In the recent issues, we have showcased eminent poets and writers from Haryana. This time we bring to you a more contemporary name in literature as well activism. Urvashi Butalia is India's foremost activist in the women's movement. She has been awarded the Padma Shri, the highest civilian award by the Indian government for her contribution to women's writing, publishing and education. Urvashi writes and publishes widely on issues related to women and gender in India. Among her best known publications are:
Momentous occasions ought to be celebrated and the Foundation Day of AHA was indeed a huge moment in our lives. To relive the excitement and rejoice together, we will be celebrating the Foundation Day on June 25, 2022 in Melbourne. We would love to invite every one of our members and friends to be part of our celebrations and also contribute to a worthy cause.
Originally set up as a non-profit in 2003, Zubaan now operates as the private company, Zubaan Publishers Pvt. Ltd. The independent publishing house publishes fiction and academic books, "on, for, by and about women in South Asia",[10] with the list including renowned authors such as Jaishree Misra, Nivedita Menon, Manjula Padmanabhan, Suniti Namjoshi and Annie Zaidi.
Apart from several newspaper articles and op-ed pieces dealing with feminist issues, Butalia has authored or co-authored several books. The Other Side of Silence (1998), the product of more than seventy interviews conducted with survivors of the Partition, is being used as an academic text in some Indian universities.
We all know Surender Sharma as a humorist who can keep a crowd in splits with his satire and wit. He often writes and performs comic sketches of himself and his wife and is known for his refrain 'chaar lainaa suna raha hoon' in his distinct style which is Haryanvi with a bit of Marwari thrown in. The real beauty of Mr. Sharma's work is more than its apparent humour. Like all thinkers, he also packs some sobering messages in his writings which stay with us for a long time. We are happy to share a lesser known work by Surender Sharma and hope you will enjoy it.
नदी में डूबते आदमी ने पुल पर चलते आदमी को
आवाज लगाई- ‘बचाओ!’ पुल पर चलते आदमी ने
रस्सी नीचे गिराई और कहा- ‘आओ!’
नीचे वाला आदमी रस्सी पकड़ नहीं पा रहा था
और रह-रह कर चिल्ला रहा था- ‘मैं मरना नहीं चाहता
बड़ी महंगी ये जिंदगी है कल ही तो एबीसी कंपनी में
मेरी नौकरी लगी है।’
इतना सुनते ही पुल वाले आदमी ने
रस्सी ऊपर खींच ली और उसे मरता देख
अपनी आंखें मींच ली दौड़ता-दौड़ता
एबीसी कंपनी पहुंचा और हांफते-हांफते बोला-
‘अभी-अभी आपका एक आदमी डूब के मर गया है
What can you say about Fauji Mehar Singh? What can you say about a man who didn't go beyond Class III and yet created a body of work that has enthralled generations for over 7 decades?
What can you say about a soldier whose love for Ragnis saw him write and compose even while being in Azad Hind Fauj?
What can you say about a poet who didn't even live to 30 but his work will live for centuries?
All you can do is pay your respects to the great man and make sure you read up more about him and share his works with others. On their part, every year the Govt of Haryana gives the Fauji Jaat Mehar Singh Award to folk singers for their contribution to promoting the culture and traditions of Haryana. What's more, 15 February is celebrated as a day in memory of Mehar Singh and a Ragni Programme is organised every year.
Here we share just one of the hundreds of Ragnis by Fauji Mehar Singh.
साथ रहणिया संग के साथी, दया मेरे पै फेर दियो
देस कै ऊपर जान झोंक दी, लिख चिट्ठी मैं गेर दियो
सबतै पहल्या मात पिता के, चरणा मैं प्रणाम लिखो
चाचे ताऊ गाम मेरे मैं, सबनै दुआ सलाम लिखो
जितने मेरे मित्तर प्यारे, सबनै राम राम लिखो
मेरी माँ के जाये भाइयां नै, मेरा एक जरूरी काम लिखो
जिस रस्तै मेरी अर्थी जा, उस रस्तै फूल बखेर दियो
देश कै ऊपर जान झोंक दी, लिख चिट्ठी मैं गेर दियो
साथ रहणिया संग के साथी, दया मेरे पै फेर दियो
देश कै ऊपर जान झोंक दी, लिख चिट्ठी मैं गेर दियो
मेरे घर की इज्जत नै लिखद्यो, के नहीं फिकर म गात करै
2 याणी सी मूरत सै, कदे व चिंता दिन रात करै
कोण किसे के गैल्या आया, कोण किसे का साथ करै
एक दिन सबनै जाणा सै, कदे ममूली सी बात करै
मेरा बदला लेणा हो तै, ऊँचे सुर म टेर दियो
देश कै ऊपर जान झोंक दी, लिख चिट्ठी मैं गेर दियो
साथ रहणिया संग के साथी, दया मेरे पै फेर दियो
देश कै ऊपर जान झोंक दी लिख चिट्ठी मैं गेर दियो
When Haryana was carved out as a separate state in 1966, Uday Bhanu was declared as the state poet of Haryana. He was awarded Sur Puruskar in 2006 and Haryana Sahitya Rattan Samman in 2009 by Haryana Sahitya Akademi. Uday Bhanu Hans Awards are given every year in his honour.
Many of us may not have heard of Uday Bhanu Hans, but once you discover his body of work, you'll be an admirer forever. This literary giant was born on 2 August 1926 at Daira Din Panah in Muzaffargarh district of Pakistan. His family shifted to Hisar after partition of India in 1947 when he was 22 years old. He completed his Master of Arts in Hindi language and joined as a teacher. Such was the caliber of his work as a poet that when Haryana was carved out as a separate state in 1966, Uday Bhanu was declared as the state poet of Haryana. He was awarded Sur Puruskar in 2006 and Haryana Sahitya Rattan Samman in 2009 by Haryana Sahitya Akademi. Uday Bhanu Hans Awards are given every year in his honour.
We'd urge you to read more about Uday Bhanu Hans and promise that his thoughts and work will enrich you as a person. Since this is festival season for us, we share this gem by this great poet on Diwali.
सब ओर ही दीपों का बसेरा देखा, घनघोर अमावस में सवेरा देखा।
जब डाली अकस्मात नज़र नीचे को, हर दीप तले मैंने अँधेरा देखा।।
तुम दीप का त्यौहार मनाया करते, तुम हर्ष से फूले न समाया करते।
क्या उन्हें भी देखा है इसी अवसर पर, जो दीप नहीं, दिल हैं जलाया करते।।
हम घर को दीपों से सजा लेते हैं, इतना भी न अनुमान लगा लेते हैं।
इस देश में कितने ही अभागे हैं, जो घर फूँक के दीवाली मना लेते हैं।।
इक दृष्टि बुझे दीप पे जो डाली थी, कुछ भस्म पतंगों की पड़ी काली थी।
पूछा जो किसी से तो वह हँस कर बोला, मालूम नहीं? रात को दीवाली थी।।
कैसा प्रकाश पर्व है यह दीवाली? जलते हैं दिये रात मगर है काली।
तुम देश के लोगों की दशा मत पूछो, उजला है वेष जेब मगर है खाली।।
हे लक्ष्मी! तुम्हें माँ हैं पुकारा करते, तुमको हैं सभी पुत्र रिझाया करते।
पर प्यार धनी से है न निर्धन से तुम्हें, ये भेद नहीं माँ को सुहाया करते।।
दीवाली में हर्षित हैं सभी हलवाई, फुलझड़ियों पटाखों से हवा गरमाई।
बच्चों की माँग पूरी करेंगे कैसे? मुँह बाये खड़ी शहर में है महँगाई।।
कुछ यों प्रकाश पर्व मना कर देखें, अज्ञान-तमस को भी मिटा कर देखो।
माटी के सदा दिये जलाने वालों, मन के भी कभी दिये जलाकर देखो।।
