Pinjar (The Skeleton) by Amrita Pritam

Today is Amrita Pritam’s 105^th Birth Anniversary, and this is a humble tribute by this blogger, in continuation of the recent blog: Punjab’s Song of Sorrow and Hope… (Link: https://pkdash-author.blogspot.com/2024/08/punjabs-song-of-sorrow-and-hope-to.html)

Once again, I read Pinjar, Amrita Pritam’s novel published on 1 January 1950, after watching for a second time Pinjar the critically acclaimed 2003 film directed by Chandra Prakash Dwivedi, and wondered what took more than five decades for a film to be made on one of the most profound stories of Partition told from the perspective of the woman victim and protagonist- Puro.

(Source: Film Poster by Impawards: https://en.wikipedia.org)

Millions of people suffered the trauma of Partition, but the women suffered in a terrible way that no man can ever suffer; through their body, for in situations of conflict and war, a woman is a war trophy. A commentator has aptly observed that the novel was far ahead of its times.

Amrita Ji might be pleased to note that as I write this blog, 296 people are currently reading ‘The Skeleton’, Khushwant Singh’s translation of Pinjar, and 5087 people want to read this novel (at www.goodreads.com). A novel published in 1950 still resonates with people. That is a loving tribute to the author.

The novel wrote itself

Amrita Pritam tells how this novel was born: 

"The most terrible happening of the times was the Partition. I still shiver when I think of those blood-drenched days. I had already spoken of the fate of women in the frenzy in my poetry. After Partition, Shahnawaz Khan and Mrinalini Sarabhai were involved in the rehabilitation of abducted girls. I would listen to the stranger than fiction stories that they told me. It was thus that Puro of Pinjar took shape and the novel wrote itself.”[i]

The novel

It is a short but deeply moving novel (Hindi-112 pages, English-80 pages). The story begins in 1935 in village Chhattoani of Gujarat (now in Pakistan), and ends soon after Partition at Lahore. Puro, daughter of the Shah family is engaged to be married to Ramchand of Rattowal, a neighbouring village; but is abducted by Rashid on the eve of the marriage. Puro escapes from her abductor and runs to the safety of her home. Sadly, she is disowned by her parents who fear reprisal by the dominant Muslim community in the area.

Why did the author name Puro’s prospective husband Ramchand? Is that merely coincidental? Ramchand’s wife-to-be abducted by the evil one; and Puro rejected and spurned by her own parents as tainted and defiled for no fault of hers, like Sita? Puro is the tragic heroine, a victim of her times to forces far too potent and diabolical for her or any other individual to confront and win. In the film, Ramchand sings the following song, with an echo of Ram-Sita relation in the epic, and ominous in retrospect in this novel:

सीता को देखे सारा गांव

आग पर कैसे धरेगी पाँव,

बच जाए तो देवी मां

जल जाए तो पापन ।

Link:

https://youtu.be/iLfeHFvZGV0?si=jvmRYgoNNxX8Vazn

Rashid, too, is an unlikely villain, coerced by his domineering uncle, the family patriarch, to avenge an ancient wrong inflicted on the Muslim family by the Shahs. He redeems himself by readily adopting the dead Pagli’s new-born son, and risking his life to steal the abducted Lajo and return her to her husband and family. An atonement for his own sin!

The Skeleton

Who is the Pinjar (the skeleton) in this novel? Puro, of course; but she is not the only one. In fact, she is leading a procession of pinjars, as it were. Puro, Lajo, Pagli, Puro’s son, Pagli’s son -each is a skeleton. Puro’s helpless parents who disown Puro (hiving off an ‘infected’ limb to save the body) are pinjars. Rashid, manipulated like a kathputli by his vengeful family is a pinjar. Puro’s brother who burns Rashid’s harvest is a skeleton fired by hatred and revenge. The Hindu elders who snatch Pagli’s orphaned son from Puro’s breast are also skeletons.

Yet, life can reclaim, redeem, and revive skeletons: Rashid’s unwavering love for Puro, and his everlasting shame and regret for his sin of abduction; Puro and Rashid adopting Pagli’s son; Puro and Rashid plotting and succeeding in stealing Lajo and reuniting her with her welcoming family on the other side of the border; and in the climactic scene, Puro deciding: This is my home!

"चाहे कोई लड़की हिन्दू हो या मुसलमान, जो लड़की भी लौटकर अपने ठिकाने पहुंचती है समझो कि उसी के साथ पूरो की आत्मा भी ठिकाने पहुंच गई।" पूरो ने अपने मन में कहा...”

Politics sucked out the lifeblood of a whole country and created two pinjars- India and Pakistan; but eventually love defeated hatred, and life returned to the skeletons; the wounds healed though the scars remained forever. Pinjar was a horrible, traumatic phase, but mercifully in the past.

Humans can descend to the dark depths of devilry to harm, hurt, negate life, and create pinjars; but they, too, have the capacity to infuse love and bring pinjars back to life. Love is amrit- the distilled divinity in the heart that holds hope for humanity.

My salutations to Amrita Pritam Ji on her 105^th birth anniversary.

Punjabi Folk-Songs

The author has deftly woven several popular Punjabi folk-songs into the plaintive, mournful story. The opening chapter itself has two short traditional songs (quoted below) sung on the eve of marriage of a girl and her farewell from her parents’ home for pardes. In Puro’s life, the pardes is not the village of her husband, but a life from which there is no return- a permanent vanvas.

लावी ते लावीं नी कलेजे दे नाल माए

दस्सी ते दस्सीं इक बात नीं।

बातां ते लम्मीयां नी धीयां क्यों जम्मियां नीं,

अज्ज विछोड़े वाली रात नीं।

Translation:

Hold me close to your heart, O mother,

No time now for a long conversation,

Just tell me,

Why are daughters born?

For tonight is the night of separation.

 

चरखा जु डाहनीयां मैं छोपे जु पानीयां मैं,

पिड़ियां ते वाले मेरे खेस नीं।

पुत्रां नू दित्ते उच्चे महल ते माड़ियां

धीयां नू दित्ता परदेस नीं।

Translation:

The spinning wheel that I set,

The knots on the spindle that I put,

In checkered designs are my khes (thin blankets) planned;

Sons are bequeathed tall palaces and mansions,

Daughters, alas, are despatched to distant places.

In the film, the plaintive song charkha chalati ma, written by Amrita Pritam herself, is based on these traditional ditties.

https://youtu.be/1ZJL4NR1EjM?si=HOE9WMYmZw63r7c_

Amrita Pritam's iconic song Aaj Aakhan Waris Shah Nu, sung by Wadali Brothers, is used to great effect in the film.

Link: https://youtu.be/FHxMi5d5XCk?si=NQtZ8d5ycHYS0teL

The film

The film has an impressive cast- Urmila Matondkar, Manoj Bajpayee, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Isha Koppikar, Farida Jalal, and others. It won the award for Best film on National Integration, and Manoj Bajpayee’s acting received critical acclaim. Excellent performance by Urmila, too.

A film worth watching. It is available at YouTube.[ii]

Conclusion

Have you read the novel and watched the film? If not, I recommend both; I guess you might like both.

Acknowledgement

The English translations of the Punjabi folk-songs quoted above are by Mr Satinder Singh, HoD, Punjabi Language, DPS, Amritsar with help from his friend, Mr Inderjit Singh, Lecturer in English.

---

[i] 'Pinjar: a novel ahead of its times' by Nirupama Dutt:

 https://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050220/spectrum/book3.htm

 

[ii] Link for Pinjar, the film: Link for Pinjar: https://youtu.be/vtapCrARMZk?si=ircXR4zm6RRp_vb7

 

How to attain Krishna?

“Krishna literally means dark. That is why the dark phase of the moon is called Krishna paksha in the Hindu calendar. His other name, Ghana Shyama, has a similar meaning: dark as a rain-bearing cloud. He was born during the varsha ritu.

Krishna killed Kamsa, his maternal uncle, to end his sinful rule. Later, he became Arjuna's charioteer, and counsellor during Mahabharata war. Bhagavad Gita, His sermon delivered to Arjuna, before the commencement of the war, is a neat summary of the Vedic principles for a righteous life.

Krishna emerged as the most enchanting avatar of Vishnu during the Bhakti movement, and deeply influenced literature, painting, dance, and music.” [i]

Navadha Bhakti[ii]

Srimad Bhagavatam (07.05.23) describes navadha bhakti, the nine ways of offering prayers:

sravanam kirtanam vishnoh smaranam pada-sevanam

archanam vandanam dasyam sakhyam atma-nivedanam

The nine ways are: 1. Sravana (hearing), 2. Kirtana (chanting), 3. Smarana (remembrance, meditation), 4. Pada sevana (worshipping His lotus-feet), 5. Archana (ritualistic worship, as in a temple), 6. Vandana (offering prayers), 7. Dasya (becoming His servant), 8. Sakhya (becoming His best friend), and 9. Atma-nivedana (surrendering all that one has).

How to attain Krishna?[iii]

Vaishnavism provides for a variety of ways of attaining Krishna, the Supreme Godhead- total surrender, nama japa, Leela smarana, Krishna Katha shravana, etc. Each devotee also chooses, as per her own preference and predilection, an equation with Krishna, a specific relation with the Godhead. Krishna could be Vishnu, the Paramatma, Bala Gopal, the little adorable child, Rasa Bihari Krishna Nagar, the lover extra-ordinary, a sakha, friend, guide, and counsellor, as he was to Arjuna and the Pandavas.

According to the equation, the devotee would assume or acquire a bhava or mood, to be Yashoda, Radha, Arjuna, or even Krishna. Mirabai had become so immersed in Krishna that she had become Radha. Chaitanya became Krishna, and Jagannath Das (who composed the iconic Odia Bhagavata) became Radha. In that heightened state of devotion and consciousness, the devotee no longer perceives any distinction or duality between the God and herself. There is total merger and oneness. Such devotion or bhakti is the simplest way to attain Krishna, according to Vaishnavism.

Gita Govinda

Gita Govinda by Jayadeva is among the finest Sanskrit kavyas, and possibly the best in shringara rasa, celebrating the celestial love between Krishna and Radha. This lyrical poem inspired a genre of miniature paintings aspiring to capture a glimpse of that divine love and convey visually what the kavi had done through words.

There is an interesting story about how Jayadeva completed his kavya. Some readers have read this story in my previous blog: Invisible Poet.[iv]

Pichwai: Nathdwara style of painting

During the later part of the 17^th century, the idol of ShriGovardhanNath Ji was brought from Govardhan mountain of Braj bhumi, installed in Rajputana, to be thereafter worshipped as ShriNath Ji of Nathdwara.

Pichwai, a local tradition of a hanging a ceremonial piece of painted cloth behind the idol created a new school of painting- the Nathdwara style of painting.

I was privileged to receive a complimentary copy of ‘Pichwai: Nathdwara Chitrashaili par Ekagra’ Edited by Narmada Prasad Upadhyay (an erudite scholar and a much-awarded author), and L.N. Tiwari. Though brief, this monograph provides an excellent introduction to the beautiful Nathdwara style of painting.[v]

(Krishna-Janma; Nathdwara style of Painting; Source: Pichwai, Edited by N.P. Upadhyay & L.N. Tiwari)

ShriKrishnashtakam

Composed by Adi Shankaracharya, ShriKrishnashtakam is one of my favourite bhajans. For the Sanskrit lyrics, my English translation of the bhajan, and references to a few excellent renditions; you may check the link below.[vi]

Happy Janmashtami!

---

[i] Extract from this blogger’s book: O Krishna, O Son! Yashoda’s Sublime Song of Sorrow; First published in 2021, Fourth Edition in 2022. The book is available at Amazon, Kindle, and Flipkart.

 

[ii] Ibid.

[iii] Ibid.

[iv] Link for my blog: Invisible Poet: https://pkdash-author.blogspot.com/2023/03/invisible-poet.html

 

[v] This monograph is published by Vraj Sanskruti Shodh Sansthan, Vrindaban, Mathura, email: bcrivrindavan@gmail.com

 

[vi] ShriKrishnashtakam:  https://pkdash-author.blogspot.com/2023/09/shrikrishnashtakam.html

 

 

Punjab’s Song of Sorrow and Hope:

To Waris Shah by Amrita Pritam

(Part I)

I will return for You! (Mein Tenu Pher Milangi)

Born in Gujranwala (now In Pakistan) on 31 August 1919, Amrita Pritam migrated on the eve of Partition from Lahore to Delhi via Dehradun. She passed away on 31 October 2005; but I met her a week ago, her voice ringing bold and clear from her fascinating works. For she had pledged: Mein Tenu Pher Milangi[i] (I will return for You!)

(Source: Aksharo ke Saaye)

I read her representative poems, translated a few into Sambalpuri, Odia, and English; and once again watched Pinjar[ii] (2003), the heart-rending film based on her novel. I heard her voice in her recital of the iconic poem Ajj Aakhan Waris Shah Nu.

Dear Amrita, I greatly savoured my very brief encounter with you. Thanks for opening a bit of your heart and soul to me.

Punjab’s Song of Sorrow and Hope

Ajj Aakhan Waris Shah Nu by Amrita Pritam (1919-2005), Punjab’s first and celebrated woman poet, is among Punjab’s most sorrowful songs, possibly second only to Heer Ranjha by Waris Shah (1722-1798), the famous Sufi poet. Waris celebrated in his tragic song the undying love between Heer and Ranjha that transcended the barriers of religion. Some have interpreted Heer Ranjha as more than a romantic tragedy; and as a mystical, devotional poem about the soul (Ranjha)’s eternal quest for the Supreme Divinity (Heer).

Amrita’s poem about the unbearable trauma of Partition is not entirely morose, despondent, and hopeless; the undying flicker of a determined diya radiates the hope for love and life despite the rapacious forces of darkness (आज्ज सब्बे कैदों[iii] बन गये, हुस्न इश्क दे चोर).

But why remember Amrita Pritam and her most famous poem now? Because her 105^th Birth Anniversary would be celebrated on 31 August 2024; and Ajj Aakhan … is a timeless creation as relevant today as it was in 1948 when the poet wrote it on a scrap of paper during her train journey from Dehradun to Delhi.

Why did the poet address Waris Shah? She mentions,

“From the moving train, small mounds of earth shrouded in darkness looked like numerous graves …. the dark, desolate night seemed to wail through the wind. I remembered Waris Shah’s plaintive ballad about Heer’s unrequited love, the song which people sang in every home. That is why I addressed Waris Shah…” [iv]

Partition Literature

Partition was no less traumatic than the forcible amputation of a healthy person without anaesthesia. Suddenly, millions of people became uprooted and homeless- watan se be-watan, in Amrita’s words. About fifteen million people fled across the hastily and thoughtlessly drawn border by Radcliffe, making Partition the largest forced migration in human history. Anywhere between 2,00,000 to 20,00,000 people are estimated to have been killed in the communal frenzy that ensued. It is a dark chapter in the history of our sub-continent and the world.

Several renowned authors including Amrita Pritam, Bhisma Sahni, S.H. Manto, Salman Rushdie, and Khushwant Singh have written novels, short-stories, poems about the trauma of partition.[v]

How I savoured the song

It would be impudent for me, an Odia with a modest capability in Hindi and none in Punjabi, to suggest how to savour this song; but here is how I went about it.

First, I read a few short but representative poems of Amrita Pritam in Hindi, and then learned that Ajj Aakhan.. is her most famous poem. I read it, liked it, and began translating it into English (my favourite method to compel myself to read the poem several times to appreciate the nuances of each word and phrase). Then, I found that Amrita Ji had herself translated this song into Hindi and English. I read those translations, too.

But I wanted more out of the poem, and located with the help of a friend (Thanks, Anjuly!) the text of the original Punjabi poem in Devnagari script. Taking a print out of the Punjabi, Hindi, and English versions; I read them in that sequence. I’m glad I did that, for I found the Punjabi nazm far superior to the Hindi and the English translations. Even with the author herself translating, the limitations of translation are evident.

Translation involves inescapable transmission loss; language is a vehicle of a culture rooted in geography and time; a different language cannot capture all the nuances of the original text, its earthy flavour, its proverbs, and words and phrases dripping with cultural memory.

Poetry is, truly, untranslatable. Translation will always be inadequate, at best an approximation of the original. Even Amrita Pritam’s own translation cannot fully capture the heart-rending horror, the searing sorrow, and the pathos of the original nazm.

Just one example will suffice to illustrate the limitations of translation:

The following line in Punjabi-

सने डालियां पींग आज्ज, पिपलां दित्ती तोड़

has been thus translated by the poet herself-

Hindi

हर पीपल से टहनियां टूट गई जहां झूलों की आवाज़ आती थी...

English

Branches heavy with swings,

cracked from peepul trees

In the Punjabi version, Peepul severs her own arms along with the swing she is cradling; the translations do not capture the heart-wrenching agony of the original!

Why merely read the poem, when amazing recitals by the author, and by Gulzar are available on YouTube? I played Gulzar’s recital more than once. The poem I had read came alive in Gulzar’s evocative recitation. Only a kindred soul, a poet, could recite it with such empathy.

The links are given in the endnotes.[vi]

What is special about this poem?

In this poem, the poet-narrator suffers the trauma of Partition- she sings, sighs, sobs, weeps, wails, mourns, stutters, sobs, chokes; and the readers suffer vicariously the unbearable agony of Partition through the power of her poetry. Ajj Aakhan.. is a poem that presents a live telecast of the breaking news, as it were, long before the age of TV; almost like Sanjay giving to Dhritarashtra a blow-by-blow account of the horrible fratricide in the Mahabharata.

Quaido’s malice, hate, villainy, and poison killed Heer and Ranjha; but the lovers were resurrected by Waris Shah, the Sufi-Singer-Saint, the Balladeer of the Broken-Hearted (दर्दमंदा देया दर्दिया).

Why sing of sorrow?

Those who have suffered the trauma of Partition physically or vicariously are condemned to carry on the burden of living with a dagger permanently lodged in their heart and soul that no surgeon can remove; but the soul sprouts a song to share and lessen the sorrow. That makes the pain bearable and life liveable. Song is a balm that soothes the many scars with painful memories bubbling under them.

Song of Hope

This sad song, a mournful dirge, is ringfenced, as it were, with hope. The opening and concluding stanzas are like Amrita Pritam’s red shawl which she tore into two to protect her two kids from the biting cold when migrating from Lahore to Dehradun.  

Opening Stanza

आज्ज आखां वारिस शाह नूं

कित्थे कबरां विचों बोल ते आज्ज किताबे ईश्क दा

कोई अगला वर्का फोल

Concluding Stanza

आज्ज आखां वारिस शाह नूं

कबरां विचों बोल ते आज्ज किताबे ईश्क दा

कोई अगला वर्का फोल

In these stanzas, the poet solicits Waris to arise from his grave and usher in a new refrain in his immortal song of love. That is a mannat for a miracle! A song to soothe the suffering souls.

बोलो अमृता

Speak Amrita…

Sing a new refrain in the saga of love…

softly play the flute of love…and

vanquish the venom

spreading all over the world.

बोलो अमृता… गाओ…

एक नया तराना छेड़ो…

प्यार की एक फूँक से

दुनिया में फैल रहे ज़हर को काटो।

~~~

Comments

Anshu

Dear Prasanna,
I teared up last night with the beauty of your piece and the memory of my own mother's nostalgia for Jhang, the land of Heer-Ranjha. 
Your lyrical prose has surpassed itself this time! Comparing the trauma of partition to amputation without anaesthesia is just brilliant and utterly apt. Your words brought back to me my parents' recall of the Partition and their own days as refugees in Dehradun before my father landed a job - in Dibrugarh! 
Both my parents hailed from Jhang, and my mother's favourite music was Waris Shah's Heer, sung by the legendary Asa Singh Mastana. Obviously, it never held the same appeal for me while I was growing up. But as the years have gone by, I see and understand her rootedness and her refusal to let any other music dislodge Mastana's rendering of Waris Shah's Heer from the top of her chart.
Of course I had read Ajj Aakhan... before and heard Gulzar recite it. But it's your piece that has made me truly appreciate its meaning and its pathos. Likening it to Sanjay's account in the Mahabharata is a mind blowing idea! A few months ago, I visited the Partition Museum in Amritsar, and the impact left me reeling. I felt much the same last night as I read Amrita Pritam's words coupled with your tribute.
Thank you, Prasanna 
Warmly,
Anshu.

Anjuly

My parents came through the partition. My mother (who came in just in time) served in the Gandhi Vanita Ashram for rescued women in Jalandhar. Although our parents protected us from the worst they had seen and heard, we still got to hear some horrifying stuff. 

Amrita Pritam’s poem is a cry from an anguished heart.

Inter DPS Punjabi Language Festival 2024

DPS, Amritsar organised the event on 24 Aug 2024 to commemorate the 105^th Birth Anniversary of Amrita Pritam. On this occasion, I spoke to the students and teachers. DPS Amritsar has shared a link for my speech:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/101ke4z-iHM9u_vnwQwmwf06qlFwMkCoX?usp=sharing

~~~

(Part II)

(Ajj Aakhan.. Original Punjabi poem & Hindi and English Translations by Amrita Pritam)

Punjabi Text in Devnagari*

वारिस शाह नूं

आज्ज आखां वारिस शाह नूं
कित्थे कबरां विचों बोल ते आज्ज किताबे ईश्क दा
कोई अगला वर्का फोल

इक रोई सी धी पंजाब दी तूं लिख लिख मारे वैण

आज्ज लखां धिया रोंदियां तैनूं वारिस शाह नूं कैण

उठ दर्दमंदा देया दर्दिया उठ तक्क अपना पंजाब

आज्ज वेले लाशा विछियां ते लहू दी भरी चिनाव

किसे ने पंजा पाणियां विच दित्ती जहर रला

ते उणा पाणियां धरत नूं दित्ता पानी ला

इस जरखेज जमीन दे लू लू फुटिया जहर

गिट्ठ गिट्ठ चड़ियां लालियां ते फुट फुट चड़िया कहर

 उहो वलिसी वा फिर वण वण वगी जा

 उहने हर इक बांस दी वंजली दित्ती नाग बना

 नागां किल्ले लोक मूं, बस फिर डांग्ग ही डांग्ग,

 पल्लो पल्ली पंजाब दे, नीले पै गये अंग,

 गलेयों टुट्टे गीत फिर, त्रखलों टुट्टी तंद,

 त्रिंझणों टुट्टियां सहेलियां, चरखरे घूकर बंद

 सने सेज दे बेड़ियां, लुड्डन दित्तीयां रोड़,

 सने डालियां पींग आज्ज, पिपलां दित्ती तोड़,

 जित्थे वजदी सी फूक प्यार दी, ओ वंझली गयी गवाच,

 रांझे दे सब वीर आज्ज भुल गये उसदी जाच्च

 धरती ते लहू वसिया, कब्रां पइयां चोण,

 प्रीत दिया शाहाजादियां अज्ज विच्च मजारां रोन,

 आज्ज सब्बे कैदों* बन गये, हुस्न इश्क दे चोर

 आज्ज कित्थों लाब्ब के लयाइये वारिस शाह इक होर

~~~

*(Source: वारिस शाह नूं - अमृता प्रीतम - आईना (hindireport.in)

~~~

Ajj Aakhan Waris Shah Nu (1948)

To Waris Shah

(Translated by Amrita Pritam)

Speak from the depths of the grave

to Waris Shah I Say

and add a new page of the saga of love

today.

Once wept a daughter of Punjab,

your pen unleashed a million cries

a million daughters weep today,

to you Waris Shah they turn their eyes.

Awake, decry your Punjab,

O sufferer with those suffering!

Corpses entomb the fields today

the Chenab is flowing with blood.

Mingled with poison by some

are the waters of five rivers,

and this torrent of pollution,

unceasingly covers our earth.

And heavy with venom were the winds,

that blew through the forests

transmuting into a snake,

The reed of each musical branch.

With sting afters ting did the serpents

suppress the voice of people.

A moment so brief and the limbs of Punjab turned blue

Threads snapped from their shuttles

and rent the songs at their throats

Silenced was the spinning wheel’s hum,

severed from their gatherings, the women.

Branches heavy with swings,

cracked from peepul trees

boats laden with trappings

loosened from anchors to sink.

Despoilers of beauty and love,

each man now turned a Kedu*

where can we seek for another

like Waris Shah today?

Only you can speak from the grave,

to Waris Shah I say

add another page to your epic of love today.

 ~~~

*Or Qaidon – The uncle of Heer, the villain in Waris Shah’s love story who got her to eat the poisoned sweets.

~~~

Ajj Aakhan Waris Shah Nu

(Hindi Translation by Amrita Pritam: Source- Aksharo Ke Saye)

उठो वारिस शाह—

कहीं कब्र में से बोलो और इश्क की कहानी का — कोई नया वरक खोलो...

पंजाब की एक बेटी रोई थी

तूने लंबी दास्तान लिखी

आज तो लाखों बेटियां रोती हैं तुम्हें—वारिस शाह से—कहती हैं...

दर्दमंदों का दर्द जानने वाले उठो! और अपना पंजाब देखो!

आज हर बेले में लाशें बिछी हुई हैं

और चनाब में पानी नहीं ...अब लहू बहता है...

पांच दरियाओं के पानी में यह ज़हर किसने मिला दिया

और वही ज़हर का पानी खेतों को बोने सींचने लगा...

पंजाब की ज़रखेज़ ज़मीन में वही ज़हर उगने फैलने लगा

और स्याह सितम की तरह वह काला ज़हर खिलने लगा...

वही ज़हरीली हवा वनों–वनों में बहने लगी

जिसने बांस की बांसुर– ज़हरीली नाग—सी बना दी...

नाग का पहला डकं मदारियों को लगा और उनके मत्रं खो गए...

फिर जहां तहां सब लोग– ज़हर से नीले पड़ने लगे...

देखो ! लोगों के होठों से एक ज़हर बहने लगा

और पूरे पंजाब का बदन नीला प़डने लगा...

गले से गीत टूट गए

चर्खे का धागा टूट गया

और सखियां — जो अभी अभी यहां थी जाने कहां कहां गई...

हीर के मांझी न — वह नौका डुबो दी जो दरिया में बहती थी

हर पीपल से टहनियां टूट गई जहां झूलों की आवाज़ आती थी...

वह बांसुरी जाने कहां गई जो मुहब्बत का गीत गाती थी

और रांझे के भ़ाई बंधु बांसुरी बजाना भूल गए...

ज़मीन पर लहू बहने लगा—

इतना—कि कब्रें चूने लगीं

और मुहब्बत की शहज़ादियां मज़ारों में रोने लगीं...

सभी कैदों में नज़र आते हैं हुस्न और इश्क को चुराने वाले

और वारिस कहां से लाएं हीर की दास्तान गाने वाले...

तुम्हीं से कहती हूं–वारिस! उठो! कब्र में से बोलो

और इश्क की कहानी का कोई नया वरक खोलो...

~~~

• Sansad TV: Ek Thi Amrita- https://youtu.be/jyng88pcU7g
• Aksharo Ke Saye (Hindi Edition) by Amrita Pritam
• Kavitakosh.org

---

[i] Mein Tenu Pher Milangi- a poem Amrita wrote for her soulmate, Imroz; recital by Gulzar: https://youtu.be/B6sxT3aGv68

[ii] Link for Pinjar: https://youtu.be/vtapCrARMZk?si=ircXR4zm6RRp_vb7

[iii] Quaido was Heer’s uncle who murdered her by poisoning her food.

[iv] Source: Pritam, Amrita. Aksharo Ke Saye (Hindi Edition), Rajpal & Sons. Kindle Edition. English translation of the quoted para is by this blogger.

[v] Here are some of the most celebrated works by renowned authors on the Partition of India and Pakistan:

1.       “Train to Pakistan” by Khushwant Singh - This novel vividly depicts the horrors and human tragedies of the Partition through the story of a small village on the border of India and Pakistan.

2.       “Tamas” by Bhisham Sahni - A powerful narrative that portrays the communal violence and chaos during the Partition, based on Sahni’s own experiences.

3.       “Ice-Candy-Man” (also known as “Cracking India”) by Bapsi Sidhwa - This novel provides a child’s perspective on the Partition, capturing the innocence lost amidst the turmoil.

4.       “Midnight’s Children” by Salman Rushdie - While not solely about the Partition, this Booker Prize-winning novel intertwines the story of India’s independence and Partition with magical realism.

5.       “Pinjar” by Amrita Pritam - A poignant tale of a Hindu woman abducted during the Partition, exploring themes of identity, trauma, and resilience.

6.       “The Shadow Lines” by Amitav Ghosh - This novel delves into the impact of Partition on individuals and families, spanning across generations and geographies.

7.       “A Bend in the Ganges” by Manohar Malgonkar - A gripping story that captures the violence and upheaval during the Partition, focusing on the lives of two friends caught in the conflict.

These works offer profound insights into the human experiences and historical complexities of the Partition.

(Source: CoPilot)

[vi] Recital by Amrita Pritam: https://youtu.be/aFkKOr08-jw?si=kACTBm7lKphcfIqA

Recital by Gulzar: https://youtu.be/rBvFabOMPVs?si=7WIOIoetB9YdViVp

 

Kohinoor: The Cursed Diamond?

The tour manager handed over the entry tickets to the tourists and announced:

“Please pay attention. Indian tourists visit Paris to meet Monalisa at the Louvre, and London- for a selfie with Amitabh Bachchan at Madame Tussaud’s, and this Tower Museum for the privilege of proximity with the Kohinoor at a kissing distance! Beware, you are prohibited to kiss, touch, or click a photo inside the museum.

Don’t miss it. It is among the Crown Jewels collection. When you reach the section exhibiting the most precious jewels with two conveyor belts on either side, take the belt to your right for better visibility. Kohinoor is at the end, set in the cross at the front on the Queen’s Crown. Do not fret if you miss to spot it, you may step onto the belt once again, or climb up two stairs to watch it from a little elevation.

(Queen Mother's Crown with Kohinoor embedded, Image Source: Smithsonian Magazine)

How could the tourists miss the Koh-i-Noor (Mountain of Light) with such detailed tips? Among the thrilled tourists were an amateur historian and a pundit on India’s puranas who continued to discuss the history and legacy of the Kohinoor for a few hours after the museum visit.

“Kohinoor is none other than the fabled Syamantaka mani[i] mentioned in Srimad Bhagavata. In Kali yuga, the mani had passed on from Utkala-Kalinga to the Vijayanagara empire from which the Mughals plundered it and renamed it,” said the purana expert.

“But that’s mythology, not history.”

“Our puranas are called itihasa, meaning ‘thus it happened,’ and therefore, historical.”

“Is that one of the arguments offered by India claiming ownership and repatriation of the diamond?”

“Not sure, but they must cite it.”

“UK claims it has legally obtained Kohinoor.”

“That’s the height of sophistry. Wasn’t Maharajah Dalip Singh only seven years old when he was coerced to sign the Treaty of Lahore in 1846, and ten years old when he ‘gifted’ Kohinoor to the British at the Lahore Durbar on March 29, 1849? And why did the British overrule Maharajah Ranjit Singh’s last will and testament gifting the Kohinoor to Lord Jagannath of Puri? What if it was an oral will, didn’t it have the same validity and force as a written and registered will?”

Maharajah’s Last Wish

Sensing that his end was near, Maharajah Ranjit Singh summoned Dhyan Singh, his wazir, and the treasurer of the toshkhana, and instructed them to donate many jewels including the Kohinoor to Jagannath temple of Puri. Knowing that his end was near, the wazir and the treasurer promised to comply with his orders, but didn’t.

Why did the Sikh Maharajah donate this precious diamond to a Hindu god? Hoping for a miracle to save his life, or to return the precious stone to Jagannath, the Ruler of Utkala-Kalinga (with the Gajapati King as His First Servant), and owner of Kohinoor, an alluvial diamond possibly found in the Kollur mines of river Krishna, or in Hirakud at the confluence of Mahanadi and Ib?

Kohinoor: A Cursed Diamond?

As recently as 2016, India has reiterated its demand for the repatriation of the Kohinoor from UK, but the present status of India’s claim is unknown. Has UK summarily rejected it, ignored it, or constituted a committee to consider it after due deliberations by its civil servants whose exceptional competence is known to all the world through Yes Minister?

Is the Kohinoor auspicious or cursed; is it famous or infamous? It depends on who is replying to the query. At present, the British have it, as a prized possession, a symbol of their past glory even though the Empire in which the sun never set is dead and gone. India wants it since it is a product of India and an emblem of its wealth and eminence prior to the colonial plunder. For the Encyclopaedia Britannica, it is the world’s ‘most famous;’ and for authors Dalrymple and Anand, it is ‘world’s most infamous’ diamond.

Notably, during the coronation of King Charles III on May 6, 2023, Queen Camilla wore a newly-designed crown, and not the crown embedded with the Kohinoor which Queen Elizabeth wore during her coronation in 1936. Was that to ward off the evil eye or to avoid diplomatic problems with India?

Were the British very superstitious or sensitive, they would have long since sent back the Kohinoor to India or Pakistan or Iran or Afghanistan, each of which has claimed ownership of the precious diamond. Cunning as they are, they could have even devised a formula for rotating ownership based on several critical parameters such as place of origin, duration of ownership, and legal title.

Why should UK give back the precious diamond? Because, possession of Kohinoor is invariably followed by a series of misfortunes as is evident from history.

The British summoned the Lahore Durbar on March 29, 1849 and proclaimed annexation of the Punjab to the Empire. Maharajah Dalip Singh, the ten-year old boy-king, was made to hand over the Kohinoor to the British. A gift at the point of a bayonet, as author Anita Anand calls it.

What happened to the East India Company (EIC), the United Kingdom and the monarchy after the acquisition of Kohinoor?

India’s First War of Independence in 1857 surprised and shocked the British, and the administration of India passed from EIC to the Crown; thus commencing the decline in the fortunes of EIC leading to its demise in the future. UK was devasted by World War I and II. In 1922, Ireland seceded from UK and became an independent country. In 1936, King Edward VIII abdicated the throne. In 1947, UK lost India, its Crown Jewel. In 1956, UK was humiliated in the Suez Crisis. In 1997, the British Empire finally ended with the handing over of Hongkong to China. In 1996, Prince Charles and Princess Diana divorced; the royal ‘affairs’ diminished the monarchy; and the Peoples’ Princess met a tragic death in 1997.  Sanjiv Mehta, an Indian entrepreneur acquired the East India Company (EIC) in 2015. An ironical reverse-colonisation! UK quit the European Union in 2020, and is still struggling with the adverse economic impact of Brexit. Rishi Sunak, a grandson of Punjab became UK’s PM and moved into 10, Downing Street in 2022.

Lest it be condemned as a gravedigger’s morbid list, it is asserted that each event mentioned above is historical and verifiable.[ii]

Has the Kohinoor brought in prosperity to UK? Possibly not. Is the diamond a curse? The British are still mulling over the matter. However, to protect the country and the monarchy and the Tower of London, they have appointed six guardian Ravens to ward off the evil eye.[iii]

Kohinoor before 1849

Did the Kohinoor bring prosperity to its possessors before 1849? Consider the following events.

Shah Jahan got Kohinoor embedded in the Peacock Throne, but his own son deposed him and incarcerated him in the Agra Fort. After eight years in jail and solitude, he died a broken man.

The mighty Mughal empire was humiliated when Nadir Shah seized and plundered Delhi, and returned to Iran with the prized war trophies- the Peacock throne and the Kohinoor.

Following an assassination attempt on his life, Nadir Shah suspected his eldest son of complicity in it and blinded him.

Nadir Shah was assassinated by his own people. After his death, Kohinoor fell into the hands of his general, Aḥmad Shah, founder of the Durrani dynasty of Afghans.

Ahmad Shah’s descendant Shah Shoja, when a fugitive in India, was forced to surrender the stone to Maharajah Ranjit Singh.

After the death of Maharajah Ranjit Singh in 1839, his successors- Kharak Singh, Nau Nihal Singh, and Sher Singh- died during a brief and bloody period of four years (1839-1843).[iv]

Moral of the Story

Jewels and diamonds may be objects of desire and prized possessions but do not guarantee prosperity for the possessor.  Syamantaka, the fabled auspicious mani, did not save Krishna from death by a hunter’s arrow, and the Yadava clan from total annihilation. Diamond engagement rings do not make marriages indestructible, nor guarantee togetherness ‘till death do us part.’

Born in India, a hundred kilometres or more in the womb of the earth, pushed up by volcanic eruptions, and excavated by a river; Kohinoor may or may not be auspicious, but its restless movement across empires and geographies is notable. Possessed temporarily by empires dead and gone- Utkala-Kalinga, Vijayanagar, Mughals, Shah of Iran, Afghanistan, and Lahore; it’s only a question of time before Kohinoor decides to travel again, from London to Delhi to Puri.

Empires are not forever, nor are diamonds.

***

Resources & References

·      Fall of the Kingdom of Punjab – Khushwant Singh

·      Kohinoor: The World’s Most Infamous Diamond by William Dalrymple and Anita Anand, published by Juggernaut!

·      Encyclopaedia Britannica

·      The Last Queen by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

·      Srimad Bhagavat (Odia) by Jagannath Das

·      Krsna by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

·      Discourses on Srimad Bhagavata by Swami Tejomayananda

·      Co-Pilot, Meta AI, archive.org

·      Link for image of Queen’s Crown set with Koh-i-Noor: https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/history-and-stories/the-crown-jewels/#gs.cybh3e

The True Story of the Koh-i-Noor Diamond—and Why the British Won't Give It Back | Smithsonian (smithsonianmag.com)

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[i] Syamantaka Mani

The Sun god gifted it to Satrajit (a Yadava in the city of Dvaraka) whose brother Prasen wore it during a hunt, was killed by a lion which was killed by Jambavant (the ancient Bear-General of Sriram in the Lankan war) who gave the mani to his child to play. To retrieve the gem, Krishna wrestled for 28 days with Jambavant who realised that Krishna was Vishnu and gifted his daughter in marriage with the mani as an accompanying gift. Krishna gave it back to Satrajit who gifted his daughter Satyabhama in marriage to Krishna and the mani as an accompanying gift. Satadhanva killed Satrajit and snatched the mani. Fearing Krishna’s wrath, he gave the mani to Akrura before running away. Krishna chased and killed Satrajit.

Thus, Syamantaka, too, had a gory legacy.

 

[ii] Events related to Kohinoor (1846-2022):

1846: The British won the First Anglo-Sikh War (1845-1846). Maharajah Dalip Singh, aged seven years, was made to sign the Treaty of Lahore.

1845-1852: The Great Famine of Ireland, aka The Great Hunger. The worst year was 1847. More than one million people perished from starvation.

1857: India’s First War of Independence which the British choose to call the Sepoy Mutiny. The vehemence of the upsurge to drive away the firangs caught them by surprise.

1914-1918: World War I devastated UK’s economy. The country lost 7.15 men in the war, 10 per cent of its domestic assets and 25 per cent of its global assets.

1922: Ireland seceded from UK and became an independent country.

Dec 11, 1936: King Edward VIII abdicated the throne to marry the woman he loved.

1939-1945: England was devastated and enfeebled by World War II.

1947: The British Empire lost India, its Crown Jewel; but before quitting partitioned the country with disastrous consequences.

1956: Britain’s humiliation in the Suez Crisis confirmed its diminished status as a second-tier global power.

1996: Prince Charles and Princess Diana formally divorced on August 28, 1996 after four years of separation.

July 1, 1997: The End of the British Empire with the handing over of Hongkong to China.

2005: The East India Company was acquired by Sanjiv Mehta, an Indian entrepreneur who uses it for his luxury goods business, hoping to capitalise on the brand value of EIC!

January 31, 2020: Brexit- the UK officially left the EU.

October 25, 2022: Rishi Sunak became the Prime Minister of UK. His grandparents were from Punjab! Revenge of the Punjab Kingdom?!

 

[iii] Ravens of Tower of London:

At least six ravens must protect the Tower of London at all times. This tradition is based on the superstition that if the ravens ever leave the Tower, both the Crown and the Tower will fall. Currently, there are usually around nine ravens reside in the Tower premises, their expenses met from the Exchequer!

 

[iv] Events related to Kohinoor (17^th CE-1849):

Early 17^th century: Reign of Shah Jahan (1628-1658), the Golden Age of the Mughal Empire during which the glorious monuments- Taj Mahal, Moti Masjid, Jama Masjid, Red Fort, Agra Fort- were constructed, and the Peacock Throne was fabricated. Kohinoor was possibly the prized war-trophy from the Deccan conquest.

But Shah Jahan was dethroned by Aurangzeb, his son and incarcerated in Agra Fort from 1658 to 1666 when he died sad and miserable.

1739: The mighty Mughal empire was humiliated when Nadir Shah seized and plundered Delhi, and returned to Iran with the prized war trophies- the Peacock throne and the Kohinoor.

1741: Following an assassination attempt on his life, Nadir Shah suspected his eldest son of complicity in it and blinded him.

1747: Nadir Shah was assassinated by his own people. After his death Kohinoor fell into the hands of his general, Aḥmad Shah, founder of the Durrani dynasty of Afghans.

1813: Ahmad Shah’s descendant Shah Shoja, when a fugitive in India, was forced to surrender the stone to Maharajah Ranjit Singh.

1839: Death of Maharajah Ranjit Singh.

1839-1843: Death of successors to Maharajah Ranjit Singh- Kharak Singh, Nau Nihal Singh, and Sher Singh.

1846: The British win the First Anglo-Sikh war, and Maharajah Dalip Singh signs the Treaty of Lahore ceding Kashmir and the fertile Jullundhur Doab.

1849: The British win the Second Anglo-Sikh war, and Punjab is annexed to the British Empire.