Saturday 14 February 2015

Faiz Ahmed Faiz


13/2/2015
Today, 13th February  is the birth anniversary of the great Urdu poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz, whom I regard as the greatest Urdu poet of the 20th century ( though I have also great regard for other Urdu poets like Firaq Gorakhpuri ).

 In 1981, when I was a lawyer in Allahabad High Court, Faiz Saheb came to Allahabad, my home town.

 A function was organized in his honour in the Allahabad University lawns. The University lawns are massive, and so was the crowd that evening. There were many poets on the dias that day, Firaq Gorakhpuri, Mahadevi Verma, etc.and of course, Faiz Saheb. It was like a galaxy of poetic stars on the firmament. Firaq Saheb  was so old that though mentally alert, he could not walk, and so he had to be carried by some University boys onto the dias.

 Since I am very fond of Urdu poetry, and since I am particularly fond of the poetry of Faiz, I went to the function. I took along with me my son Vikram, who was then only 6 years old, knowing that he would not be able to understand anything, but yet in later life he could tell his friends that he had seen Faiz and Firaq.

  The function began with the convenor reciting a sher of Firaq :
" Aane waali nuslein tumse rashk kareingi hum aasron
  Jab woh jaanengi ki tumne Firaq ko dekha hai "

 He then said that he would like to slightly alter the sher and make it :
" Aane waali nuslein tumse rashk kareingi hum aasron
  Jab woh jaanengi tumne Faiz, Firaq aur Mahadevi ko dekha hai " :

 Thereafter  a well known nazm by Faiz, ' Gulon mein rang bhare baad-e-naubahaar chale '. was sung by some Allahabad University girls.

 I have heard that song sung innumerable times, but I have never heard it sung as beautifully as it was sung that memorable evening 34 years ago by the Allahabad University girls.

 The poets on the dias then recited some of their poems. The last to be called upon, and the one we were really waiting for, was Faiz Saheb himself.

 There was massive cheering when Faiz Saheb rose to speak. Here was the man who had stood by his principles all his life, who was even jailed for several years in Pakistan by the martial law regime, falsely implicated in the Rawalpindi Conspiracy case, who had written " Bol ki lab azad hain tere, bol zubaan ab tak teri hai ". He was a hero in our eyes.

 Faiz Saheb first said that he was proud to be in Allahabad, the city of Rishi Bharadwaj, where Lord Rama had come during his exile from Ayodhya, and of other Rishis and Munis. He then related to us about his association with the Progressive Writers Association in the 1930s and the work he had done. He ended by reciting to us some of his kalaam.

 The recollection of that memorable evening is indelibly etched into my memory.

 As I mentioned before, Faiz Saheb is my favourite Urdu poet of the 20th century ( though I regard Mirza Ghalib the greatest Urdu poet of all times ). So I I quoted him in some judgments of mine in the Supreme Court, beginning the judgment with his sher ( couplet ).

 When I decided to issue an appeal through my judgment to the Pakistan Government to release an Indian citizen, Gopal Das, who was undergoing a life sentence in Pakistan for espionage, and had been in Pakistani jails for 27 years I began with a couplet of Faiz :  
" Qafas udas hai yaaron, saba se kuch to kaho
Kaheen to beher-e-khuda aaj zikr-e-yaar chale "

The sher had such a powerful impact on the Pakistani authorities that they announced that the Pakistan Government would honour the appeal made by the Indian Supreme Court. Gopal Das was released a few days thereafter and he came back to India and has got married.

 This was unprecedented. Never perhaps in world judicial history was such an appeal made by any Court, and never was it so honoured.Such is the power of Urdu poetry.

 In another judgment in the Supreme Court I again began by quoting a sher by Faiz :
" Bane hain ahal-e-hawas muddai bhi munsif bhi
  Kise vakeel karein kisse munsifi chaahen ? "
i.e.
" When selfish people are both petitioners and judges
Whom should I make my lawyer ? From whom should I seek justice ? "

I was informed by a lawyer friend who went to Pakistan soon after I gave the judgment quoting the above sher that printouts of my judgment were being distributed like hot cakes in Lahore, Karachi, etc. I was told by another friend that when one of my judgments was cited in a High Court in Pakistan, the Judge asked the lawyer " Is he the same Judge who quotes Faiz ? "

 And let me end this post by mentioning a mischief I did over 40 years ago, but which I have not revealed to anyone till now.

 This incident happened in the year 1972 or 1973. I was then a very junior lawyer in Allahabad High Court. When I have so much fire in me even now at the age of 69, you can imagine the fire in me at the age of 26 or so.

 It so happened that a very 'dismissing  judge ' ( if I may use the term ) came to the Allahabad High Court, having been elevated from the subordinate judiciary. He would dismiss almost all petitions and appeals. Some lawyers came to me and said " Katju Saheb, bachaiye, yeh to hamein barbaad kar dega  " ( Katju Saheb, save us , this Judge will ruin us " ). I told them not to worry.

 That evening I wrote a leaflet with the heading " High Court ya kasai ghar ? ' ( i.e. ' High Court or Slaughterhouse ?' ). . Below that I quoted the sher of Faiz mentioned above ( Bane hai ahal-e-hawas muddai bhi munsif bhi ---). I then wrote that ever since this Judge has come he has been dismissing almost all cases, making the High Court like a slaughterhouse, etc, etc.

  This leaflet was secretly printed in some press, and the next morning long before the Court could assemble was distributed widely in the High Court premises. In each of the Courtrooms a copy was placed on the Judges' desk, and in the front row where mostly the senior lawyers would sit. When the Judges came into their Courtrooms they saw the leaflet, read it, and there was an uproar. Many Judges retired to their chambers saying " Yeh kya badtameezi hai ? " ( " What is this impertinence ? )
 However, the leaflet had its effect, and the judge became a bit more liberal after that.

The credit again must go to Faiz !

8 comments:

  1. Today is also the 130th anniversary of the birth of Bess Wallace Truman, President Harry S. Truman's wife. Just for the record. But I don't think Bess knew Urdu.

    ReplyDelete
  2. SUBJECT : India must seal $2 billion US chopper deals soon to avoid price hike .
    ###############################

    http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-must-seal-2-billion-US-chopper-deals-soon-to-avoid-price-hike/articleshow/46239979.cms

    SELLER ARM TWISTING BUYER !

    AND THAT TOO A BROKE NATION LIKE USA , WITH 18200 BILLION DOLLARS NATIONAL DEBT . THIS DEBT CAN NEVER BE REPAID UNLESS THERE IS WORLD WAR 3 .

    WAAH RAJAH WAAH !

    AND THE ZIONISTS HAVE BENAMI MEDIA PIMPING FOR THEM .

    punch into Google search -
    . . . .KLEPTOCRACY IN INDIA, LOBBYING , PIMPING , BRIBING , CRONY CAPITALISM VADAKAYIL . . .

    if the yanks raise the prices , we will NOT buy them-- as simple as that .

    capt ajit vadakayil
    ..

    ReplyDelete
  3. SUBJECT : 17 commandments for Modi: The country has a stable mandate after a long time, BJP must not blow it CHETAN BHAGAT . . .

    ###############################

    AA ) Dont go to Fiji. (Sorry Fiji, just that we have more important issues here.)

    TEE HEEEE . . Fiji is a place from where India can control the Panama canal by diesel nuclear subs. . .

    BB ) Shut up regressive Hindutva fanatics. The young generation does not find it cool to support a leader who does not believe in a free and equal society. Send some of your old-fashioned partymen abroad to learn about gender issues and minority rights. . .

    TEE HEEEE Hey, mouthpiece of the YOUNG generation , who elected you ? GAY MARRIAGES ? SO WE GO ABROAD AND LEARN FROM ZIONISTS ABOUT AN#L SEX ?

    CC ) Dress down. Charisma comes from integrity, competence and compassion. Not from expensive clothes.

    TEEEE HEEEEEEE We Indians want our PM to dress well . . .

    DD ) Do not give monologues on radio

    TEEE HEEEEE We Indians love Modis monologues on AIR . May be our Bhagat bhiaaya loves only VAG#NAL MONOLOGUES of the Kalki Koechlin HUM BHI FRENCH TUM BHI FRENCH RINCHET MAJJAHAI variety !

    EE ) Open up tourism

    TEE HEEEEE - - - India is for Indians to live in NOT smelly back packers to gape at - and we do know the Zionist ATHITHI DEVO BHAVA agenda . . .. . . . .


    Why waste time on pea brained nonsense from a man whom R controlled Time magazine named as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. . . .

    He is a NOBODY in India, but he is world champion . . . .

    WAH RAAJAH WAAH !

    ################################################

    THIS ZIONIST DARLING CANNOT PASS A SIMPLE IQ TEST -

    YET HE THINKS HE IS ADVISOR TO THE PM OF THE NATION .

    PM MODI IS DOING WELL, CONTINUE DOING WELL, WE DO NOT NEED ADVISE FROM NWO STO0GES. . .

    Punch into Google search - . . . . .

    PERCEPTION AND RELATIVITY VADAKAYIL . . .

    Capt ajit vadakayil ..

    ReplyDelete
  4. http://www.ndtv.com/opinion/pda-is-in-our-culture-hindutva-brigade-take-that-739458

    HEY SHASHI THAROOR,

    FU#K OFF !

    WHEN ARE YOU MARRYING FOR THE 4TH TIME ?

    punch into Google search -

    . . KAMASUTRA BY VATSYAYANA , IMMORAL SEXUAL PERVERSION VADAKAYIL . .

    and

    . . DEVADASI SYSTEM , THE IMMORAL LIE OF TEMPLE DANCER PROSTITUTES CREATED BY THE WHITE INVADER VADAKAYIL . .

    capt ajit vadakayil
    ..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Capt. Ajit Vadakayil. Our Hindu Religion Clearly says that Crossing the sea Or Sagarollanghana is a BIG SIN. The Dharma Sutra of Baudhayana (II.1.2.2) lists sea voyages as first of the offences that cause the loss of varna. The Dharma Sutra suggests a person can wipe of this "sin" in three years by eating little at every fourth meal time; bathing at dawn, noon and dusk; standing during the day; and seated during the night

      Captain Ajay Vadakayil. If you are a True Hindu Please Punish all Indians who are Performing Sagarallonghana. Go and attack all those leaving Achee Din Bharat and Going to USA and Australia after performing Sagarallonghana.

      Biggest case, in September 2014 Your Modi adresses 20000 Anti nationals at Mandison square who left India by performing Sagarallonghana. If you are a True Hindu get Information about all those 20000 and PUNISH them in the same way Ajmal Kasab(who is no different from them) was punished.


      Also Have Sachin Tendulkar Jailed for 25 Years in jalianwala Bagh for Glorifying the British Colonizers by playing the Videshi Cricket. After all the anti national Sachin tendulkar further insulted the jalianwala bagh victims by marrying the daughter of a british missionary -annabelle. IF YOU dont do this you are a Anti Hindu.

      Also Punish all Malayalee parents who send their kids to US and UK universities by rejecting Nalanda university.


      I want to see you do the above to prove that you are not the half brother of Ajmal Kasab

      Delete
    2. capt ajit vadakayil If you are a True hindu give in written that your wife will perform Sati on your funeral pyre, Sati is a patent of our culture and a expression of most divine love.

      Delete
    3. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
  5. SUBJECT : US should prepare for unprecedented drought conditions unlike anything in past 1,000 years, scientists warn . .
    ##########################################

    http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/global-warming/US-should-prepare-for-unprecedented-drought-conditions-unlike-anything-in-past-1000-years-scientists-warn/articleshow/46244842.cms

    NONSENSE NONSENSE NONSENSE !!

    ONLY DIMWIT HILLY BILLY YANKS WILL BELIEVE ALL THIS .

    IN ANY CASE INDIA IS NOT GONNA MOTHBALL OUR ABUNDANT RESERVES OF COAL - WE WILL CONTINUE BURNING COAL TO GENERATE ENERGY . .

    DECIMATION OF CROPS IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO DECIMATION OF BEES / BUTTERFLIES DUE TO GMO PESTICIDES .

    In his SOTU address , Obama LIED THROUGH HIS TEETH -- 2014 was the planet's warmest year on record. Now, one year doesn't make a trend, but this does, 14 of the 15 warmest years on record have all fallen in the first 15 years of this century. . .

    the truth is absolutely different- - the Earth is in the 19th year of a natural cooling cycle based on the reduced radiation of the Sun which is in its own natural cycle . . .

    THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF GLOBAL WARMING AND ABSOLUTELY NO EVIDENCE OF CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSION BY MAN, MAKING EVEN A MINUTE IMPACT ON GLOBAL CLIMATE. . .

    CO2 is NOT a greenhouse gas . . . Manmade CO2 is a miniscule amount . .

    Carbon dioxide is NOT a problem, as it gets sequestered to keep the carbon cycle in balance. Nature does this all the time.

    GREEN FUND and CARBON TAX is now a foul game, to keep third world countries where they are.

    Nobody talks about the overfed cows in Australia / NZ farting and sending greenhouse gas methane . .

    i am trained in meteorology - i know !

    Our environment minister CHITPAVAN Prakash Javadekar is jumping up and down telling BENAMI Indian media how he play to play a positive role in fighting climate change . .. This zionist darling does NOT even understand climate. . .


    punch into Google search -
    . . . THE LIE OF GREENHOUSE GASES CAUSING GLOBAL WARMING VADAKAYIL . . .

    capt ajit vadakayil
    ..

    ReplyDelete