Fellow Decent Human Beings...

(A Translation)

Following is a translation of a poem by Sahir Ludhianvi: "Ae Sharif Insaanoen"

I find this poem to be deeply relevant to our times. Just when the majority of us is blaming the minority among us for criminal acts of terror caused by the militarists and suddenly believing in the words of "our" national politicians to cast doubts upon innocent people of another country, at a time when we Indians have become silent witnesses to cultural bans on Pakistanis, and even as racist communal elements in Bollywood such as Aadesh Srivastava or Abhijeet are gaining grounds; at a time when renowned artists like Ghulam Ali are being banned from entering India - whose people love him immensely, simply because suddenly some communal Hindu supremacist leaders are opposing any possible cultural exchanges with our neighboring nation; at a time when we are allowing a bunch of proven thugs - the politicians who we all know to be corrupt to the core every passing day, the politicians who have legitimized criminalization of politics in the land of the Buddha - are demanding across party lines to come up with draconic laws to silence resenting voices in India, at a time when ATS officer Karkare who was instrumental in uncovering the ugly masks of the terror from Hindu fundamentalists, has been killed, and has been converted into a hero by the very people he despised - such is a time then to question our conventional wisdom, and of our professed decency. 

Hence, some of Sahir’s verses needed to be translated for our times -

Shed our blood, or theirs
Lives lost are of human race 
War on the East or against the West
Casualty is troubled peace

Bomb our land, or across the borders
Afflicted are souls under construction
Homeless our people, or theirs
Suppressed is oppressed expression 

Tanks march across or in our lands
Leave Mother Earth barren stretch
Victory cry or vanquished sighs
Countless lives mourn the death

War itself the biggest crisis
What problem can it ever solve?
Seeds of hatred it perpetuates
What necessities will it absolve?

Hence, fellow decent humans,
Better if we avert these wars 
Ours and theirs – in all the lands
Better if candle of peace sparks

To prove our point of advancements
Do we need to flow their bloods?
To rid our houses of darkness
Do we need to set theirs on flames?

Wars we must differently showcase
Battlefield’s not the sole option
Humans also exhibit intelligence
Fanaticism not the only emotion 

Come, in this age of bitter darkness
Let us spark some lights of care
Those steps that foster peace and progress 
Let us consider some new thoughts to share

War, results of heartless barbarism
Peace, results of civilized progress
War, proud catch of power structure
Peace, humble heritage of humaneness

War, in the name of enslaved people
Peace, to promote socially just system
War, voiced by misguided zealots
Peace, for hapless masses supreme

War, a shameful occupation of few
Peace, for equity, prosperity for all
Fight the war, and the war-mongers
For peace, progressives everywhere

(Trans. by Saswat Pattanayak, Peoples' Poet, 2008)

Below reproduced is the original poem by Sahir Ludhianvi - 

“Ae Sharif Insaanoen”
Khoon apna ho ya paraaya ho
Nasl-e-adam ka khoon hai aakhir
Jung mashriq mein ho ki magrib mein
Amn-e-alam ka khoon hai aakhir

Bomb gharoen par giren ya sarhad par
Rooh-e-ta'amir jakhm khaati hai
Khet apne jalein ki auroen ke
Jis't faakoen se tilmilaati hai

Tank aage badhe ki peeche hatein
Kokh dharti ki baanjh hoti hai
Fatah ka jash'n ho ki haar ka sog
Jindegi mayatoen pe roti hai

 Jung to khud hi ek mash'ala hai
Jung kya mash'aloen ka ha'l degi
Aag aur khoon aaj bakhshegi
Bhookh aur eh'tiyaj kal degi

Is liye ae sharif insaanoen
Jung talti rahe to behtar hai
Aap aur hum sabhi ke aangan mein 
Shamaa jalti rahe to behtar hai

Bartari ke suboot ki khaatir
Khoon bahaana hi kya jaroori hai
Ghar ki taarikiyan mitaane ko
Ghar jalaana hi kya jaroori hai

Jung ke aur bhi toh maidan hai
Sirf maidaane kushtoen-khoon hi nahni
Haasil-e-jindagi khi'rad bhi hai
Haasil jindagi joonon hi nahni

Aao is tirabakht duniya mein
Fiqr ki roshni ko aam karein
Aman ko jinse taqbiyat pahunche
Aisi jung-oen ka ehtimam karen

Jung, baha'sat se barbiriyat se
Aman, tahaziboen irtika ke liye
Jung, magr-afreen shiyasat se
Aman, insaan ki baka ke liye

Jung aflaas aur gulaami se
Aman behtar nizm ke khaatir
Jung, bhatki huyi qiyaadat se
Aman, bewas aawam ke khaatir

Jung sharmaaye ke tas'loot se
Aman, jumhoor ki khooshi ke liye
Jung, jungoen ke falsafe ke khilaaf
Aman, pur'an jindagi ke liye