Friday, January 15, 2010

FIVE MORE DUBS OF OLD BUILDINGS IN SRINAGAR AND JAGAN NATH AZAD





 I have already put up a detailed post on DUBS of kashmir in June 2009. while moving in srinagar city i captured some more views of DUBS of some old buildings in srinagar city . Here they are with something on renowned urdu poet jagan nath Azad.

Incidentally my mail Box goes full in two days presently .  Many mails keep coming to me . My earnest desire is to attend all. these mails . Though some mails  i attend individually while  others are dealt through my posts.  I am thankful to Dr Shakeel Meer from  Nambalhar kashmir  who has sent me some photographs of his grand father sufi  Poet samad Mir  of kashmir  . Doctor sahib has also sent me a brief and additional information on this great poet . I intend to make use of it  later. Dr Mir had seen  the name of his grand father in one of my posts.One gentleman Surrinder Turki has written to me that Persian poet Pandit Taba Ram Turki was his ancestor . He has added to my current knowledge on this learned pandit from Rainawari  kashmir .Today another reader  from UK has asked to me to say a few  lines on Poet Jagan Nath Azad who lived in our state for most part of his life after 1947.I am under obligation to say  something  on this poet today .

Professor Jagan Nath Azad was born in Mianwali District  ( Now In Pakistan )on December 5, 1918.His father  Trilok Chand Mehroom was  a noted  urdu  poet .Jagan Nath Azad was  MA  in persian  and headed the   Press information Bureau  of Govt of india in our state  for quite some time . I saw him in his srinagar office opposite Partap Park   as well as in Jammu . After retirement ,he was  professor emritus of urdu in  jammu University. Azad sahib was a noble to the core and always missed Mianwali and Rawalpindi .An authority on Allama Iqbal 's philosophy and poetry, Azad sahib was a widely travelled man.He was  respected in India , Pakistan and middle east for his scholarly pursuits.His books have been published from Lahore , Karachi ,New Delhi and  Mumbai and one from Paris .. This book from Paris is a collection of Natia poems in praise of Prophet Mohammed ( PBUH ). The book has been translated to French by Dr. Hameedullah .His books on Allama Iqbal's philosophy are a treasure for the  serious reader .

Azad sahib was a close friend of Sahir , Ali Sardar Jafri , Majrooh , Ale Ahmed Suroor  and many stalwarts and progressive  writers of india.Azad sahib also worked in Publication Division New Delhi for some time where he came in close contact with Maulana Abul Kalam Azad , Hasrat Mohani, Dr Zakir Hussain , Jigar Moradabadi , and Josh Malihabaadi  Some thing more about late Jagan nath Azad is that he wrote the first national Anthem of Pakistan. He worked in Radio and one day Qaide Azam Mohd Ali Jinnah called him to his office and requested him  to write the first national anthem of Pakistan.. The request was in confirmity with the speech of 11th  August 1947 wherein  Quaid e Azam  had said " I dream of a pakistan where  Hindus would cease to be Hindus and Muslims would cease to be Muslims not in the religious sense because that is a matter of individual faith but in the political sense as the citizens of the state " Thus Azad sahib wrote

Aey Sar Zameen  e Pak,
Zarrey Tairey Hain Aaj Sitaaron Se Taabnaak
Roshan hai Kehkashaan See Kahin Aaj Teri Khaak.
Aey Sar zameen e Pak.
( O Land of Pakistan ,
Each particle of thy constituent is being illuminated by Stars ,
Even your dust is as bright as the Rainbow )

That was the first national anthem of pakistan written by a hindu and played till the death of Quaid . After the situation deteriorated   in Lahore , Azad was advised  by friends   to leave for India . He reluctantly left his birth place . After the death of Quaid  e Azam late Hafeez Jalandhari was commissioned to write the new national anthem of Pakistan.
Many times Azad sahib  would say that he wanted to write a song of peace which millions in India and pakistan would jointly sing . He was the tallest votary of Indo Pak Friendship in the subcontinent.

His devotion to Allama iqbal remained  unshaken  throughout his life.. Azad Sahib says

Ahle Haram Mujhe Na Hikaarat se Dekhna ,
Qafir Hoon Ek Qalb e Muslamaan Liye Huey.

He is nostalgic about Raavi ( The river that flows through Lahore ) even on the banks of Yamuna in India( His new Homeland ) .

Shaam ke Saaye Mein Jamuna ki Ravaani Dekh kar
Mujh Ko Aey Azaad Raavi Ka Samaan Yaad Aa Gayaa.

 On his first visit to his birth place Mianwali after 1947  , Azad sahib read a poem  in a Mushiara in pakistan with tears rollling down his eyes . I quote some lines from this poem ,

Teri  Mehfil  se  jo Armaan o   Hasarat   Le  ke   Niklaa    Thaa ,
Woh Hasarat Le ke Aayaa hoon Woh Armaan Le ke Aayaa Hoon.
Main Apne Ghar Mein Aayaa Hoon Magar Andaaz To Dekho ,
Ke Apne aap Ko Maaninde Mehmaan Le ke Aayaa hoon .

I like his Poem "Khwaab Ki Tarah se hai Yaad Ki Tum Aaye The". I would recite this poem to my friends on request . The lines of this poem are still etched in my memory.

Jis Tarah Daamne Mashriq mein Sehar Hotee hai ,
Zarey Zarey Ko Tajalee Ki Khabar Hotee hai,
Aur Jab Noor Ka sailaab Guzar Jaataa hai ,
Raat Bhar Ek Andhere Mein Basar Hotee hai ,
Kuchh Issi Tarah se hai Yaad ki Tum Aaye The ,
Khwaab Ki Tarah se hai Yaad Ki Tum Aaye The.

I am also giving english eqivalent of some urdu words used in the poem to make you understand the meaning of the lines .

( Mashriq = east ,sahar = Dawn ,Zarey = minute particles ,Tajalee = bright light, Noor = light or Prakash and sailaab = Flood)
This noble soul left this world on 24th July 2004. Peace be to the soul that always strived for peace in this subcontinent.His family still continues to live in jammu .I quote some lines from his poem to end this post.


Hamein Thaa Kaam Bahut Ruk Sakey na Pal Ke liye ,
Guzar Gaye Tere Koochey se Hum Sabaa Ki Tarah.


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