A visit to Falaknuma palace [Hyderabad series-1]

During my recent visit to Hyderabad, I got the opportunity to see the Falaknuma palace. I had learnt that the palace is closed for public but I managed to get the permission to visit the majestic structure atop a hill.

The grand palace is built in the shape of a scorpion and is still the property of Nizam. I was still under the spell of Salar Jung museum, having seen all those rare paintings, statues, pieces of art and weapons gathered from all over the world.

But even after that the opulence of Falaknuma left me awe-struck. The electricity fittings, the Jacuzzi (in 1880!) and amazing bathrooms, the famed dining table where 100 guests could dine at a time, the 200-odd lavishly decorated rooms and halls, the collection of jade that is unrivalled in the world apart from the great library.



The Prime Minister of Hyderabad Nawab Viqar-ul-Umra had built this palace. The architecture is Italian. The Sixth Nizam Mir Mahboob Ali Khan had bought it from him and it served as royal guest house. The descendants of Asif Jahi dynasty have decided to turn it into a hotel.

One of the senior security officer was wearing a egg-sized turqoise. We had tea and snacks in the palace. We were tired after seeing the huge palace and had a brief walk outside. The hill gives a panoramic view of the City of Hyderabad. And we left wondering about the bygone era, discussing the positive and negative traits of the rulers of princely India.

(Photos from Cellpone Camera by Indscribe)

Insha: Great Urdu Poets' Poetry and Profile-1

انشاء Syed Insha'llah Khan Insha, who was born in Murshidabad (Bengal) in 1757, was one of the greatest Urdu poets. At an early age he came to Delhi.

Insha is also termed as the second Amir Khusro for his tremendous command on language. His intelligence and rivalry with another eminent poet of the age Mushafi [pronounced mus-hafi] are legendary.

He also wrote 'Rani Ketki ki Kahani' without using Arabic and Persian words, that was latter appropriated as first written story in Hindi, leaving his entire contribution in Urdu which is never mentioned.

He wrote the landmark daryaa-e-lataafat on nuances of language and also a divan where he didn't use a single letter that had 'nuqta' [as many as sixteen alphabets in Urdu have nuqta viz. be, pe, te, se, jeem, che, Khe, zaal, ze, Zhe, sheen, zo, Ghain, Fe, qaaf, nu].

Writing a 'be-nuqt or ghair manquut text' requires an astonishing command over language. Some confuse Insha with the Insha-ji of 20th century ie Ibn-e-Insha. On web, many websites treats these different poets, separated by 200 years, as the same person. Rangeen and Insha composed poetry in the way women spoke and used their language to perfection. In this form he often he gets carried away and some verses fall below decency. One of the most oft-quoted couplet is:

نہ چھیڑ اے نکہت باد بہاری راہ لگ اپنی
تجھے اٹکھیلیاں سوجھی ہیں ہم بیزار بیٹھے ہیں

na chheR aye nik'hat-e-baad-e-bahaarii raah lag apnii
tujhe aTkheliyaaN sujhii haiN, ham be-zaar baiThe haiN

The initial couplet of the ghazal is:

kamar baandhe hu'e chalne ko yaaN sab yaar baiThe haiN
boh't aage gaye, baaqi jo haiN taiyyar baiThe haiN

कमर बांधे हुए चलने को यां सब यार बैठे हैं
बोह्त आगे गए, बाक़ी जो हैं तैयार बैठे हैं

न छेड़ ए निकहत-ए-बाद-ए-बहारी, राह लग अपनी
तुझे अटखेलियां सूझी हैं, हम बेज़ार बैठे हैं

The complete ghazal is available in Urdu, Hindi and Roman here

A few other couplets at random:

bas na duniaa kii kar aye saahab-e-adraak havas
Khaak hii Khaak hai sab, Khaak kii kyaa Khaak havas
--
ajiib lutf kuchh aapas kii chheR chhaaR meN hai
kahaan milaam meN voh baat jo bigaaR meN hai
--
agar che ham-se voh sau baar muttasil lipTe
par aise Dhab se na lipTe ki dil se dil lipTe
--
kyuuN kar na gudgudaahaT haathoN meN uske uThe
voh gori gori raaneN jis ne dabaa_ii hoN
--
nargis ne phir na dekhaa jo aaNkh uTha chaman meN
kyaa jaane kisne kis se kyaa kar liyaa chaman meN

kuchh os sii kaliyoN par kyuuN paR ga_ii yakaayak
dekho to kis ne khole band-e-qabaa chaman meN
--
A unique ghazal starts with the following couplet:

banaa ke chhoRuuN jo afiiyun ka sharaab meN saaNp
to saaf aave nazar jurm-e-aaftaab meN saaNp
--
jis ko kuchh dhun ho kare ham_se haqiiqat ki bahas
ki hamiiN jaante haiN ahl-e-tariiqat kii bahas

qaaziaa! haath baRhaa, sheesha-e-sahbaa ko utaar
taaq-e-nisyaaN pe tuu rahne de shariat ki bahas

buu-ali saath koii bolte Insha ko sune
zor hotii hai baham ahl-e-balaaGhat ki bahas
--
kyaa milaa ham ko terii yaarii meN
rahe ab tak ummiid-vaarii meN

Reasons that Indian Muslims are away from extremist influences and not attached to external global movements

[At IndianMuslims.in, Sharique has written 'Why Indian Muslims are away from terrorism' , my comment could not be posted, apparently due to some technical reason despite scores of attempts in separate sittings & I being a member of the group blog. I used different connections, browsers & all sorts of ways but..Now I am posting it here...]

Though there may be injustice to some extent* and often a feeling of persecution, but the nature of our democracy is such that it allows a person or group to give vent to their feelings publicly.

Gujarat carnage aside, it is mainly the failure of Muslim leadership to raise real issues concerning Muslims. Otherwise the Hindu leaders and parties in even states like Tamil Nadu which have barely 5% Muslim votes, have championed the cause of minority and it is not just votes or appeasement alone, which prompts them to do it.

In society, politics, media, there are non-Muslims who speak for Muslims. Otherwise, which group has not faced injustice! * The status of Dalits in Indian society is yet to improve much and tribal populace has suffered most from the apathetic administration. But that's the general problem of a bureaucracy, which is corrupt and insensitive. Muslims do have a much better social status despite their poor financial state.

In Sports, Films, Arts and especially Indian traditional music, Muslim representation is more than their percentage. This shows that complaint of 'bias' and 'communalism' doesn't hold much water. 

Of course, it is a casteist society so there is bound to be a feeling of discrimination experienced by each section, but Indian society is a much better evolved society with an interaction of Hindus and Muslims for over a millennium.

In this democracy you can shout from the rooftop that you have faced bias at any office or any official of any rank has been guilty of partiality. 

There are a range of commissions where you can complain and media channels and a press that is absolutely free to give your story and tell them your grievances.


And government jobs are not everything. We are lucky to have a great advantage in free media, where if nothing, at least if you are angry, your letter to editor can get published after a few rounds to the office. I mean, dil ka Ghubaar nikalne ke kaii raste maujuud haiN.

If percent of Muslims is not too high in government jobs, there are all other avenues and business. Just an incident, whatever people may term Mulayam Singh Yadav (a majority of politicians and also public servants are guilty of corruption and nepotism) but he dared to fire at the Kar Sewaks.

In the late 80s and early 90s, the Mandir movement was so fierce that despite any amount of lure for Muslim vote no government could have risked that. He did and it kept the faith of many Muslims in the inherent secular nature of this country and the fact that somebody stood for Me and the Mosque despite all odds. And, there are always voices of dissent against any totalitarian regime. May be these are some of the reasons.

I think extremism can't come to Indian Muslims because of our democracy that may not be perfect but is still the best in the world in many respects. Our Supreme Court is a great institution and we ought to be proud of it. 

Yes, Gujarat became a fasicst state but hopefully it would prove to be the last such pogrom. New laws against communal violence and riots are on the cards. Compensation for riot victims and justice will also come steadily.

When you see Harsh Mander, a brilliant person, resigning from IAS just because he was shaken by Gujarat riots, and forming Aman Biradari or Teesta Setalvad fighting for victims of riots, your trust in the values of this country and society enhances tremendously. I don't think there is any cause for Muslims to get infected by any extremism.

If people in failed Muslim countries where even organising demonstrations and rallies is banned or even writing a blog can be dangerous, get extremist I understand but not in India. Here you can be a Muslim of any sect, organise a rally or demo, stage a protest, climb up a tower in Delhi to demand 'that India should help Saddam', as a person had done, and what not. 

Remember the huge rallies on Caricature Controversy when lakhs poured on streets in India, whether rightly or wrongly, but can they come out in most countries in Gulf? That's why, I guess, a resounding No from Indian Muslims to any form of extremism. Aap logoN ka kyaa khayaal hai?

Attack on Siasat editor & Mudslinging among media houses in Hyderabad

Editor of Urdu daily, Siasat, Zahid Ali Khan was attacked in Hyderabad when he was returning home at night.

Khan's car was stopped near Mehdipatnam and filth was thrown at him by unidentified miscreants. But Siasat owners have already 'identified' the attackers and the mudslinging has begun.

Hyderabad has three major Urdu newspapers, Siasat, Munsif and Etemaad. Siasat is the oldest and most respected and credited with revival of Urdu journalism.

Khan Latif Muhammad Khan's Munsif recently took over Siasat in terms of circulation. Etemad is the latest entrant. It is owned by the Owaisi family and is clearly the mouthpiece of Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) though it is also a standard newspaper in terms of quality of print and content.

When Etemaad was launched, the two old newspapers joined hands to fight Etemaad, which has got a foothold and sizeable circulation. But when it comes to mudslinging and attacking each other, these three well established newspapers cross all limits.

Every few months one gets to see this sort of campaign to defame the other group.

In the latest incident, Siasat squarely blames 'Majlis goons' for the 'dastardly act' and terms it as 'majlis ki ochhi harkat' in half-a-dozen screaming headlines.

Munsif also reports the incident on its last page and even before any police investigation is complete, gives its verdict.

The story begins with such opinionated sentence, 'Members of a political party that claims to be uniting Muslims (Ittehadul Muslimeen) intercepted the car of Khan and attempted to throw human excreta on him'. Arrey bhai reporting aur editorial ka farq bhi nahin malum kya?

Of course, it is a condemnable incident. But the newspapers and their owners are themselves to be blamed for this sorry state of affairs. They have brought their differences on the streets and trade charges on each other. The attacks are often vitriolic and personal.

Elsewhere also papers have their differnces but media houses don't splash these stories or use the paper to score over their opponents. Together they can serve Hyderabadis and Urdu jorunalism but they wash dirty linen in public so often that it causes harm to everybody including the reputation of these papers that have otherwise done a lot to raise the issues of Urdu-speakers in Deccan.

Even if you write something on a blog about Hyderabad, the anonymous brigade of both MIM and Siasat supporters turn the comments section into their battlefield and make wild allegations on each other. Twice I have to change my comments policy at various blogs to save them from this propaganda.

[Photos: The picture of Zahid Ali Khan being intercepted and an excerpt from a Siasat report]

Ragini: The magical eyes are closed for ever

Ragini (Aahuu-chashm in Urdu/mriganayani in Sanskrit), who starred in movies like Shahjehan, Shireen Farhad, Sarhad, Sundari before the partition, and later made her mark in movies in Pakistan, died in Lahore recently.

آہو چشم راگنی

She was 83 and alone in her death. Once on her every step, Kunwar Sahab, used to place a note of Rs 100 in the Anarkali Bazaar and when she died in a small room, she was all alone, wrote Zahida Hina.

She was born in 1925 in Gujranawala and named Shado. Her father's name was Seth Diwan Parmananad and her mother had diied durng her childhood.

Roshanlal Shori of Shori pictures was amazed to see her 'tilismi' eyes. She was brought in the films and from Dulha Bhatti, she captured the eyes of movie buffs.
Her hero MD Kunwar in the film Dulla Bhatti fell in love with her and later drank himself to death.

In AR Kardar's film Shahjehan, she had played the role of Mumtaz Mahal. Nek Parveen and Farz were also hit movies before partition. In Pakistan she worked in movies like Akeli, Nazrana, Beqarar, Sharare, Mumtaz etc.

آہو چشم راگنی اور پری چہرہ نسیم کا عہد

A life size cutout of Ragini was posted in Lahore before the release of film with a strip of cloth on her eyes. On the hoarding it was written, 'yeh naqaab haT gayii to kyaa hogaa'. Her arching eyebrows and expressive eyes had captivated an entire generation.

She married producer S Gul. But like many other great actresses of yesteryears Ragini also suffered in her old age. She had to leave her daughter's home as her husband didn't want people to know that her mother-in-law was a film actress. She was all alone in her death.

وہ طلسمی آنکھیں ہمیشہ کے لےء بند ہو گیںء