There is an oft repeated and widely circulated quote of author-novelist Khushwant Singh, “agar aap Ishq karna chahte hain to Urdu seekh lijiye” (If you want to fall in love, learn Urdu). The first part of the same quote reads, “agar Aap Urdu seekhna chahte hain to ishq kar lijiye” (If you want to learn Urdu, fall in love). The writer was deeply in love with the language and translated several works from Urdu to English, including Allama (Muhammad) Iqbal’s Shikwa-Jawab-e-Shikwa, as ‘Iqbal’s Dialogue With ‘Allah’’.
One is reminded of the above quote while reading Rakhshanda Jalil’s latest book, Love In The Time Of Hate: In the Mirror of Urdu. Perhaps because the book, which is deeply political, engaging and immensely passionate, has love and Urdu as its two underlying themes. However, the book is not about love and Urdu alone. Jalil, who is a noted translator, literary historian and prolific writer uses these two themes to comment on a host of contemporary issues. In her own words, “these essays bring up pearls of poetry, beautiful, luminous, heartwarming fragments of thoughts and ideas strung on the twine of love.” And hence, it is called, Love In The Time Of Hate.
Cover photo of the book Love In The Time Of Hate: In the Mirror of Urdu.
But why “In The Mirror of Urdu?,” Jalil preemptively asks this question, followed by a powerful and lucid explanation. “Why not Urdu,” she responds, adding “What better representation will one find of a pan-Indian language, one that is not confined to a state or a region but one that is willing to be embraced and owned by anyone who wishes to do so?” Moreover, the author further explains, “here is a language that has honed itself over centuries to reflect not one or two or three concerns but a range of topics and themes not to mention tones and tenors.”
Divided into four sections, the book has 80 short essays and articles written over the last few years. According to the author, the book is the result of many years of explorations, sometimes mindfully and purposefully, sometimes serendipitously discovering hidden facets. “Over the years, I have marvelled afresh at the love and tenacity of the purpose of the Urdu poet: love for his/her motherland, its richness and diversity and his/her relentless, almost missionary zeal to express that love. It seemed important, and timely, to pluck these scattered thoughts and place them between the covers of one volume, especially at a crucial time in our history as a nation, as a people.” In the introduction to the book, Jalil also confides that writing this book is also an attempt to overcome the fear and depression that she experienced and which she alludes to towards the beginning of the book.
Also read: From Politics to Movies and Back Again: The Story of Urdu Magazine ‘Din Dunia’
The first section of the book is dedicated to politics. It covers issues and themes from religious intolerance, independence day, electoral politics, plight of migrant workers, perils of populism, human rights and protest to masculinity and patriarchy. The second section is focused on the people. It has articles on socio-political, literary, religious and historical figures. Even some prominent personalities from the world of cinema are included in it, like Dilip Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar. And the articles are not just introductions to these important personalities but also about their ideas and the impact that they have made. The third section of the book is about passion, emotions and seasons like Bahaar (spring), Barish (rain) and Gulabi Jaade (pink winter). And the fourth and the final section is about places — articles on/about Afghanistan, Iran, Bengal, Banaras (Varanasi), Bangladesh and Bambayi (Mumbai), to name a few. Of course, this section has essays on Dehli (Delhi) and Lucknow as well. One wishes that there had been some essays on South Indian places as well, at least Hyderabad or other parts of Deccan.
What makes the book the most interesting and engaging is the use of Urdu couplets interspersed with narratives and commentary on a wide range of issues. And these couplets are by all kinds of Urdu poets, such as Meer Taqi Meer, Mirza Ghalib, Asrarul Haq Majaz, Allama Iqbal, Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Kaifi Azmi, Brij Narain Chakbast, Firaq Gorakhpuri, Parvin Shakir, Fahmida Riaz, Shahryar, Anand Narain Mulla, Zehra Nigah, Javed Akhtar and Gulzar, to name a few. The couplets have been put together in Roman Urdu, followed by an easy and accessible translation.
Notably, unlike previous works of Jalil, this is not driven by academic or literary pursuits as hinted in the introduction to the book. It follows the dictum, as succinctly expressed in the following couplet by Jigar Moradabadi:
un ka jo farz hai vo ahl-e-siyasat jaanein
mera paigham mohabbat hai jahan tak pahunche
Advertisement(Let the politicians take of what they have to do,
My message is love, shall spread it far and wide)
AdvertisementThe book is a delightful read and will interest anyone who loves to read Urdu poetry and is looking for some solace in the current hate filled environment with its targeted violence. The enduring message of the book can be described in the following couplet of Bashir Badr:
Saat sanduqon mein bharkar dafn kar do nafratein
Aaj insaan ko mohabbat ki zarurat hai bahut
(Stuff all the hatred in seven boxes and bury it deep
Today, humans need love more than anything else)
Perhaps, this is the reason why the book opens with it and every essay included in the book emphasises that need.
