and bureaucrats or the occasional teacher.


Rather, they are eunuchs, thieves, sodomites, catamites, pickpockets, beggars, streetchildren, activists, zealots, mechanics, junk-dealers and so many others move along side you, forcefully making their presence felt and capturing your imagination.

And once again, the novel speaks their language and lives their hopes and failures, not the author's. It's tragic, yes. It's gloomy, yes but you need to read it. It's damn good! Wish to read more of his works soon. 


For news about his demise. Click. As far the novel is concerned, it's a must-read book that will leave a strong impression on you. It will help us understand human suffering, the extent of exploitation of the poor children, particularly, the street urchins, and in process help us become more evolved and more sensitive persons. 

Major literary works focusing on Indian Muslims: Books dealing with Muslim issues, India's partition and Indo-Islamic culture of the sub-continent

Strong novel against Hindu, Muslim communalism

A gentleman, Rao Sahab, has asked me about literary works of Indian Muslims that can give him a peek into the culture, thought process, fears, anxieties, hopes and aspirations of the minority community.

I think the post should be regarding novels on Indian Muslims. Yes there are some books which are a must read for not just Muslims but non-Muslims in this country as well. 

I thought I should share with you. I recommend these books to everybody. Here is a list of the major works of fiction, many of whom have been translated in English and Hindi also.

1. Qurratul Ain Haider's Aag ka Darya translated as River of Fire is one of the greatest novels ever written in any language. The characters of Gautam Nilambar, Kamaal and Champa appear in different eras--from the period of Chandragupta Maurya to Sultanate era, Mughals, arrival of East India company and later when India gets divided into Hindustan and Pakistan.

2. Abdus Samad's 'Do Gaz Zameen' that deals with psyche of Muslims until Bangladesh's creation and after. It has been translated in almost a dozen languages.

3. Salahuddin Parvez' Shinakhtnaama or Identity Card, a landmark work in the backdrop of Ayodhya Movement. Apart from the story, its the style that captures the imagination of the reader.

4. Rahi Masoom Raza's 'Topi Shukla', a must-read for all Indians, a small novel originally in Hindi which I am sure can change the thinking of fanatic Hindus and Muslims and force them to introspect.

The boy who was dark complexioned, not loved by parents, hated Muslims in his young age and took admission in Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) to see these 'anti-nationals', later lives a bohemian life, befriends Muslims, falls in love with Muslim girl and has a rather tragic end.

Raza who wrote script of Mahabharat is a master and his command over the dialects of UP and understanding of human psychology, belief in secularism and communal harmony is unparalleled.

5. Raza's Adha Gaon or a Village Divided [recently translated in English] is another beautiful novel about Muslims, particularly the Shia Muslims and their culture, in country side of Uttar Pradesh [Ghazipur's rural and qasbah life].

Qurratul Ain Hyder

6. In Hindi, Manzoor Ahtesham's Sukha Bargad translated as 'A Dying Banyan'. It has also become a sort of classic now as it explores Hindu-Muslim relations in the post-independence era.

7. Another interesting one is Asghar Vajahat [or Wajahat's] 'Saat Aasmaan'. The novel has ample humour as Wajahat's characters have interesting anecdotes & stories to recount, which keep you hooked.

Yet another Rahi Masoom Raza novel, 'Neem ka Ped' on which a TV serial was based, comes to mind. Rahi also wrote 'Himmat Jaunpuri', which is not too easily available these days.

8. Abdul Bismillah's 'Jhini Bini Chadaria' is considered a good novel as it deals with weavers of Benares though I was not impressed much with it. The fact that novel deals about poor Muslims and not Nawabs, Upper Class or Aristocrats is noteworthy.

9. A unique novel is Kaala Jal by Gulsher Khan Shani, one of the first Muslim writers to take up Hindi as a medium of expression, instead of Urdu. The setting is in remote Bastar, the heart of tribal territory. A television serial on the novel with Pallavi Joshi as lead character was quite a hit in the mid-80s.

10. Ilyas Ahmad Gaddi's brilliant work 'Fire Area' is about the miners in coal fields of Bihar. Gaddi's novel has been acclaimed one of the best works in Urdu fiction in India in the last decade or so. Unfortunately I haven't read it.

11. Musharraf Alam Zauqi's 'bayaan' is a major novel. It deals with the insecurities and frustration that had gripped Muslims after demolition of Babri Masjid and the riots in Mumbai, Surat etc.

I have not read Syed Mohammad Ashraf's 'Nambardaar ka Neela' that got great reviews. There are other good Muslim authors who have written good novels but firsthand I remember these and all of them are a must-read. Amongst the earlier works is Hayatullah Ansari's voluminous Lahoo ke Phool, which I unfortunately couldn't read.

Udas Naslein translated in English 

12. The query is about Muslim writers otherwise I was reading Ravindra Kalia's famous 'Khuda Salaamat Hai' and was enchanted by it. 

Set in a mohalla of a North Indian town that has an equal population of Hindus & Muslims, inhabited by shopkeepers, mullahs, pundits, tawaifs & all sorts of people, it depicts the strength of our common heritage & ganga-jamuni culture.


Shamsur Rahman Faruqi has written 'Kai Chand The Sar-e-Aasman', but we await a magnum opus from him on partition and its impact on composite cultural heritage.

Besides, Khushwant Singh's 'Delhi' is one of my favourites. No matter what people say about the 'vulgarity' in the novel, it remains the best work on Delhi along with Ahmad Ali's 'Twilight in Delhi' which is now considered a legendary work.

Ahmed Ali's novel is in a class of its own. It gives a glimpse into the Dehlvi tehzeeb of yore, the life and culture in Delhi, before partition.

And whenever it comes to partition, it is impossible to forget Saadat Hasa Manto. Among short stories I rank Hindi writer Nasira Sharma and her 'Patthar Gali' quite highly. In fact, I have suggested more than 20 novels by now. Enough for this post, I guess.