Page 54 - English Tehelka Issue 3&4

OpiniOn
dilemmas
HumrA
QurAISHI
The Delhi-based writer
and columnist’s books
include kashmir: the
Untold story. She co-
authored a series of
writings with the late
Khushwant Singh and
her short stories are
part of anthologies.
The views expressed
are her own
Tehelka / 28 february 2018 54 www.Tehelka.com
54-55 Opinion Humra.indd 2-3
scribes
Don’t forgot, the pen is • Divided they stand Every single day
more divisions are thrust in our midst, in
mightier than the sword! the way of our collective togetherness
“Here we go, stoking fire through
song-laden lips/
The fear of the world can never
During the current times as hate has taken over unity and divisions staunch the flow of our words/
In all, we have just one view, our
are more apparent than ever before, we need writers to bring about own/
a literary movement on lines of those of the past Why should we see the world
through someone else’s eyes?/
It is true we did not turn the
s tensions accelerate here this refreshingly different publication, world into a garden/
and there and all along there was that connect with an entire But at least we lessened some
the LOC, I have been range of simple happenings in our daily thorns from the paths we travelled.”
asking myself — Can’t lives which we seem to be bypassing
sense prevail? Can’t we or overlooking or trampling upon, Move your pen, my countrymen.
A see that politics of hate caught that we are in the midst of the Time ripe, rather over-ripe for a
and hatred is being generated amongst complicatedly chaotic changes spread- full-fledged writers’ movement to
the countries of this subcontinent so ing around. take off. Call it by any name or term
that we remain far away and cut off To quote the magazine’s chief editor, of choice but it ought to halt the
from each other? Can’t we see politi- Bhaskar Roy, “At a time when the once- photo: tehelka archives fascist forces denting and destroy-
cal lobbies and arms dealers coming in mighty print media appeared overtaken ing this entire region. It ought to be
way of our togetherness? Can’t we see by new technology, TEL began its jour- ary editor at The New Yorker this such a tough movement which can
the destructive powers of the political ney — tentatively amidst uncertainties. magazine from India is indeed The present take on the might of the rulers and
mafia? Can’t we see the bigger designs Surprisingly, in the past five years that good news. “‘I am very happy to generation their ruthlessness inflicted on us
of powers and super powers controlling the magazine has been on the road, have a stack of ‘Equator Line’ in and on our children, day after day.
our lives and livelihoods? Can’t we com- it has found space for itself with the my office — both to browse in and seems to know So much so, that this generation
prehend the dangers ahead, as every young professionals and academic com- share with others.” more about seems to know more about wars
single day more divisions are thrust in munity strongly backing it. Every issue and conflicts and hate- killings
our midst, in the way of our collective of TEL picks up a theme, and everything ♦ ♦ ♦ wars, conflicts, and surgical strikes than about our
togetherness? between the covers revolves around hate-killings and literature and those literary giants
As I sit rather forlorn, there comes it. The issue that hit the stands on New Today our very survival is at stake, who’d more than hinted of the
in this latest issue of ‘The Equator Line’ Year’s Day 2012 focused on the leader- as the political mafia accelerates its surgical strikes tough stand one ought to take in
with this rather catchy title sprawled ship question. India: Waiting for a New treachery, destroying us as never than about our dark times.
on its cover — ‘Imagine There’re No Helmsman — that was the title of the before. Today it’s the fundamental Read and re-read this passion-
Countries.’ Nudging me into imagin- first TEL number. The next issue raised duty of each single writer to cry out, literature and laden verse of Faiz Ahmad Faiz, his
ing: what if this world or at least this a new debate questioning the validity through words. Believe me, words literary giants words compelling each one of us
subcontinent was to be one! No barriers. of the Radcliff Line. The Subcontinent: from the very heart do reach out, to pick up the pen and write on, to
No boundaries. No Line of Control. No Reinterpreting the Radcliff Line do connect, could halt the sheer write fearlessly without giving a
political hurdles. No hounding and kill- asks the intelligentsia on either side brutality inflicted each single day. It damn to the hurdles thrown along
ing of refuge- seekers. No hate speeches. of the border about their shared doesn’t really matter which region something or everything horribly the way by the brutalities of the
No wars. No surgical strikes. No arms heritage and uncertain future. The or religion you belong to. What’s wrong is ongoing, yet we are not rulers and the very machinery
dealers in those various guises hovering writers, academics and other profes- crucial is the fact that no political reacting! Mute we sit. Why? they man:
around the top politicians of the day. Yes, sionals responded in equal measure ruler has the sanction to hoodwink Remember the Progressive “So what if my pen has been
it would be bliss! to the challenge of achieving peace, the masses and then make them Writers’ movement came up in the snatched away from me/
And I delved into the pages of this rejecting the division, and pointing indulge in killings, here and there. 1930s when the then repressive I have dipped my fingers in the
latest issue of The Equator Line, it was out that the resilience of the common Today, it’s getting frightful to see situation was getting impossible to blood of my heart/
sheer delight to read writers from affinities are stronger than the political hundreds of refugees queueing up, deal with? Writers and poets had So what if my mouth has been
different countries of this subcontinent division…” In fact, Bhaskar Roy also running for their lives from here come to the fore, armed with verse sealed; I have turned/
and even beyond, each of them focusing focuses on its very reach. “With every to there. It’s not just the hapless and prose. Yes, just words and more Every link of my chain into a
on the human and his or her very such innovative number the magazine Rohingyas but also the internally of them, each word dripping with speaking tongue.”
being! And as I delved somewhat broke new ground and won wide displaced, fleeing the politically passion and purpose. As this verse
more into the five-year-long journey of approval. And for Peter Canby, a legend- charged goons hounding them. Yes, by Sahir Ludhianvi still stands out— letters@tehelka.com
Tehelka / 28 february 2018 55 www.Tehelka.com
12/02/18 3:53 PM