When Rabbi Shergill's composition
Bilqis (Jinhe Naaz Hain Hind Per) (Album Avengi Ja Nahin - Rabbi Shergill) hit the stands back in 2008; like the previous hit song
Bulla Ki Jaana it caught my uninterrupted attention. I just loved this song and would listen to it for hours and hours, did I hear why? Over the time the answer to whys have outnumbered the number of songs in the album but back then I loved it for three reasons one it was Punjabi(not that I am Punjabi but I love this language for its raw nature), second that the tune was catchy with loads of guitaring and third it had lyrics "Jinhe Naaz Hain Hind Per wo Kahan Hain" (This line would immediately pep me up). The lyrics of this song is what makes it special. It took me a while before I understood the lyrics completely and boy didn't my blood rush through the veins!! This song is a take on the communal violence and crime which has sadly become a daily ritual of modern India.
The song pays rich tribute to the modern martyrs who stood ground on their principles and fought until the last drop of the blood even if it meant costing them dear LIFE. In a melodious yet inspiring note, Rabbi sings out emotions of four of our unsung heroes in the quest for what they truly believed in (and died for).
Here goes the lyrics and the approximate translation:
मेरा नाम बिलकिस याकूब रसूल (My name is Bilqis Yakub Rasul)
मुझसे हुई बस एक ही भूल (Only one mistake did I make)
की जब ढूँढ़ते थे वो राम को (that when they were looking for Rama)
तो मैं खड़ी थी राह में (I was right there)
पहले एक ने पूछा, ना मुझे कुछ पता था (First, one asked me but I knew nothing)
दूजे को भी मेरा यही जवाब था (my answer was the same to another)
इतनो ने पूछा की, मेरा अब सवाल है की (So many asked me and now I ask)
जिन्हें नाज़ है हिंद पर वो कहाँ थे, जिन्हें नाज़ है वो कहा (Where are those who were proud of India, Where are they now who are proud)
Bilkis Bano is one of the victims of the riots which followed the Godhra train massacre. On March 3 (or February 28), 2002, she was
gang raped (Itno neh poocha Ki mera abb Saval Hai Ki) in Dahod district of Gujarat while she was five months pregnant. She also lost 14 relatives including her 3-year-old child, mother and 2 sisters. She is the sole witness to this incident. Bilqis reported it all to police, but the case was closed in January 2003. The police said that those responsible could not be found. In spite of the risks in taking the unusual step of speaking out, Bilqis continued to pursue justice for herself and her family. The case was closed due to lack of strong evidence but has reopened for further investigation and is still ongoing. The case was handled by the CBI, and was transferred to Mumbai court on the orders of the Supreme Court. 20 people have been accused in the case.
An excerpt of the real incident, courtesy TEHELKA:
Bilkis was raped on March 3, 2002. Soon after news of the post-Godhra violence reached Randhikpur village in Dahod district, Bilkis, who had been at her father Abdul Issack Ghanchi’s place, was traveling with her relatives from one village to another in search of a safe refuge. On the afternoon of March 3, a gang of 30 Hindu men — wielding sickles and swords — descended on the entourage of 17 near Pannivella village. Bilkis and her relatives knew most members of the gang since they were all from their village, Randhikpur. Fourteen of Bilkis’ family were murdered. Shailesh Bhatt, one of the accused, killed Bilkis’ 3-year-old daughter Saleha — smashing the infant’s head on the ground. Bilkis, five months pregnant and 19 years old, was raped by Jaswant Nai, Govind Nai and Naresh Kumar. She was left for dead. Regaining consciousness after two hours, she says in her deposition: “I found myself naked. I saw dead bodies of my family members lying around. I got frightened. I looked around for some cloth to cover myself. I found my petticoat... I was carrying fear in my heart. I felt that I was saved by God. I went sitting and squatting up the hill. As I proceeded, I saw the dead body of [my cousin] Shamim’s newborn daughter. Many dead bodies were there. I did not try to know whose dead bodies were lying there. I stayed at the top of the hillock the entire day and night…”
मेरा नाम श्रीमान सत्येन्द्र दुबे (My name Mr. Satyendra Dubey)
जो कहना था वो कह चुके (I have already said what I wanted to)
अब पढ़े हैं राह में (Now I lie on the road)
दिल में लिए इक गोली (with a bullet in my heart)
बस इतना कसूर की हमने लिखा था (My only fault was that I wrote)
वो सच जो हर किसी की जुबान था (the truth which was known to everyone)
पर सच यहाँ हो जाते हैं ज़हरीले (But the truth here is poisonous)
जिन्हें नाज़ है हिंद पर वो कहाँ थे, जिन्हें नाज़ है वो कहा (Where are those who were proud of India, Where are they now who are proud)
Satyendra Kumar Dubey was assassinated in November 2003 in Bihar due to his fight against corruption in the Golden Quadrilateral Highway Construction. A Foundation has been created in his name to fight corruption in India.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satyendra_Dubey
मुझे कहते हैं अन्ना मंजुनाथ (I am Manjunath, brother)
मैंने देखी भटकती एक लाश (I saw a corpse)
ज़मीर की बीच सड़क लखीमपुर खेढ़ी (in the middle of a road in Lakhimpur Kherhi)
आदर्श फसां जहाँ नारों में (where ideals are attached to campaigns)
और चोर भरे दरबारों में (and courts are filled with thieves)
वहां मौत अखलाक की है इक खबर बासी (there is stale news in death)
जिन्हें नाज़ है हिंद पर वो कहाँ थे, जिन्हें नाज़ है वो कहा (Where are those who were proud of India, Where are they now who are proud)
Shanmugam Manjunath (1978 Kolar-2005) was a marketing manager for the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) who was murdered for closing down two petrol stations in Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh, INDIA for selling contaminated fuel. His murder stirred an uprising among students at various Institutes including IIM and IIT and has led to setting up of the Manjunath Shanmugam Trust to fight this case as well as focus on governance in the public sector in India. While working for the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) in Lucknow, he had ordered two petrol pumps at Lakhimpur Kheri sealed for selling adulterated fuel for three months. When the pump started operating again a month later, Manjunath decided to conduct a surprise raid around November 19, 2005.
Having not heard from his son for three days, at around 9 that night, his father, M Shanmughan, had sent an SMS: “How are you?”. There was no reply because that very night, during his inspection, Manjunath had been shot dead. His body, riddled with at least six bullets, was found in the backseat of his own car, which was being driven by two employees of the petrol pump. Both were arrested and the main accused, pump-owner Pawan Kumar (‘Monu’) Mittal, was held on November 23 along with seven others.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanmughan_Manjunathमाझा नाऊ आहे नवलीन कुमार (My name is Navleen Kumar)
उन्नीस जून उन्नीस बार (June 19th, 19 times)
उन्नीस उन्नीस उन्नीस उन्नीस उन्नीस बार उन्नीस उन्नीस उन्नीस उन्नीस उन्नीस उन्नीस उन्नीस उन्नीस उन्नीस उन्नीस उन्नीस उन्नीस उन्नीस बार (19 times chanted ‘19’ times)
लूटो देहात खोलो बाज़ार (steal open markets)
नालासोपारा और विरार (Nalasopara and Virar)
छीनो ज़मीन हमसे, हमें भेजो पाताल (take away our land from us send us to hell)
जिन्हें नाज़ है हिंद पर वो कहाँ थे, जिन्हें नाज़ है वो कहा (Where are those who were proud of India, Where are they now who are proud)
Navleen Kumar was stabbed 19 times to death on June 19, 2002 as a response to her activist work for the land rights of tribal in Nalasopara, suburb in the outskirts of Mumbai. Her fight was mainly against various builders who had seized land of the tribal through fraud and terror.
http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl1916/19160370.htmThis beautiful song ends with the strumming of National Anthem ( Take note of the strumming of the Indian National Anthem in between the verses as well) and a RJ can be heard voicing
"And She wants to break up with her boyfriend", clearly magnifying the contrasting times we, the current generation live in. Our priorities are love, for ourselves, money, job etc which is not wrong but at the same time we have forgotten our duties, responsibilities towards our nation and government which have taken backseat. As I write this blog, I am as well sitting far away from my country in a foreign land, with a flame burning in my heart that someday soon I will serve my country with my blood and soul and make it a better place to live in. Amen. I hope everyone reading out there remembers this video for a long time and takes a oath to help India regain its lost glory, the ancient country known for its law abiding, peaceful and prosperous citizens.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiGSKT9m9SE
I would now like to sign off and sum the feeling beating in heart with a beautiful poem by Vivian Derozio (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Louis_Vivian_Derozio).
To India – My Native land
My country! In thy day of glory past
A beauteous halo circled round thy brow,
And worshipped as a deity thou wast.
Where is that glory, where that reverence now?
Thy eagle pinion is chained down at last,
And groveling in the lowly dust art thou:
Thy minstrel hath no wreath to weave for thee
Save the sad story of thy misery!
Well let me dive into the depths of time,
And bring from out the ages that have rolled
A few small fragments of those wrecks sublime,
Which human eyes may never more behold;
And let the guerdon of my labour be
My fallen country! One kind wish from thee!
- Henry Louis Vivian DerozioJAI HINDREFERENCES:
1. http://nehash.blogspot.com/2008/12/bilqis-our-unsung-heroes.html
2. http://bigbangbong.com/2008/08/24/jinhe-naaz-hai-hind-par-vo-kahan-hai/
3. http://kamotim.wordpress.com/2008/09/08/amazing-song-jinhe-naaz-hai-hind-par-woh-kahan-hai/
4. http://www.tehelka.com/story_main37.asp?filename=Ne020208bilkis.asp
5. http://syg.com/web/mstrust/manju/scmadmin/Home.php6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Louis_Vivian_Derozio
