This poem got written when sikh fundamentalism in punjab was at its peak.Hatred and narrow vision was being bandied as the divine revelation.Many of my co-religionist-sikhs,were indulging in inhuman acts,killing inoocent hindus-all in the name of name of religion.They had hypnotised themselves into beleiving that these dastardly and inhuman acts will earn them a place in so-called heaven n their acts had divine sanctions.Most of the people were condoning this senselessness either being quite or believing in intrpetations of the religion being given by these so-called religious fanatics. The condemnation should have had come from my own community loud and clear that this is not what our religion teaches us.But sadly the silence,out of cowardice was there.And we had to pay a big price for that.Ofcourse there were few and far who spoke and few of them were killed for that.This poem was dedicated to those few spiritually courageous people.I hope this poem will start a fresh thinking about our beliefs,our value systems,our acts of silence. Subah-e-Nau
Yeh Subah-e-nau hai umeed ki kirnaiN phootiN haiN
Phir say larzay haiN hosh kay aariz
Zehan-e-dana ki zanjeer-ekhauf tootiN haiN
Muskurai phir say roothi sadaqat ki saba
Gaayi phir say pathrai muhabbat ki zabaaN
Teray jaagnay say bahaaroN kay phir aasaar banay haiN
Shub bahut taweel thi zehar bahut piya humnay
Hajoom kay khumaar kay sabab kuch is tarah jiya humnay
Dum tor gayay kitnay azeez aaNkhoN kay saamnay
Wehshat ga rahi thi kyuNki muhabbat kay naam say
Kal talak jo humniwaala thay kaafir ho gayay
Apnay hi mazhuboN say baNday munkir ho gayay
Woh to jalaai thiN shammaiN paghaMbroN nay muhabbat ki
Kaisi bani unsay magar yeh aag nafrat ki?
Tum sotay rahay dana aur yeh saazish barti hi gayi
Teray bina yeh bheer sooli-e-ghaphlat charti hai rahi
Khauf-e-hajoom tha tumhaqiN kahin waisy hi uktahat
Magar idhar barti hi gayi tehzeeb ki ghabrahat
Aur sadaqat-o-ishq kay paaoN main partay rahay chaalay
Taareekh ki aaNkhoN maiN umratay hi rahay badal ghanay kaalay
Ab tu jaagaa hai to auro ko bhi jagaa day
Behosh saraaboN maiN chasma-e-ulfat banaa day
Day day phir say tehzeeb ki saaNsoN ko rawaani
Mazhub ko phir say rooh-e-mazhub dila day.
Meanings:
Subah-e-nau–New morning,Aariz–cheeks,Zehan-e-daanaa-iminds of the ntellectual, Taweel-long, SaraaboN-mirages
I have found that most of us and the people around us,only look for something negative to happen and then we say"Daikha maiN na kehta tha,yeh qaum(or country,race/log/mazhub/statewalay/zaatwaalay etc.) aisay hi hain?“We only maginify the negatives and genearlise every thing and believe in the myths and so carry so much spiritual.psychological garbage with in us.If only we start looking at the positives, we will see that all qaum.religions/races/countrymen carry more or less same biases,just like us.At fundamental level goodness prevails but is always made to be negated by religious,social,group pressures.Look at the times of calamities like earthquake etc and see how people irrespective of their sex/race or colour help each other.
My faith in the basic goodness of humanity is unshakable though it had to undergo very many extreme tests.I started with questioning my own assumptions/prejudices and value systems which were handed down to me by the people around me n it had conditioned me.Only when I started seeing with neutral eyes and with utmost honesty that I reached at this understanding of universal love.Now I look for positives and say"daikha maiN na kehta tha ki humanity abhi bhi baaqi hai”.My humanity cries for the atrocities on jews through the centuries,it also cires for the innocent homeless palestinians who are being victimised.I raise my voice against the shameful acts in the name of Jihad but I also cry against the shameful acts in the name of holy crusades.My universality is raising my voice against any act of atrocity by any sect/religion/race-my own even.
You too can do it,provided 1.you are really serious,2.do it with utmost honesty to yourself.But after that it is very easy,believe me.
I hope to have a huge caravan of such like minded people who have spiritual courage to denounce something wrong even if it is being done by our own people.And condemn it loudly and clearly.I have done so when such hatred and poisonous thinking started in my own community.
Thanx once again.
Regards
Brijinder
Azadi aik jazba hay josh hay junoon hay; Mazhab tammam tar nafasat ke saat bandagi/gulami hay. yeh 2 inthaa ki sorat saat saat nahi chal sakte, darmiyan Mohabat hay, situm yeh hey ke kam zarf se mohabat karna bhi na momkin nahi to mushkil zaroor hay. Iss mush'kil zaroorat ko sahab e khird mukhtalif namoN se jante hein ji main se khuch ka zikar aap ne kia.
Rahi baat aap ke baqi tehreeron ki, tehreer main aap humyasha dosroN ko ilzam dayte howay nazar ate hain, aik aadh baar aysa hona to sahi maghar tekraar, bachpana hi samjha jata hay.
Sub achay boray se guzarte hein, aam si baat hay, uss achay boray se qowat, sabaq hum kia hasil karte hein woh alag alag hay, or jo jiss cheez kisi bhi sakhs ko dosron se nomayan banati hay woh hay uss sabaq ka, dosron tak ponchanay ka andaz o bayan.
Humari dua hay keh aap dosron se mumtaz/nomayan rahain.
Brij it reminds me of Sahir's sarcastic poem about the new year celebrations, Sahir, in his masterful ways, shows how things just don’t change and we celebrate every New-Year*.*
subah-e-nau-roz
phooT paReeN mashriq se kirneiN
haal banaa maazii ka fasaanaa
gooNjaa mustaqbil ka taraanaa
bheje haiN ahbaab ne tuhfe
aTe paRe haiN mez ke kone
dulhan banii hui haiN raaheiN
jashn manaao saal-e-nau ke
nikli hai bangle ke dar se
ik muflis dahqaan ki beTi
afsurdah murjhaaii hui hai
jism ke dukhte joR dabaati
aaNchal se seene ko chhupaatii
muTThii meiN ik noT dabaaye
jashn manaao saal-e-nau ke
bhooke zard gadaagar bachche
kaar ke peechhe bhaag rahe haiN
waqt se pahle jaag uThe haiN
peep bharii aaNkheiN sahlaate
sar ke phoRoN ko khujlaate
vo dekho kuchh aur bhi nikle
jashn manaao saal-e-nau ke
