<p>I bought a compilation of poems of Ustad Daman, Punjabi verses written in Urdu. There were also many books in English published in England and America. But there was none published in India. I was surprised because all Pakistani writers who write in English are published in India and commanded a sizeable readership in India. I went to meet the manager of the bookstore to find out the reason. <br /><br />He admitted that it was against the policy to market Indian publications. “Yeh dushmani kab tak chaleygee? — How long will this enemity go on?” I asked. He had no answer. I told him that their leading writer of Punjabi poetry was a Lahoria who in two lines of a poem had demolished Pakistan’s claim to be a People’s Republic.<br /><br />Pakistan diyan maujan hee maujan Chaarey passey faujan -hee— faujan<br />(Whichever way you look, There are armies and more armies) <br />Ustad Daman was jailed many times by its government.<br /><br />Amongst his admirers was Pandit Nehru. He offered Daman Indian citizenship. Daman thanked him but stated clearly that he would never leave Lahore. <br /><br />Before dying he expressed his wish to be buried in the graveyard where Madholal and Hussain, two gay Sufi poets were buried. And so it was. I went to put flowers on his grave, copied the epitaph he had composed himself:<br />Sarsaree nazar maari Jahan ander<br />Tey zindagi vark uthallia main<br />Daman koi na millia Rafeeq mainoo<br />Tay challya main<br />(I took a casual glance at the world And turned the pages of my life Daman found no one to befriend him And took the road to eternity.)<br /><br />My excuse for writing about Daman is the publication of his life in Punjabi by Jaiteg Singh Anant, entitled Bey Niyaz Hastee: Ustad Daman by Punjabi Abadi Sangat of Canada. <br />Daman was born on September 3, 1911 in Chowk Mati Das in Lahore. <br /><br />His father was Mian Meer Baksh. He died on December 3 1984.<br /><br />Top priority<br />While going over my personal diary I came across an amusing little verse which I would like to share with my readers:<br />Rosberry to his lady says,<br />“My honey and my succour<br />Or shall we do the thing you ken<br />Or shall we take our <br />supper?”<br />With modest face, so full of grace<br />Replies the bonny lady<br />“My noble Lord do as you please<br />But supper is not ready.”<br />India against corruption<br />The crowds half a kilometre long<br />That at Anna Hazare rallies throng<br />Are obviously mistaken and wrong.<br />Thousands of men, women and children<br />When they raise slogans to say in unison<br />‘Down, down, down with corruption,’<br />When they say to get any work done<br />However fair<br />They have to grease the palm everywhere,<br />When they resent massive capitation fees<br />And the way the officials fleece<br />When they cry, how far the people minus the privileged and the elite<br />It is becoming difficult to make both ends meet<br />They are obviously wrong<br />Because our GDP is going strong!<br />Led by the oldest political party<br />When our entire political fraternity<br />BSP, SP, BJP, NCP<br />Is against corruption and bribery<br />How can there be any corruption in the country!<br />So even when his supporters are a billion strong<br />Anna Hazare will continue to be wrong!<br /><em>(Courtesy: Kuldip Salil, Delhi)</em><br /><br />Coincidence<br />Little Rebecka Lonnblad, from Gavle, Sweden, was born on June 8, 1980 - the same date as her mother, her maternal grandfather and great grandmother. The chance of four generations being born on the same date are one in 48 million.<br /><br />Twin problems<br />Two identical twin brothers, eight years old were enrolled in different schools. <br />I asked one of them why. “Well,” he said, pointing accusingly at his brother,” he was always making trouble — and then they found out it was me!”<br /><em>(Both contributed by Reeten Ganguly, Tezpur).</em><br /></p>
<p>I bought a compilation of poems of Ustad Daman, Punjabi verses written in Urdu. There were also many books in English published in England and America. But there was none published in India. I was surprised because all Pakistani writers who write in English are published in India and commanded a sizeable readership in India. I went to meet the manager of the bookstore to find out the reason. <br /><br />He admitted that it was against the policy to market Indian publications. “Yeh dushmani kab tak chaleygee? — How long will this enemity go on?” I asked. He had no answer. I told him that their leading writer of Punjabi poetry was a Lahoria who in two lines of a poem had demolished Pakistan’s claim to be a People’s Republic.<br /><br />Pakistan diyan maujan hee maujan Chaarey passey faujan -hee— faujan<br />(Whichever way you look, There are armies and more armies) <br />Ustad Daman was jailed many times by its government.<br /><br />Amongst his admirers was Pandit Nehru. He offered Daman Indian citizenship. Daman thanked him but stated clearly that he would never leave Lahore. <br /><br />Before dying he expressed his wish to be buried in the graveyard where Madholal and Hussain, two gay Sufi poets were buried. And so it was. I went to put flowers on his grave, copied the epitaph he had composed himself:<br />Sarsaree nazar maari Jahan ander<br />Tey zindagi vark uthallia main<br />Daman koi na millia Rafeeq mainoo<br />Tay challya main<br />(I took a casual glance at the world And turned the pages of my life Daman found no one to befriend him And took the road to eternity.)<br /><br />My excuse for writing about Daman is the publication of his life in Punjabi by Jaiteg Singh Anant, entitled Bey Niyaz Hastee: Ustad Daman by Punjabi Abadi Sangat of Canada. <br />Daman was born on September 3, 1911 in Chowk Mati Das in Lahore. <br /><br />His father was Mian Meer Baksh. He died on December 3 1984.<br /><br />Top priority<br />While going over my personal diary I came across an amusing little verse which I would like to share with my readers:<br />Rosberry to his lady says,<br />“My honey and my succour<br />Or shall we do the thing you ken<br />Or shall we take our <br />supper?”<br />With modest face, so full of grace<br />Replies the bonny lady<br />“My noble Lord do as you please<br />But supper is not ready.”<br />India against corruption<br />The crowds half a kilometre long<br />That at Anna Hazare rallies throng<br />Are obviously mistaken and wrong.<br />Thousands of men, women and children<br />When they raise slogans to say in unison<br />‘Down, down, down with corruption,’<br />When they say to get any work done<br />However fair<br />They have to grease the palm everywhere,<br />When they resent massive capitation fees<br />And the way the officials fleece<br />When they cry, how far the people minus the privileged and the elite<br />It is becoming difficult to make both ends meet<br />They are obviously wrong<br />Because our GDP is going strong!<br />Led by the oldest political party<br />When our entire political fraternity<br />BSP, SP, BJP, NCP<br />Is against corruption and bribery<br />How can there be any corruption in the country!<br />So even when his supporters are a billion strong<br />Anna Hazare will continue to be wrong!<br /><em>(Courtesy: Kuldip Salil, Delhi)</em><br /><br />Coincidence<br />Little Rebecka Lonnblad, from Gavle, Sweden, was born on June 8, 1980 - the same date as her mother, her maternal grandfather and great grandmother. The chance of four generations being born on the same date are one in 48 million.<br /><br />Twin problems<br />Two identical twin brothers, eight years old were enrolled in different schools. <br />I asked one of them why. “Well,” he said, pointing accusingly at his brother,” he was always making trouble — and then they found out it was me!”<br /><em>(Both contributed by Reeten Ganguly, Tezpur).</em><br /></p>