Monday, September 22, 2008

Sehar

Yeh daagh daagh ujaala, yeh shabguzida sehar
Woh intezaar tha jiska, yeh woh sehar to nahi.


-Faiz Ahmad Faiz


(This black smeared light, this night ridden morning
This is not the morning that had been waited for)



Delhi weeps the tears of blood,
Islamabad cries and bleeds...
Whose God is happy?

We could not share our joys,
We have lived nursing our suspicions,
Isn't it time for us to unite in sorrow?

33 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have heard this 'sher' so many times...noticed the romance, idly pondered (a bit ) on partition which I never saw, got impressed with the words but never has it seemed like a SLAP on my face. And for that I must thank your blog from the bottom of my heart...
This and the lines of Paash, from 'Sab se khatarnaak hota' hai are giving me more than goose pimples at the moment...

'Nandini'

p.s you have a lovely blog, and lovely choice in music...i hope to read your posts very soon...

Pinku said...

They bleed, we bleed. Our TV channels have a field day beaming those gory images.

and those of us who survived, stay glued to our TV sets looking at those images and thanking our stars that we did.

If only we noticed that the tears, the blood and the agony were all the same. these turmoils would end.

Indian Home Maker said...

I have said this earlier, I say it again - your poetry touches the heart.

PARRY said...

And now its Islamabad. Its really sad. Perpetrators of violence have no boundary. It is even more stunning to know that delhi bombers were lads in their 20's. Well so young and so desperate to creat havoc. Are they really terrorists?? For them it was just a game.
Where were we?

Monika said...

I wish I wish... but dont really see that happening... the politicians of both the countries are too corrupt and selfish for this and then pakistan is just reaping what it has sown

Sidhusaaheb said...

The piece that you've linked to at MeriNews.com is a rather well-written one.

Let me quote Saahir Ludhianvi here:

in kaalee sadiyon ke sar se, jab raat kaa aanchal dhalakegaa
jab dukh ke baadal pighalenge, jab sukh kaa saagar chhalakegaa
jab ambar jhoom ke naachegaa, jab dharatee naghmei gaayegee
wo subah kabhee to aayegee

jis subah kee khaatir jug jug se, hum sab mar mar kar jite hain
jis subah ke amrit kee boond mein, hum zehar ke pyaale pite hain
in bhookhee pyaasee ruhon par, ik din to karam faramaayegee
wo subah kabhee to aayegee

maanaa ke abhee tere mere aramaanon kee kimat kuchh bhee naheen
mittee kaa bhee hai kuchh mol magar, insaanon kee kimat kuchh bhee naheen
insaanon kee izzat jab jhoothhe sikkon mein naa tolee jaayegee
wo subah kabhee to aayegee


:)

Oreen said...

nice, touching, and depressing too...


and to further what pinku says:

it is time for the media to come together, join hands, and take an oath with all the morality they can muster:

"we won't cover the story of a blast, be it on TV or in a newspaper"

tough? impossible, i would say, but that is what the terrorists want: coverage. and we are giving it to them for free. we are their Al Jazeeras . . .

when the VHP burns churches, they do it for political mileage. so don't give them that, simple. unleash the paramilitary forces on them and let not the media come anywhere close . . .

if you raid a house in Jamia, keep the press and media away . . . simple . . .

the press adds to the government's troubles . . .

my space said...

terrorist na jaane jaat koi, wo na jaane desh koi, wo bas jaane khoon bahaana..its really really sad..
though i would like to go with siddusaheb`s optimism ki wo subah kabhi toh aayegi...

Mampi said...

Koopmandook-Partition is one reality that I have never been able to digest. And I am sure I am not alone. Those who suffered it first hand, those who carry its legacy and our children-all react with choked throats to the pain. Time to digest it and then unite the two.
I feel deeply encouraged by your words. Keep visiting.

Pinku and Oreen-Absoltely agree with it. But I would add my two cents to it-reporting must be done and that is what it should remain. No sensationalisation. Period. It should become responsible reporting. 9/11 footage was monitored by the US, both our countries must learn too. Media alone can take this step, they can check and blast the sensationalisation done by any other channel.

IHM-I dont know if it was poetry even. Just wrote these two lines and rushed away to work-I was so damn upset.

Parry-We, the youth, must start with the CBM, the governments have failed miserably.

Monika-Pakistan sowed nothing. It started as a weak nation and ended up playing in foreign hands. It was their misfortune. We were fed on a propaganda of hatred, it was ours. Time we took charge.

SS-Wish people saw the connection and said no to terrorism-jointly. Sahir's hope for that dawn is still a hope, after five-six decades. How long will we wait?

MySpace-Many amens later, we are still bleeding. It hurts.

Pinku said...

Oreen, just what i was pondering over. How can the media be used responsibly? The current lot looks like vultures gathering at disaster sites with the sole aim of increasing TRP's.

~Hemanth~ said...

@mampi: US monitored 9/11 news reels, not because it wanted to make sure that media did not sensationalize the news. It did that because, it did not want the country to forget what happened. Just to get them enough votes, to declare the wars they started.

I was there for 3yrs and it was such a touchy topic that people would not talk about it in public. Even when they did, the could not do it without getting chocked up. Talk about forgetting.

But, I do agree with the fact that media has to have some sort of guidelines. A set of moral values of their own. Barkha Dutta, could take it up on her talk show. But, then she would have to be fired and live like a pariah. This is the reality in which we live in.

Thousands of people feel like us, feel that peace should be given a chance. But, there are millions of sheep who are sheperded by demagoguery.

~Hemanth~

Mama - Mia said...

someday Mampi, indeed peace will prevail?! hai naah?!

sigh...

abha

Anonymous said...

Words came from the core of your heart under the title- SEHAR
are precious to ponder.

I join you to pray -let the grief strickens join hands and be unite.

People living on both sides do want to share their DUKH-SUKH, like you, and me who have our ancestral ties over there left for people we never met again.

Yesteryear kalma wale like FAIZ, SAHIR have righly said what they felt on the agony.

Today's blasts are no less than a tragic end of victims, with no fault of theirs.

Its sorry state of affairs that these are planned blasts operated for vested interests.

I agree with you that both the countries should unite and have heart to heart talks on this issue to end the bloodshed episodes for ever.

Couplets posted by you are very touching.

God Bless your pen with more power to write!

Dhindsa

Anonymous said...

hmm mampi de blog te inni sadness. :(

i guess it's needed at the mo.

Manish Raj said...

Our God is common Mampi.

Unfortunately we have also nursed such traitors who don't have a God.

Indeed it's time to unite. We will not wait for the morning, we will walk to the far horizon to reach it.

Anonymous said...

How does it matter? Already the Pak websites and papers are full of rumors/news that the Indian intelligence agency RAW is responsible for the blasts. There are already cries for revenge

Brace yourself for a few blasts in India too. Nothing's gonna change. Both countries have morons in power in equal numbers and will make sure that we will never live in peace.

Anonymous said...

true, world doesnt feel safe anymore. When I hear that 40 yrs back, all these cities delhi, mumbai were peaceful cities to live....it almost feels unbelievable.

Anonymous said...

About time, yes!!!!

ThoughtSafari said...

Your poetry touches the heart. You have this quality of 'reason' that makes one see the world how it is. Lovely post.

Imp's Mom said...

touching and depressing...

this is a sad time for all of us.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful, again! You leave me words for appreciation Mampi, each time you touch me so.

Mampi said...

Hemanth-My problem is that I want to know why dont our throats choke. Our politicians are stupid, apathetic and whatever bad can be said, but why we, as people dont censor what is being shown to us by the media, what is being fed to us by the government. If the Berlin wall can fall...maybe it is only a lame hope. Their ground zero is a hush-hush place, I went there in 2004 when it was still in rubble. Our sites of bomb blasts are lively in the next couple of hours. Why?

Abha-Fond hope.

Mama-Time for the people to show their strength to these stupid politicians changing dresses while the countries burn.

Roo-Wish we were one-One India.

Manish-I smiled when I read your words "we will walk to the far horizon to reach" the dawn.

Liju-We have had enough proxies. Time to push these morons to the front.

Mav-Even I have not experienced such peace. We grew through 80's in the Punjab-the worst phase my people went through. And now this!!

Nova-We owe that to our children.

ThoughtSafari-It was just an emotional outburst.

Imp's Mom-Wish everyplace remains safe.

Devaki-Guess it is cos we think alike.

Gazal said...

is this the freedom they dreamt about?

it's a shame when you think of all the sacrifices that have been made for this freedom.

lovely soulful lines

Anonymous said...

I mean who will you vote for? Mass murderers like Advani, Modi, Bal, Raj Thackeray or SIMI sympathisers like Lalu, Mulayam, Amar Singh and company or Sikh killers like Jagdish Tytler or Sonia chamchas like YS Rajasekhar Reddy, Arjun Singh or perennial party/ideals changers like Chandra babu naidu, Chandrasekhar or church burning leaders of Bajrang dal, RSS etc?

We dont have leaders anymore. We only got rapists, goondas, mob leaders, sycophants to rule us. How different does it make us from some rabid prehistoric religious morals spewing mullah sitting in a cave in Pakistan/Afghanistan?

Anonymous said...

sad situation, keep making people aware. what is right or wrong. it is big responibility. meadia is also responsible for this to hanle it in the right way.

Anonymous said...

ਤੁਸੀ ਸਮਝਦੇ ਹੋ ਜਦੋਂ ਿਸਰ ਿਸਰਾਂ ਨੂੱ,
ਅਸੀ ਫੇਰ ਲਾਸ਼ਾਂ ਦੀ ਿਗਣਤੀ ਨਹੀਂ ਕਰਦੇ,
ਤੁਸੀ ਖੁਦ ਜ਼ਾਿਹਰ ਕਰੋ ਿਕ ਤੁਸਾਂ ਲਈ,
ਲਾਸ਼ਾਂ ਨੇ ਗੀਟੇ,ਤੇ ਗੀਟੇ ਖੁਦਾ ਨੇ,
ਅਸੀ ਫੇਰ ਲਾਸ਼ਾਂ ਦੀ ਿਗਣਤੀ ਨਹੀਂ ਕਰਦੇ,
ਤੁਸੀ ਕਾਤਲਾ ਨੂੰ ਮਹਾਂ ਨਾਇਕ ਕਿਹ ਕੇ,
ਆਪਣੇ ਿਸਰਾਂ ਤੇ ਬਿਠਾਉਂਦੇ ਰਹੇ ਹੋ,
ਅਸੀ ਫੇਰ ਲਾਸ਼ਾਂ ਦੀ ਿਗਣਤੀ ਨਹੀਂ ਕਰਦੇ,

http://parchanve.wordpress.com/2007/04/05/surjeet-judge-asin-laashan-di-ginti-nahin-karde/

Salil said...

Hi,
Daag achcha hai, as per HLL. Surf Excel hai na! :-)
Sorry for a silly comment on a serious post. But we also need to lighten up, right?
Cheers,
Salil

Mama - Mia said...

another award for you lovely lady! :)

cheers!

abha

Mana said...

Very touching and it is sad too :((

Have u watched "A wednesday"??

Mana said...

Tagge u - http://manasadreamz.blogspot.com/2008/09/love-me-for-reason-let-reason-be-love.html

Balvinder Balli said...

Bombing of greater kailash and gaffar market at the same time proves that these Demons do not belong to any particular religion or class. But at back of it all someone is grinding the axe. It is only the people of the two countries who will have to stand up and defeat the evil designs of these perpetrators of violence.

Manpreet, your poems, English as well as Punjabi, touch one at the core of the heart.

Mampi said...

Gazal-Breaking of dreams...

Philip-I had understood the anger in your words in the first comment. You are absolutely right. We who elect these criminals as leaders actually collude with them in the crime.

Seema-Right. Remember our college days? The so called terrorists were our neighbours, But they were a lot more humane.

Jasdeep-Nice lines. And true.

Salil-Yes, the problem is that there is NO surf excel to cleanse this daag. I salute your effort to put mirth though.

Abha-Thanks darling. Hugs for that.

Manasa-Will watch it this weekend. Tag Picked.

Balvinder-If only our people could recognise their own duties and did not become narrow minded. These misguided ones are only a handful. We need to be as devoted to protecting the country from inside the country as our army is on the border.

PARRY said...

Found this so called 'surfer's poem' on a news site, which suits this post of urs. Thought of sharing it. http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080066995