Buzurg

Mere nazdeek buzurg ki pehchan ye hai - jo duain ziyada de aur naseehat kum kare !

Woh 3 din !

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. - Annonymous

Questions

"It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers." - James Thurber

October 18 Tragedy

Karachi was my first love. I loved that city even before I loved any woman. On October 18, carnage was carried out in Karachi in most brutal way. Raza Rumi wrote an excellet article in newspaper and put words to my emotions. (Thanks Raza)


The Oct 18 tragedy and our collective conscience

The foreign media, usually proficient in the rant on Talibanisation, gun-totting radicals and burqas were also at a loss on how to comment on this day. The castle of stereotypes on Pakistan had fallen: men and women were dancing spontaneously, often together on the loud, tacky party songs. There were very few burqas, no guns and no favourite signs of a west-hating native populace. This was a day heralded as a watershed in our recent times, from the left to the right and from the khaki to the mufti. Not because there was a revolution in order but that the real face of the many millions, who aspire for better livelihoods in a secular framework, had been rediscovered.

(click here for full article)

Ishqe Haqiqi aur Majazi

Mard ke liye aurat khuda ki taraf se us ke dil ka darwaza hai ! Aurat mard ke dil ke raastoN ko kholti hai jese Khatijah ne pehli wahi ke baad muhammad ke dil ke dur ko mar bhagaya, aur un raaston ko hamesah ke liye khol diya.

Ishqe haqiqi ki rah ki kaleed, ishqe majazi ka bunyadi tajarba hai !

wrinkles

I love my wrinkles. Its my life. - A 75 year old woman.

Mohammad Ali Jinnah

Kuch dinoN pehle main ne Mohammad Ali Jinnah aur Ratan Bai pe aik post likhi thi (here), tub se aik baat likhna cha raha tha....

My respect for Muhammad Ali Jinnah is not because he created Pakistan (Debate will never end about Pakistan's creation). I have respect for Jinnah because of virtues of his character of self confidence, honesty, belief for his own mission, firmness, power to negotiate on his own terms, his own deep respect for his religion, poor masses and culture, ability to move crowds as well as an individual with his deep voice (He was interested in theatre acting in london) but above all perseverance of integrity despite dirty politics. He was a role model politician.


Ye baat history ki kitabon main mehfooz hai ke Nehru aur Lady Mountbatten aik dusre ke ishq main giraftar the. Aik din Liaqat Ali Khan, Quaid-e-Azam ke paas kuch khat le ker aaye aur bataya ke ye woh sharamnak khat hain jo Nehru aur Lady Mountbatten ne aik dusre ko likhe hain aur ye ke hame inko apne siyasi maqasid ke liye istamal kerna chahiye. Quaid-e-Azam ne kaha: "Its more shameful for us to read them. We will not descend to this level. Please destroy them."

Jub Liaqat Ali Khan ne kaha: "I am sorry sir !", to Mohammad Ali Jinnah ne jawab diya: "I am sorry too for thoughts that cloud your generous mind !"

Mother of Moses

Duniya main ma baap se barh ker bara dukh kis ka hoga ke - they have to let their kids go.

Kubhi kubhi sochta hun, jub musa ki ma ne use bakse main band ker ke darya main chora hoga to us ka dil kin kin tufanon se guzra hoga !

Scientists

I think, people who study science are more near to God, mother nature, spirituality, supreme being or whatever you call it. One of the fundamental reason for it as they gain the strength of saying: "I don't know" !

Main ne khuda ko apne iradon ki shikhast se paya hai - Hazrat Ali

Bojh

Aaj kul jub bachhon pe kitabon, baston aur home-work ka bojh dekhta hun to saleem kausar ka ye misrah bohut yaad aata hai ke:

Sarak banane ki dhun main logon ne pag-dandian kaat di

Bhoot !!

- Eid pe khususi tehreer


Amma batati hain ke bachpan main, main neend se uth ker chalne lagta aur poochta jata ke "Woh white white cheez kiya hai?" (meri schooling english medium hui shayed isi liye white white kehta tha).

Aik to shuru se kuch mera rujhan paranormal cheezon ki taraf tha aur phir doston, kitabon, filmon aur tajarbat ka kuch aesa asar para ke aik zamane main mujhe paranormal, parapsychological, new age wagera type ka literature parhne ka addiction ho gaya. 1994 se 2001 tuk ka zamana woh tha jub main ne is mozun per sekron kitabain khanghal daalin. Horror films dekhne ka shoq isi silsile ki kari hai. OOB (out of body) ki mashq kerne ki behuda adat, ruhain bulane ki tarqeebain wagera bhi isi zamane ka shakhsana hai. Sunsan galion, qabarstaon aur 'haunted house' khangalne ka janoon (to be a ghost buster) usi dor ki yaadgarain hai. Ooper se internet ne jalti pe tel ka kaam kiya. Aaj bhi agar aap mujhe waqt dain to main ghanton beth ke is mozun pe parh sakta hun aur youtube ki videos dekh sakta hun.

Ye tamheed baandhne ke baad agar aap mujh se poochain ke: "what's the point?", to ye ke:

Bhoot, bad-ruhain, churailain, peechal-paherian, jinn aur is tarah ki kai mawraye-nazar makhlukat (ya aap jitne naam sun chuke hain), is kaainat ka hissa hain magar yaqeen kijye unhe aap ko nazar aane aur tang kerna ka koi shoq nahi. Jo kuch aap ne parha hai ya suna hai woh 90% bulke 95% jhoot, darog goi, factuation, aadha sach, ya phir khud bayan kerne wale ka nafsiyati problem hai. (Just to note: in this regard, concept of schizophrenia remained my favourite and you should watch the movie - 'A Beautiful Mind').

Ye sab cheezain hamare saath rehti hain magar unki apni duniya aur apne masail hain. Insaan un se bari makhlooq hai. Siwaye shaitan ke kisi ke paas itna power nahi ke insaan ko haunt kare. Aur agar kubhi aesa ho bhi to un ko bhagnae ke liye quran ki 2 ayatain (ya jo mazhabi kitab aap folllow kerte hon) bulke kisi sufi ka kalam, koi bhajan, koi ginan - bulke mirza ghalib ke ashar bhi kafi hain !!

Insaan ko agar darna hai to un buraion se dare jo shaitan us pe daalta hai.

Awwal to choti burian jo "addiction" ki surat main insaan ko pakar leti hain - Smoking, paan, chai, hukka, charas, sharab, pornography - ye woh bhoot hain, woh churailain hain jin se chutkara ziyada zaroori hai. Ye insaan ko ghulam bana leti hain, nuqsan paunchati hain aur zillat ka dum deti hain !

Dastane-ameer-hamza main kisi gumnam jazeere pe aik badruh umru ki gardan pe charch gai aur umru jese ayyar ko bhi peecha churana mushkil ho gaya.

Aur us se bhi azeem bari burian hain - gussa, hasad, jalan, garoor, taqat, hirs, lalach wagera - jinhe dusre mazahib main Kam (Lust), Krodh (Rage), Lobh (Greed), Moh (Attachment) aur Ahankar (ego) kaha gaya hai - ye woh balain hain jinka "exorcism" sab se ziyada zaroori hai.

Agar aap kubhi mazaron pe gaye hain to wahan halwa bata jata hai. Halwa ya mithai jin paanch cheezon se banti hai woh hai doodh (kheer), cheeni (khand) , ghee (grath), ata (bhojan) aur saaf paani (amrat) - ye ishara hai ke aadmi darguzar, pyar, haleemi, qanat aur sachhai ki zindagi guzare.

Khush rahiye, abad rahiye, mithai ka mafhoom yaad rakiye aur khub Eid manaiye !

Eid Mubarak.

kohtaiyan aur bud-amaliyan

Ooper wale ki taraf se kohtaiyon ki to muaafi hai magar bud-amaliyon ki khub pakar hai. Us ki koi muaafi nahi.

Woh purani imaratain

Jub hum 7 - 8 baras ke hote the to mohalle main aur ilaqe main nikal ker makanoN pe likhi taarikhaiN parha kerte. Purani se purani imarat dhundhte. Pehle zamane main jub koi imarat bunti to uspe imarat ke naam ke saath san (year) likhwa diya jaata jese "aastanae-ameer san 1962", "nageena building 1944" , "Zainab manzil 1954", "kaashane-jameel 1971" wagera wagera. Koi ziyada shoqeen hota jese hamare taya the to - unhon ne hamari haweli pe pakistan ke 2 parcham bhi banwa diye. Koi sher likhwa leta. Garz ye ke imarat jitni purani hoti uske makeen mohalle main utne izzat dar samjhe jaate. Imarat ki banne ki taarikh aur us se jure makeenoN buzurgoN ke qisse bayan kiye jate.

Phir waqt badal gaya !

Imarat jitni purani hoti us ki qeemat utni kum hone lagi. Log koshish kerne lage "jitna naya 'house' ho behtar hai". Sidhi baat hai - imarat jitni purani hogi utne bakhere hon ge. Repair ka kharch barhe ga. Plumbing khasta hogi. Deewaron ke andar shayed deemak bhi ho aur kaun jaane kahan koi bhoot hi chupa betha ho. Aur sab se barh ker, jub phir bechne nikalo to purane makan ki "resell value" bohut kum hoti hai.

makanoN pe se uske banne ke saal mitte gaye!

Aur phir purana makan tor ke, uski jagah 'town homes', 'apartments 'aur buland-o-bala 'towers' ne le li. Raton raat purkhon ke makan ne logoN ki chandi ker di. Shaher aahista aahista cement ke darbon (cage) main badal gaye.

Ye hai woh safar jo hum ne iqdar (values) ki duniya se tijarat (commercial) ki duniya tuk kiya. Baqol Nasir Kaazmi

Akele Ghar se poochti hai be-kasi
tera diya jalane wale kiya huwe

Yeh aap hum to bojh hain zameeN ka
ZameeN ka bojh uthane wale kiya huwe

Fear Factor

Jub Barkatullah ka mujhe phone aaya to main samjha karachi se phone hai magar ye sun ker meri hairat ki intaha na rahi ke woh San Diego se bol raha hai. Barkatullah se meri aakhri mulaqat 15 baras pehle hui thi, jub main ne karachi chora. Barkatullah pehle hamare mohalle main rehta tha phir woh log kahin aur shift ho gaye magar mulaqat rehti thi. Barkatulla cricket kamal ki khelta tha. Gazab ka spin bowler tha. Sara din mohalle main awara gardi kerta, cricket khelta aur mohalle ki hur committee main shamil kiya jata tha. School se bhagna roz ka mamul tha.

Main ne poocha: "Tum San Diego main ho?". Us ne bataya aik biomedical company ki international advisory board main shamil hai aur asian region ko represent kerne aaya huwa hai.

Meri gari ne aik jhatka khaya. Main ne kaha: "Excuss me ! Tum Barkatullah hi bol rahe ho na?"

Us ne zor ka kehkaha mara aur bola: "Haan main wahi tumhara mohalle ka shararti bachha, Barkatullah hun".

Kafi batain hui. Lekin un baton main uski batai hui ye baat qabile zikar hai. Jub main ne poocha ke itni taraqqi kese ker li, to us ne kaha:

"Iska sara credit mere walid ke optimistic attitude ko jata hai, jinhon ne hamari nakaamion ko bhi gale se lagaya. Abbu sunday ko hone wale mere sare match dekhne aate. Main wickets lun ya mujhe chakke pare, abbu tareef hi kerte ke, 'chakka lug gaya magar tumhari gugli kamal ki thi'. Tum to jaante ho hum bas 'hand to mouth' log the aur ye bhi ke main school main kitni mushkilon se paas hota tha. Magar jub bhi paas hota, abbu khub khush hote aur mithai le ker ghar aate. Jis din mera metric ka nateeja nikla, abbu office main the. Woh mithai ka dabba le ker ghar aaye. Main ne darte darte bataya ke abbu main fail ho gaya hun. Woh has ke bole: 'chalo koi nahi, har saal paas hone pe mithai khate hain, is baar fail hone pe sahi'. Abbu ke is tarah ke 'attitude' ne mere ander se nakaami ka khauf nikal diya. Mujh main opportunities ko avail kerne ki ajeeb taqat aa gai. Risk lene ka dar khatam ho gaya. Aur jub main ne zindagi main race pakri to dorta hi chala gaya".

Ye ander chupa dar hi hai, jo insaan ko aage nahi barhne deta. Hum me se kitne log hain jo apni aulad ko kamyabi se ziyada nakaam hona sikhate hain - ke 'how to move on with failure ?' !!

Rajab Ali

Due to General Zia's flirt (and abuse) with Islam, lot of cultural destruction happened in Pakistan, including its vibrant film industry. Is pe itna kuch likha gaya hai ke - anything to write further is nothing but redundant.

When people asked Bill Gates about spread of pornography via internet, he replied: "First thing men did is chalking pornography over caves' wall. Humans grow out of it" !

One very sweet and soft voice died or atleast lost with that is of Rajab Ali. I heard last of him visiting USA 3 years back. Unfortunately, no major pakistani music site has his songs uploaded. He sung both in urdu and punjabi. Rajab ali ke gale main punjab ki ruh gaati thi !. If any one of you have info., please let me know.

Here is one of his song.

About bed and breakfast

If you want to know how a person will be in bed, watch the way he or she eats - signs of enjoying sinful indulgences at the dinner table ! - Annonymous

Anhone

Aaj se koi 24-25 baras pehle bharat main aik film bani thi - "Masoom" (Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi). Ye Shekhar Kapur ki pehli film thi. Is film ke dialogue aur gaane "Gulzar" shahab ne likhe the. Is film ka aik gana bohut mashoor huwa tha - lakri ki kaathi, kaathi pe ghora (see here). Ye baat shayed bohut kum log jaante hain ke ye film darasal Erich Segal ke novel "Man, Woman and Child" ki adaptation hai bulke shayed poora plot us pe bani angrezi film se hi liya gaya hai. Gulzar Shahab jese writer ko kahin se plot lene ki zaroorat nahi thi. Darasal unhon ne imandari se us rishte ko hamare culture main portray kerne ki koshish ki (aur khub kaamyab rahe).

Agar kisi din aap ko maalum ho ke aap ke ghar aik aesa bachha rehne aa raha hai jo aap ke shohar ki extra-marital 'one time sex' ki badolt najaaiz aulad hai - aur us bachhe ka ab is duniya main us ke baap ke siwa koi nahi ?

Is bat se qata'-nazar ke aap asli novel parhte hain, is novel pe bani Martin Sheen ki film dekhte hain ya us ka indian version, film Masoom dekhte hain -zaroori baat ye hai ke aap ka radde-amal kiya hota hai ? Zindagi main aksar aese rishte ban jaate hain, aksar aese waaqiyat ho jaate hain jo aam dagar se hut ke hote hain - Jin ka koi naam nahi hota hai. Woh bas hote hain. Unki koi explanation nahi hoti. "Society" ke aam riwajon aur bandhon ke mayar pe woh poore nahi utarte magar woh qisse, woh hakeektein apni tamam-tar sachchaiyon aur gherayion ke saath hamare aas paas rehti hain !

Shayed sub se ziyada zaroori ye baat hai ke - hum judgemental ho kar kisi pe tahumat lagane ka gunah na ker bethain !