Listen: Javed Akhtar on Democracy, Secularism and Dissent

In a time when poetry is alleged to be absent from Hindi films’ songs; poets like Sahir Ludhianvi (Kabhi kabhi mere dil mein khayal aata hai) , Kaifi Azmi (Waqt ne kia kya haseen sitam), Shakeel Badayuni (Chaudhavi ka chand ho) , Majrooh Sultanpuri (Khwab ho tum ya koi haqeeqat) are often missed. However, there are two poets whose names are taken in the same breath as these greats’ – Gulzar and Javed Akhtar.On the occasion of the latter’s birthday, The Quint presents a special podcast of his poem ‘Naya Hukmnama’ (The New Ordinance), and also parts of his farewell speech as an MP, he made in the Rajya Sabha two years ago.Here is the full poem:Kisi ka hukm hai saari hawayeinHamesha chalne se pehle batayeinKe unki samt kya hai.Hawaon ko batana yeh bhi hogaChalengi jab to kya raftaar hogiKe aandhi ki ijaazat ab nahi hai.Hamari ret ki sab yeh faseeleinYe kaghaz ke mehal jo ban rahe hainHifazat inki karna hai zaruriAur aandhi hai purani inki dushmanYe sab hi jaante hain.Kisika hukm haiDariya ki lehrein,Zara ye sarkashi kam kar lein apniHadd mein thehreinUbharna phir bikharnaAur bikhar kar phir ubharnaGalat hai unka ye hungama karnaYeh sab hai sirf vehshat ki alamatBaghavat ki alamatBaghavat to nahi bardaasht hogiYe vehshat to nahi bardaasht hogiAgar lehron ko hai dariya mein rehnaTo unko hoga bas chupchap behnaKisika hukm haiIs gulista’n meinBas ab ik rang ke hi phool hongeKuch afsar honge jo yeh tay karengeGulistan kis tarha banna hai kal kaYaqeenan phool yak-rangi to hongeyMagar ye rang hoga kitna gehra kitna halkaYe afsar tay karenge.Kisiko ye koi kaise batayeGulistaa’n meinKahin bhi phool yakrangi nahi hoteyKabhi ho hi nahi sakteKi har ik rang mein chhupkarBahut se rang rehte hainJinhone baagh yak-rangi banana chahe thayUnko zara dekhoKe jab ik rang mein sau rang zahir ho gaye hain towoh ab kitne pareshaa’n hainWoh kitne tangg rehte hainKisiko ye koi kaise batayeHawayein aur lehreinKab kisika hukm sunti hainHawayein hakimo’n ki mutthiyo’n mein,Hathkadi mein qaid-khano mein nahin ruktinYeh lehren roki jaati hainTo dariya kitna bhi ho pursukoonBetaab hota haiAur is betaabi ka agla qadamSailab hota hai.Kisiko ko ye koi kaise bataye-Javed AkhtarTranslation:Someone has decreedThat all the windsMust firstAnnounce their directionBefore blowingThe winds must first also informThat when they blow what would be their speedFor, storms are no longer permittedAnd all these ramparts that we have built of sandThese paper palaces that have been madeIt is important to protect themThe storm is their old foeAs everyone knowsSomeone has decreedThat the waves in the riverMust curb their rebellionThey must stay within their limitsTheir dashing and rising and dashing yet againOnly to riseIt is wrong of them to be so wilfulIt is nothing but a portent of madnessAn augury of rebellionA rebellion will not be toleratedThis madness will not be acceptedIf the waves want to stay in the riverThey must now flow quietlySomeone has decreedThat all the flowers will henceforth be of one colourThere will be some officers who will decideHow the gardens of tomorrow will take shapeCertainly the flowers will all be of one colourBut how deep the colour or how lightWill be decided by the officersHow is one to tell themThat in no garden anywhere are all the flowers of one colourThey cannot beFor, many colours live together hiding in one colourLook at the fate of those who haveTried to make their garden all of one colourSee how a hundred colours have seeped into a single colourHow troubled they areHow worried they lookHow is one to tell themWhen have the winds and the waves ever heeded anyone’s decreeThe winds do not stayIn the clenched fists of the rulersIn prisonsAnd in handcuffsWhen these waves are stoppedThe river, no matter how placidBecomes restlessAnd this restlessness is a step awayFrom a floodHow is one to tell them.(Translated from Urdu by Rakhshanda Jalil)In a recent interview on Kaifi Azmi’s centenary, Shabana Azmi didn’t think twice before taking her husband’s name on being asked if there is someone she feels capable of carrying Kaifi’s legacy forward.“You see Javed in many ways shares the same world view like his father Jaan Nisar Akhtar or my father. But what is interesting about Javed is that his expression is completely different. His expression is more modern, which holds himself accountable.”Shabana Azmi

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Listen: Javed Akhtar on Democracy, Secularism and Dissent

The Quint presents a special podcast of Javed Akhtar’s poem ‘Naya Hukmnama’ on his birthday.

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Topics: Shabana Azmi Javed Akhtar Secularism