CHINAR SHADE : URDU POET HARI KRISHEN RAZDAAN “ RAAZ”

“ Sau Gile Shikwe Hain Lekin Woh Hamaare hain To Hain
Kyaa karein dariyaa Bhi Aakhir Do Kinaare hain To Hain “
Hum se jo kuchh ho sakaa hum ne kiya sab ke liye
Raaz lekin aaj Tanhaa be-sahaaray hain to hain…”

( Hari Krishen Razdan Raz )

“A Hundred Complaints ,

A Hundred grievances,
what to do ? He still is mine ,
How can the river stop it’s flow ,
even if split between two Banks ?

Whatsoever was possible , I did it for one and all,
And now today , O “Raaz “ ,
If I happen to be lonely and helpless ,
Let me be so, what to do ?”

URDU POET HARI KRISHEN RAZDAAN “ RAAZ”

“ Dekhiye meray Daada srinagar shahar chhorr kar Punjab chaley Aaye thhay. Meray Vaalid Pandit Mohan Lal Razdan ki shaadi bil-khasoosan kashmiri zubaan bolnay waali larrki se huyee thi .Pandit Lal Ji Dhar ki Beti . Meray Nana Khaas shahar srinagar ke Amira kadal Ilaaqay ke rehnay waale thhay . Meri Paidaaish Gujrat ( Jo Ab Pakistan mein hai ) Huye thhi . Me ab Business kartaa huun . . Mumbai mein rehtaa huun. Seema Anil Sehgal jo bahut hi achha Gaatii hai aur meray ajdaadon ki wattan se hai , meri Beti Hi Samahjh Leejiye.Telephone karne ke liye jiye Shukriya ”

“. My grandfather left Srinagar city and moved to Punjab . My father’s name was Mohan Lal Razdan and he was married to a kashmiri speaking girl from Srinagar . My mother was daughter of Lal Ji Dhar of Amira Kadal srinagar . I was born in Gujrat ( Punjab ) and Currently I am in Business .We live in Mumbai .Seema Anil Sehgal , who is a noted singer from the land of my ancestors , is like a Daughter to me. Thanks for your call ”

That is what Razdaan sahib conveyed to me (in a typical Lucknvai acccent ) when I spoke to him over telephone .

Born in 1930 ( 18th November ) to Mohan Lal Razdan and Mohini Razdan, Hari Krishen Razdaan “ Raaz “ is an urdu poet well known outside kashmir but unknown in the land of his ancestors.. He belongs to a kashmiri Pandit family from Habba Kadal area of srinagar that migrated to Punjab in early twentieth century . He was born and brought up in Punjab and had his schooling at Lyallpur and Sargodha.The family kept moving to different places on account of employment of Pandit Mohan Lal Razdan. After partition of the country , he moved to Mumbai with his parents .

As usual with Kashmiri Pandits , he too joined a government job but resigned from it at a young age to set up his own business venture . He is presently CEO a company established by him that does trading in Apparel , Handicrafts , Footwear, Leather goods and Machinery.

In 1978, RAZDAN GROUP started the activity of manufacturing cutting dies of a special kind for the very first time in india and presently this group has business interests at 17 locations in the country.

For expansion of his High Fashion Garment Business, Shri Hari Krishen Razdan Raaz has also lived in Milano, Italy for some period . For this activity, he was awarded a golden Oscar in a fashion show in Padova, Italy during 1970. In Italy , he developed his automobile parts import Business through his company HARMAN SALES UNION( later converted to HARMAN SALES PVT. LTD) . This Company was awarded a gold medal in 1975 by the Milan Chamber of Commerce. HARMAN FOOTWEAR COMPONENTS ACCESSORIES was established in 1995 for producing insoles which immediately made a mark in the Market. HARMAN SOLES was established in 2005 in order to make high fashion soles for ladies Footwear .

He happens to be the uncle of Karan Razdaan ,well known film personality ( Actor , writer and director) . karan married Priya Tendulkar ( Daughter of well known Marathi Playwright Vijay Tendulkar ) .

His friends included Majrooh sultanpuri , Mumtaz Rashid ,Naqsh Lyallpuri and Ibrahinm Ashq .

His two poetic collections DIL SE UTHAA DHUAAN and HAR LAMHAA AUR have been well received . His language is simple and direct. GAZAL is his forte .

I quote some lines/ couplets from these books.

(1 )

Umr Bhar Ye Waqt Guzra Hai, Par Ab

Waqt Thahrega, Guzar Jaayenge Hum

(2)

Hum se jo kuchh ho sakaa hum ne kiya sab ke liye

Raaz lekin aaj Tanhaa be-sahaaray hain to hain…

(3)

Kyon dartay ho kal kyaa hogaa

Hogaa buss , jo honaa hogaa

Kya Apnaa hai ? Kya Kho Deingay ?

Jo Bhi Hogaa Achhaa Hogaa

(4)

Kyon Hai Khaamosh Maiqadaa saaqi

Kuchh kahi Jaaye Kuchh Suuni Jaaye .

Ho Chukay Ab Takkalufaat Bahut

Baat kuchh Dil Ki Bhi Kahii Jaaye

(5)

Din Ke Chehray pe Lagaa Detein hain khushrang Naqaab

Shaam Hotii Hai to Har shaam Vahii Hotaa hai..

Jitnay qissay Bhi Mohhabat ke suno Duniyaa mein

Jo Bhi aagaaz ho Anjaam Vahii Hotaa hai ….

(6)

Aik umr se tanhaayi mere paas rahi hai

Kya hoga, sochta huN maiN, ab iss ka mere baad

Tanhaayi, kisi aur ka daaman na pakadnaa

Ahsaan jo legi bhi to kis, kis ka mere baad..

(7)
Kya yeh duniya hai, aur ab iss ki kahaani kya hai
Yeh zameeN, aag, hawaa aur yeh paani kya hai
Iss kahaani ka shuru hai, na koi aNt kahiN
Jab adhoori hai kahaani, to sunaani kya hai

(8)

Pataa hi lagta nahiN ab, kahaaN, kahaaN hai dard

Zakhm dikhte bhi nahiN haiN, jahaaN, jahaaN hai dard

Puraane zakhm to ab bhar gaye haiN, par ab tak

Girey the ashk jo, ab bhi wahaaN , wahaaN hai dard

“RAAZ KI BAATEIN “…HARI KRISHEN RAZDAN “RAAZ” is a compact disc of 8 beautiful Gazals of the poet sung by Gaurav Chopra in his soulful voice. ….This album can be bought from digital stores such as iTunes, Amazon etc. SOME GAZALS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE ON www.gauravchopraghazal.com