February 19th, 2012
Urdu is a linguistic repository of the country’s glorious past, yet it has become an undervalued language today. Even All India Radio, a patron and consistent promoter, has abandoned it.
The language Urdu, which has a special claim on Dillee, is in a sorry state today. It is sad to remember that it got the name from the heart of Dillee — the palace fort called La’al Qilaa, also known as Urdou eiy Muallaa or the elevated camp/camp of eminence.
One of its poets, Mirza Daagh had got the title ‘Mirza’ from the fact that his mother married a prince of the blood imperial. When Dillee fell in 1857 to the British, the city suffered massacre and depopulation. Many, like Daagh, who had worked in the fort and nearby places were sacked. Daagh moved to the court of the Nizaam of Hyderabad (Deccan and wrote the verse Urdu hai jiska naam hamee jaanthe hai, Daagh saare jahan mein dhoom hamari zubaan ki hai).
The language called Urdu is known only to a chosen few like us – the whole wide world resounds with paeans to its glory. Perhaps it was in keeping with this flamboyant tradition that All India Radio was given its Hindi title. In India’s hoary and most prolific tradition of myth, Aakaashvaanee meant ‘Revelation coming from Heaven’.
The founder and first director of AIR, Lionel Fielden, further emphasised the link by giving it a signature tune in which the flute is played as if to link AIR to the divine flute player, the Lord Krishna. In those heady days, Fielden selected poet Asraarul Huq Majaaz out of the Aligarh University and appointed him editor of the magazine, Aawaaz, brought out by AIR. So Fielden began addressing Majaaz as ‘Mr Aawaaz’.
The year 2011 was the centenary year of Majaaz’s birth and this event was celebrated by AIR on 8 February 2012 at the Habitat Centre. The announcer spoke literary Urdu and opened the proceedings with a tape recording of a poem recited by Majaaz. This was followed by a senior official of A.I.R. reciting a moving romantic poem of Majaaz. The next item was a recitation of the soul stirring Boal Uree O Dharatee Boal, Raaj Singhaasan Danwaadoal (Speak out O Earth and make the thrones of kings rock and shake!)
The change from shringaara to veer brought out the range of emotions the poet could capture and render masterfully and with ease. What followed was a musical rendering of some of the more famous ghazals of Majaaz. There were two singers and six or seven accompanists including a keyboard. This proved excessive and disappointing, as the singers presented all the verses of a ghazal and even successive ghazals without any variation. It was monotonous and didn’t bring out the meaning of each word and phrase.
It is sad to remember that Urdu got its name from the heart of Dillee — the palace fort called La’al Qilaa, also known as ‘Urdou eiy Muallaa’ or the elevated camp / camp of eminence.
The name of the music composer and each instrumentalist was announced after every item. It would appear that neither the singers nor the composers of music were familiar with the Urdu script or the Persian Arabic tradition that provides the background, which helps transform each word into a motif and a metaphor. It is necessary to illustrate this point.
The 19th century master poet Hakim Momin Khan Momin has a verse which is so popular that all singers of ghazal must be aware of it. Momin says, “Umr toa saare kutee ishqay butaaan meiyn ‘Momin’, Aakhiree waqt meiyn kyaa khaaq musullmaan hoangeiy.” (Having spent my long life worshipping idols, it is not becoming for me to become a Muslim at the end of it). The magic of the language bewitches the singer and listener and enables both to enjoy the verse without fully understanding it; perhaps because ‘great art communicates itself before it is understood!’
To fully understand this verse, it is necessary to be aware of the history of pre-Islamic Arabia. The Holy Ka’abaa of Mecca has been sacred to the Arabs at least since the time of the Prophet Abraham. By the 7th Century AD, the Ka’abaa housed some 99 images of gods and goddesses worshipped by various tribes of the Arabs.
When the Prophet Muhammad got his Revelation (requiring the worship of only the formless Allah), he declared all image worship as haraam or forbidden. This schism divided not only the Arab but also the immediate family of the Prophet as they (the Quraish) were caretakers of the Holy Ka’abaa. It was suggested that Allah be added to the gods and goddesses already in worship and his icon installed. The controversy became violent and the Prophet and his devoted followers migrated to Medina. This migration from Meccaa to Medinaa called hijarat gave the date for the Islamic calendar Al Hijree. Over the next few years, Islam gained acceptance over the many tribes of Arabia and the Prophet could return triumphant to Mecca and remove the icons of gods and goddesses installed in the Holy Ka’abaa.
Knowing this background, adds poignancy to Momin’s verses. Just like learning to sing develops aural literacy, one should also learn the literature of words or a song. AIR should not be a victim of the times but stand out and set an example.