Mir Mukhtar Ahmad & Mayank Austen Soofi
Main Ajab Hoo Imam Urdu Ka,
Buot Kadhoo Mai Azaan Deta Hoo
Main Wo Hindu Hoo, Ki Nazaa Hai Musalmaa Jiss Par
Dil Mai KABA Hai Meray ,Dil Hai Sanam Khanoo Mai
Josh Ka Qol Hai , Aur Apna Aqeeda Hai GULZAR
Ham Sa Kafir Na Utthay Ga Musalmano Mai
Born as Pandit Anand Mohan Zutshi”Gulzar Dehlvi ” recently passed away days after recovering from COVID-19. Popularly known in the Urdu circles as” Bulbul-e-Hind” Imam-e-Urdu” ‘Gulzar-e-Khusro” ‘Shair e Quam’ Gulzar Dehlvi was born on July 7, 1926 in Old Delhi’s Gali Kashmeerian to Allama Tirbhoon Nath Zutshi “Zar” Dehlavi and Brij Rani Zutshi “Bezar” Dehlavi, both Urdu poets. Sitaram market in Old Delhi. He did his schooling from the Ramjas school , BVJ Sanskrit School and Masters in Arts from Hindu College. He also cleared the Adeeb Fazil and Munshi Fazil examinations of Anjuman Taraqqi Urdu Hind in New Delhi. He was a great Urdu poet, a celebrated scholar, and journalist. He was honored by the vice president of India on his 91st birthday for his invaluable contribution towards Urdu. Gulzar Dehlvi devoted his entire life to the service of Urdu, for which he was felicitated by various prominent personalities.He served as the pioneering editor of the first Urdu science magazine named “Science Ki Dunya,” which was launched in 1975 after the partition of India.His father, Pandit Tribhuvan Nath ‘Zar’ Dehlavi, received the public title of ‘molvi sahib’ for his dedication as a teacher of Urdu and Persian languages at the Delhi University for around 40 years.There are many ways to celebrate a writer’s life. The superior one is of course to read his or her entire oeuvre; in Mr Delhivi’s case it would be his many ghazals, nazms and rubiyats. The other method—far easier—is to bathe into the writer’s genuine charisma. No doubt it was greatly to the late poet’s advantage that he was one of the most stylish men of our times. Far deep into his advanced years, Mr Dehlvi—full name Anand Mohan Zutshi Gulzar Dehlvi —would continue to attend Delhi’s literary soirées where he always stood apart in his exquisite sherwani, the customary artificial rose pinned on his left chest. He was an impeccably mannered man who would gaze politely into the eyes of his devotees too nervous to mumble any coherent word in his presence, and make them feel the most important person to him at that moment. Mr Dehlvi would also often like to show what he called his “secular locket”—seen vertically, the inscription in it would read as the Muslim Allah, and flipped horizontally, it resembled the Hindu Om. On one occasion, a couple of years ago, audience observed him in all his archetypal elegance in a gathering in central Delhi’s Ghalib Academy.
Gulzar Dehvi was last heir Of Delhi’s Urdu lovers,“Bulbul-e-Hind” Imam-e-Urdu” ‘Gulzar-e-Khusro”, ‘Shair e Quam’
The seemingly routine rituals of Delhi’s centuries-old poetry customs that unfolded there were a mirror reflection of him— precious but extremely fragile. It was a winter evening and about time for poet Gulzar Dehlvi, who was seated cross-legged on the stage, to oblige the audience. A mushaira, or a meeting of Urdu poets, was about to begin. The poets were to read out their poems on the stage. A number of Delhi’s verse writers were present. They included Iqbal Firdausi, Munir Hamdam, Rauf Raza and Javed Niyazi. Each had a badge pinned on the chest, which said ‘Poet’. The only two women poets present were Iffat Zarreen and Shabnam Siddiqui. A giant wax candle, or shama, was placed on the stage. In the old times, when there was no electricity, and hence no mike, Delhi’s nighttime poetry meetings—and they almost always took place during the nights—were held in the glow of a solitary candle. The room was said to remain immersed in darkness, while the flickering shama would be placed in front of the poet whose turn it was to read from his works.The auditorium inside the 21st century Ghalib Academy, however, glowed in modern lighting. There was also a podium and a mike. But the tradition demanded the candle to burn continuously over the course of the evening. It was venerable Gulzar Dehlvi’s hard-earned privilege to ignite the flame. He got up and lit the candle with a lighter which somebody produced just on time. The lighting of the shama was a signal to get on with the evening’s agenda. The audience clapped. Mr Dehlvi returned to his central position on the stage and again sat down cross-legged—looking as regal and frail as the era he represented. This lighting of Shama is still alive. It is a beautiful moment of beginning of Proceedings. There can’t be a second Gulzar Dehlvi who was the crown of Urdu and the pride of the syncretic Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb.
Literally Works of Gulzar Sahab:
1.Gulzar -e- Gazal
2. Kulliyat Gulzar
3. Mushaira Jashne Jamhuriat
4. Chahar- Soo . Gulzar Dehlivi Number
Gulzar Dehlvi had unique choice of clothing wearing a white sherwani-churidar, Nehru topi and a pearl chain with two lockets.The practised performer, who had mesmerised millions at mushairas and nashists for seven decades. Strong Voice and his memory, razor sharp. The walls of his home are covered with photos of him onstage with big names from the world of literature and politics. Dehlavi had Kashmiri Pandit background , who spent his life working for Urdu and strengthened it with his poetry. It is a symbol of all that Delhi stands for, and it is in danger of being lost a multicultural identity, where the languages and traditions of all the empires that rule this city formally merge with one another Done. His association with the freedom movement began early , when he in primary school, King George V and Queen Mary were celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary. School children were being gifted engraved brass plates & 25 paise to have chaat and pakaudas at Chandni Chowk. When he came to know he rounded up students of various government-run schools, and boycotted this celebration. There Aruna Asaf Ali noticed him, and his association with the freedom began.Most of the nationalist poetry during the freedom movement, such as those by Bhagat Singh, was written in Urdu, a language today seek to discredit as un-Indian. During the freedom movement and after independence, Dehlvi was a regular at meetings and rallies, as a premier Inquilabi (freedom fighter) poet. In 1951, Prime Minister Nehru sent him to USSR for an international conference, and he was selected as second world youth laureate. After independence, Urdu got a blow in India. There came a time when the biggest Urdu scholars in India were afraid to speak up for the language. Gulzar Dehlivi fought against the British before Independence for Urdu. After that, he had been fighting for communal harmony and for Urdu conservation. He was frontrunner in setting up Urdu schools across the country. After independence, both Nehru and Maulana Azad would speak of inculcating scientific temper in their public speeches. He asked, Maulana Azad the then Education Minister, how will this temper be developed if people don’t get scientific literature in their own language?
He was an institution in himself. Poet of Urdu, encyclopedia of history of Urdu bazar Jama Masjid, Delhi and witness to complex interactions leading to partition. There will be no substitute for him.
So he was successful in publishing government’s science magazine in Urdu language. As per Gulzar after 1990, communal forces gained political momentum like never before. The secular parties started weakening. Many strong leaders lost their faith, but the worst blow came from within Narsimha Rao , when Babri Masjid demolition happened. This is when Gulzar began withdraw from political life. Gulzar was the one, who had introduced Narsimha Rao to Indira? But after Babri Masjid demolition Gulzar met him at a party In front of many people, he told him, ‘From today Gulzar Dehlivi is dead to you. Gulzar says Since 1990, Minorities are being pushed deeper into ghettos. Certain parties trying to portray Minorties as untouchables, opposed to change to alienate these communities. Every day, there are reports of attacks on them on one or other pretext. Urdu language too faces an ignorant attitude. Many organisations were running Urdu classes and holding literary meets by his efforts. His fight for the language was unique and along with that his other mission was to fight communalism. Gulzar had watched the city of Delhi under varoius hands but according to him presently , gang of men are trying to divide the country on caste & colour basis and all their efforts are to demonise Minorities. Gulzar had kept his distance from the communals always. Invitations still came for many events, but he never participated in any function hosted by a communals. He was open to discuss on India’s past with them. Gulzar says the he can’t work with them. He will be glad if, instead of harassing Muslims on the street, they come to him. He will teach them history lessons , that how Muslim freedom fighters had fought long before when Congress was not born. Communal politics will leave lasting scars on secular India. He was a important member in the oldest Ramlila committee of Delhi, and of the Hazrat Nizamuddin dargah. He observed Holi, Diwali, Janmashtami, Shivratri, and all Eids. On 12th June 2020 Gulzar Bid Farewell to this World.
(The author is a freelancer and writes frequently for the opinion pages of Kashmir Horizon. Views are his own, [email protected])