Shared visions: Khushwant Singh and Fahmida Riaz 2/2
Concluding his piece he wrote “Our own record in protecting Muslim life and property is nothing to be proud of. Remember the adage — those who live in glass houses cannot afford to throw stones on others.”
Amazing to hear such a voice of sanity when merchants of sensationalism want to sell yet another acrimonious phase in Indo-Pak relations!
After reading this piece, I recalled another interesting article (published in November 2005) by KS - Voice of sanity. The highlight of that piece was a translation of a poem by the Pakistani poet Fehmida Riaz. The inimitable Fehmida Riaz, who is a favourite of mine, was disappointed during her stay in India with the growing trends of exclusion - an anathema to the plurality of India.
Naya Bharat (New India)
Tum bilkul hum jaisey nikley
Voh moorkhta, voh ghaamarpan
Aakhir pahunchi dwaar tumhaarey
You turned out to be just like us;
Similarly stupid, wallowing in the past,
You’ve reached the same doorstep at last.
Preyt dharma ka naach rahaa hai
Saarey ultey karya karogay
Tum bhee baithey karogey sochaa
Kaun hai Hindu, kaun naheen hai
Ek jaap saa kartey jao
Kitna veer mahaan tha Bharat
Your demon [of] religion dances like a clown,
Whatever you do will be upside down.
You too will sit deep in thought,
Who is Hindu, who is not.
Keep repeating the mantra like a parrot,
Bharat was like the land of the brave
