{"id":351545,"date":"2024-12-14T00:07:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-14T05:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/?p=351545"},"modified":"2024-12-16T01:15:04","modified_gmt":"2024-12-16T06:45:04","slug":"verses-of-hope-rakhshanda-jalils-poetic-call-for-togetherness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/verses-of-hope-rakhshanda-jalils-poetic-call-for-togetherness\/","title":{"rendered":"Verses of hope: Rakhshanda Jalil\u2019s poetic call for togetherness"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In\u00a0 \u201cLove In The Time of\u00a0 Hate –\u00a0 In\u00a0 The\u00a0 Mirror of\u00a0 Urdu,\u201d\u00a0 Rakhshanda Jalil presents an essential collection of verses reflecting optimism amidst communal turbulence, offering a beacon of hope in our challenging times. This collection underscores the enduring power of poetry and unity, and highlights the poets\u2019 quest for bonding and togetherness. A book review by Humra Quraishi<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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An absolutely relevant volume in the communally surcharged, dark and turbulent times we are living in\u2026nay, surviving in.  Perhaps, the relevance emerges from the fact that this volume holds out verses relaying a certain level of hope amidst all the gloom and despair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To quote author Rakhshanda  Jalil: \u201c In  Urdu, the  poet  has  constantly  been the  voice of  optimism and  hope, pointing towards a  better  future. When the  country  emerged from  a bitter fratricidal war,  licking  the  wounds  inflicted  by  brother-upon-brother,  neighbour-upon- neighbour,  Majaz  wrote: Hindu Muslim  Sikh  Eesai aman  ke  moti  ro  lengey\/Khoon  ki  Holi  khel  chukey hain  rang  kei  dhabbe  dho  lengey \/<\/em> (Hindu  Muslim  Sikh  and  Christian shall  weep  pearls of  peace \/Having  played  Holi with  blood, they\u2019ll wash off the  coloured stains.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This volume is loaded with verse after verse. Broadly divided into four  sections: politics, people, passions and places; the  common  factor  seemingly  unchanged. And that is, the poets\u2019 earnest quest  and call and urge  for  that bonding and  togetherness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anand  Narain  Mulla\u2019s verse: Main faqat  insaan huun Hindu Musalmaan kuchh nahin\/Mere  dil ka dard mein tafreeq-e-eemaan kuchh  nahiin<\/em> (I\u2019m only a  human; not a Hindu or a  Musalman \/The sorrow in my heart is not separated by dogma.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also this verse of  Qateel Shifai: Humko aapas mein mohabbat nahin karne detey\/Ik yahi aib  hai iss shahr ke danaon mein<\/em>  (They do not let us  love each other \/ That is the only  defect in the  wise of this city.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leaving you with these two verses from the very last page of this volume: Jigar  Moradabadi\u2019s:  \u201cNaya  zamana  banane  chale thhey deewaaney\/Nai zameen  naya aasman bana nahin sakey<\/em> (  The foolish  folk  had set out to  make a  new world\/ But they  could  not make a new earth and a  new sky.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then then there\u2019s this verse of Ajmal Sultanpuri: Musalmaan aur Hindu ki jaan\/ Kahaan  hai  mera  Hindostan\/Main usko  dhundh raha hoon\/  <\/em>(The life of Muslims and Hindus\/ Where is  my India?\/ I am searching for it. )<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m tempted to quote many more verses but quite obviously space constraints do come in way. Before I end, I must mention that the big factor to this volume is author Rakhshanda\u2019s prose which lies tucked in, along with the verses. Her comments and commentary are of much significance as she offloads much on the current scenario prevailing in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BOOK \u2013 REVIEW

Title of the book \u2013 Love In The Time of  Hate –  In  The  Mirror of  Urdu<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Author –  Rakhshanda  Jalil<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publisher –  Simon & Schuster India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Price \u2013Rs 699<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pages  –  427<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In\u00a0 \u201cLove In The Time of\u00a0 Hate –\u00a0 In\u00a0 The\u00a0 Mirror of\u00a0 Urdu,\u201d\u00a0 Rakhshanda Jalil presents an essential collection of verses reflecting optimism amidst communal turbulence, offering a beacon of hope in our challenging times. This collection underscores the enduring power of poetry and unity, and highlights the poets\u2019 quest for bonding and togetherness. A […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":351550,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[36],"tags":[17128,17127,18993],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/351545"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=351545"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/351545\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":351554,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/351545\/revisions\/351554"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/media\/351550"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=351545"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=351545"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=351545"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}