slogans like ,Vande Mataram'and bhaarat Maataa Ki jai are anti Islam ?

Slogans like ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Bhaarat Maataa ki Jai’ are anti Islam ?

MadanMohan Tarun

Shahi Imaam Saiyad Ahmad Bukhari of Delhi ,Jama Masjid , has asked Muslims to keep away from the movement of Anna Hazare, for ,slogans like ‘vande Matram’ and ‘Bhaarat Mataa Ki Jai’ voiced there , are against the concepts of Islam.

This is certainly an unwise and shocking call from such an important religious chair. Perhaps Mr. Bukhari forgot while issuing his orders that there were poets like Nazeer and Sir Muhammad Iqbal ,who wrote poems on Hindu gods and saints. Quite a good number of old and new such Urdu poets have inspired the whole country and made higher places in the hearts of people, by their writings involving Hindu symbols. Nobody labeled them as communal expressions.

Famous poet Nazeer wrote poems like ‘Brahmaanand’ and ‘Shri Krishna ki Balleela’. His poem

‘Shri Krishna ki Bal leela’ is certainly a product of a highly charged poetic moment , in which ,describing the playful childhood of lord Krishna ,he suggests to himself at the end ‘ O Nazeer ! You also say ‘Krishna Muraari Ki Jai.‘ ‘Tum bhi nazeer Krishna Muraari ki bolo jai.’

Hundreds of years have passed ( born in 1740 died in 1830 ) , but no one has dared to call Nazeer, as a man, who caused insult to Islam in any way, by writing such poems. Both the communities , Hindus and Muslims , have great regards for this great poet.

If people like Mr. Bukhari were there in his time, he must have made his life difficult.

Here is the poem by Nazeer –

यारो सुनो ये दधि के लुटैया का बालपन।

Yaaro suno ye dadhi ke lutaiyaa ka baalpan,

औ मधुपुरी नगर के बसैया का बालपन ।।

Au Madhupuri nagar ke basaiyaa kaa balpan.

मोहन सरूप नृत्य करैया का बालपन। ।

Mohan saroop nritya karaiyaa kaa baalpan,

वन -वन के ग्वाल गौवें चरैया का बालपन।।

Van – van ke gwaal –gauein charaiyaa kaa baalpan.

ऐसा था बाँसुरी के बजैया का बालपन ।

Aisaa thhaa vansuree ke bajaiyaa kaa balpan,

क्या - क्या कहूँ मैं कृष्ण कन्हैया का बालपन।।

Kyaa – kyaa kahoon mai Krishna knhaiyaa kaa balpan.

इतना ही नहीं , अपनी इस कविता के अन्त में उन्होंने कहा –

सब मिलके यारों कृष्ण मुरारी की बोलो जै।

Sab mil ke yaaron Krishna Muraari ki bolo jai,

गोबिन्द छैल कुंज बिहारी की बोलो जै।।

Govind Chhail kunja Bihaaree ki bolo jai.

दधिचोर गोपीनाथ बिहारी की बोलो जै।

Dadhi chore Gopinaath Bihaari ki bolo Jai,

तुम भी नजीर कृष्ण मुरारी की बोलो जै।

Tum bhi nazeer , Krishna Muraari ki bolo jai.

ऐसा था बाँसुरी के बजैया का बालपन।।

Aisaa thhaa vansuree kei bajiyaa kaa baalpan

क्या - क्या कहूँ मैं कृष्ण कन्हैया का बालपन।।

Kyaa – kyaa kahoon main Krishna knhaiyaa kaa baalpan.

Famous poet Sir Muhammad Iqbal ,who wrote immortal line like ‘ Saare jahaan se achhaa Hindostan hamaaraa’ also wrote a poem titled ‘Naya Shivala’ in which he offered status of religion to the devotion of the nation –

पत्थर की मूरतों में समझा है तू खुदा है,

Patthar ki moorton mein samjhaa hai too khudaa hai,

खाके वतन का मुझको हर जर्रा देवता है।

Khake vatan ka mujhko har jarrah devataa hai.

O priest ! you think god resides only in the idol of stone,

But for me every particle of the dust of my nation is a deity.

Can Mr. Bukhari call Iqbal ‘s these lines as anti Islam ?

Plese see some more details of the same poem by Muhammad Iqbal-

सच कह दूँ ऐ बिरहमन ! गर तू बुरा न माने ,

Sach kah doo ai birahman ! gar too buraa na mane,

तेरे सनमकदों के बुत हो गये पुराने।

Tere sanamkadon ke but ho gaye puraane.

अपनों से बैर रखना तूने बुतों से सीखा,

Apno se vair rakhnaa tone buton se seekhaa,

जंगो-जदल सिखाया वाइज को भी खुदा ने।

Jango – jadal sikhaayaa vaaise ko bhi khudaa ne.

तंग आके आखिर हमने दैरो - हरम को छोडा॰,

Tang aake hamne aakhir dairo – haram ko chhodaa,

वाइज का वाज छोडा॰, छोडे॰ तेरे फिसाने।

Vaaise kaa baaz chhodaa , chhode tere phisaane.

पत्थर की मूरतों में समझा है तू खुदा है,

Patthar ki moorton mein samjhaa hai too khudaa hai,

खाके वतन का मुझको हर जर्रा देवता है।

Khake vatan ka mujhko har jarrah devataa hai.

आ गैरियत के पर्दे इकबार फिर उठा दें,

Aaa gairiyat ke parde ikbaar phir uthhaa dein,

बिछुडों॰ को फिर मिला दें ,नक्शे दुई मिटा दें।

Bichhde ko phir milaa dein , nkshe duyee mitaa dein.

सूनी पडी॰ हुई है मुद्दत से दिल की बस्ती,

Soonee padee huyee hai muddat se dil ki baste,

आ इक नया शिवाला इस देश मे बना दें।

Aa ik naya shivaalaa is deish mein banaa dein.

दुनिया के तीरथों से ऊँचा हो अपना तीरथ ,

Duniyaa ke teerathhon se oochaa ho apnaa teerathh,

दामाने - आसमा से उसका कलस मिला दें।

Daamaane Asmaa se usakaa kalash mitaa dein.

हर सुबह उठ के गायें मन्तर वो मीठे - मीठे,

Har subah uthha ke gaayein mantar vo meethhe- meethhe,

सारे पुजारियों को मै प्रीत की पिला दें।

Saare pujaariyon ko mai preet ki pilaa dein.

शक्ती भी , शान्ती भी भक्तों के गीत में है,

Shaktee bhi, shaantee bhi bhakton ke geet mei hai,

धरती के वासियों की ,मुक्ती पिरीत में है।

Dhartee ke vaasiyon ki , mukti pireet mein hai.

Commenting on religion, famous poet Akbar wrote-

मजहब को शायरों के न पूछें जनाब शेख,

Majhab ko shaayaron ken a poochhein janaab sheikh,

जिस वक्त जो खयाल है मजहब भी है वही।

Jis vakta jo khyaal hai majhab bhi vahee hai.

‘O priest ! don’t ask about the religion of poets, it fluctuates as per their mood.’

I don’t think , opinion of Mr. Bukhari , regarding slogans like ‘Vande Matram’ and ‘Bharat Mataa Ki jai’ , used in revolutionary movement of Anna Hazare , which certainly has nothing to do with religion, will be agreed to, by the thinking Muslims of today.

Will thousands of Muslim youths and people from other generations, who are participating in Anna Hare’s movement , follow the irrational call of Mr. Bukhari ?

There were thousands of Muslims who offered their supreme sacrifice voicing the same slogan ,under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi , during India’s great struggle for independence. How Bukhari will comment on them?

I feel that such misleading calls should strongly be rejected by all thinking people.