Comments on: Visiting Dhaka- “We are strangers now?” http://www.razarumi.com/2007/03/31/visiting-dhaka-we-are-strangers-now/ In search of the unsearchable: O, my soul! where would you find your house? Sat, 06 Sep 2008 06:06:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Fariha http://www.razarumi.com/2007/03/31/visiting-dhaka-we-are-strangers-now/#comment-5026 Fariha Thu, 19 Jun 2008 08:08:59 +0000 http://razarumi.com/2007/03/31/visiting-dhaka-we-are-strangers-now/#comment-5026 Please share a link to this page on drishtipat. People on our side are always interested to know what Pakistanis think about us Please share a link to this page on drishtipat. People on our side are always interested to know what Pakistanis think about us

]]> By: amita singh http://www.razarumi.com/2007/03/31/visiting-dhaka-we-are-strangers-now/#comment-561 amita singh Sun, 15 Apr 2007 09:28:47 +0000 http://razarumi.com/2007/03/31/visiting-dhaka-we-are-strangers-now/#comment-561 A brilliant writing on peace, brotherhood and philosophy of culture within which our lives breathe.This is such an introspective journey inwards expressed by Raza in words coming straight from his heart.If only this broken, splintered and poisoned world had more Raza Rumis ???? sincere best wishes amita A brilliant writing on peace, brotherhood and philosophy of culture within which our lives breathe.This is such an introspective journey inwards expressed by Raza in words coming straight from his heart.If only this broken, splintered and poisoned world had more Raza Rumis ????
sincere best wishes
amita

]]> By: Global Voices Online » South Asia: DST, Agent MR-9, SAARC Car Rally, Tshechu ritual, Caste Practices, Driving and Piracy http://www.razarumi.com/2007/03/31/visiting-dhaka-we-are-strangers-now/#comment-562 Global Voices Online » South Asia: DST, Agent MR-9, SAARC Car Rally, Tshechu ritual, Caste Practices, Driving and Piracy Wed, 11 Apr 2007 11:34:57 +0000 http://razarumi.com/2007/03/31/visiting-dhaka-we-are-strangers-now/#comment-562 [...] and slow down the industry - thus allowing the local marine wildlife to flourish. Jahane Rumi travels to Dhaka and finds that Pakistanis are not unwelcome in Bangladesh (formerly a part of Pakistan) [...] [...] and slow down the industry - thus allowing the local marine wildlife to flourish. Jahane Rumi travels to Dhaka and finds that Pakistanis are not unwelcome in Bangladesh (formerly a part of Pakistan) [...]

]]> By: priya http://www.razarumi.com/2007/03/31/visiting-dhaka-we-are-strangers-now/#comment-563 priya Wed, 04 Apr 2007 10:32:33 +0000 http://razarumi.com/2007/03/31/visiting-dhaka-we-are-strangers-now/#comment-563 What a lovely post Raza.It is said the thought of paying apology to someone is asking for apology in His eyes.May our Beloved Lord accept that .Amen Amen....Praise the Lord. What a lovely post Raza.It is said the thought of paying apology to someone is asking for apology in His eyes.May our Beloved Lord accept that .Amen Amen….Praise the Lord.

]]> By: ashfruity http://www.razarumi.com/2007/03/31/visiting-dhaka-we-are-strangers-now/#comment-565 ashfruity Mon, 02 Apr 2007 10:09:54 +0000 http://razarumi.com/2007/03/31/visiting-dhaka-we-are-strangers-now/#comment-565 My dearest R, what a trip down nostalgia. Despite never having been to dhaka I have been mesmerized by Bengali music, its simplicity and innocence through Qurut-ul ain's novel Aker Shab kay Humsafar. I have this great desire to visit rural Bengal and the great sunderbaan forests and capture somehow its innocent beauty. South Asia really needs to move on from the shackles of its tragic history collectively and forge a new relationship paradigm built on shared values and traditions. keep up the good work Jeeves. My dearest R,

what a trip down nostalgia. Despite never having been to dhaka I have been mesmerized by Bengali music, its simplicity and innocence through Qurut-ul ain’s novel Aker Shab kay Humsafar. I have this great desire to visit rural Bengal and the great sunderbaan forests and capture somehow its innocent beauty.

South Asia really needs to move on from the shackles of its tragic history collectively and forge a new relationship paradigm built on shared values and traditions. keep up the good work Jeeves.

]]> By: Irum Ahsan http://www.razarumi.com/2007/03/31/visiting-dhaka-we-are-strangers-now/#comment-564 Irum Ahsan Mon, 02 Apr 2007 05:47:45 +0000 http://razarumi.com/2007/03/31/visiting-dhaka-we-are-strangers-now/#comment-564 It was a pleasure reading your piece on Dhaka Mr. Rumi. You have aggravated my quest to see Dhaka. I always felt that we, as Pakistanies, have a duty to pay our apology to them especially when I made these amazing friends from Bangladesh at Rishikesh, India who adored me as a Pakistani (I want to admit, I was ashamed as my ancestral history is not promising enough to earn their love rather the contrary). Your beautiful narration of Faiz’s poetry “hum kae tehrey ajnabi” gave me a new meaning altogether. I wonder how human psyche operates. We just give one message to our brain that this person is no more known and brain registers the message in complete ignorance of lifelong bond. We follow our brain and sit back in complete satisfaction till one day our thoughts are challenged by people like you. Thank you for bringing back the missing link that needs to be included in my life. It was a pleasure reading your piece on Dhaka Mr. Rumi. You have aggravated my quest to see Dhaka. I always felt that we, as Pakistanies, have a duty to pay our apology to them especially when I made these amazing friends from Bangladesh at Rishikesh, India who adored me as a Pakistani (I want to admit, I was ashamed as my ancestral history is not promising enough to earn their love rather the contrary). Your beautiful narration of Faiz’s poetry “hum kae tehrey ajnabi” gave me a new meaning altogether. I wonder how human psyche operates. We just give one message to our brain that this person is no more known and brain registers the message in complete ignorance of lifelong bond. We follow our brain and sit back in complete satisfaction till one day our thoughts are challenged by people like you. Thank you for bringing back the missing link that needs to be included in my life.

]]> By: No Longer a Stranger in Dhaka at Blogbharti http://www.razarumi.com/2007/03/31/visiting-dhaka-we-are-strangers-now/#comment-567 No Longer a Stranger in Dhaka at Blogbharti Sun, 01 Apr 2007 22:51:40 +0000 http://razarumi.com/2007/03/31/visiting-dhaka-we-are-strangers-now/#comment-567 [...] Longer a Stranger in Dhaka Published by bhupinder April 1st, 2007 in South Asia. Raza Rumi visits Bangladesh, 33 years after Faiz came back and wrote hum ke thehrey ajnabi… and discovers that he is not a  stranger [...] [...] Longer a Stranger in Dhaka Published by bhupinder April 1st, 2007 in South Asia. Raza Rumi visits Bangladesh, 33 years after Faiz came back and wrote hum ke thehrey ajnabi… and discovers that he is not a  stranger [...]

]]> By: Aamir Khawaja http://www.razarumi.com/2007/03/31/visiting-dhaka-we-are-strangers-now/#comment-568 Aamir Khawaja Sun, 01 Apr 2007 20:22:35 +0000 http://razarumi.com/2007/03/31/visiting-dhaka-we-are-strangers-now/#comment-568 Interesting reading! My own impression of Dhaka is not much different. The cycle rickshaws, I hear continue unabashed, despite some area restrictions imposed recently. The generation who lost some dear one would perhaps never forgive & forget, but an ordinary Bangladeshi does not relate to us with those "blood" bonds. I took time to go out to Ramna Racecourse Park, as it used to be called in the seventies, and where General Niazi signed the instrument of surrender. My hosts were amused when I expressed this desire. I had to explain to them that this site witnessed a major watershed in our history as a nation, and I do not want to shy away from it. I want to witness the place myself. There is now a podium and a small monument erected there. I felt some restored pride when President Musharraf, on his visit to Dhaka, apologised for excesses during that painful period. It is brave to seek forgiveness. I know of at least one person behind the President, who convinced him to do this ultimate act of statesmanship. We can be proud of his likes! Interesting reading! My own impression of Dhaka is not much different. The cycle rickshaws, I hear continue unabashed, despite some area restrictions imposed recently. The generation who lost some dear one would perhaps never forgive & forget, but an ordinary Bangladeshi does not relate to us with those “blood” bonds.

I took time to go out to Ramna Racecourse Park, as it used to be called in the seventies, and where General Niazi signed the instrument of surrender. My hosts were amused when I expressed this desire. I had to explain to them that this site witnessed a major watershed in our history as a nation, and I do not want to shy away from it. I want to witness the place myself. There is now a podium and a small monument erected there.

I felt some restored pride when President Musharraf, on his visit to Dhaka, apologised for excesses during that painful period. It is brave to seek forgiveness. I know of at least one person behind the President, who convinced him to do this ultimate act of statesmanship. We can be proud of his likes!

]]> By: Usman http://www.razarumi.com/2007/03/31/visiting-dhaka-we-are-strangers-now/#comment-570 Usman Sun, 01 Apr 2007 16:49:50 +0000 http://razarumi.com/2007/03/31/visiting-dhaka-we-are-strangers-now/#comment-570 About the ghazal and its temporal context (shaan e nazool), Sibte Hasan writes in his book "Sukhan der Sukhan", his personal account of his relationship with Faiz, that Faiz recited this ghazal at a formal gathering in Dhaka in 1974. The gathering was presided over by the then president of Bangladesh, Justice (R) Abdus Sattar. Faiz turned his face to address Justice Sattar while reciting the second couplet (kab nazar mein aaegi..). Justice Sattar -apparently well conversant in Urdu language language and with a penchant for poetry- responded abruptly in a deep breath "Faiz sahib! khoon kay dhabbey barsato~ say nahee~ dhultey" (blood stains do not wash away with rains). I tend to agree with the worthy justice. Not rains surely, but tears of repentence can perhaps provide a break. Raza, more than old bonds of friendship and brotherhood, I believe, it is the magnanimity of the aggrieved and admittance of the aggressor that is required to nurture the "spring of unstained green". Bangladesh as a society, have done their part. It is upto us now to take the act of admittance forward, which was initiated by General Musharraf when he "regretted" (at least verbally) the events of 1971. I wish and pray that no such "regrets" will be required from the future leaders because I can not vouch for the magnanimity of the future generations of Balochistan and FATA. About the ghazal and its temporal context (shaan e nazool), Sibte Hasan writes in his book “Sukhan der Sukhan”, his personal account of his relationship with Faiz, that Faiz recited this ghazal at a formal gathering in Dhaka in 1974. The gathering was presided over by the then president of Bangladesh, Justice (R) Abdus Sattar. Faiz turned his face to address Justice Sattar while reciting the second couplet (kab nazar mein aaegi..). Justice Sattar -apparently well conversant in Urdu language language and with a penchant for poetry- responded abruptly in a deep breath “Faiz sahib! khoon kay dhabbey barsato~ say nahee~ dhultey” (blood stains do not wash away with rains). I tend to agree with the worthy justice. Not rains surely, but tears of repentence can perhaps provide a break.

Raza, more than old bonds of friendship and brotherhood, I believe, it is the magnanimity of the aggrieved and admittance of the aggressor that is required to nurture the “spring of unstained green”. Bangladesh as a society, have done their part. It is upto us now to take the act of admittance forward, which was initiated by General Musharraf when he “regretted” (at least verbally) the events of 1971.

I wish and pray that no such “regrets” will be required from the future leaders because I can not vouch for the magnanimity of the future generations of Balochistan and FATA.

]]> By: Sharique http://www.razarumi.com/2007/03/31/visiting-dhaka-we-are-strangers-now/#comment-571 Sharique Sun, 01 Apr 2007 13:36:29 +0000 http://razarumi.com/2007/03/31/visiting-dhaka-we-are-strangers-now/#comment-571 Moving ahead forgetting past woes in indeed a positive sign. I haven't visited Bangladesh so far but I am too desperate to visit it as well as Pakistan :). Moving ahead forgetting past woes in indeed a positive sign. I haven’t visited Bangladesh so far but I am too desperate to visit it as well as Pakistan :).

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