TRIBUTE TO NEHRU VIA SAHIR
Ishtiaq Ahmed
27 may marked the 58th death anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru (died 1964). As the first elected prime minister of India Nehru proved to be the visionary who consolidated the secular, pluralist ethos of the Freedom Struggle, which is now under threat from Hindu majoritarian nationalism.
Many poets wrote obituaries on his death on 27 May 1964. I consider that Sahir Ludhianvi’s obituary in verses outclassed all others.
Sahir underlined the fact that death is unavoidable and inevitable, no matter what you do, you can’t escape it.
However, ideas never die. They inspire people from generation to generation. Nehru made many mistakes, I would say committed many blunders, but his commitment to secularism, progress and Fabian socialism remained firm.
This is how Sahir Ludhianvi sums up Nehru’s role in history. First we hear the original Urdu poem and then follows the English translation.
JAWAHARLAL NEHRU
(The original)
jism kī maut koī maut nahīñ hotī hai
jism mit jāne se insān nahīñ mar jāte
dhaDkaneñ rukne se armān nahīñ mar jāte
sāñs tham jāne se elān nahiñ mar jāte
hont jam jāne se farmān nahiñ mar jāte
jism kī maut koī maut nahī hotī hai
wo jo har dīn se munkir thā har ik dharm se dūr
phir bhi har dīn har ik dharm ka ģhamĶhwār rahā
sāri qaumoñ ke gunāhoñ kā kaRā bojh liye
umr bhar sūrat-i-īsā jo sar-i-dār rahā
jisne insānoñ ki taqsīm ke sadme jhele
phir bhi insāñ ki aĶhuwwat kā parastār rahā
jiski nazroñ meiñ thā ek a’ālamī tehzīb ka Ķhwāb
jiska har sāñs nae ‘ahd kā me’mār rahā
jisne zardār-i-maīshat ko gawārā na kiyā
jis ko āīn-e-masāwāt pe asrār rahā
uske farmānoñ kī, ae’lānoñ ki ta’zīm karo
rākh taqsīm kī, armān bhi taqsīm karo
maut aur zīst ke sangam pe pareshāñ kyoñ ho
us kā baĶhshā huā seh rang ‘alam le ke chalo
jo tumhe jādah-e-manzil ka patā detā hai
apni peshāni pe wo naqsh-i-qadam le ke chalo
dāman-e-waqt pea b khūn ke chhīñTe na paReñ
ek markaz ki taraf dairo haram le ke chalo
ham miTā Dālenge sarmāya-o-mehnat ka tazād
ye aqīdah, ye irādah, ye qasam le ke chalo
wo jo humrāz rahā, hāzir-o-mustaqbil kā,
uske Ķhwāboñ ki Ķhushi, rūh ka ġham le ke chalo
jism kī maut koī maut nahīñ hotī hai
jism mit jāne se insān nahīñ mar jāte
dhaDkaneñ rukne se armān nahīñ mar jāte
sāñs tham jāne se elān nahiñ mar jāte
hont jam jāne se farmān nahiñ mar jāte
JAWAHARLAL NEHRU
The death of the body is no death!
With the dying body men do not die.
When the heart stops beating, wishes don’t die,
When breathing stops, declarations don’t die.
With the freezing of lips, mandates do not die.
The death of the body is no death!
He who rejected all religion, from all faith was afar,
Of all faith and all creed, still, he stayed a sympathiser.
Bearing the burden of the sins of all nations
With the mien of Christ, he was crucified.
Who braved the traumas of the partitions of men,
Still remained, of men’s brotherhood, a firm believer.
He whose eyes dreamt of a learned civilisation,
Whose each breath was a new-age builder.
Who did not tolerate the capitalist way,
Of equality – he who was the reiterater.
Respect his wishes, his declarations.
Having dispersed his ashes, now disperse his dreams.
Why be bothered by this merger of life and death,
Take his gift of the tricolour and go forth.
Embrace his lead, which shows you your path,
Follow his footprints as a mark of honour and go forth.
We will end the divide between labour and capital,
Keep this creed, this goal, and this oath, and go forth.
He who was privy to our present and future,
Carry the joy of his dreams, the grief of his soul, and go forth.
The death of the body is no death!
With the dying body men do not die.
When the heart stops beating, wishes don’t die,
When breathing stops, declarations don’t die.
With the freezing of lips, mandates do not die.
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