tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35439404965747797162024-03-17T17:30:16.371+05:30Narendra Luther ArchivesNarendra Luther Archives contains an index and content of all the writings of Narendra Luther, Historian of Hyderabad, India.Narendra Luther Archiveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05399047238666621197noreply@blogger.comBlogger131125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543940496574779716.post-42585709413816949252006-12-12T13:32:00.000+05:302006-12-14T14:35:04.409+05:30‘Water, water everywhere …’<div align="justify"><strong>‘Water, water everywhere …’</strong><br />By Narendra Luther<br /><br />A British officer, after years of experience in the country remarked perceptively that Indian agriculture was a gamble in the Monsoon. It looks now that it is not only agriculture but also our entire life which is at the mercy of the annual water-laden winds given the name by the Arabs and corrupted by the English into Monsoon.<br /><br />July 2005: The city of Mumbai was deluged. The entire urban system went for a toss. People of all rank in life from those living in slums to those commuting in their Mercedes Benz cars were stuck for at least 24 hours. Houses collapsed. Many people were killed. The army was called in to rescue the marooned and to provide succour to those who cold not come out of their rubble.<br /><br />Causes given were: Worst rains in 40 years. Inadequate civic infrastructure. Flagrant violation of municipal rules and regulations in constructing buildings.<br /><br />‘Never Again’<br /><br />The Chief Minister promised to take necessary remedial action and said such a situation will not be allowed to recur. The Prime Minister visited the city. Relief funds were sanctioned. The weather changed and every thing was back to normal. The focus of news shifted to Dawood Ibrahim and his trial. Later, Pramod Mahajan’s fratricide became the scandal of the season for couch potatoes.<br /><br />The devastation was not limited to Mumbai alone. It was replicated in varying degrees in different parts of the country in rural as well as urban areas.<br /><br />Then we had an unduly long dry spell. Monsoon did not keep its time in 2006. We feared drought. Prices of daily needs started shooting up. People of different faiths organized mass prayers for rains to their respective Gods.<br /><br />Encore<br /><br />July –August 2006: The story of Mumbai of the previous year is repeated not only in Mumbai but also in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. Locality after locality is shown sunk deep in water. Army boats and Air Force helicopters are drafted for rescue and relief operations. The situation in Surat city was incredibly horrifying and one wouldn’t believe it if one did not see it on television. Sixty percent of the city lay marooned under hose deep waters. As in Coleridge’s poem, there was ‘water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink’. Roads became canals and trucks failed to swim in them. The airport in Visakhapatnam became a lake and there were no flight to or form it for over a week. My own experience of being stuck in a traffic jam caused by rains and the consequent absence of any traffic policeman on duty seems too trivial to be mentioned. The media highlights cases of individual daring and bravery in saving lives of the marooned people.<br /><br />This is an annual tamasha and we are all so used to it as if it is immutable as death. We have become immune to the fact that it is a case of man–made tragedy and is entirely remediable. That is, if we have the necessary will to take some action.<br /><br />It is a cliché that India lives in its villages. For some decades now the rate of urban growth has been greater than that of rural growth. People keep on migrating from villages to towns and cities in search of better opportunities. They swell the slum population. Everyone does not succeed in getting an honest job. Some of the failed ones take to crime or politics. In either case they increase the burden on civic amenities. Such migrations and transformations are a universal phenomenon. But the developed countries have handled them systematically. India is one of the countries in the east where a systematic approach has not been developed. Instead of foreseeing the problem, we chase it. Widespread corruption and the pursuit of populist policies to consolidate vote banks prevent common sense solutions.<br /><br />Causes of the tragedy<br /><br />Global warming is blamed for erratic weather phenomena. That is beyond our control. The rural tragedy is caused by our failure to tame rivers intelligently. People of Megha Patekar’s ilk blame it on big dams. To some extent they seem to be right. Some of flooding of villages has been caused by the sudden release of huge quantities of water from reservoirs.<br /><br />The cause of flooding of our towns is entirely within our control. Not only has our drainage system not kept pace with our urban growth, whatever additions have been made have not been all sound engineering. The cambering of roads which is an elementary requirement is not done properly. Outlets for water from roads at lower levels have not been provided. Similarly, weep holes at stagnation points are missing. In many cases drainage lines have been laid without giving due regard to natural slopes of the area and the catchments. In some cases the drainage nallahs and lines are silted up or clogged and so are unable to take in the rainwater. It happened in Hyderabad in 1971. That was pure negligence. Thereafter, I saw to it that the silt in the drains was removed before every monsoon season. The result was that in 1976 when more rain fell than in the earlier floods, there was no flooding. That was purely because due attention was paid to a routine function. Such functions are neglected because there is no drama in them. When they blow crises, the very officials who ought to have been punished are hailed as heroes. Again in 2001 flooding on a massive scale occurred in the new fashionable areas of the city. That was because of large scale unauthorized constructions and faulty construction of roads. I called it a case of suicides and murders. People who built without due permission in low-lying areas and even in lakebeds and courses of nallahs were committing suicides. Those who permitted them were guilty of murders. Yet, no heads rolled.<br /><br />The National Urban Renewal Fund<br /><br />In a proper system of administration what happened in Mumbai and other areas in 2005 should not have been allowed to recur the next year. Yet we all saw it and those in authority saw it without any feeling of guilt or shame. Now the Central Government has sanctioned the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Plan with an outlay of Rs. 64,000 crores. The amount is lager than the annual budget of many states in the country. This could be used to supplement budgets for specific schemes to prevent the recurrence of urban deluge. Yet we will see how the funds under this plan will be diverted to some other non-crucial schemes and flooding of cities will remain an annual feature.<br /><br />A point to be stressed is that there is no divide between rural and urban problem of infrastructure. Both are two sides of the same coin. We must see them as whole. One affects the other. If the rural areas are developed properly the fatal attraction of urban areas will diminish. It needs a holistic approach. It is of course easier said than done.<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">***</div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:78%;">Archived by </span><a href="http://www.mygoldencopy.com"><span style="font-size:78%;">www.mygoldencopy.com</span></a></div><div align="justify"> </div>Narendra Luther Archiveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05399047238666621197noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543940496574779716.post-76544534699340526622006-12-12T10:42:00.000+05:302006-12-12T17:18:46.754+05:30The Wedding Picture<strong>The Wedding Picture</strong><br />By Narendra Luther<br /><br />The wedding picture on the wall<br />A couple - young and handsome,<br />Looking dotingly at each other,<br />Or smiling deeply into the camera’s lens.<br />Or looking away - together - at some distant object,<br />Dreamily!<br />Love that is undying and intense<br />Glowing like embers!<br />The future holding God-knows what treasures<br />A gift-box not yet unwrapped.<br /><br />* * *<br />The couple in the sitting room<br />Mellowed by years of conjugality,<br />Looking in different direction, wanly<br />Searching different memory lanes.<br />The gift-box unwrapped and emptied.<br />Trials and triumphs and frustrations of a lifetime<br />Furrowed on their flaccid faces.<br />Love - those ‘embers for a year’; ‘ashes for thirty’;<br /><br />The wedding picture on the wall<br />Smiles down upon them<br />From another world -- that was.<br /><br />* * *<br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Archived by </span><a href="http://www.mygoldencopy.com"><span style="font-size:78%;">www.mygoldencopy.com</span></a>Narendra Luther Archiveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05399047238666621197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543940496574779716.post-66807029708434612252006-12-12T10:41:00.001+05:302006-12-13T10:40:32.727+05:30Your Time is Up<p align="justify"><strong>Your Time is Up</strong><br />By Narendra Luther<br /><br />Economists of the classical school, like J.B. Say and Marshall, listed three factors of production: Land, Labour and Capital. They did not seem to have recognized that these operate under the overarching constraint of another factor - Time. Modern management experts have underscored the crucial role of Time.<br /><br />Time has two contradictory characteristics. By itself, it is unlimited. But for each one of us it is limited. All of us are busy trying to kill time, but in the end, time will kill us. Of the various resource that we employ in any productive activity, time is the only on which is inflexible. Land – traditionally considered ‘fixed’-- can be acquired. Not time. Banks pay and charge interest for time. Most of our replies to letters begin with the standard apology; I did not get time earlier. Actually, it was there all the time. You did not take care to take it. It takes only few minutes to reply to any letter.<br /><br />An Inflexible Resource<br /><br />For most jobs, we are given deadlines. Time-overruns carry a penalty because time gone is an opportunity lost. Teachers of modern business management emphasize the value of time. Time is important not only in business; it is equally important in our private life.<br /><br />Another advice dinned into our ears is to prioritize. That is necessary again because as the poet said, ‘art is long and time is short’, implying the necessity of prioritization.’ First things first’ formula is important because later things run the risk of being left out—for want of time.<br /><br />Recently I read an interesting and instructive story. A man made an offer to give $86,400 to a person. There was only one condition. He must spend it within 24 hours. Now the man had numerous ideas about the things he wanted to acquire. But he was not ready to splurge the amount in such a short time. He thought of what he needed most. So, this constraint of time forced him to prepare a list of his priorities.<br /><br />This happens to all of us all the time – everyday. There are 86,400 seconds in a day of 24 hours. We have to decide what to do with them. If we cannot make up our mind, that gift is lost forever. If one were to think of it, one would be surprised at the amount of loss we have suffered already.<br /><br />So, planning our time is a very important. All our other achievement are dependent on that. Nothing can be done unless we allocate time to it. The goals of life are to be set considering that we have limited time. Napoleon observed in his Maxims that ‘ there is one kind of robber whom the law does not strike at, and who steals what is most precious to men: time’.<br /><br />Your Own Time<br /><br />First decision is how much time you are willing to allocate to your work. The general division is eight hours each for work, eating, and sleep respectively. Depending upon your age, health, and goals, you will have to modify the allocation. Napoleon said that man needed five hours, woman six, and child seven for sleep. Only fools needed more than that. But he was an exception who could sleep on horseback. We are lucky. We have the luxury of cars and it is far more comfortable to sleep in them provided you are not driving. Once an allocation has been made, the problem of managing that time will crop up. Most of us leave our time management at the mercy of others. A friend drops in without appointment and sheer good manners will force you to let him steal your time. It is assumed that if you are at home you are free. A friend of mine asked another mutual friend if he was at home in the evening. Yes, he replied. ‘Then I will drop in at six’, said our friend. ‘No’ he replied, ‘I have an appointment at that time’.<br />’Appointment with whom?’ asked the other friend.<br /><br />‘With myself’, he said calmly.<br /><br />He was the only Indian I have met who had the courage to say that. After all an appointment with oneself is mores important than with anybody else. But we assume that if you are alone you are doing nothing -- and are available!<br /><br />Modern Techniques<br /><br />In a rough sort of way, most of us do some time-management. A cooking range provides four burners. That is because a housewife cooks some dishes simultaneously, or according to the time taken by them, in a certain sequence. If there were only one burner, she would be forced to cook the dishes consecutively and waste a lot of her time. A coking range enables her to do her own intuitive analysis, work out sequencing, and cut down the cooking time. When you have to do a number of things, you try to take them up in such a way that you save time by bundling them as far as possible. Management experts have formalized them into what they call Programme Evaluation and Review Techniques (PERT) and prepare a Critical Path Method (CPM). These methods are employed in major jobs like erection of a steel plant, which entails a multitude of activities. They help managers to sequence activities so as to optimize the use of resources. It helps them to decide whether steel should be ordered before cement has arrived and so on. On a micro level, these techniques can be consciously applied to our daily routine. In the ladder of evolution, external discipline precedes self-discipline. Many persons are excellent managers when it comes to official work. That is because they are required to observe rules laid down by others, at the risk of losing their job. The same efficient managers are often sloppy in their private affairs because of the absence of external discipline. Superior beings internalize discipline and learn to be answerable to themselves.<br /><br />Two things arise from the above. We have to optimize the utilization of time. For that we have to learn not to place it at the mercy of others.<br /><br />External Discipline<br /><br />Here again ‘external’ aids help. If you sit down in your study at a fixed time regularly, after some time you will be automatically led to that room at the appointed time. Also, it helps to have different places for different types of activities. The dining room is not conducive to serious work. Nor is bedroom. Properly maintained, it should induce sleep, not activity.<br /><br />Life can thus become orderly and its pattern conducive to optimum results. However, I must warn against the danger of a martinet existence. Too much regimentation is the enemy of creativity. My last word therefore would be that having ordered your life, introduce an element of occasional disorderliness to sample what is going on elsewhere. I believe that railway accidents happen sometime because the engine jumps off the fixed rails out of sheer boredom of routine. Avoid boredom – to yourself and others.<br /></p><p align="justify">***<br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Archived by </span><a href="http://www.mygoldencopy.com"><span style="font-size:78%;">www.mygoldencopy.com</span></a><br /><br /></p><div align="justify"></div>Narendra Luther Archiveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05399047238666621197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543940496574779716.post-21714833275893796622006-12-12T10:40:00.000+05:302006-12-13T10:41:03.265+05:30Whose Century?<p align="justify"><strong>Whose Century?<br /></strong>By Narendra Luther<br /><br />In my article on the Anglo- American attack on Iraq in the April issue (A Fable for our Times), I said that its outcome was predictable. Despite the hype created by the two governments and the western media about the enormity of the weapons of mass destruction that Iraq was alleged to be possessing, it was a walkover for the ‘coalition forces’. More than a month after the conquest of Iraq, the victors have not been able to substantiate their charges of the existence of the Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) with Iraq. This has led to the cynical remark that the initials WMD stood for ‘weapons of mass deception’ and they were in the possession of the coalition forces. Also, if they are now discovered in Iraq, they will be suspected to have been planted, which the Police resort to in many cases. Art Buchwald, the American satirist-columnist has observed that instead of spending 75 billion dollars on eliminating Saddam, the U.S. administration could have got it done in one billion dollars through one of the Italian mafias in the U.S!<br /><br />Body blow to UN<br /><br />The basic motive of the Americans in attacking Iraq was always suspect. If it was to remove a tyrannical dictator, there were others far more deserving of that treatment than Saddam. The Americans are actively supporting many of them as indeed they did Saddam earlier when it suited them. The reception, which the coalition forces expected to be accorded in the vanquished country, was not enthusiastic enough to justify their vaunted claims that they were liberating the people from a despot’s tyranny.<br /><br />The US approach to the Iraq question could be faulted on many counts. The Americans tried to take the UN with them in their campaign. When three permanent members of the Security Council refused to go along with them, the US decided to go it alone nevertheless. Both the US and the UK took the self-righteous stand that they were satisfied with the evidence they had about the delinquencies of the dictatorial regime in Iraq. That evidence was not shared with the lesser members of UN. The UN charter prohibits interferes in the internal affairs of any sovereign country. Thus, the very approach of the US and the UK dealt a body blow to the UN. For more than a decade, sanctions had been imposed on Iraq for possession of WMD’s. Now without having discovered them, or admitting that they were not there, the Americans want the sanctions lifted. Important members of the UN are against such an arbitrary approach. In my article referred to above, I had likened the America behaviour to that of the village tyrant. If the village panchayat did not go along with him, it was removed. The US bypassed the world panchayat (UN), and having got used to it, it shall do so again.<br /><br />While in many Islamic countries, there was open expression of anger at the attack on Iraq; in other countries, there was a sense of moral outrage at the action. Again, as in the case of the village landlord, some countries thought it expedient to keep quiet, or just to mumble unhappiness, but the resentment against the action was universal.<br /><br />Motive for Attack<br /><br />The feeling that the motive for the attack was oil more than any thing else is strengthened by the fact that while priceless heritage in the Iraqi museum was allowed to be plundered and destroyed, adequate action was taken to safeguard the oil wells. That is why now the question being asked all around is: which country next? Syria has already been sufficiently chastened verbally by the victors of Iraq.<br /><br />The American are not able to overcome the shock of 9/11 and the fall of the twin towers. The myth of its almight and invulnerability was shattered by that incident. An invisible band of terrorists, which cocked a snook at its fortress security, sent the nation into an unprecedented flurry. To eliminate the possibility of such a recurrence, it has vowed to root out terrorism wherever it exists. It is a laudable objective but here too consistency is lacking in its policy. It does not exhibit a uniform concern at the terrorist activity in places like Kashmir. Such an approach does not inspire faith; it generates cynicism.<br /><br />With the demise of the Soviet Union, the bi-polar world of the last century is gone. Earlier, the Soviet Union could counter any move by the US, which threatened to upset the delicate balance of powering today’s uni-polar world where there is only one super- power. The non-aligned movement (NAM), which was born out of the bi-polar situation, has been rendered irrelevant. Earlier, non-alignment meant equidistance from the two poles. Now you are either with one power or you are against it. The very term ‘balance’ implies the existence of two units. In today’s situation, the balance can only mean the US (with its satellites) vs. the rest of the world. Who can be the spokesman of the rest of the world?<br /><br />Morality in international conduct<br /><br />While self –interest of nations determines international relations, there is a minimum sense of justice which must be perceived in the external policies and acts of nations. No nation can override the interests of other nations for all times. There is a feeling now that there is no one to counter any move by the US. She can get away with anything. There is a rudimentary sense of equity with which international policies and actions are judged. Today the American might is unchallenged. That however does not mean it can do whatever it likes anywhere. The bomb blast in Saudi Arabia on the eve of the visit of Collin Powell, and later at Casablanca show how many invisible forces are working against the US, and no body knows how and where they will hit.<br /><br />The American historian, Barbara Tuchman, in her book ‘The March of Folly’ has shown how all wars from the Trojan to Vietnam were acts of folly. At that time they were waged, they were shown to be fully justified by those who initiated them. In retrospect, she shows them as unnecessary and avoidable. It reinforces the old saying attributed to Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden, and at least to six other statesmen: ‘See my son with how little wisdom the world is governed.’<br /><br />Noting the emergence of the US as the unchallenged power, many pundits have declared that the 21st Century belongs to America. That is based on too narrow a reading of recent developments, and an insufficient appreciation of historical factors. Today in the global village, political hegemony has to be closely accountable to the Panchayat. As in our masala films, at the end of the day, the landlord–villain is humbled. Jack kills the giant and good sense comes to prevail. What is blinding us today might as well be the last flicker of the flame for the American lamp. The century will belong, not to the almighty America, but to the meek of the world.<br /></p><p align="justify">***</p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:78%;">Archived by </span><a href="http://www.mygoldencopy.com"><span style="font-size:78%;">www.mygoldencopy.com</span></a></p><div align="justify"></div>Narendra Luther Archiveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05399047238666621197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543940496574779716.post-81101811268564356902006-12-12T10:39:00.000+05:302006-12-12T17:02:09.638+05:30Which Party?<div align="justify"><strong>Which Party?</strong><br />By Narendra Luther<br /><br />Humans are social animals. They must live in groups to survive. Groups create<br />problems. In order to solve them they create parties. Parties are of two types. One is political.<br /><br />Political parties come into being because man is a prejudiced being. Like-minded people get together and float a party. Once they join it, they see everything through a prism. Their objectivity, sense of fairness, and equity – become casualties. Political parties are popular because they relieve people of the necessity to think. That difficult task is handed over to some one else. How wonderful to have ready- made opinions handed over to you to pass them on as deep reflections of your own! Political parties have a problem for every solution. They will fight for finding other ways of reaching a place when a direct approach is available. God for them has one face, that of their own leader; truth, his utterance. Political parties often get into trouble when some men of conscience join them. A conscientious man suspects that the rival might be right. There is no place for such persons in a political party. Party men cannot afford to be in doubt. They must always assert that they are right. They should also be capable of saying the exact reverse of what their current opinion. That becomes necessary when they change parties. Abraham Lincoln as a young lawyer argued a case successfully in the morning. In the afternoon, he happened to have another case in the same court in which he gave arguments opposing what he had said in the morning. The judge asked him with a smile, ‘Mr. Lincoln, you are saying exactly the opposite of what you were saying in the morning’. Lincoln replied, ‘Your Honour, I might have been wrong in the morning, but I am definitely right in the afternoon’. He won that case too.<br /><br />The other type of party is Cocktails. They have nothing to do with animals or birds as one might be led to imagine. They comprise humans of divers sexes—men women,<br />and people. They are held in the evenings and there is no saying how long they last. They are organized for various purposes – to willy-nilly welcome or to say farewell to some one, to celebrate an event, like marriage, birthday, or even a wedding anniversary. Strictly speaking, dinners should be given on such occasions, but cocktails parties are cheaper and more fun. Drinks of various types are served with snacks, which often make up for the lack of dinner. In a cocktail party, no one cares how bad your English is so long as your Scotch is good. After a while, a lot of bonhomie and good will is generated amongst the guests and every one tends to agree with the other. There are some spoil–sports or noveau- drinkers who will always disagree. Another drink is shoved into such hands and they are pushed to some equally garrulous person of the opposite sex. After a while either they both walk out or are too drunk to talk. So, one disagreement is resolved.<br /><br />Cocktail party is designed to prevent concentration – either on a person or a topic. In a cocktail party, you are supposed to circulate. Some people complete their circulation too soon and come back to the same spot from where they started. That is bad manners. Your orbit is supposed to keep on varying unless the chief guest gets hold of you and wants to have a chat with you.<br /><br />The host takes care to stay sober and to get the others sozzled, particularly those from whom he is trying to seek business or a favour. In non-business parties, the object is fun. But even there, you cannot prevent a discussion of politics or current events. As the spirits soar, the ability to solve intricate problems also improves. I have seen the Kashmir problem solved many times in such parties, the composition of the national cricket team decided upon, and alternatives offered to resolve the issue of Palestine, terrorism, and communalism. Iraq too has often been disposed of in a most harmonious way. There is generally consensus in such parties and everyone is fair to the other. Also, people are honest in the expression of their opinions about their friends. That sometime causes problems to sort out which another cocktail party becomes necessary. Even husbands are polite to their wives at such parties because nothing makes a woman look better than three cocktails inside a man. So, my advice to women is never to accept a compliment at a cocktail party at your face value. Men of my generation remember with envy the journalist who walked up to that stunner, Madeleine Dietrich and told her, ‘Madam you look as beautiful when sober, as any other woman would look when drunk’. Some over-drinkers are sad to get under the table. Mae West knew her limit. When offered another drink, she said coolly: ‘One more drink and I will be under the host’. But some men’s sense of truth is so strong that even cocktails can’t suppress it. Like when Churchill walked up to Lady Astor and told her bluntly: ‘You are ugly’. She retorted indignantly: ‘Winston, you are drunk’. Churchill slurred back: ‘Madam, I shall be sober when I wake up tomorrow morning, but you will still be ugly’.<br /><br />I am a man of conscience. I can go astray temporarily. But I come back to the right track before too long. I am never cocksure; I am generally in doubt. That is why I have not joined any political party. For finding solutions to problems, I prefer to take a chance in a cocktail party.<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />***</div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:78%;">Archived by </span><a href="http://www.mygoldencopy.com"><span style="font-size:78%;">www.mygoldencopy.com</span></a> </div>Narendra Luther Archiveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05399047238666621197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543940496574779716.post-83928581252857437002006-12-12T10:37:00.000+05:302006-12-13T10:41:27.433+05:30Render the Account<p align="justify"><strong>Render the Account<br /></strong>By Narendra Luther<br /><br />Tom Paine, the English revolutionary and thinker of the 18th century says in his celebrated book Rights of Man, that Government is the badge of man’s lost innocence. It is a necessary evil for civilized existence.<br /><br />But safeguards have to be provided against the arbitrary exercise of power by government to maintain civilized existence.<br /><br />No taxation without representation is an old axiom of democracy. That is to ensure that no unjust or unnecessary tax is imposed on the citizens. That is half the job. The other half is to ensure that the money collected from the citizens is spent properly for the purpose for which it is raised. In other words, the propriety of expenditure also needs to be ensured.<br /><br />Citizen and the Government<br /><br />To scrutinizes the utilization of public funds by the Government, our Constitution has created the office of the Comptroller and Auditor General. His findings are placed before the Public Accounts Committee. All instances of irregularities and improprieties and recommendations thereon by the Committee are placed before the legislature for appropriate remedial and punitive action against the delinquent authorities. While this is good, these reports are in the nature of a post-mortem and are useful largely for the future.<br /><br />Secondly, given the party system of government, the elected representatives may overlook the infractions of the administration depending upon their party affiliations. Also, in the plethora of technicalities, the average citizen cannot grasp what is happening. Many people have therefore argued that we should supplement the present system of accountability of administration to elected representatives with direct and ongoing scrutiny by the people. That would ensure that mischief is nipped in the bud.<br /><br />Information is Power<br /><br />For such a scrutiny, relevant data and information are necessary. It has been said aptly that information is power. That power lies with the bureaucracy and it is loath to share it with others. As the French semiologist, Jean Baudrillard says in his book, Cool Memories, ‘Information can tell us everything. It has all the answers. But they are answers to questions we have not asked’.<br /><br />For any scheme of empowering people, therefore, access to information is the first crucial step. It will discourage arbitrary action on the part of the bureaucracy and protect the citizens’ basic right to due process and equal protection of the law. It will also reduce corruption within government institutions and enhance integrity amongst public functionaries.<br /><br />The question of enacting legislation to provide access to information has assumed importance come up in the last decade or so. According to Privacy International, 51 countries had such comprehensive Freedom of Information laws in place in April 2003. In India, similar legislation has been passed in some states to enable citizens to access information from government officials.<br /><br />Information provides the transparency necessary for ensuring accountability. UNDP defines accountability ‘as the requirement that officials answer to stakeholders on the disposal of their powers and duties, act on criticisms or requirements made of them and accept (some) responsibility for failure, incompetence or deceit.’<br /><br />Citizen’s Charter<br /><br />An offshoot of the right to information is the Citizen’s Charter. According to article 21(2) of the United Nations Declaration of Universal Human Rights, ‘Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country’. Citizen’s Charter enlightens the citizens about their rights and how they can secure them. In case public officials fail to provide specific public services, they have to pay prescribed penalties. In India, Andhra Pradesh was perhaps the first state to adopt the concept when it issued its ‘Vision 2020’ document in 1999. Following upon that, some departments and public utilities issued their own Citizen’s Charters. The latest to do so is the Police. However, penalties for failure to provide specific services by public servants have not been indicated in some of the charters.<br /><br />Civil Society Initiatives</p><p align="justify">By himself, an average citizen lacks adequate knowledge and resources to take up individual and collective grievances with the government. That is more so due to illiteracy and poverty of a vast section of our populace. So, a number of social action groups have come up in different states to take up public issues. They have pioneered the concept of generating valid and potent information to contest and challenge discretionary abuses and to expose corruption. A good example of that is the work of an NGO – the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS). Through the medium of 'public hearings' to demand public accountability, the Sangathan has been quite successful in bringing about transparency of development expenditure; accountability of officials; redress of grievances; and legitimization of social or public audit. The Public Affairs Centre in Bangalore has organized public interaction with official of the Municipal Corporation on provisions in the budget and their utilization. In Andhra Pradesh, the Lok Satta has taken up a number of issues in this regard. Its latest initiative is to mobilize public opinion to confer empowerment on the local bodies provided in the 73rd and 74th amendments of the Constitution, which have not yet become a reality.</p><p align="justify">Consumer’s Rights</p><p align="justify">It is not only with regard to government that transparency and the right to information is important. Similar transparency is important in regard to other institutions and organizations which serve social needs. We are all consumers of products and services. We need to be assured of their quality. We need to be protected from unscrupulous trade practices of manufacturers and suppliers of goods and services. ‘Goods once sold will not be taken back’ is a motto encountered everywhere in our country. Such a stipulation does not exist anywhere in the western countries. There, consumer is really the king. The Consumer Protection Act was enacted by the Parliament in 1986 and amended in 1993. Under it, National and State Councils and District Forums have been established for the redress of the grievances of the consumers. The concept of accountability has thus been extended to private organizations in manufacture, trade and commerce also.</p><p align="justify">Rights of Investor</p><p align="justify">The third aspect of accountability is with regard to the world of shares. Every entrepreneur borrows from public financial institutions and the public direct through public issues. As user of public funds, he is accountable for their proper utilization. The need for accountability in that field has also been felt particularly after some scams rocked the market. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has taken a number of steps to promote sound corporate governance. However much remains to be done. The non-official directors do not get to know about much of the day-to day working of companies. Yet, under law they are responsible for all the acts of the company. The shareholders get only one opportunity in a year to ask questions and they are easily disposed of. A specific and clear delegation of authority from the board to the executive directors needs to be provided for.<br />Our freedom has many aspects. They all need to be secured in order to ensure continuance of our civilized existence. Therein lies the importance of multifaceted accountability.<br /></p><p align="justify">***<br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Archived by </span><a href="http://www.mygoldencopy.com"><span style="font-size:78%;">www.mygoldencopy.com</span></a><br /><br /><br /><br /></p><div align="justify"></div>Narendra Luther Archiveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05399047238666621197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543940496574779716.post-56395226132259594682006-12-12T10:36:00.000+05:302006-12-13T10:44:24.471+05:30On Making Money<p align="justify"><strong>On Making Money</strong><br />By Narendra Luther<br /><br />Money has been called the root of all evil. But it is forgotten that the lack of it is the whole blooming tree. It is the most important thing in life. You have to have enough of it not to need it. Those who have it decry it; those who lack it moan for it.<br /><br />There are various ways of making money, and none can advise you better than one who has not succeeded in making it can.<br /><br />Conventional wisdom lays down one of the three ways: Beg, Borrow, or Steal. The seemingly easiest way to make money is to beg. There is a mistaken notion that beggars ply their trade only by standing and stretching their hand. The only honest beggars are those who do not make any pretensions about their intentions. They are masters of psychology. They wait at intersections and approach you when you are prevented by the red light to proceed further. They make you feel guilty and many can’t escape from that trap. Some beggars accost you when you have just emerged yourself from your secret begging from a place of worship. That is when one beggar stands face to face with another. It is difficult to go past the horde of beggars when they proclaim loudly that what you begged from the deity will be granted if you grant them their small prayer. It will be jeopardized if you don’t play god to them. The other place where they wait in ambush for you is when you emerge from a restaurant after a lavish meal. Whether you have been a guest or a host, the outstretched hand from a rag -covered body stirs your conscience. You calculate guiltily what small fraction of the amount spent inside by you the miserable beggar is asking for. A coin thrown into the lap of the waif will make you feel light.<br /><br />Stealing is not free from risks. But there are various ways of stealing that need not make you fall foul of the law. An excess claim on a journey, inflating the conveyance charges or adding a non-existent guest to the list of prospects entertained -- all go into the making of the art of thievery.<br /><br />Borrowing is quite common. A good number of standard reasons exist for making borrowing look entirely justified. A sudden need for travel to attend a family funeral, a tragic mishap to a beloved kin, a sudden illness which necessitates hospitalization. Anything which induces the milk of human kindness flow in the heart of the borrwee. Borrowers generally drop their benefactors from their list lest they should start pestering them for the repayment of an insignificant amount. They prefer dealing with people with short memory in money matters. Unfortunately, an average memory is sharpest in that respect.<br /><br />Bribe is another easy way of making money. But for that it is necessary that you should have acquired some placement. Any position is good enough for taking bribes. But one has to take care that one is not caught in the act. Punishment is not for taking bribe, but for having been caught at doing that. So, a good measure of intelligence is necessary for taking bribes safely. Also, one should not be too greedy. Otherwise, one may go the way of the Chairman of the Public Service Commission of a certain State.<br /><br />Making investments in stocks and bonds is another way of making money. That is what the sellers of stock will tell you believing that you will skip the small print which gives the statutory caution. That makes it somewhat exciting, like smoking which warns you that it is dangerous to health. So is racing, mountaineering, and even swimming. But they are not as dangerous as sleeping on a bedstead. More people in recorded history world-wide have died in their beds than anywhere else. Yet we persist -- sometime taking someone else also to our bed and thus expanding the scope of the danger involved. However, investments have to be made cautiously, that is putting as little of your money as possible. In this field, one has to know when to pull out. But there is no right time; only right luck. And that is not in your hands.<br /><br />Lately, sports also have become good business. Time was when sportsmen played for the heck of it. Playing was more important than winning. Now you play to win – not the game but money. That is easy. Al that you have to do is to be a good player, but to play poorly. There are enough people to pay you for playing below par. That is specially so in cricket. Others sports are also learning from it. One reason cricket has overtaken – even killed all other sports is that there is more money in this for not playing well. But here too you have to take precautions. One is not to talk on cell phones. Technology betrays as much as it helps.<br /><br />Another easy way is to marry a rich widow. That is the only case in which second hand goods sell at first hand prices. For women, the equivalent opportunity lies in becoming a mistress of a rich business man. It requires an instinct every woman is born with. Let a man chase you till you catch him. But then comes the tedious problem of keeping your quarry in your own net.<br /><br />So far no one has discovered a sure-fire method of making money without getting sold to it. Money does not guarantee happiness, but every thing, which can possibly give happiness is bought by money – including charity and philanthropy. So, there is no escape from money. As for myself, I don’t much care for money if I can be rich without it. For, I agree with Sophia Tucker: ‘I have been rich, and I have been poor. Rich is better.’<br /></p><p align="justify">***</p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:78%;">Archived by </span><a href="http://www.mygoldencopy.com"><span style="font-size:78%;">www.mygoldencopy.com</span></a></p><div align="justify"></div>Narendra Luther Archiveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05399047238666621197noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543940496574779716.post-55067739646860139532006-12-12T10:35:00.000+05:302006-12-13T12:00:49.454+05:30Daughter of the soil<div align="justify"><strong>Daughter of the soil</strong><br />By Narendra Luther<br /><br />Help! I am in grave danger of soon becoming a stateless person. No, I am not kidding. With the Home Minister who is also the Deputy PM of India having been dubbed as a Pakistani, the former refugees from Pakistan like me can’t be far behind. While Advani, being an influential politician might be able to manage to stay on -- or if the worse comes to worst -- strike a deal with his former homeland, a common man like me has no such chances. After a long time, I managed to become qualified as a ‘Mulki’ in Hyderabad. If I lose that status, I shall become, in Homer’s phrase, a ‘lawless, homeless, hearthless one’ I shall have to appeal to the International Commission for Refugees. Where will they send me now that I am past the productive -- and sad to admit even the reproductive age!<br /><br />This entire hullabaloo arose because with her election as President of the Congress Party, Sonia Gandhi, also became a potential Prime Minister of India. In fact, she is already the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and thus a shadow Prime Minister. In our system of party politics which is a play of light and shade, at periodic intervals, the shadow becomes reality, and reality the shadow. To pre-empt that occurrence, voices have been raised about her being a foreigner.<br /><br />The ‘Mulki Formula’<br /><br />People in Andhra Pradesh are quite familiar with the working of the ‘Mulki’ doctrine of the former state of Hyderabad. Under that one had either to be born within the State or be a resident for 14 years to be a ‘Mulki’. Its rigour was further refined in the Six-Point Formula promulgated by the Government of India in 1960s. Under that, public servants can be transferred only within the three traditional regions of the State. For a student from the Andhra region of the State, it is easier to get admission to a university in any part of the world than in the Telangana region – and vice versa. It has only sharpened the demand for the separate state of Telangana.<br /><br />It is an insidious form of the doctrine of ‘sons of the soil’, which has raised its ugly head lately in most of the States.<br /><br />Domiciliary Qualification<br /><br />As against that, in politics, there is no requirement of domicile. Any one can contest a seat for the Lok Sabha from anywhere in India. Thus, Sonia Gandhi and Sushma Swaraj, both residents of Delhi, contested from Karnataka in the last elections. Buta Singh, a Punjabi Sikh, contested from Rajasthan. The Rajya Sabha, which is supposed to provide representation to States has a requirement of domicile in the State from which a candidate can contest. That has been overcome by the ruse of renting a house in a city of the ‘safe’ State. Thus, R.K. Dhawan was able to become a member of the Rajya Sabha from A.P. by renting a house in Hyderabad.<br /><br />Any citizen of India who is 25 years of age can contest for a seat in Parliament. Briefly, any Member of Parliament can become Prime Minister. The Congress Party has for their own reasons chosen Sonia Gandhi as their leader. In case the Party gets a majority of seats in the Lok Sabha, or can cobble a coalition claiming majority in the Lok Sabha, Sonia can lawfully become Prime Minister. It is that prospect that creates a panic amongst many aspirants to the Prime Ministry, and their followers. They argue that it is violative of our dignity as a nation to have a foreigner as Prime Minister. But she is now a citizen of India and it is pointless to rake up the past. In fact, she is already the leader of the Opposition with the rank of a cabinet minister.<br /><br />Foreigners in India<br /><br />In this context, it may be worth noting that in the past many foreigners have served India in various capacities with distinction. I am not referring to the paid officials of the East India Company or, later of the Crown. An Englishman, A.O. Hume, a member of ICS, denounced the revenue from the sale of liquor as ‘ wages of sin’. He wrote a letter to the Calcutta University graduates inviting 50 volunteers to join in a movement to promote the mental moral, social and political regeneration of India. This letter led to the formation of the Indian National Congress in 1885. He was Secretary or Joint Secretary of 19 out of the first 22 sessions of the Congress. In 1908, the Congress passed a resolution describing him as father of the Indian National Congress. Sir William Wedderburn, after his retirement, devoted himself to the promotion of the Congress. He was elected President of the Congress at its 4th session. Back in England, he became head of the India Party. Sir Henry Cotton retiring as Chief Commissioner returned to India and presided over the 1904 session of the Indian National Congress. Annie Besant, an English woman founded the Home Rule League to demand self rule for Indians. She was elected President of the Congress Party in 1917. C.F. Andrew was another Englishman who became a follower of Mahatma Gandhi and fought for the freedom of the country. The ‘Mother’ of the Pondicherry Ashram was French, but revered by Indians. After attaining independence in 1947, the first Governor General appointed by us was an Englishman. When an Albanian missionary, settled in India, was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1979, we celebrated her as an Indian. No one then raised the point of Mother Teresa’s foreign origin.<br /><br />Indians Abroad<br /><br />Look at the other side of the coin. Persons of Indian origin were elected members of the British House of Commons. Some sat in the House of Lords. Swaraj Paul is still there. Daleep Singh Saund became a senator n U.S. Some have been elected to the legislatures of States. Vaz was a junior minister in England until recently. Another is a minister in Canada. We cried foul when a duly elected Prime Minister of Indian origin was toppled in Fiji.<br /><br />People’s Choice<br /><br />The criterion is the judgment of the public as reflected in the popular vote. She has already crossed the first hurdle. The oldest and the largest political party in the country has chosen her as its leader. The voters have duly elected her as a member of Lok Sabha. If the people are against her, nothing prevents them from defeating her in elections. The objections raised against her as being a foreigner, have led to ludicrous counter-objections that Advani is a Pakistani, and Vajpayee is an Aryan. Today no country in the world can claim ethnic purity. In India, we rejoice in our pluralism. All the religions of the world co-exist in this ancient land just as all the climatic variations of the world are replicated here. We have laid down the rules of the game of power in the Constitution. Let us play the game according to them.<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">***</div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:78%;">Archived by </span><a href="http://www.mygoldencopy.com"><span style="font-size:78%;">www.mygoldencopy.com</span></a></div>Narendra Luther Archiveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05399047238666621197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543940496574779716.post-60608892772956369032006-12-12T10:34:00.002+05:302006-12-13T12:42:09.927+05:30A New Beginning<div align="justify"><strong>A New Beginning</strong><br />By Narendra Luther<br /><br />I share my first name with the chief Minister of Gujarat. But I don’t share his claim, his blame and now his fame. Nor do I have the inclination or the capacity to do so. For what he has achieved is based on fear, and numbers. Fear does not last. The extreme of fear is courage. When you have nothing further to lose, you stand up.<br /><br />However, he has helped raise a basic question: Are we secular? As one who suffered the trauma of Partition as a child, I have a stake in secularism. The question often asked derisively is: what is secularism? It has been dubbed as plain non –concern about the majority community, or cynically equated with appeasement of the largest minority. There are lofty definitions of secularism, which are as old as the hills. As a working formula, Sarva Dharma Samabhava – equal respect for all religions can’t be improved upon. Democracy is based on the concept of equality of all persons. Once we accept that, caste, creed, colour -- all become irrelevant. Human being and his/her welfare is what matters. And that welfare is a common denominator cutting across the barriers of community and religion. For decades since Independence, we have heard the slogan of Roti, Kapda, and Makan – food, clothing, and shelter, and its generic substitute – Garibi Hatao. Now, food clothing and shelter have no religion. When I was a young child, at every station when the train stopped, vendors came shouting ‘Hindu Pani’, and Muslim Pani’. In our smugness, we took water from our respective communal pitchers, not knowing that it had come from a common source. It quenched thirst irrespective of who was dispensing it. Shylock, the much-maligned Jew speaks for the whole humanity in his spirited reply to Salerio in ‘The Merchant of Venice’:<br /><br />‘He hath disgac’d me and hinder’d me half a million; laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies. And what is the reason? I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, affections, passions, fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that…. The villainy you teach me I will execute; and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.’<br /><br />That about sums up the situation in Gujarat – and even in the rest of the country. In what respect are the members of different communities different from each other in their civic needs and wants? And politics is concerned only with the civic side of citizens. It is not – indeed should not concern itself with their private beliefs and faith. Note the last sentence of Shylock. They will retaliate. And retaliation may take different forms. If they are not conventionally equal in arms with the other, they will resort to guerilla warfare, as Sivaji did with Aurangzeb. The modern variation of that is terrorism. And you can’t fight terrorism unless you tackle its real causes and roots. The dharma –duty of a ruler is to ensure conditions of civilized existence for its subjects. That is the raison d’etre of the State. In that, the State cannot take a partisan stand. It cannot let groups of citizens settle their scores by taking law in their own hands. As Chief Minister, Modi had no religion, no attachment, and no consideration except the security of the citizens of Gujarat.<br /><br />Gujarat underlines the tragic fact in our political life that we have been highlighting non-issues. What was the gaurava of Gujarat, which was brought in to drum up the passions of the people there? Gujarat’s gaurava is Mahatma Gandhi who laid down his life for communal amity. In Gujarat, every man is called Bhai and every woman a Behn irrespective of their community or religion. With such universal brotherhood, and sorority, a surprise so much blood shed should have take place there. But feud within families is generally far bloodier than normal warfare. Civil wars destroy more than external aggressions.<br /><br />Having said that, I shall like to address the other side too. For too long have they gone on blaming the majority for all their ills. For too long have they gone on harping on their separate identity, which resulted in the creation of Pakistan. For centuries, they have ruled this country. Why did they become backward then? Why do they plead their backwardness as a reason for getting special treatment?? Who prevents them from removing their backwardness through education? The Constitution provides level playing field for all – plus special safeguards for minorities. As the case of Pakistan has shown, religion does not unite; language does not bond. If that were so, Bangladesh should not have come into being. We have to rise above language and religion. There is always scope – even need for reform. The impulse for that has to come from within.<br /><br />Iqbal said ‘religion does not teach hatred. He was wrong. Four centuries ago, Dean Swift observed bitingly: We have enough of religion to hate one another, but not enough of it to love one another’. I am not sure whether we need more of it or less of it. Can’t we live just as plain human beings?<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">*** </div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:78%;">Archived by </span><a href="http://www.mygoldencopy.com"><span style="font-size:78%;">www.mygoldencopy.com</span></a></div><div align="justify"></div>Narendra Luther Archiveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05399047238666621197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543940496574779716.post-24187415318195510942006-12-12T10:34:00.001+05:302006-12-13T12:04:15.747+05:30Liquid Famine<p align="justify"><strong>Liquid Famine</strong><br />By Narendra Luther<br /><br />This is the year of water. So, let us look at water before it flows into history.<br /><br />Water is life. Rivers and water bodies are sources of sustenance for fauna flora and humans. That is why most of the cities of the world were established on the banks of rivers. Great civilizations developed and flourished on the banks of rivers like the Tigris, the Nile, the Euphrates, and the Sind. With the change in the course of rivers, or their drying up, cities are known to have vanished.<br /><br />Basic facts about water<br /><br />A few basic facts about water: First, from the day the planet earth came into being till today, the amount of total water availability has not varied.<br /><br />Second, we have been tempering with the traditional systems of reservoirs of water, both natural and man-made. Constructions like factories, buildings, and other obstructions have been allowed to come up in the catchments. This has resulted in blocking of natural flows of water.<br /><br />Third, the water supply systems have been increasingly centralized. In place of dispersed storages created by nature or local communities, official reservoirs have been created and distribution from them has been placed under centralized bureaucracies.<br /><br />Fourth, desilting of water bodies and channels has not been attended to routinely, thus reducing their storage, and carrying capacity respectively.<br /><br />Last, in new colonies and the laying of roads and lanes, natural drainage has not been respected and no proper substitute plans have been provided. That has resulted in water logging in various areas even after a brief shower.<br /><br />The looming scarcity<br /><br />In addition, global warming has adversely affected weathers and seasons. Rains have become erratic. They don’t conform to seasons. That has affected the system of water supply, which is predicated on seasons. Indian agriculture has traditionally been called a ‘gamble in monsoons’. Now the magnitude of the gamble has been enhanced by the uncertain opening time of the ‘casino’.<br /><br />We therefore face a situation of water famine unheard of before. Cassandras have predicted acute shortage of water even by 2020’s and a permanent scarcity by 2050. Rural Jills have to trudge up to ten kilometers to fetch a pail of water. It is quite conceivable that the wars of the future would be for water more than for oil. In India, we already find ‘civil wars’ between the riparian states like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka and AP for sharing of waters from common river sources.<br /><br />The Garland Canal Project<br /><br />A paradox in our water situation is that when some areas are suffering from drought, others have deluges. In order to develop a balance, the late Dr K.L. Rao, an eminent engineer who became the minister for irrigation of India, conceived the ‘garland project’ four decades ago. Considered too ambitious and costly, it was not pursued. Now, the present government has revived it and has set up a Task Force to work out the details of the project which is estimated to cost Rs. 5,60,000 crores. I cannot comment upon the practicality of the project at this stage except that it seems too ambitious and given the vicissitudes in our political set up, may not be pursued to its conclusion. Also, it may be bogged down by the sorts of conflicts between states which we are witnessing even today. The situation is grim and is becoming worse every year. Mr. Sompal, member of the Planning Commission in charge of Water Resources has caustically observed that ‘the river linking will not happen in our lifetime’.<br /><br />In early June 2003, the Hyderabad Urban Development Authority organized an International Workshop on Lakes in Hyderabad. It was part of the expression of its concern about the lack of maintenance of water bodies which is a contributing factor in our water problem. A strange phenomenon is at work in India and other developing counties. The routine maintenance of public assets and works is generally neglected. At the same time, new investments are being made in creating new assets. Because of this policy, the initial capacity and efficiency of the existing utilities goes on diminishing progressively. In the case of Electricity Boards, for example, loss in transmission and frequent breakdowns is attributed by technical people to inattention to maintenance and upgradation of the existing ‘plant’. Similar neglect is in evidence in the case of water sources. We allow this neglect till a crisis develops. Then it is tackled on an emergency basis. That is because the creation of new assets makes news while their maintenance of the existing assets goes unnoticed. So, both from the pint of view of drama and votes, attention is paid to new projects and not to routine maintenance of old ones. A manager of a public utility becomes a hero when he tackles a crisis though it might have been created by his own negligence.<br /><br />Story of Lakes<br /><br />A good example is provided by the Workshop on lakes referred to above. Encroachments on lakebeds, their pollution by the free flow of sewerage into them and diversion of water from them has been allowed unchecked. In Hyderabad, the Vengala Rao Park in Banjara Hills was recently inaugurated with great fanfare. No one mentioned that it was laid on the dead body of a lake which was systematically killed by encroachers and land grabbers. Earlier, similar development had happened in the case of Mansab Tank. As the very name suggests, it was a lake. Today there is a habitation – and a park there.<br /><br />Lopsided priorities<br /><br />At the Workshop referred to above, Mr. Sompal, Member of the Planning Commission expressed his concern at the lack of adequate concern for the development of water resources. He said that while Rs. 98,900 crores were allocated to the telecommunication sector in the 10th Plan, only 3,300 crores was provided for water resources. In the 9th Plan the allocation was Rs. 92,600 crores for the telecom sector and Rs. 1955 crores for water resources. We are trying to provide better communication for people whose very existence is at stake!<br /><br />It was also announced at the Hyderabad Workshop on Lakes that it is proposed to privatize these water bodies. That would be only legalizing the existing situation. Already water bodies are treated by people as private property. Witness the encroachments, constructions, landfills and diversion of water that is taking place in lakes. What is required is more effective public control over them and not offering them to private parties.<br /><br />Earlier people have died of food famines. The Nobel Laureate, Amartya Sen has observed that famines take place in dictatorships, not in democracies. He was referring to food famines. His logic is that the public awareness of the developing situation and the clamour raised about them will prevent their occurrence. Well, the new famine of water is developing under democratic regimes in India. Indians will not die of starvation henceforth; they will die of thirst. The only relieving feature of such a death is that it is quicker.<br /></p><p align="justify">***</p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:78%;">Archived by </span><a href="http://www.mygoldencopy.com"><span style="font-size:78%;">www.mygoldencopy.com</span></a></p>Narendra Luther Archiveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05399047238666621197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543940496574779716.post-33052077214327930442006-12-12T10:33:00.001+05:302006-12-13T12:03:55.347+05:30A Form of Wealth<p align="justify"><strong>A Form of Wealth</strong><br />By Narendra Luther<br /><br />It was once said, ‘ if wealth is lost, nothing is lost, if health is lost something is lost, if character is lost every thing is lost.’ Such a statement could have been made only by some one who was poor – and before electoral politics was introduced in India. Now the order has changed. We see every day that wealth is every thing and the loss of character does not mean anything. On the other hand, it only increases the chances of becoming wealthier. But health remains in the middle of either order. You can strut about without character, but you can’t move from your bed without good health. You can earn pots of money, but you can’t enjoy it without good health. You can only make doctors wealthy.<br /><br />Health is so important that in every society an inquiry about it forms an integral part of the initial greeting. It is a curse of human estate that you have to do so much to maintain good health. Animals keep their health merely by living their life. They remain healthy unless some human being inflicts some injury on them. Veterinary hospitals have been opened by human beings for animals, largely to keep them in an unnatural state – and for their own amusement. However, not being one myself, I don’t know much about animals. I am quite surprised when some people make pronouncements about the likes and dislikes of animals, like: ‘ O! dogs love biscuits’. All I know is that they like to be left alone and that is one thing that we don’t do. We are essentially ringmasters in a circus. When we say we love animals, we mean those whom we keep under our control.<br /><br />However, let us revert to the problem of maintaining good health in humans. There is an old saying that prevention is better than cure. Surely, it was not a physician who would have said that. Who would want his business ruined? I believe the reverse of it – cure is better than prevention. Prevention is a daily nuisance, a regime of constant denial, something that may finally turn out to be entirely unwarranted. On the other hand, a cure becomes necessary only occasionally and makes for a good departure from routine. I do not like the hard work involved in trying to maintain good health. One of them is taking some sort of exercise every day – like walking. Now, walking to no purpose is a complete waste of time and energy. I walk when I have to reach somewhere, for some work and not just to return tired after half an hour or so.<br /><br />To know the importance of good health, it is necessary to fall ill sometime. A healthy person does not know what it means to be healthy -- or sick. A sick person knows both and so is better informed. I am not advocating the cause of ill health. I am not an agent of the medical profession. I am talking of small harmless illnesses like a bad cold, a minor hurt, and a small fever. A sort of situation, which is not life – threatening, and is generally described as ‘indisposition’ in the medical bulletin of VIP’s. It provides you with much- needed break from routine, and a short absence from your social circle. It enhances your social importance. People enquire why you were absent from a particular function. It generates sympathy for you. It provides you an opportunity to know who cares for you and how much. It is an index of your importance. It distinguishes friends from foes. Friends want to know if your indisposition is something serious -- and are disappointed if it is not. On hearing about the sickness of a friend, the instinctive remark is, ‘ Nothing trivial, I hope’.<br /><br />Callers ask you how you fell ill. Some people seize upon that opportunity to transform themselves into an Ancient Mariner. I have heard such sob stories many times. Sometime, the tape is replayed when another caller drops in while I am still there. Good manners prevent me from interrupting. That is a signal for me to leave. I do not get into narrating the Arabian Night when I fall ill. I try to dismiss it as ‘one of those things’. But some callers are not satisfied. Last time I got reports that they spread the canard that I was merely feigning sickness since I could not say how it all happened. So, credibility lies in conformity.<br /><br />If you are not the social type, it provides an opportunity to be all by your self. Just loll about in your bed and listen to your favourite music, or read a book that was lying neglected on the shelf awaiting your attention. It also gives you an excuse not to do the daily shave or take he prescribed bath or even change your clothes. You can ask your favourite dishes to be prepared and, having savoured them, sleep as much as you like. During the period of your indisposition, you are the centre of the world for the family. The rest of the world becomes secondary. It also provides time for you to brood, to think about the worthwhile ness of your work and to think of doing something different, or the same thing differently. It is during such interludes of enforced idleness that most of the inventions of the world were made, and some careers changed. George Bernard Shaw put it in his own way when he said,’ I enjoy convalescence. It is that part which makes illness worthwhile’<br /><br />Medical advice is never so freely available as when you are unwell. Callers will tell you how they got out of a similar ailment by taking a particular medicine. If you are on allopathic system, some one will advice you to go in for homeopathy. If you are already an addict of the sweet pill, your well wisher will exhort you to try Ayurveda. If you are a votary of this native system, some friend will ask you to come out of superstitions and orthodoxies if you want to live at all. Some persons start parallel streams of treatment hoping that their recovery will be expedited by the double or triple dose. Some diseases are infectious. Unfortunately, health is not. They should try to make health also infectious.<br /><br />I am not a serious person by nature. I cannot therefore be an advocate of serious sickness. I am talking about minor ailments, which are part of a healthy life. If you are feeling low, neglected by the family and friends, taken for granted by colleagues, my advice is contract a minor illness -- and sees the difference. It is good for your morale. </p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">* * *</span> </span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:78%;">Archived by </span><a href="http://www.mygoldencopy.com"><span style="font-size:78%;">www.mygoldencopy.com</span></a> </p>Narendra Luther Archiveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05399047238666621197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543940496574779716.post-23882473343275022392006-12-12T10:29:00.000+05:302006-12-13T13:03:46.794+05:30A Fable for our Times<p align="justify"><strong>A Fable for our Times</strong><br />By Narendra Luther<br /><br />Once upon a time, there was a wolf. He felt thirsty and went to the nearby stream to drink water. There he saw at a distance a lamb also drinking water. Suddenly he felt hungry. But he wanted to appear to be reasonable because the local panchayat had promulgated a rule that no one would be killed without due process. So, he went up to the lamb and asked him why he was polluting the water. The lamb replied meekly that he could not be doing so because he was drinking down stream while the wolf was drinking up stream. The wolf then thought of another ruse. He asked him why he had abused him last year. The lamb again replied respectfully that it could not be so because he was not even born then. At this insolence the wolf said, ’Well, if it was not you, then it must have been your mother’. Saying that, he pounced upon the lamb and ate it up in no time.<br /><br /><br />The wolf then sought the blessings of the Panchayat for his taking the law into his own hands. Some senior members of the Panchayat said what the wolf had done and was doing was not right. The wolf said the members did not know that the world had changed and that it must now listen to the wolf because he knew what was best for the animals. However, when the wolf sensed the mood of the majority of the members, he said that the subject need not be discussed. After all discussion was all talk. And talk was less important than work.<br /><br />Earlier there used to be a bear and generally, if the wolf exhibited some overbearing trait, the bear would object and warn to him to behave. Lately, however, the bear had become unwell and had begun to depend upon the wolf even for its sustenance. But this time, he sent a message from his bed that he did not like what the wolf had started doing. An old fox and a cheetah whom the wolf had once mauled badly also joined in the protest. They all felt that the old world in which the wolf and the bear had always opposed each other was good for the other animals. But there was no point in moping about it.<br /><br />We have all read the old nursery rhyme:<br />‘Mary had a little lamb whose fleece was white as snow<br />And every where that Mary went the lamb was sire to go.’<br />Not only that. Whatever Mary asked, the lamb was sure to do. Once Mary decided to fight a burly fellow who had annoyed him. The lamb joined him readily.<br /><br />The fable and the nursery rhyme have come alive today. It does not require much imagination to identify the wolf and across the Atlantic, our little Mary’s Lamb. I write this on Day 6 of the campaign of the wolf and Mary’s Lamb against the lamb. The result seems to be a foregone conclusion but the tragedy must unfold itself in slow motion.<br /><br />In one fell blow, the US has virtually sidelined the UN. It has mocked at world opinion. It says that no country should amass weapon of mass destruction. But that dictum does not apply to it. What is the use of being a super power if you are below the law like any other weakling? The sole super cop of the world needs to have weapons to discipline the anti-social elements. In George Bush’s Animal Farm, as in George Orwell’s, ‘All animals are equal. But some are more equal than others’.<br /><br />No, the US has not merely sidelined the UN. It has buried it, like the League of Nations was. The international ‘social contract’, which first found expression in the League, and was later refined in the UN, has been scrapped. It has taken us back to the ‘state of nature’ where might was right. That was the primordial law of the jungle. That is the only practical basis on which life can be lived under the new order. The US has also thrown out the America dream of liberty, equality and the pursuit of happiness. Earlier it was held to be universal. Now it is only for the Americans. So out goes the UN, which embodied all these values. Time has now come for another world body to emerge from the ashes of the UN -- if it dares.<br /><br />America, which attaches such importance to public opinion, has decided to experiment how far it can go in flouting it on international scale. There are protests all over the world. But people obviously do not know what is good for them. Mom used to know. Now since she is no longer there, Uncle Sam will tell them what is good for them. A grand coalition has been formed with Mary, its lamb, some foxes, and mice. They will all get their share of the carcass when the hunt is complete. Well that is the promise for now. But when once the hunt is complete, the hunter may want to go ahead to new grounds. After all the world is full of quarries if the hunter has the will and the weapons to go on.<br /><br />They say America wants oil. Yes, it does. Who does not? But America professes loftier objectives. It wants to rid the world of the terrorists and replace the axis of evil with the axis of virtue so that every one can then pursue the American dream all over the world without having to go to America. A truly noble objective. So much in the interest of all of us. Shouldn’t we be grateful?<br /></p><p align="justify">***</p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:78%;">Archived by </span><a href="http://www.mygoldencopy.com"><span style="font-size:78%;">www.mygoldencopy.com</span></a></p><div align="justify"></div>Narendra Luther Archiveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05399047238666621197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543940496574779716.post-18830821651378538072006-12-12T10:28:00.000+05:302006-12-13T12:58:19.603+05:30A multi-faceted prince<div align="justify"><strong>A multi-faceted prince</strong><br />By Narendra Luther<br /><br />The founder of Hyderabad, Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah (b.1565; d.1611) was a prince, poet, lover, and a builder. He ascended the throne in 1580 at the age of 15 and ruled for thirty-one years.<br /><br />Lover<br /><br />As a young prince he fell in live with a Hindu maiden, Bhagmati by name. In 1591 he founded the new city 6 kilometers from Golconda across the river Musi and after his beloved, called it Bhagnagar. Its chronogrammatic title which yields the year of its completion, was Farkhunda Buniyad which in Persian means ‘of fortunate foundation’ – the equivalent of the name Bhagnagar.<br /><br />It was one of the first elaborately planned cities anywhere. The Sultan wanted it to be ‘unparalleled in the world and a replica of heaven itself’. The inspiration for its architectural plans and layout was drawn from Iran – and in particular the then new city of Isfahan.<br /><br />Builder<br /><br />First of all, the Charminar was built as the city centre. Four roads were made to radiate from it in the four cardinal directions. Fourteen thousand shops, houses, inns, baths, schools, and mosques were built as part of the original plan. Amongst the original public buildings was the Dar-ul-shifa or the general hospital. Some of the buildings including this hospital still stand today. However, none of the dozen-odd palaces, which were constructed by Mohammed Quli, has survived the ravages of the Mughal invasion and subsequent neglect. Some had as many as nine storeys. Aurangazeb, on his inspection of the city after the Mughal victory in 1687 was surprised to see such tall and magnificent structures.<br /><br />The city had extensive gardens both within and without it and the name of some localities still carry the prefix or suffix of bagh (garden). The French traveller, Thevenot noted the garden-city character of Bhagnagar and wondered how the arches of mansions supported the weight of terrace-gardens. Tavenier, Barnier, Ferishta, Abbe Carre and other foreign visitors in the 17th century and subsequently sang paeans in praise of the city. Many believed that it was bigger and better than the Mughal cities of the day like Agra and Lahore!<br /><br />Mohammed Quli was as great, if not a bigger builder than Shah Jahan the Mughal was. A recent study by a German architect has tried to prove with reference to the verses in the holy Quran that Mohammed Quli’s injunction about the new city was not a mere figure of speech. The city was in fact laid on the pattern of the Garden of Eden in its essential features.<br /><br />Poet<br /><br />Mohammed Quli was a prolific and a versatile poet. He wrote nearly 1,00,000 lines of poetry in Persian, and in every genre of what was later to be called Urdu.<br /><br />Before him Dakhni poetry had been largely religious. Quli introduced the secular element into it. He talks of nature in its variegated aspects, seasons of the year, flowers, fruits, vegetables, gardens, social life, customs, and festivals. He sings of the pleasures of physical love with a rare candour and abandon. For him there is no difference between a Hindu and a Muslim:<br /><br />Kufar reet kya hor Islam reet<br />Har ek reet mein hai ishq ka raaz<br /><br />(What is the heathen’s creed -- and the Muslim’s.<br />Every practice is based on the secret of love.)<br /><br />Further:<br /><br />Main na janun Kaba o but khana o maikhana koon<br />Dektha hoon par kahan diktha hai tuj mukh ka safa<br /><br />(I don’t know the holy Kaaba, the idol’s temple or the tavern,<br />I look everywhere but can’t see a face as clear as yours)<br /><br /><br />On love he has some observations of universal truth:<br /><br />Suno log meri prem kahani<br />Keh peela hai rang ashiqui ki nishani<br /><br />(Listen folks to my tale of love,<br />A palate complexion signifies a lover).<br /><br />Figures of Speech<br /><br />Quli often employs the devices of alliteration and onomatopoeia very effectively. Note the following:<br /><br />Piya soon rat jagi hai so dikthi hai sudhan sarkhush<br />Madan sarkhush, sayan sarkhush, anjan sarkhush nayan sarkhush<br /><br />(Oh lady, you have kept the whole night awake with your lover.<br />Cupid is happy, so are the couch, the collyrium - and your eyes)<br /><br />Dandana garja joban badal niman<br />Kangana jhalkar minj sunao tum<br /><br />(Youth thunders like a cloud.<br />Let’s hear the jingle of bangles).<br /><br />Unfortunately, the rhythm and internal rhyme abounding in his poetry can’t be put across in translation adequately.<br /><br />Hindi element<br /><br />Quli had a sound and extensive knowledge of the Hindi ragas. He mentions Asavari, Dhanashree, Gauri, Malahar, Kalyan, Basant and Ramkali in his poems. He declares his preference for music in the following couplet:<br /><br />Mere sang mil bajaati sankh gaati, Sankhara abhran<br />Sriraga jo gati istri to mujko bhati hai<br /><br />(She who plays the conch with me and sings Snakhrabhram,<br />The one who sings Sriraga -- that woman I like).<br /><br />Quli’s choice of subjects was unlimited. He covered the entire range of life in its variations. His idiom sprang from the soil and his language was the one spoken by the common people in their daily lives. He has been compared to Nazeer Akbar Abadi of Agra (1740-1830) as a people’s poet. But Nazeer was a plebian, whereas Quli was a ruler.<br /><br />His range<br /><br />Quli is a poet of sight and sound, of relish and savour, of fragrance and redolence, of spice and flavour, of sunrise and daylight, of rhyme and rhythm, of dance and music – of the celebration of life. His poetry glorifies all phases of biological existence. He rejoices in seasons of the year, the rhythmic succession of which makes the sum of our life-spring, monsoon, and winter, summer. He celebrates festivals, birthdays, weddings, New Year Days. On each topic, there is not one poem, but many. As life’s cycle goes on, he reverts to each of these recurring events with renewed vigour. He doesn’t get bored with life, because every aspect of it excites him. There is no pessimism or cynicism in him. He is an extrovert whose reaction to events is always positive. He gloats on being the favourite ‘servant’ of the Prophet and the Imams, which made him a favourite of Fate. He glories in being a ruler and living a life ease and sensuality. A pure sense of life pulsates through his writings.<br /><br />A Misconception<br /><br />Some people say that Mohammed Quli was also a poet in Telugu. No such claim has been substantiated. I have been able to find only three words of Telugu in his entire anthology – ‘Em Mari em’.<br /><br /><br />His invocation at the inauguration of the new city of Bhagnagar, has become famous:<br /><br />Mera sheahar logan soon mamoor kar<br />Rakhya joon tun darya mein min Ya Sami<br /><br />(O God, fill my city with people, as you have the river with fish)<br /><br />Obviously this prayer was heard and the city now suffers from over- population. It has one of the highest rates of growth in the country!<br /><br />For his legendary love for Bhagmati, and his rich and enchanting poetry, Mohammed Quli has won a permanent place in the hearts of the people of the city. An annual festival is held to commemorate him. Generations of singers have sung his poems. Amongst them the most popular is:<br /><br />Piya baj pyala piya jai na; piya baj ik til jiya jai na<br />Kate hain piya bin saburi karo; kaha jai amma kiya jai na<br />Nahi ishq jis woh bada koodh hai; kadi us say mil baisa jai na<br />Qutb Shah na do mujh divane ko pand; diwane ko kuch pand diya jai na.<br /><br />(Without the lover one cannot drink the cup!<br />Without him one cannot live for a moment.<br />They counsel patience in the absence of love.<br />Ah! It is easier said than done.<br />One unacquainted with love is a half-wit!<br />Don’t ever have anything to do with him.<br />Don’t give me any advice to a lunatic like me<br />You can’t din sense into an insane person).<br /><br /><br />Mohammed Quli is regarded as the first Urdu poet with an anthology to his credit. Dr.Zore edited his anthology for the first time in 1940. Professor Syeda Jaffar brought out a more extensive volume in 1985. Such is the liberal use of Hindi expressions and idiom in his works that, but for the script, he might even be considered a poet of Hindi.<br /><br />No wonder that of all the rulers of the Deccan, no one is remembered more fondly than this versatile man. He is commemorated every year on a befittingly grand scale.<br /><br />***<br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Archived by </span><a href="http://www.mygoldencopy.com"><span style="font-size:78%;">www.mygoldencopy.com</span></a><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>Narendra Luther Archiveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05399047238666621197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543940496574779716.post-15626704976581921652006-12-12T10:23:00.000+05:302006-12-12T11:16:45.593+05:30The Demise of Dakhni<div align="justify"><a name="_Hlt468764400"></a><a name="_Hlt468764855"></a>The Demise of Dakhni<br />By Narendra Luther<br /><br /><br />With the fall of Golconda in 1687, the Dakhni suffered a collapse – almost a demise.<br /><br />Incidentally, Golconda was the last of the southern sultanates to fall to the Mughals. The language which had ruled the roost till then now went under and was superceded by Urdu of the North. Hitherto the term ‘Urdu’ had not been used at all. Dakhni and also the language of daily use in the North were referred to as Hindi. The conquest of Golconda by the Mughals had an effect somewhat similar to that of the conquest of the South by Allauddin Khilji four centuries earlier. The language, which had been used in Delhi and around, came along with the new rulers and overpowered the native language. The word ‘Urdu’ means an ‘army camp’ in Turkish. Hence it was used for the language spoken by the soldiery and the man in the street. By definition, it could not have been very developed as a literary vehicle.<br /><br />However, unlike individuals, languages don’t die all of a sudden. They linger on and it takes decades - even centuries - for them to be completely wiped out. Dakhni was reduced to the status of second-rate language, and then to that of a dialect.<br /><br />Vali Dakhni (died 17070)<br /><br />The most famous name during this twilight phase of Dakhni is that of Vali Dakhni. He was born in Gujarat, which at that time was considered a part of Deccan. His compositions of that period bear the same stamp as that of earlier Dakhni poets and writers. It is virtually Hindi and there are lots of words, similes, and metaphors drawn from the Hindu mythology Note the reference to the Hindu holy places like Kashi, Hardwar and the river Yamuna in one of his poems:<br /><br />‘Koocha-e-yar ain Kasi hai, Jogi dil wahan ka basi hai,<br />Pi ke bairag ke udasi soon, dil pe mere sada usdasi hai<br />Ai sanam tuj jabeen upar yeh khal, Hindu-e- Hardwar basi hai<br />Zulf teri hai mauj Jamuna ki, Til-e- nazk uske joon sanasi hai<br /><br /><br />(My beloved’s street is Kashi, my heart is its resident<br />Separated from my beloved, I am always morose<br />The beauty-spot on your cheek, is a Hindu residing in Hardwar<br />Your tress is the wave of the Yamuna, the spot near it is the mendicant)<br /><br /><br />In one of his poems its amusing to know that while talking of ‘kufr’ (heathenism), he talks of Ram:<br /><br /><br /><br />‘Kufr koon tor dil soon dil mein rakh kar neeyat khalis<br />Hua hai Ram bin hasrat soon ja Lachchman so Ram iska<br /><br /><br />There is an echo of Mohammed Quli in the following couplet:<br /><br />‘Sajan ka baj alam mein dagar naeen,<br />Haman mein hai magar ham ko khabar naeen’.<br /><br />(None else matters in the world except my love<br />He is within me, yet I am unaware of that)<br /><br /><br />He is believed to have died in the year of Aurangazeb’s death -- 1707. However, before that his compositions had reached Delhi and won acclaim. Later, he himself visited Delhi and was warmly received in the literary circles there. In Delhi, on the advice of the well known poet, saint and scholar, Shah Sa’adullah Gulshan, he started writing in Urdu with an overlay of Persian which was the vogue in Delhi.<br /><br />There is a noticeable difference in his poetry after that. Note the following:<br /><br />Us ko hasil kyonke ho jag mein faragh-e- zindagi<br />Gardash-e-aflak ho jis ko ayyagh-e- zindagi<br /><br />(How can he ever find his peace of mind<br />The cup of whose life is forever revolving like sky?)<br /><br />Vali is therefore an inhabitant of two worlds – Deccan, and Delhi. He is a poet both of the Dakhni, as well as of Urdu. He introduced the two languages to each other and built bridges between them. Then, he walked, as it were, over that bridge to what was to become Urdu. Garcon de Tassy, a Frenchman edited his anthology in French in 1823.<br /><br />Behri (died 1718)<br /><br />Qazi Mahamood Behri is another well-known name of the period. He is believed to have died in 1718. He wrote a long poem called ‘Man Lagan’. According to Dr. Moonis, Behri has probably used more Hindi words in his poems than any other poet:<br /><br />Ai roop tera rati rati hai, Parbat parbat pati pati hai<br /><br />(You reside in the smallest object, in every mountain, in every leaf)<br /><br />He also wrote a eulogy of the new emperor, Aurangzeb.<br /><br /><br /><br />Shah Turab<br /><br /><br />Shah Turab’s ‘Man Samjhavan’ (1758) can be considered to be the last composition in Dakhni. It is a fee translation of ‘Manache Shlok’ by the Maratha saint-poet Ramdas (1608-81). Part-religious, part- reformist, it preaches principles of good living.<br /><br />The opening lines of his composition are:<br /><br />Sifat kar awwal us ki jo Ram haiga, usi Ram se ham ko aram haiga<br />Sada Ram ke nam soon kam haiga, haman dhyan usi ka subho sham haiga<br /><br />(Praise the one who is Rama, He gives us solace<br />Always concerned with him, forever absorbed in him)<br /><br />Further, he establishes an identity between Krishna and Ali;<br /><br />Kishen jis ko kehte Ali nam haiga, Ali nam lene soon aram haiga<br /><br />(Krishna is the same as Ali, you get peace by taking Ali’s name)<br /><br /><br />The poet calls himself a ‘Hussaini Brahmin’. It is said that in Pushkar in Rajasthan there is even now a group of dervishes who called themselves ‘Hussaini Brahmins’. They make their living by begging in the name of Hussain. They have adopted Hindu customs and eat only with Syeds amongst Muslims.<br /><br />The late Professor Naseeruddin Hashmi enumerates 22 poets in the post- Golconda era – including Vali and Behri.<br /><br />By a strange twist, Dakhni, the older and senior language, having been fully assimilated into the ‘language of the market’, was given the honour of its ancestry by being designated ‘ancient Urdu’. It is interesting to speculate what would have happened if, instead of being conquered, the Deccan had conquered the North!<br /><br />But then it is one of the ‘ifs’ of history – and of literature.<br /><br /><br />*** </div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:78%;">Archived by </span><a href="http://www.mygoldencopy.com"><span style="font-size:78%;">www.mygoldencopy.com</span></a><br /><br /></div>Narendra Luther Archiveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05399047238666621197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543940496574779716.post-35089682511564106852006-12-12T10:22:00.000+05:302006-12-13T13:27:42.109+05:30The charming lingo of Bhagnagar<p align="justify"><strong>The charming lingo of Bhagnagar</strong><br />By Narendra Luther<br /><br />When I first came to Hyderabad in 1959, I felt at once something strange and familiar in the language spoken here. Even the written language had terms, which I had not come across in standard Urdu texts before. It took me some time and a reading of the works of some medieval poets and writers before I exclaimed ‘Eureka’. What had a ring of déjà vu about it was the profusion of Punjabi words in it.<br /><br />To understand the reason for that we have to go back into history.<br /><br />Birth of Urdu<br /><br />Mehmood Ghaznavi conquered Punjab in 1020 A.D. and made it a part of his empire. The conquering army spoke Persian, while the local population spoke Punjabi. This conquest also led to extensive and repeated waves of immigration into India from area where Persian was spoken. Mohammed Ghouri overthrew Ghaznavi in 1186. Seven years later, in 1193, one of his generals, Qutubuddin Aibak captured Delhi and became its Sultan. So, for 173 years while Punjab was under the occupation first of Ghaznavi and then of Ghouri, this interaction continued. The inevitable intercourse gave birth to a new language -- Urdu. It can be said to be an offspring of Persian and Punjabi and its motherland is Punjab<br /><br />So the language which the first Sultan of Delhi brought to it was a mixture of Punjabi and Persian.<br /><br />Influence of the South<br /><br />A century later, in 1295, Allaudin Khilji conquered the South. The language, which he and his troops brought with them, was the language born in Punjab and developed in and around Delhi. In 1327 Muhammad Tughlaq shifted his capital from Delhi to Devagiri and named it Daulatabad. A number of people, including nobles and some 500 Sufi saints followed the royal train. They supplemented the language already brought by Khilji. In 1347 the local chieftains revolted against Muhammad Tughlaq and established the Bahmani Empire. As a policy the new rulers did not keep any connection with the North. From then on therefore the Urdu of the North and that of the south developed independently of each other. The southern branch of the language naturally absorbed the influences of the neighbouring languages like Marathi, Telugu, and Kannada. Expressions like ‘hau’, ‘nakko’ and ‘kaiko’ and many others come from Marathi. In Telugu, while parting, one doesn’t say: ‘I will go’. Instead he says: ‘I will come back.’ In Andhra, I had once waited on and on for my boss who had said good-by to me in these terms. My deputy told me that when he had said “I shall come back’, he meant that he was going. This Telugu idiom amongst others influenced the lingo of Hyderabad.<br /><br />Dakhni as a dialect<br /><br />That was the language used by the poets of the South, like Feroz Shah, Burhanuddin Janam and Quresh Bidri, and later Gawwasi, Vajahi and Mohammad Quli. It was in 1555 that for the first time the term ‘Deccani’ or ‘Dakhni’ (from ‘Dakshin’ meaning South) was used for that language in the anthology of Feroze Shah. That language is full of Punjabi words. I once analyzed the glossary of Deccani words given in the anthology of Mohammad Quli Qutb Shah edited by Prof. Mrs. Syeda Jaffar. Quli, incidentally, is the founder of Hyderabad and the first Urdu poet to have a published anthology to his credit. Out of 2466 words listed in the glossary, 1009 or 41% was of Punjabi origin. Out of those, 494 words or 49% are now obsolete in Urdu but still current in Punjabi.<br /><br />In 1687 when Aurangazeb conquered Golkonda, the Urdu of the North came to overpower Dakhni, which by that time had become a fully developed language. The comparative absence of Arabic and Persian words and the predominance of purely Indian sentiments and imagery characterized it. For example, Quli refers to God by the Hindi appellations like ‘Kartar’,’Sain’and ‘Datar’ etc. rather than ‘Khuda’ or ‘Allah’. Scholars like Dr. Masud Husain Khan have called Dakhni ‘old Urdu’. The poets and writers were proud of the language and as early as in 1613 AD, the poet Quresh Bidri had exhorted the people: ‘Tu Deccani hai pyare, tu Deccanich bol’ (You are Deccani, dear friend speak in that language).<br /><br />The Current Scene<br /><br />By the middle of the 18th century, it ceased to be a literary medium and was reduced to a dialect and the imperial Urdu of the North became the standard language. The natives now only speak Daikin. Some poets and prose writers specialize in it. For an average listener, some of its terms and idioms and the way they are rendered create spontaneous humour. The actor Mehmood employs it in the Hindi cinema to arouse laughter. Poets like the late Suleman Khateeb of Gulbarga, Ali Saib Mian and Sarvar Danda used it to great effect in mushairas. Amongst the contemporary poets of Dakhni the names of the late Ashraf Khundmiri and Himayatullah are worth mentioning. Khahmkhah mixes it with Urdu to create laughter. Fareed Anjum is a good contemporary poet in the dialect. In prose, the humorist Maseeh Anjum who passed away recently was undoubtedly the best exponent of the rural idiom of the dialect. As a language, Dakhni is now all but gone.<br /><br />My two children had picked up the colloquial Deccani from their friends and servants. Their spontaneous expression like ‘nakko’ for ‘no’, ‘kaiko’ for ‘why’ and ‘hau’ for ‘yes’ evoked such laughter from our relations in the North that they used to be teased only to hear these expressions. There is a famous joke about a stranger to the city who enquired from a young boy whether the road he was standing on led to Charminar. The boy replied casually, ‘hau’. A respectable middle-class passer-by heard this. He called the boy and admonished him for using a vulgarism like ‘hau’.<br /><br />The boy asked meekly; “What should I have said, Sir?”<br />You should have said: “Ji han ” replied the old citizen somberly.<br />“So ‘hau’ is a vulgar word?”<br />“Hau”, confirmed the elder involuntarily.<br />Now small islands of the Deccani dialect are coming up on foreign soils like England, the U.S. and Canada etc. where Hyderabadi emigrants have settled down. Most likely, it will be frozen there like, for example, the old Norwegian language has in America.<br />But while it is still here, let’s enjoy its quaintness.<br /></p><p align="justify">*** </p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:78%;">Archived by </span><a href="http://www.mygoldencopy.com"><span style="font-size:78%;">www.mygoldencopy.com</span></a><br /><br /></p>Narendra Luther Archiveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05399047238666621197noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543940496574779716.post-71487259050468850192006-12-12T10:20:00.000+05:302006-12-12T17:26:29.624+05:30Prince, Poet, Lover, Builder<p align="justify"><strong>Prince, Poet, Lover, Builder</strong><br />By Narendra Luther<br /><br /><br />We have dealt with the plebian poets of Golconda. Now it is time to meet a royal bard. The founder of Hyderabad, Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah( b.1565; d.1611) was a prince, poet, lover, and a builder.<br /><br />Mohammed Quli was a prolific and a versatile poet. He wrote nearly 1,00,000 lines of poetry in Persian, and in every genre of what was later to be called Urdu.<br /><br />Secular Element<br /><br />Before him Dakhni poetry had been largely religious. Quli introduced the secular element into it. He talks of nature in its variegated aspects, seasons of the year, flowers, fruits, vegetables, gardens, social life, customs, and festivals. He sings of the pleasures of physical love with a rare candour and abandon. For him there is no difference between a Hindu and a Muslim:<br /><br />Kufar reet kya hor Islam reet<br />Har ek reet mein hai ishq ka raaz<br /><br />(What is the heathen’s creed -- and the Muslim’s.<br />Every practice is based on the secret of love.)<br /><br />Further:<br /><br />Main na janun Kaba o but khana o maikhana koon<br />Dektha hoon par kahan diktha hai tuj mukh ka safa<br /><br />(I don’t know the holy Kaaba, the idol’s temple or the tavern,<br />I look everywhere but can’t see a face as clear as yours)<br /><br /><br />On love he has some observations of universal truth:<br /><br />Suno log meri prem kahani<br />Keh peela hai rang ashiqui ki nishani<br /><br />(Listen folks to my tale of love,<br />A palate complexion signifies a lover).<br /><br />Figures of Speech<br /><br />Quli often employs the devices of alliteration and onomatopoeia very effectively. Note the following:<br /><br />Piya soon rat jagi hai so dikthi hai sudhan sarkhush<br />Madan sarkhush, sayan sarkhush, anjan sarkhush nayan sarkhush<br /><br />(Oh lady, you have kept the whole night awake with your lover.<br />Cupid is happy, so are the couch, the collyrium - and your eyes)<br /><br />Dan dana garja joban badal niman<br />Kangana jhalkar minj sunao tum<br /><br />(Youth thunders like a cloud.<br />Let’s hear the jingle of bangles).<br /><br />Unfortunately, the rhythm and internal rhyme abounding in his poetry can’t be put across in translation adequately.<br /><br />Hindi element<br /><br />Quli had a sound and extensive knowledge of the Hindi ragas. He mentions Asavari, Dhanashree, Gauri, Malahar, Kalyan, Basant and Ramkali in his poems. He declares his preference for music in the following couplet:<br /><br />Mere sang mil bajaati sankh gaati, Sankhara abhran<br />Sriraga jo gati istri to mujko bhati hai<br /><br />(She who plays the conch with me and sings Snakhrabhram,<br />The one who sings Sriraga -- that woman I like).<br /><br />Quli’s choice of subjects was unlimited. The entire range of life in its variations was covered by him. His idiom sprang from the soil and his language was the one spoken by the common people in their daily lives. He has been compared to Nazeer Akbar Abadi of Agra (1740-1830) as a people’s poet. But Nazeer was a plebian, whereas Quli was a ruler.<br /><br />His range<br /><br />Quli is a poet of sight and sound, of relish and savour, of fragrance and redolence, of spice and flavour, of sunrise and daylight, of rhyme and rhythm, of dance and music – of the celebration of life. His poetry glorifies all phases of biological existence. He rejoices in seasons of the year, the rhythmic succession of which makes the sum of our life-spring, monsoon, winter, summer. He celebrates festivals, birthdays, weddings, New Year Days. On each topic, there is not one poem, but many. As life’s cycle goes on, he reverts to each of these recurring events with renewed vigour. He doesn’t get bored with life, because every aspect of it excites him. There is no pessimism or cynicism in him. He is an extrovert whose reaction to events is always positive. He gloats on being the favourite ‘servant’ of the Prophet and the Imams, which made him a favourite of Fate. He glories in being a ruler and living a life ease and sensuality. A pure sense of life pulsates through his writings.<br /><br />A Misconception<br /><br />Some people say that Mohammed Quli was also a poet in Telugu. No such claim has been substantiated. I have been able to find only three words of Telugu in his entire anthology – ‘Em Mari em’.<br /><br /><br />His invocation at the inauguration of the new city of Bhagnagar, has become famous:<br /><br />Mera sheahar logan soon mamoor kar<br />Rakhya joon tun darya mein min Ya Sami<br /><br />(O God, fill my city with people, as you have the river with fish)<br /><br /><br />Obviously this prayer was heard and the city now suffers from over- population. It has one of the highest rates of growth in the country!<br /><br /><br />For his legendary love for Bhagmati, and his rich and enchanting poetry, Mohammed Quli has won a permanent place in the hearts of the people of the city. An annual festival is held to commemorate him. Generations of singers have sung his poems. Amongst them the most popular is:<br /><br />Piya baj pyala piya jai na; piya baj ik til jiya jai na<br />Kate hain piya bin saburi karo; kaha jai amma kiya jai na<br />Nahi ishq jis woh bada koodh hai; kadi us say mil baisa jai na<br />Qutb Shah na do mujh divane ko pand; diwane ko kuch pand diya jai na<br /><br /><br />(Without the lover one cannot drink the cup!<br />Without him one cannot live for a moment.<br />They counsel patience in the absence of love.<br />Ah! It is easier said than done.<br />One unacquainted with love is a half-wit!<br />Don’t ever have anything to do with him.<br />Don’t give me any advice to a lunatic like me<br />You can’t din sense into an insane person).<br /><br /><br />Mohammed Quli is regarded as the first Urdu poet with an anthology to his credit. Dr.Zore edited his anthology for the first time in 1940. Professor Syeda Jaffar brought out a more extensive volume in 1985.<br /><br />Mohd. Quli’s three successors were also poets. We will meet them next time.<br /><br /></p><p align="justify">*** </p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:78%;">Archived by </span><a href="http://www.mygoldencopy.com"><span style="font-size:78%;">www.mygoldencopy.com</span></a><br /></p>Narendra Luther Archiveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05399047238666621197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543940496574779716.post-12709988784874561182006-12-12T10:19:00.000+05:302006-12-12T17:27:38.778+05:30Pioneers of the Dakhni<div align="justify"><strong>Pioneers of the Dakhni<br /></strong>By Narendra Luther<br /><br /><br />In my last article I gave a summary of the origin and development of the Dakhni language and its decline to a mere dialect.<br /><br />This time I would like to acquaint the readers with some of the pioneers of the language.<br /><br />European Researchers<br /><br />Before that it is good to acknowledge that Europeans uncovered much of what we know about this language in the 17th century. According to Prof. Rafia Sultana, Otto Pirsperson ‘detected’ the Dakhni language in the south. His work was carried further by scholars like Springer, Blumehart, and Ethe who made use of the libraries of rulers of Avadh. Bengal and Deccan. Beams, Hornley, and Jules Bloch showed that Dakhni was widely prevalent in the South. Their interest is evidenced by the establishment of the Royal Asiatic Society. Even before the establishment of the Fort William College in Calcutta in 1800, The Fort St. George at Chennai was imparting the knowledge of Indian language to the officers of the East India Company.<br /><br />Of these, special mention must be made of Garcon deTassy, a Frenchman who edited a volume of Wali Dakkani’s anthology and translated it into French in 1823. He also delivered a series of lectures on the subject in France between 1850 and 1859. In his ‘History of Indian Literature’ he mentions about the existence of 200 writers of Dakhni. Graham Bailey wrote the first History of Urdu literature in English. In his slim volume he also translated some leading Dakhni poets into English.<br /><br />Work in Hyderabad<br /><br />The pioneering work of the Europeans which established the separate identity of Dakhni and also its status as the ‘ancestor’ of Urdu was taken up in early 20th century by a group of scholars from Hyderabad viz., Moulvi Abdul Haq, Shamshullah Quadri, Mohiuddin Quadri Zor, Sarwari and Naseeruddin Hashmi. Their researches contradicted some of the earlier theories and give Dakhni its due place of pride.<br /><br />In the beginning Dakhni was called Hindi or Hindavi. Ferishta the historian says that the official language of the southern sultanates was Hindi—meaning Dakhni.<br /><br />The rise and development of Dakhni can be divided into two periods i.e. is the Bahmani (14th-15th Centuries), and Bijapur- Golconda Sultanates (16th-17th Centuries). The post-Golconda period was of a mere survival of the language for some time.<br /><br />Sufism and Dakhni<br /><br />Dakhni was used originally as a vehicle for the propagation of Sufism in the South. That tradition started with Khaja Bande Nawaz Gesu Daraz whose Miraj-ul-Ashaqeen was a prose treatise on mysticism. However, he had come from Delhi in 1390 AD at the age of 80 and so cannot fairly be credited with making a contribution to Dakhni at that age. Nizami who is considered the first major poet of Dakhni, wrote his epic poem called ‘Kadam Rao Padam Rao’ around 1460. By that time the language had developed a great deal. It is interesting to note that his vocabulary is full of Sanskritic words. Shah Miranji Shamshul Ushaq of Bijapur is another mystic poet. He wrote two long poems- Khush-nama and Khush-naghz are full of pathos. Their main character, a young girl has an inquiring soul whose spiritual thirst remains unquenched despite the soothing advice of her spiritual mentor. Miranji’s son Shah Burhanuddin Janam also wrote long mystical poems. He calls his language Gujri not Hindi or Hindavi which was the name given to Dakhni by others. His language too is full of Sanskrit diction both ‘tatsams (original Sanskrit words in unaltered form) and ‘tatbhavs’ (in slightly changed form). Talking of the control of the senses, Janam uses the allegory of ‘five animals in the body’:<br /><br />‘Sight is kite; Ear is snake; Nose is peacock; Tongue is dog; Lust is scorpion’. (Here the nature of different animals is compared to the senses. For example, the kite snatches, and the snake’s sense of hearing, and peacock’s sense of smell is said to be very strong). He advises that one should ‘tie them up’ in order to get absorbed in the contemplation of God.<br /><br />He further says that there are five thieves, which one should beware:<br /><br />Anger is the thief of wisdom; Arrogance the thief of knowledge; Lassitude the thief of the prayer; Hunger the thief of fasting, and Greed the thief of holy discourse. He adds that it does not matter whether the devotee sits in a mosque or a temple so long as he is absorbed in the contemplation of God because both these places radiate His presence.<br /><br />Nizami Bidri produced the first literary work in Dakhni about the year 1460 and another writer Qureshi Bidri translated the ‘Kok Shashtra’ into Dakhni under the title of ‘Bhog Bal’ in 1520 AD.<br /><br />Bijapur School<br /><br />After the Bahmanis, Bijapur and Golconda emerged as the two contemporary centres of Dakhni. Both had rulers which not only patronnised letters but also who are writers and poets themselves. Ibrahim Adil Shah II (1580-1626) was perhaps the most prominent Bijapuri ruler in that regard. He was interested in classical Indian music and wrote Nauras Nama when he was not yet 30. It has 59 songs in different ragas. It is interesting to note that he starts his work with an invocation to Saraswati. He calls himself the son of Saraswati who is the goddess of learning, and Ganesh the god of all beginnings. One of his songs says:<br /><br />‘Sarada Ganesh Mata Pita, Tum mano nirmal beeb spatik sisi taas<br />Ibrahim Gupt ghesu ab nawaj parghat keeno dhani meri raas’<br /><br />(Saraswati and Ganesh -- my mother and my father! You are two transparent crystals. Ibrahim was lying in oblivion. It was by your grace that he became famous. He is therefore proud of his good luck).<br /><br />One of the great poets of Dakhni was Abdul, the court poet of Ibrahim Adil Shah himself. His literary work is called ‘Ibrahim Nama’. The book is about the life and grandeur of the court of his patron. He discusses the relationship of words and their meanings with a through background of Indian aesthetics.<br /><br />After this synoptic view of Dakhni under the Bahmanis and in the Bijapur, we will move on to Golconda, which represented the high point of the development of the Dakhni both in prose, and in poetry.<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">***</div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:78%;">Archived by </span><a href="http://www.mygoldencopy.com"><span style="font-size:78%;">www.mygoldencopy.com</span></a></div>Narendra Luther Archiveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05399047238666621197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543940496574779716.post-43451900333511301262006-12-12T10:17:00.000+05:302006-12-13T15:03:12.454+05:30Last of the royal poets<div align="justify"><strong>Last of the royal poets</strong><br />By Narendra Luther<br /><br />Mohd. Quli’s successor, who was his nephew and son-in-law, Mohammed Qutb Shah (1611-1626) was his polar opposite. As against his philandering predecessor, he was a serious-minded person who observed all the injunctions of Islam scrupulously. When he started the construction of the Mecca mosque, he threw a challenge to any one to come forward and lay the foundation stone if he had not missed any one of the five daily prayers enjoined by his faith. When none came forward, he did so himself declaring that since the age of 12 he had not never missed any prayer.<br /><br />In keeping with that austere outlook, he scrapped all the celebrations of festivals like Basant, Mrig, and even the Idd on the birthday of the Prophet. Naturally, the patronage of arts and letters too suffered.<br /><br />He published the anthology of his father-in-law and wrote a poetic preface to it. In that he said:<br /><br />‘Bajid ho ke ‘Zille Ilahi’ naval --- pade sheir ta paeen kar hiz sakal<br />Apas dil mein kar fikr sab ek rat—kiye khutba kah mustaid kulliyat<br />Jo alhaq sune koi gar yo zaban --to dur hal kain marhaba be takan’<br /><br />(One night I resolved to compile the anthology<br />So people can enjoy the beauty of his(Quli’s) poetry<br />Having determined, I decided to write a preface to that<br />So whoever hears that language, will immediately hail it)<br /><br />He was also a poet in Persian and sported the pen name of ‘Zillillah’ which means the ‘Shadow of God’, but his anthology has not been found.<br /><br />Abdullah (1626-1672) succeeded his father Mohammed Qutb Shah at the age of 12. His period marked the decline of the dynasty. He was forced to sign a ‘Deed of Submission’ to the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan in 1636. Aurangzeb also made his first foray into Golconda in 1656. This was averted due to the intervention of Abdulla’s mother, Hayat Bakshi Begum.<br /><br />Abdullah was a hedonist and was considered the reincarnation of his grand father, Mohammed Quli. He loved life and indulged in revelries. He reintroduced all the festivals which wee suspended by his father. His accession was welcomed by all men of arts and letters. They emerged from their eclipse and rejoiced. Vajahi, the favourite of Mohd. Quli, rejoiced at his reinstatement and haile the new era as the ‘return of Mohd. Quli’. Similar sentiments were expressed by Ghawwasi and Maqeemwho, in’ Chander Bbadan aur Mahyar’ sang in ecstacy:<br /><br />Dakhan ke Shahan dekh phir yun kahe Mohammad Quli phir ko aya ahe<br /><br />‘Seeing the king of Deccan, it seems that Mohammad Quli has returned)<br /><br />Vajahi even substtuted the name of the previous Sultan with that of the new one and presented the old eulogium to him!<br /><br />Abdullah’s anthology is not available. Only 97 ghazals and a elegy is extant. According to Dr. Mohd. Ali Asar, a well-known scholar of Dakhni, thiryof these ghazals are repeated in the Ghawwasi’s anthology. It is therefore doubtful if the compositions can be attributed to Abdullah. In some of his poems there is the cadence of taranas .Note these:<br /><br />Main ai lala,dikhi fala,hangam ala hai dhupkala<br />Hai matwala, tu pi pyala, ho khush hala, na kar chala<br /><br />(My love! the time is auspicious; it is sunny<br />Get intoxicated, be merry, don’t demur)<br /><br />Then as from a woman to her lover:<br /><br />Nainan mere asman hon batan dekhe is lal ki<br />Ho chand is asman ka ko jagmagaga dekhna<br /><br /><br />Then she becomes more explicit:<br /><br />Mere sej aa re mere rajna Do hatan mein le tu yo do jobana<br /><br />(Come to my couch, my prince! Hold my breasts in your hands)<br /><br /><br />Tana Shah (1672-87) was the last Sultan of Golconda. He had a strange life. His life span of 76 years wa neatly divided into four parts of fourteen years each. He was a remote relatin of the Sultan and so stayed in the palace for the first 14 years of his life . Then he was expelled and spent next 14 years in the monastery of the Saint Shah Raju. He sprung a surprise on him and made him ruler. He remained the Sultan for fourteen years. In 1687 he was defeated and captured by Aurangazeb and spent the last 14 years of his life as a prisoner.<br /><br />He was also a poet and his most famous poem is :<br /><br />Again there is a poem in which like Amir Husro he has a duet full combination of Hindi and Persian. Note the following in first line in Hindi and the second line Persian<br /></div><div align="justify">HINDI : </div><div align="justify">Maha dani, maha gyani, maha chatter, maha chani<br />PERSIAN : </div><div align="justify">Buland pala, buland danashiq, buland himath, buland aqther. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">***</div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:78%;">Archived by </span><a href="http://www.mygoldencopy.com"><span style="font-size:78%;">www.mygoldencopy.com</span></a> </div>Narendra Luther Archiveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05399047238666621197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543940496574779716.post-21491753854317378482006-12-12T10:16:00.000+05:302006-12-13T13:54:09.116+05:30Dakhni—a detour to Bijapur<div align="justify"><strong>Dakhni—a detour to Bijapur</strong><br />By Narendra Luther<br /><br /><br />In my last article (10.1.99), I had called the Golconda period (1518-1687) the ‘golden age’ of Dakhni. It was not as if the language prospered only in Golconda. Simultaneously, in the neighbouring Bijapur sultanate we witness the last flicker of its flame – and of the language. Incidentally, Bijapur fell to the Mughals in 1686- only a year before the fall of Golconda. We will therefore make a detour to Bijapur before we resume our journey on the highway.<br /><br />Earlier, we noted how Ibrahim Ali Adil Shah II of Bijapur made his contribution not only to Dakhni but also to the classical Indian music by composing 59 songs in 17 ragas and raginis. His grandson, Ali Adil Shah II (1656-72) who was the eighth ruler of the dynasty became the Sultan at the age of 19. He was a poet and sported the pen name of ‘Shahi’. He wrote extensively in various genres of poetry. He composed 21 songs in 21 ragas and raginis. His compositions exhibit a strong influence of the ‘Prem margi’ school of Hindi poetry. A number of his poems are as from a woman pining for her lover. The long poem ‘Birhani Mukhammas’ is perhaps the best example of that. Its refrain is:<br /><br />Koi jao kaho muj sajan sat; Main neha bandhi toon keeta ghat<br /><br />(Go, tell my lover, that while I deeply loved him, he betrayed me)<br /><br />Prof. Zeenat Sajida, a former head of the Urdu Department of the Osmania University and a leading authority on the Dakhni edited an anthology of Ali Adil Shah II: ‘Kalam-e- Shahi ’ in 1962. According to her, this poem became so popular that many others wrote similar poems, which causes some confusion regarding the identity of their authors.<br /><br />This and other poems of his describe most graphically the condition of woman burning in the fire of separation (Birha in Hindi). Note her burning desire:<br /><br />Main chhaon hoon piya sang lagi rahun dayam; Yak til juda na hona vaslat ise Kate hain<br /><br />(I’ll always be my lover’s shadow; then I will not separate from him.)<br /><br /><br />In a song in Bhairvi raga he gives a vivid description of Shiva. His masterpiece is perhaps his raga named ‘Chouda Ratan’ (Fourteen Ratnas or gems) in raga Kanra. In that he shows his complete knowledge of the story of Amrit Manthan (the churning of sea) from the Puranas. According to this very interesting story the churning was done jointly by gods and the demons at the instance of Vishnu. It yielded fourteen gems including the Moon, the Iravadi elephant, and the water of eternal life- amrit. They were divided amongst various gods. This raga of his shows a surprisingly high degree of knowledge of the Hindu mythology and the intricacies of the Indian classical music. It is easier to read this song in Devanagri because its language and vocabulary is Sanskritic. Whether his topic is secular or religious -- including Islamic -- his vocabulary, and the figures of speech are Hindi out and out.<br /><br />Just as his grand father Ibrahim was called ‘jagat guru’, Ali was called ‘ustad-e-alam’. It means the same thing in Persian.<br /><br />Nusrati<br /><br />It was his court poet Mohd. Nusrat ‘Nusrati’ who gave him this title. The latter chronicled the history of his patron’s struggle against the Mughals and the Marathas in his ‘Ali Nama’. Thus the poet doubles as an historian. There are seven ‘qasidas’ (odes) in his long poetic chronicle. They alone would assure him a place in the hall of fame. Nusrati is very proud of his work and claims that he combined in it the best of ‘Hindi’ and Persian. He himself proclaims that it is the ‘Shahnama’ of the Deccan. (The original ‘Shahnama’ was the great poem, which Firdausi wrote at the instance of Mahmood Ghaznavi and for which he was not paid the promised amount).<br /><br />In his own words:<br /><br />Kata hoon sukhan mukhtasar be-guman, keh yoon Shahnama Deccan ka hai jan<br /><br />(In short, doubtless it should be taken as the Shahnama of the Deccan)<br /><br />Describing the din of battle, he says that the clanging of swords was so loud that the mountains started trembling.<br /><br />His masterpiece is the long poem: ‘Gulshan-e-ishq’ (The Garden of Love) which is the love story of Kunwar Manohar and Madhumalati. In this Nusrati is considered at his descriptive best. There is a liberal use of similes and metaphors in the description of the beauty of Madhu Malati, and of palaces, landscapes, and ceremonies.<br /><br />In this work his imagery is exquisite. To wit: when the moon rose in the west, Sun stepped back and stayed on to see the spectacle.<br /><br />The boat in the river is mercury floating on a plate!<br /><br />Nusrati is credited with initiating the transformation of the Dakhni into Urdu by introducing Persian and Arabic vocabulary into it.<br /><br />Hashimi<br /><br />Nusrati’s contemporary was a blind poet called Syed Miran Miyan Khan ‘Hashimi’. Because of his disability, he had free access to the royal harem. That enabled him to write the peculiar genre of the language called ‘Rekhti’. In this form the feminine sentiments are expressed in the idiom peculiar to women particularly of the Deccan.<br /><br />He takes pride in that distinction and says that he has ‘ given a place of honour to the language of ‘oui’. (’Oui’, even today is the exclamation used by girls when they are surprised or horrified).<br /><br /><br />Thus Hashimi became the precursor of the subsequent ‘Rekhti’ writers of the North. It is surprising that in spite of his blindness, he is very good at description not only of scenes but also of the social conditions of his times. His major work is the narrative love poem: ‘Yusuf Zuleikha’. His vivid descriptions remind one of the blind contemporary Indian writer, Ved Mehta.<br /><br />That about completes the story of Bijapur’s contribution to Dakhni. Now we can return to Golconda again to go on to the next part of our story.<br /><br />***</div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:78%;">Archived by </span><a href="http://www.mygoldencopy.com"><span style="font-size:78%;">www.mygoldencopy.com</span></a></div>Narendra Luther Archiveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05399047238666621197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543940496574779716.post-29111993039097514912006-12-12T10:13:00.000+05:302006-12-12T17:18:08.247+05:30Dakhni- the Golconda Phase<p align="justify">Dakhni- the Golconda Phase<br />By Narendra Luther<br /><br />We enter the Golden age of the Dakhni with the emergence of its Golconda phase (1518-1687). Now Mullah Vajahi (d. about 1660) heads the caravan. He saw the rule of three Sultans—possibly four. He was the court poet of the founder of Hyderabad – Mohd. Quli Qutb Shah. He wrote a long allegorical poem - ‘Qutb Mushtari’. It is supposed to be a dramatised fictitious version of the love story of Mohd. Quli and Bhagmati and was highly flattering to his young patron. Notice the original and lavish metaphors used by him when he describes the celebrations on the birth of Mohd. Quli:<br />‘Because in this gathering, angels had come to render service, the king gave them so much gold that they made a new sky of gold. The sky itself was given so much gold that it keeps on going round day and night to fine a place to keep it (according to the belief of the age, prevalent in Urdu poetry even till now, the sky gyrates). The earth itself was given so much wealth that it is begging heavens for space to keep it. After all these charities, the king himself celebrated the festival of spring (Basant) with diamonds. On Muhammad Quli’s birth gold was distributed so liberally that it has become cheaper than dirt. So many jewels and gems were scattered all over that swans have started coming on land to pick up their food. Because of the o the fall in its value, Gold has become pale.’ </p><p align="justify">Vajahi<br /><br />Vajahi’s poem on ‘Love’ in his prose work ‘Sabras’ is remarkable for its repetitive use of the word ‘Ishq’ (love) and its detailed exposition of the phenomenon of love:<br />‘Love is week; love is strong. Love is wise; love is mad. Love shines by itself; it looks good by itself. Who can control the wayward behaviour of love? Love is sun; love is moon. Love is faith; love is belief. Love is ruler. Love lights the skies; love illumines both the worlds...’<br /><br />And so on it goes for a whole page.<br /><br />In the original Dakhni it has overpowering rhythm and sway of a ‘qawwali’. I therefore included it as a qawwali in the film script that I wrote for the Zee TV on the love story of Mohd. Quli and Bhagmati. </p><p align="justify">Similarly, his discourse on ‘Aql’(wisdom) is a torrential flow of words, which is untranslatable. Vajahi was very proud of Deccan – and Telangana. He says:<br />‘There is no place like the Deccan; it abounds in the merited<br />Splendid Deccan crowns the head of other lands<br />Deccan is a special land; and Telangana is its heart’<br /><br /><br />If ever a Telangana state is formed, doubtless Vajahi will be its patron –poet. And his poem will perhaps provide a draft for the State anthem.<br /><br />His work, ‘Sabras’ is the first secular prose work in what is today called Urdu. It is an allegory describing the eternal conflict between Head and Heart, and Beauty and Love. In this the characters are Beauty, Love, Sight, Tress, Patience, and Recantation etc. Vajahi uses Hindi chhand and not the Persian poetic measure. But for the script, it is classical Hindi. Vajahi says himself that that ‘of all the Hindi writers so far, none has written such good chhands in the Hindi language’.<br /><br />It is interesting to note that one of the pioneers of the renaissance of the Dakhni in Hyderabad in early 20th Century, Dr. Zore started a literary magazine in 1938 and named it ‘Sabras’. Now edited by Mughani Tabassum, a former head of the Urdu department of the Osmania University, it is highly regarded in literary circles.<br />Interestingly, Khwaja Hamiduddin Shahid in Karachi also started a magazine with the same name when he migrated to Pakistan.<br /><br />Ghawwasi<br /><br />After Vajahi’s patron died, he was eclipsed by another poet, Ghawwasi (literally, a diver—for pearls). He became the port-laureate of Mohd. Quli’s grandson, Abdullah. Ghawwasi is renowned for his three long poems –‘Maina Satwanti’, ‘Saif-ul- Mulook’, and ‘Tuti Nama’.<br />‘Maina Satwanti’ is based on an old Indian folk-tale. There was a king, Bal Kanwar. who had a beautiful daughter called Chanda. One day she saw a shepherd named Lorik pass below her balcony and fell in love with her. He did not respond to her advances saying that he had a lovely wife. Also a poor man like him could not aspire so high. However, on being taunted by her, they elope. </p><p align="justify">Chanda’s father reconciled to that. He had seen Chanda’s beautiful wife and coveted her. He sent an old hag to seduce her. Maina rejected the offers disdainfully. One day the king went to her house and hid himself to hear the conversation between her and his emissary. He was so struck by her noble-mindedness and the purity of her heart that he fell at her feet and asked for forgiveness. Thereafter, he mounted a search for her daughter and the shepherd. After their apprehension, Chanda was killed and Lorik was restored to his wife. The characters of this story are all Hindus and so is the locale. But Ghawwasi makes them utter Islamic expressions like Satan, Rasul, Khizar Sikandar, and Qaroon etc. Inspite of that incongruity, Hindi elements predominate the composition. For example, a chase woman and a faithful wife has: </p><p align="justify">‘Mithai zaban mein,mubarak bachan; Kari baat jeon phool jhadte rattan’<br />(Pious in thoughts and sweet of tongue.<br />When she speaks pearls fall from her mouth)<br /><br />‘Sai-ful-Mukluk’, is considered his best work. It is derived from the ‘Arabian Nights’. Ghawwasi has a great felicity in both Hindi and Persian vocabulary and he is rated one of the greatest Dakhni poets.<br /><br />Ibn-e- Nishati was the next poet of note. He did not attach himself to any court. His fame rests on his long poem ‘Phoolban’ in which, he has employed thirty- nine figures of speech.<br />The story of ‘Phoolban’ is that the ruler of Kanchan Patan sees a dervish in his dream and becomes his follower. He locates him after a long search. The dervish narrates new stories to him every day. One story was about a nightingale that used to ‘tease’ a particular flower in the garden of the king of Kashmir. As a result of that, the flower would wilt. One day the nightingale, on being caught, revealed that it was the son of a merchant from Khatan, a country on the north of China. He had fallen in love with the daughter of a monk. The monk cursed them and so he became a flower and the girl, a nightingale. The king invoked the blessing of God on them whereupon they resumed their original form. The king appointed them tocourt. They used to narrate daily new stories to him. Thereafter it goes on like the ‘Arabian Nights’—a chain of stories.<br /><br />Incidentally, Prof. Rafia Sultana, a former head of the Urdu department of Osmania, who was commissioned by the AP Sahitya Academy to compile an anthology of Dakhni prose master pieces has named her house ‘Phoolban’.<br /></p><p align="justify">***</p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:78%;">Archived by </span><a href="http://www.mygoldencopy.com"><span style="font-size:78%;">www.mygoldencopy.com</span></a></p><div align="justify"></div>Narendra Luther Archiveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05399047238666621197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543940496574779716.post-89002229970347377592006-12-07T15:52:00.000+05:302006-12-13T12:05:27.489+05:30The last days of the last Nizam<div align="justify">Legends and Anecdotes of Hyderabad -- 52<br /><br /><strong>The last days of the last Nizam</strong><br />By Narendra Luther<br /><br />Three kilometers from Masab Tank stood the King Kothi surrounded by walls, which had not been whitewashed for some years. It still housed the Nizam. He was no longer the ruler but his legend survived and even flourished. The richest man, the most miserly man, the proudest prince who had been humbled, the man whose word was law for close to four decades, who issued orders on everything expect on the rising and setting of the sun, who could pick up any woman he liked... he stayed there surrounded by his family, his mistresses, their dependents and their servants -- and their dependents. A whole army of retainers catering to the whims fancies and illusions of one man who was still the absolute ruler within the four walls of his dilapidated palace –the ‘King Kothi’.<br /><br />He still issued firmans in the old style in Urdu but they pretained to his place affairs or his private dealing. Some firmans just embodied his unsolicited opinions on trivia. It was pathetic to see the descendent of Asaf Jah I who granted concessions to the French and the British trading companies and laid down stiff conditions for their enjoyment, now issued dictats on inconsequential matters to fill up his time. The ‘Nizam Gazette’, an Urdu daily used to publish them regularly. So did some others like the ‘Shiraz’. The following are two typical firmans:<br /><br />‘ Dated 10 Rabi-ul-awal. 1376H (15 October, 1956)<br /><br />Regarding: Inayat Ali, Boy aged 17 or 18, son of Khurshid Ali, servant in the palace of private estate.<br /><br />Pleased to state that this child is also motherless because his mother died in his early childhood. The mother of Wasif Ali who is resident of Nazri Bagh is his father’s sister. Because of changed times, his father cannot bear the expenses of his education. He had, therefore, entrusted him to my care. The child was also willing to come to Nazri Bagh. Therefore, he has joined Wasif Ali<br /><br />Who can be there, who due to the fickleness of these times wold refuse t entrust his children, whether male or female, to my care? My circumstances are known to the whole world. yet the welfare of the boys and girls staying here is apparent. It won’t be out of place or considered self- praise to stay that these people were lucky that they got such a master of commander who considers them his children and treats them like wise. No doubt about that.’<br /><br />The second firman:<br /><br /><br />‘Dated 15 rabi-ul-sani, 1476 H (19 November, 1956)<br /><br />Regarding: Circumstances of Iqbal Jung***, son of the late Maharaja Peshkar<br />[Peshkar was Maharaja Kishan Pershad’s hereditory designation] (Born of the late<br />Guousia Begum)<br /><br />Pleased to state that the upbringing and education of his boy during the lifetime of his father was not proper. But after the father’s death his condition has worsened. Due to bad company and excessive drinking he developed an enlarged liver (a few years ago). Treating him as an orphan and also because of the fact that my daughter was engaged to him, he was kept in the Nazri Bagh and treated with great care at a time when there was no hope for his cure. It is a matter of satisfaction that he recovered. He was also under a large debt. This could not be discharged from the amount received by way of compensation of the Peshkar’s estate. Nor could it be settled with the sale proceeds if the house (Situated within the compound of the Peshkar’s mansion in the city) which is father had given him during his lifetime for his stay. Out of this amount also part of his debt was discharged through a committe to the sarf-e-khas. Further, in spite of instructions to the contrary, he kept on taking loans without knowledge though for a long time since his coming under my care, his personal needs did not cast any financial burden on his small income (from the compensation for the jagirs of the Peshkar). Even then he did not mend his way (that is, he continued to incur debts).<br /><br />Because of the foregoing, I had to write these few lines to bring the circumstances of his case to the knowledge of the public. After his declaration, if any one gives him a loan, it will be at his own risk. It will not be repaid from his income, because his income which was credited by way of trust in the private estate of the suf-e-khas has been fully spent (and now nothing is left of his private income). A part from that, if this boy does not become sensible he will get embroiled in litigations. His life will become notorious and he will get into all sorts of troubles. Then he will be deprived of my patronage and his continued stay in the Shadi Khana will become impossible. That’s all.<br /><br />The Nizam also occupied himself by arranging matches for the offsprings of his retainers, dependents and servants. After the nuptials, he would send for the bedsheet to check weather the girl he had married off was in fact a virgin. He prepared the menus for different residents of the King Kothi according to their rank and status and if someone fell ill, he would prescribe medicine as well as the special diet. He was a staunch believer in the Greco-Arabic (unani) system of the medicine and his prescriptions always proved very effective because nobody dared to re[port otherwise. Many of his patients took his prescriptions and medicines respectfully, but in fact took a proper allopathic medicine. The credit, of course, went to the ‘great healer’. Occasionally he would still send a gift of some fruits or a part of his royal dinner (khasa) and in return get a nazar but that part of his business had tapered off.<br /><br /><br />The first Nizam had said in his will that he was leaving enough wealth to last seven generations - if properly spent. His successors had squandered it but something was still left when the seventh Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan, came upon the scene. He set himself the task of augmenting the inheritance.<br /><br />And then while he was still on the collecting spree, he found that his world had crashed around him and that the sources of funds had all dried up. He was also painfully aware of the marked propensity of his sons to spend recklessly. That was the main point on which he found fault with them. He cautioned them against excessive spending but that had no effect upon them. They spent beyond the purses fixed for them; they incurred debts from all and sundry and the ageing Niam felt angry and embarrassed. But still he worried about what might happen to them after he was no more.<br /><br /><br />***<br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Archived by </span><a href="http://www.mygoldencopy.com"><span style="font-size:78%;">www.mygoldencopy.com</span></a></div>Narendra Luther Archiveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05399047238666621197noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543940496574779716.post-5447138281262193882006-12-07T12:37:00.000+05:302006-12-13T12:21:47.073+05:30A feudal lord & Revolutionary<div align="justify"><strong>A feudal lord & Revolutionary</strong><br />By Narendra Luther<br /><br />Ravi Narayan Reddy was one of the great heroes of the Freedom Movement in Hyderabad. He was also a colorful and courageous man who sacrificed a great deal for others. A feudal landlord by birth and inheritance, he became a powerful agent for its demise.<br /><br />He was born in a prosperous jagirdar family in Bollepalle village of Nalgonda district in 1908.. As a student while staying at the Reddy Hostel in Hanuman Tekdi at Hyderabad he took keen interest in sports, scouting and acting. He carried a life-long journey to his spinal chord from a game of football. In 1930, when he was in his intermediate class, he gave up his studies and joined Mahatma Gandhi's Civil Disobedience Movement.<br /><br />His wife died in 1929. Ravi was so impressed by Mahatma Gandhi’s work for the uplift of Harijans, that he went to Wardha and presented all her jewellery to Mahatma Gandhi as a donation. When, in 1932 Thakkar Bapa, established a branch of the All India Harijan Sevak Sangh in Hyderabad Padmaja Naidu was made its president and Ravi, its secretary. Next year, on her resignation due to ill health, Ravi became the president and remained n that position for six years. In 1938, he became one of the founder members of the Hyderabad State Congress and, on the government's refusal to lift the ban on it, offered satyagraha in the first batch on 24 October 1938. For this, he was imprisoned.<br /><br />Social Reformer<br /><br />He was also a leading member of the Andhra Mahasabha, which started in 1928 as a socio-cultural organization for the Telugu-speaking people of the State. He became its president thrice -- in 1941, 1944 and 1945 under his leadership, it was transformed into a vigorous political body. Culture can never be separated from economics and politics. He took up social issues like widow remarriage and literacy. When the Communist Party fixed a ceiling of 20 acres on land-holding, Ravi distributed 500 acres of his share of land to the cultivators, keeping only the prescribed 20 acres for himself. When Mahatma Gandhi passed through Secunderabad in 1934, Ravi donated fifty tolas of gold for his cause. However, he was influenced in his political life more by Nehru than Gandhi. Finding the approach of the Congress leaders in the State to mild, he joined the Communist Party in 1939 and led the armed struggle of the peasantry of the Telangana area of the State.<br /><br />Immense popularity<br /></div><div align="justify">After the Police Action, Ravi some others believed that the goal had been achieved and the communists should give up the armed struggle. But there was the Ranadive doctrine propounded at the Second Congress of the Communist Party at Calcutta in February, 1948 which called for the continuation of the armed struggle. Consequently, there was confusion in the ranks of the party as to the future course of action.<br /><br />However, the imposition of the ban on the Communist Party three days after the Police Action made the decision for them. Ready to come out in the open, Ravi and his comrades were once again driven to their hideouts. They reverted to their previous life style --spending there days either underground, or in prison. Released days before the first General Elections of 1952, Ravi contested both for the Parliament as well as the State Assembly. His popularity was so great that he was elected to both. He polled the highest number of votes for the Parliament in the country surpassing even Nehru. Not only that, his opponents did not get a single vote. Also in Nalgonda district his party won all the 14 Assembly seats though he addressed only two meeting.<br /><br />In the second General Elections of 1957, due to a taunt of the Congress for having defeated the people's Democratic Front - a group of left parties under which banner the Communists had fought the election, he was asked to contest for the State Assembly. In that, he was pitched opposite his wife's elder brother V. Ramachandra Reddy, who was the first to donate 100 acres of land and thus to launch Vinobe Bhave's Bhoodan Movement. Though he too was popular, he lost to Narayan Reddy by 8,000 votes.<br /><br />Telangana Armed Struggle<br /><br />Ravi, like most Communist was an atheist. He never visited temple but did not stop the members of his family from doing so.<br /><br />He was one of the strong proponents of the movement for an integrated Telugu-speaking state the virtual Andhra. A good deal of the credit for the formation of Andhra Pradesh, therefore, must go to him.<br /><br />A legend in his lifetime, this veteran of the armed struggle, passed away in glory on 7 September 1991. His last words were addressed to Ch. Rajeshwara Rao from whom he enquired as to what had happened to the cases of the pension of some of the freedom fighters, which he had canvassed.<br /><br />His will and testament<br /><br />In his will, he said that his wife should not remove her bangles or her bindi, the vermilion mark on her forehead, as widows customarily do. Later, however, he modified it to say that she could do as she pleased. Such a liberal approach characterized his attitude to her and to women in general all his life. He however enjoined upon his children not to immerse his ashes in the Ganga or some other river, but to scatter them over the crops in his fields. A samadhi might also be constructed in one of the family farms.<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">***</div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:78%;">Archived by </span><a href="http://www.mygoldencopy.com/"><span style="font-size:78%;">www.mygoldencopy.com</span></a></div>Narendra Luther Archiveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05399047238666621197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543940496574779716.post-91732987945090248162006-12-06T16:55:00.000+05:302006-12-13T12:24:45.825+05:30Hyderabad’s Longest Week<div align="justify"><strong>Hyderabad’s Longest Week<br /></strong>By Narendra Luther<br /><br />The Police Action against Hyderabad was started on Monday, 13th September 1948. There was hardly any resistance from the Hyderabad forces.<br /><br />On Friday, 16th September the Director General of Police, Deen Yar Jung called Zafar, the executive incharge of the Deccan Radio to broadcast only music. The Indian forces were hardly thirty miles away.<br /><br />On the morning of the 17th, Kasim Razvi rang up the Deccan Radio to say that he wanted to contradict rumours that he had fled Hyderabad. He was asked to come to the studio at 10-30.A.M. Then Zafar realized that in the new circumstances, he ought to take the permission of the controller of broadcasting for that. He was not to be found. He contacted ADC to the Prime Minister. He had gone to meet the Nizam. Razvi’s talk was delayed by over half-an-hour. He made a brief speech, starting on a strident note but sobering down to assure people that he would not desert them.<br /><br />At noon, a messenger brought a personal note from the Nizam to K.M.Munshi asking him whether he could see the Nizam at 4-00 p.m. He had not granted Munshi an interview since his appointment as India’s Agent General ten months ago.<br /><br />Earlier, the Nizam had spent the morning in hectic consultations. His premier had seen him twice already. The Nizam had summoned him the previous day and asked for his resignation by the morning of the next day. The cabinet decided to resign forthwith.<br /><br />As soon as Munshi entered the sitting room, the desolate ruler said: “The vultures have resigned. I don't know what to do”. He handed him his premier, Laik Ali's letter of resignation. His hands were shaking. He had had this problem for some time which became pronounced when he was tense or angry.<br /><br />Munshi had come to know about the resignation earlier from Laik Ali himself. He said: “I am worried about the citizens of Hyderabad. There is no government. The troops and the police have disappeared from the streets. General Choudhuri will take a day or so to reach because the approaches to the city have been mined. I suggest that Your Highness may ask General El Edroos to take steps to preserve law and order in the city”.<br /><br />The Nizam noted that Munshi had not used the word 'Exalted' before Highness. But it was no occasion to point it out. He asked that the Army Commander be sent for.<br /><br />“Munshi Saheb says that steps have to be taken to maintain law and order in the city. What do you say?” The Nizam asked General El –Edroos.<br /><br />“Yes, Exalted Highness. The proper course is that I should take charge of the city and surrender it to General Choudhuri when he arrives”.<br /><br />“Go ahead”, he said. Then turning to Munshi, added, “I am sending a chartered plane to Sir Mirza Ismail. He must carry on the government”.<br /><br />Munshi was surprised. Obviously the Nizam had not grasped the full gravity of the situation. He still thought he was the master. Munshi put him wise: “I have no communication from my Government so far. I don't know whether they would like Sir Mirza to take charge. But some arrangements must be made meanwhile to carry on the administration so that innocent blood is not shed needlessly”.<br /><br />They discussed the possible composition of the new interim government. Munshi did that without any brief from Delhi.<br /><br />He suggested that the Nizam may make a broadcast welcoming the Police Action and withdrawing his complaint to the Security Council.<br /><br /><br />“Broadcast!” The Nizam repeated the word as his glazed eyes met Munshi's. The latter helped by paraphrasing the term - “I mean speak on the radio.”<br /><br />“But how does one broadcast?” asked the Nizam innocently.<br /><br />Munshi explained.<br /><br />It was the Nizam's first visit to the Radio Station. There no red carpet was spread for him; no formalities were observed. No music, no anthem was played before or after the broadcast. The speech was in English. Nobody bothered to translate it into Urdu.<br /><br />He was nervous, as all broadcasters are when they first face the microphone. The gravity of the occasion and the text of the broadcast added to that. All the braggadocio had been done on his behalf by others. He had signed some letters indicating his intractability. But now he had to eat his words and reverse his stand in his own voice which would be heard all over the world. The glory of defiance had belonged to others; the humiliation of public apology was his.<br /><br />At that moment an era ended. While the Indian army was yet to arrive, the old order had already collapsed.<br /><br />After the broadcast the Nizam drove back to King Kothi to brood. Munshi on his way to Bolarum found the streets full of excited crowds shouting national slogans. Munshi was mobbed and had to address groups of people enroute. They wanted to be told by India's official representative that they were now part of the great motherland.<br /><br />That night the city changed a great deal. Many khaki uniforms were discarded, many beards shaved. The shouting, rampaging crowds of razakars disappeared magically. The citizens emerged from their cocoons. People of all ages came out in throngs waving the tricolours of India. Suddenly where there was fear and restraint, now there was life and laughter. There was a general release of tension and a new, quivering anticipation.<br /><br />Earlier, it had been agreed that the surrender ceremony would take place 8 kilometres out of the city at midday on the 18th. But the progress of the march of the army was slower than expected. The mines laid on the way by the Hyderabad forces were posing problems. The ceremony was therefore postponed to 4 p.m.<br /><br />General Edroos was waiting at the appointed place with one aide. General Choudhuri reached the spot dot on time.<br /><br />The two adversaries stood facing each other. Both were slim and tall -- about the same height. Edroos in his beret cap, tucked-in shirt, rolled-up sleeves, leather belt, and his swagger stick under his left arm; Choudhuri in his peaked cap, full-sleeved bush coat and without his baton. Edroos saluted. Choudhuri returned it and then spoke gravely:<br /><br />“I have been ordered by Lt. General Maharaj Rajendresinhji, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command to take the surrender of your army”.<br /><br />“You have it”.<br />“You understand that this surrender is unconditional”.<br />“Yes, I understand”.<br /><br />Choudhuri's grim visage melted into a smile. He stretched his hand and shook Edroos by the hand. Then he opened his cigarette case and offered him a cigarette. Edroos pro-offered a lighter. Choudhuri's team joined them.<br /><br />The party drove to the residence of India's Agent General. A jubilant crowd cheered the victorious general there. He waved in return and then sat down to discuss the details with Munshi, Edroos and others.<br /><br />Crowds had begun to gather at the corner of the Parade Ground in Secunderabad since morning to greet the Indian army.<br /><br />It was a sea of humanity, heads, heads, heads, bare and covered. Men and women, ten deep, twenty deep, children on shoulders, on heads of adults, young people perched on the railings, on tree-tops, even on telephone poles. It was a riot of colours, dresses of all types in all the colours of rainbow, only deeper, like a field of flowers of different hues. And then tricolours, thousands of them, each hand holding one, even two, green, white and ochre, fluttering joyously. Flags made of cloth, and of paper quivered in the gentle breeze. They reflected the frisson of the hands holding them. There was clapping and wild cheering, shouting and shrieking. People threw flowers at soldiers sitting on top of armoured cars and waving to crowds. Suddenly, garlands would land on the vehicles. Throngs of people shouting slogans which could not be uttered till the previous day.<br /><br />‘Quami nara’ - a shrill, lone voice shouted. And the mob shouted back in unison, in a loud abandon -- Jai Hind. This was taken up and repeated from different groups.<br /><br />“Mahatma Gandhi” cried one voice -- “Ki Jai” responded the chorus.<br /><br />‘Pandit Nehru’ ... ‘Zindabad’<br />‘Sardar Patel’ ... ‘Zindabad’<br />‘General Choudhuri’ ... ‘Zindabad’<br />‘Hindustani Fauj’ ... ‘Zindabad’<br />‘Bharat Mata’ ... ‘Ki Jai’<br /><br />There was no order, no sequence but one slogan followed another without any interruption. Each time as a thousand throats shouted in unison flags went up. The din multiplied. Far in the distance some people were dancing. There was celebration everywhere. People had this brief spell to squander recklessly all their pent-up emotions of these past weeks when the flame of life had burnt low.<br /><br />They were now free!<br /><br />There were friendly cross-talks between the soldiers and the spectators at the turnings of the road. Near the Plaza Talkies, a soldier shouted: “We have driven out the razakars from the field. Tell us where the rest are.”<br /><br />The crowd shouted back: “Everywhere”!<br /><br />Somebody suddenly shouted: ‘ Razakar’ -- and the crowds roared:‘Murdabad’.<br /><br />But that was a discordant note. The chant-leaders brought them back to the cycle of recitation of Zindabads. It was a positive, hallowed moment. Let it not be marred by negative outbursts.<br /><br />Then light began to fade. Vans were going up and down announcing the imposition of the curfew from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. The crowds began to melt. They hurried to reach their houses in time. There would be celebrations there too.<br /><br />Soon there was quiet everywhere. Silence and knowledge of security such as the city had not felt for the last many months overcame it. A feeling of peace wrapped it, like a snug coverlet. It too slid into asleep -- exhausted and relieved.<br /><br />Tomorrow would be a new dawn.<br /><br />voice, he asked where the speaker was sitting. He even looked at the back of the radio set to see whether Nehru was sitting inside the box. The director then explained to him how the speech was being transmitted from Delhi.3<br /><br />Nizam and the Radio<br />Nizam VII was reputed to be the richest man of his time. However, his appearance and his style of living suggested the contrary. He was indifferent about his dress and appearance. It will surprise many to know that he did not have even a radio set.<br /><br />After India became independent in August 1947, he did not join the new Union. Instead, he decided to become independent. That led to prolonged negotiations between him and the government of India. During the period, the Prime Minister of India, Nehru once made a broadcast about Hyderabad. It was proposed that the Nizam should listen to the broadcast. The director of the Hyderabad State Radio was asked to send a radio station to the Nizam<br />Nizam and the Radio Nizam VII was reputed to be the richest man of his time. However, his appearance and his style of living suggested the contrary. He was indifferent about his dress and appearance. It will surprise many to know that he did not have even a radio set.<br /><br />After India became independent in August 1947, he did not join the new Union. Instead, he decided to become independent. That led to prolonged negotiations between him and the government of India. During the period, the Prime Minister of India, Nehru once made a broadcast about Hyderabad. It was proposed that the Nizam should listen to the broadcast. The director of the Hyderabad State Radio was asked to send a radio station to the Nizam’s palace, the ‘King Kothi’. When the Nizam heard Nehru’s voice, he asked where the speaker was sitting. He even looked at the back of the radio set to see whether Nehru was sitting inside the box. The director then explained to him how the speech was being transmitted from Delhi.<br /><br />Police ActionFinally, tsafety of the .Th Nizamalso and offered to help draft the speechNmob shouted back in unison, in loud 34<br /><br />The Indian forces reasched the outskirts of the city on four days later.On the of 17th Septemberthe of Laik Ali, the Prime Minister that he was was. He suggestedshould be asked to serve law and order in the city.<br />He sent for his comma<br /></div><div align="justify">Nizam VII was reputed to be the richest man of his time. However, his appearance and his style of living suggestedd the contray. He was very careless about his dress and appearance. It will surprise many to know that he did not have even a radio set. After India Became independent, he did not join the new Union. Instead he decided to become independent. That led to prolonged negotiations between his government and the government of India,. During the period, the prime Minister of India, Nehru made a broad<br /></div><div align="justify">The Indian forces reasched the outskirts of the city on four days later.On the of 17th Septemberthe of Laik Ali, the Prime Minister that he was was. He suggestedshould be asked to serve law and order in the city.<br />He sent for his comma<br />Nizam VII was reputed to be the richest man of his time. However, his appearance and his style of living suggestedd the contray. He was very careless about his dress and appearance. It will surprise many to know that he did not have even a radio set. After India Became independent, he did not join the new Union. Instead he decided to become independent. That led to prolonged negotiations between his government and the government of India,. During the period, the prime Minister of India, Nehru made a broadcast about Hyderabad. It was proposed that the Nizam should listen to the broadcast. The director of the Hyderabad State Radio, called the Deccan Radio was asked to send a radio station to the Nizam;s resiodence, the King Kothi. When the Nizam heard Nehru cast about Hyderabad. It was proposed that the Nizam should listen to the broadcast. The director of the Hyderabad State Radio, called the Deccan Radio was asked to send a radio station to the Nizam;s resiodence, the King Kothi. When the Nizam heard Nehru’s voice, he asked where the speaker was sitting. He even looked at the back of the radio set to see whether Nehru was sitting inside the box. The director then explained to him how the speech was being transmitted from Delhi.3<br /></div><div align="justify">* * *<br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Archived by </span><a href="http://www.mygoldencopy.com/"><span style="font-size:78%;">www.mygoldencopy.com</span></a></div>Narendra Luther Archiveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05399047238666621197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543940496574779716.post-33582419106656951502006-12-06T16:43:00.000+05:302006-12-13T13:17:08.095+05:30Musings<p align="justify"><strong>Musings<br /></strong>By Narendra Luther<br /><br />I SHOULD STOP HERE. The 1st of November 1956 is a good terminus. It constitutes an important landmark in my life. After that day I became the capital city of anew, bigger state. But life stories do not end abruptly on a single day. Events do not come to a close in such a neat fashion. There would still remain three decades of my life left but they cover a period too close for me to write easily about. Events do not become apart of history untill people who shaped them are all, or almost all, gone. The people responsible for making and braking things during these three decades are still around. I have hence decided not to talk about them.<br /><br />I can, however, talk about myself. Now that I have crossed the 400th year of my life, I muse a great deal. I think of the stresses and strains I have suffered over these last few decades. I look at my present state of health and wonder hew long I will last. I had said earlier that cities are like human beings. In one important respect they are not. They do not all have to die. There is no natural, average life-span for them as there is for humans. Some prosper, some linger on, some explode with a natural catastrophe like an earth quake or are washed away by a delnge. Some are devastated by war of civil strife and some wither away. But then, mostly, they renew themselves. They shift their center of gravity, like Delhi has done so many times but they go no for a long, long time, I am rather young from that standpoint.<br /><br />But I feel old. It is a feeling of not being cared for, of being taken for granted. And that is not all. There are positives strains and humiliations to which I am subjected day out. My sheer growth and external and seeming-prosperity eating at my vitals. I cannot sustain myself. I am over- stretched, overstressed, exhausted.<br /><br />I have grown in stages. There have been distinct phases through which I have passed. The first phase started when I came into being in 1591. I lasted almost a century till 1687, when Aurangzeb sacked me. The second was when I was revived after a gap of 76 years during which period I had ceased to be a capital city. That was in 1763, when the second Nizam shifted his capital from Aurangabad and I became the capital of whatever was left to the then Deccan province. The next phase began when the same Nizam signed the Subsidiary Treaty with the British in 1798 and six years later the British Residency was built here. The fourth stage came when I the railway were brought to the state and I was connected to bombay and Madras in 1876. The fifth phase occurred in 1908 when I suffered the worst-ever floods in my life, and for the first time- and the last -my systematic renewal was taken up. The sixth phase marked my integration with independent India in 1948, and the last was when I became capital of the expanded state of Andhra Pradesh, as it came to be called, in 1956. Of these only the second phase was negative and destructive. All other developments were positive. The most significant development was the last phase which changed my basic character.<br /><br />So much growth occurred at this stage in a short time, so much change came over y features that at times even I found it difficult to recognize myself, I have already referred to the spurt of immigration from the Andhra areas. That was not all. There was immigration from outside the state and even from abroad. My general rate of growth has been on of he highest in the country in the last few decades.<br /><br />I started as a city of 3.23 square kilometers surrounded by gardens seven times larger in extent. Today my area is 217 square kilometers. In 1991 my population stood at 4.3 millions). The increase is 67% Consequently, vast areas which were covered by greenery have been invaded by concrete. In my heart, multistoried buildings have risen in a crude imitation of Bombay and Calcutta.<br /><br />Even the rocks of Banjara Hills and Jubilee Hills have not been spared. They have been blown up like bunkers to make way for structures suited to plans. My natural wealth has been plundered, my features spoiled.<br /><br />There was been no systematic, planned catering to the needs of my citizens. Incremental, ad hoc, additions have been made, but they have no relationship to needs. In summer when my people most need it, the water supply is officially restricted. It is staggered n any case but in acute summer it is admitted openly and officially and every thing is blamed on the rains as if we were living in the reign of Sultan Abdullah Qutb Shah and not at the close of the 20th century. Power supply is erratic, one gust of wind or a mild shower and the lights go off. Power cuts are imposed in two hours but in practice for a good part of the day there is no power supply. And there is no predictability about when it will go.<br /><br />When it rains the roads are flooded; water accumulates and stagnates in every locality because of inadequate drainage and faulty cambering and sloping of roads. In many parts there are no metalled roads. Where they do exist, they are full of potholes. The condition of my roads proves that I am 400 years old. Every day newspapers carry pictures and stories of the thorough inadequacy of civic amenities. People blame the Municipal Corporation and call it names. The traffic is chaotic. </p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:78%;">* * *</span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:78%;">Archived by </span><a href="http://www.mygoldencopy.com/"><span style="font-size:78%;">www.mygoldencopy.com</span></a><br /></p>Narendra Luther Archiveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05399047238666621197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543940496574779716.post-20272244657070979392006-12-06T16:19:00.000+05:302006-12-12T14:48:00.969+05:30Hyderabad’s first popular Chief Minister<div align="justify"><strong>Hyderabad’s first popular Chief Minister<br /></strong>By Narendra Luther<br /><br />After the Police Action, Hyderabad was placed under a military governor. After about a year a civil government was constituted under an ICS officer, MK Vellodi. Some prominent local freedom fighters were made members of his appointive cabinet. This lasted until early 1952 when first General Elections were held in the country. Hyderabad also had elections and the Congress Party won the elections. It constituted the first popular government and Burgula Ramakrishna Rao became the first popular Chief Minister of the State. The Nizam became the titular head as the Raj Pramukh of the state.<br /><br />Burgula Ramakrishna Rao was born under the Zodiac sign of Pisces. Fish is its ruling symbol, and Neptune its ruling planet. People born under this last of the twelve signs are supposed to have something of the quality of each of the dozen signs. That spells versatility. They are dainty, says an authority, and are seldom tall. They are gentle dreamers, sensitive, creative, understanding, friendly and reliable. They also have a great sense of pity.<br /><br />Versatile Personality<br /><br />Born on 13 March 1899 at Burgula village of Shadnagar taluk of Mehboobnagar district, Ramakrishna Rao seemed to have all the important characteristics of Pisces. His father was a liberal maqtedar, that is, a small jagirdar. The family had a tradition of learning and so while the elder brother, Venkateshwara Rao went in to study the Physical Sciences, the younger; Ramakrishna Rao took up Humanities. He went to Poona for his graduation and then to Bombay from where he obtained a degree in law.<br /><br />Ramakrishna Rao was a polyglot. He was proficient in Telugu, Urdu, Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Persian, Tamil and English. So, not only in the tri-lingual state of Hyderabad but virtually anywhere in the subcontinent of India he was at home. He wrote a good deal of poetry in Telugu, both devotional and lyrical, and some in English.<br /><br />He also translated the quatrains of Omar Khayyam direct from Persian into Telugu and wrote a history of Persian literature in Telugu. His articles used to be published in Bharati, a prestigious Telugu monthly published from the then Madras. His translation of Sufi Sarmad's works from Persian into Telugu is rated very high.<br /><br />Entry into Politics<br /><br />He became one of the founder members of the Andhra Jana Sangh in 1921 and from then on became involved in active politics. He presided over the second session of the Andhra Mahasaba Conference in 1931. He was a member of Provisional Committee when it tried unsuccessfully to set up the Hyderabad State Congress in 1938. He was often arrested for his politics and, when after the Police Action, a civil administration was set up under the chief ministership of Vellodi in 1950, he was appointed Minister for Revenue and Education.<br /><br />Reformist Chief Minister<br /><br />After the first General Elections of 1952, he was elected the first popular Chief Minister of Hyderabad. He remained in that job until the formation of Andhra Pradesh in November 1956.<br /><br />On assuming office, most radicals turn conservative. With Burgula the case was reverse. As a Congress leader, he was considered a liberal as compared to Swami Ramananda Tirtha who was a radical, but after he became first a Minister and then Chief Minister, he was responsible for the most radical reforms in the state which were way ahead of the rest of India. He was the author of Hyderabad Tenancy Act, which provided protections to tenants. He also set up Land Commission for suggesting land reforms, which proposed a ceiling on land holding. Both were pioneering measures in India.<br /><br />Soft spoken and accommodative, he was not a rabble-rouser. He shone best in the legislature. In the mid-term elections in Andhra in 1955, he was sent as a star performer and spoke in favour of a Greater Andhra. On its formation, he bowed down to make way for Neelam Sanjiva Reddy to lead the new state.<br /><br />Disgust with Politics<br /><br />By that time he was quite disgusted with the factional politics of the Congress and did not take much interest in the state politics. The leadership both at the Centre and the state was also cool towards him. From June 1957 until 1962, he served successively as Governor of Kerala and of Uttar Pradesh. He was very keen to go to the Lok Sabha in 1962 and again in 1967 but the new set-up did not fancy that idea. As compensation, he was made a member of the Rajya Sabha which he served from 1962 to 1966. He was very soft and emotional and would often break down when he saw man's inhumanity to man. He believed that politics was the art of the possible and so was not averse to make compromises.<br /><br />Brugala had never met the Nizam before he became Chief Minister. In their discussion, he and his friend, M. Narsing Rao used to refer to the Nizam as the afeemchi -- the 'opium eater'. Even afterwards when he had to deal with him officially quite often, he kept his distance.<br /><br />Whether in office or out, he maintained his interest in literature and social service and served on a large number of related organisations still his death on 15 September 1967.<br /><br />***<br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:78%;">Archived by </span><a href="http://www.mygoldencopy.com/"><span style="font-size:78%;">www.mygoldencopy.com</span></a></div>Narendra Luther Archiveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05399047238666621197noreply@blogger.com0