Bits and Pieces – As I
Please – 12
Spiritual Tourism and
Guru Ravidass – Indian
society is multi-cultural and multi-religious. Caste consciousness has tended
to make various communities do something to establish their separate identity.
The followers of Guru Ravidass are no exception. They have also started
thinking, on the lines of other communities like Sikhs, Jains, Parsees,
Buddhists etc. and also the main stream
Relevance of Allama
Iqbal – Muhammad
Iqbal, philosopher poet and ideologue, of erstwhile united India and later
Pakistan, is as relevant today as he was before even though some of the narrow-minded
and communal quarters both in India and Pakistan have tried to suppress and marginalize
the lofty ideas and philosophy of the great thinker and writer of our times. Though
Iqbal is not a favourite of the ruling elite because of the pseudo-nationalism
they
profess yet surprisingly these days, the ones who generally discount him,
the right wing Hindus, say of the RSS family, often quote him to convey the
importance and relevance of Allama Iqbal by referring to his very thought
provoking poetic expression on the culture and tradition of Hindu India,
particularly in which he termed Shri Ram as “Imam-e-Hind”:
है राम के वजूद पे हिन्दोस्ताँ को नाज़,
अहले-नज़र समझते हैं उसको इमामे-हिन्द ।
In this regard in a recent debate on a “Cheer leader” TV
channel, the spokesman of the BJP was happily quoting the above mentioned
couplet and advising Muslim stakeholders to handover the Babri Masjid site to
Hindus as Iqbal called him “Imam-e-Hind”. One of the Muslim panelists on the
debate countered him and quoted another gem of Iqbal’s “Na samjhoge to mitt
jaoge eh Hindustan walon; tumhari dastan tak bhi na hogi dastano mein”. It
worked as a red rag to the bull. The BJP spokesperson challenged Iqbal and
questioned who he was to say this. How can anybody say that India could be finished?
Not that the BJP spokesperson did not understand the context of Iqbal’s
expression but it was clearly evident that he was in no mood to admit that
Iqbal was a great man of vision. It is unfortunate and sheer narrow-mindedness.
Iqbal was a great thinker of all times. I like his
“Qalaam” as a lay man. His many renditions and expressions clearly demonstrate
and establish that he was a staunch nationalist and proponent of India and her
tradition and culture. What happened later in his life time is history which
most of us know. Some of his famous and thought provoking poetic compositions
still make us stand in spirited pride and patriotic fervor and well placed
nationalism. Let us accept this reality as Allama Muhammad Iqbal will remain
relevant in the years to come as he was before. Can we ignore and forget the
everlasting tarana “Sare jahan se accha Hindustan hamara”? No, we cannot. Will we
not laud him when he says “Yunanon misro roma sab mit gaye jahaan se; ab tak
magar hai baki naamo nishan hamara”? Will we not acclaim him when he says
“Nanak ne jis chaman mein vaihdat ka geet gaya; mera watan vahi hai”? Did he
not lament the erosion of Buddha’s message of peace when he wrote:
“Qoum Ne Pegham-e-Gautam Ki Zara Parwa Na Ki
Qadar Na Pehchani Na Apne Gohar-e-Yak Dana Ki
(The nation could not care less about Gautama’s
message—It did not know the price of its unique
pearl!)
Much more could be said but I will contend by quoting only
one more:
आ गैरियत के परदे; इक बार फिर उठा दें,
बिछ्ड़ों को फिर मिला दें;नक़्शे दुई मिटा दें.
सूनी पड़ी हुई है मुद्दत से दिल की बस्ती,
आ इक नया शिवालय इस देश में बना दें.
Happy Valentine’s Day –
Today is Valentine’s
Day. My hearty greetings to you all. Generally, I don’t practice any excessive
rituals on this day and view it as any good and happy occasion in these days of
strife and conflict. But Valentine’s day remains in my psyche after the year
2001. I fell seriously ill with a brain haemorrhage while in office in Tokyo on February
12, the so called Hug Day. I almost hugged death. On February 12-13, I was in
the ICU, almost kissing death, the so called Kiss Day. But God is great. I was
saved and was moved to a designated room in the hospital on the morning of
February 14, the Valentine’s Day. My wife Vidya
was alone with me as my
daughter Vaishali and my son Rupesh had gone to Stockholm to oversee the birth
of my grandson Arvind who was born on February 4 that year. Vidya did not
remember the V Day. My office aide, Chander Prakash came to see me and wished
me well but without mentioning the word V. But a pleasant surprise was to come.
After the close of the day at the Embassy, the entire local staff i.e. Japanese,
Filipino and Indian came and filled my room with profound and hearty
Valentine’s Day wishes and greetings with chocolates and variety of roses to
share. Many young and gracious girls kissed me spontaneously. After the hugs
and kisses with death, I felt I was flying in the sky of love on that
Valentine’s Day of February, 2001. It will remain with me as a cherished
memory.
Happy Valentine’s Day.
