The Khichdi Blog

A fiction writer, an academician, a women’s rights activist, a noble soul and what not; these are the superfine elements that comprise the eminent personality of Professor Sughra Mehdi,  lovingly known as Sughra Aapa in Jamia community and among her near and dear ones. Those who have a slight acquaintance with the historical and cultural background of Jamia must be aware of her personality. For those having a deep sense of Urdu fiction, she was an institution and illuminant in Urdu fiction writing.

Sughra Aapa exhaled her last breath on the 17th of March in 2014 in Abid Villa, her Jamia Nagar residence. Apart from the million dollar memories she left behind, there is an invaluable treasure of literary work that she carried out throughout her active life, including about 35 books that she authored and compiled since her first novel published.

Syeda Imamat Fatima, who was later named Sughra Mehdi, was born on 8^th August 1937 at Qasba Badi in Bhopal district in the family of Syed Ali Mehdi, a sub inspector in Bhopal Police. Earlier years of her childhood passed in Bhopal. Later she returned to her ancestral town where she lived till the age of 10 and acquired primary education according to the local customs, mainly based on religious education and Urdu under the guidance of her grandfather. It was her 11^th year when she was brought to Delhi to Dr. Abid Hussain, her maternal uncle, who was one of the former most patrons of Jamia Millia Islamia, who worked altruistically for the development of the institution.

Sughra Mehdi acquired further education in Jamia Millia Islamia under the erudite guidance of her uncle and her aunt Dr. Saleha Abid Husain (famous Urdu writer and wife of Dr. Abid Husain). She pursued her graduation from Aligarh Muslim University. She did her M. Phil in Urdu from the University of Delhi. Later she did her PhD on the literary works of Akbar Allahbadi under the guidance of Prof. Gopi Chand Narang from Jamia Millia Islamia. After completing her PhD, she joined Jamia as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Urdu and later reached the rank of Professor and served her beloved institution with pride and dignity.

Sughra Mehdi had a keen interest in literature from a very early age. She recalls in an Interview given to Dr. Shagufta Yasmin few days before her demise, that it was her aunt, Dr. Saleha Abid Husain who ignited the spark of becoming a writer in her. She used to prophesy often that this girl will grow up to be an author. Her prophecy came absolutely true when Sughra Mehdi got her first story published in an Urdu monthly in 1951. Since her debut, Sughra Mehdi never looked back and kept publishing stories in reputed magazines and journals of that time. She won several awards for her stories during her student life. She came out with her first novel in 1972, ‘’Paa ba Joolan’’, that beautifully covers the problems of her contemporary women. It was awarded by the Uttar Pradesh Urdu Academy. Since then she has brought several promising titles, including her second novel “Dhund” and other books that she had complied. Not only fiction, but she also bestowed Urdu literature with her humour. She was born a great humourist too.The last book she authored was based on the culture and history of Jamia called “Hamari Jamia” published in 2014.

Sughra Mehid was very close to Quratul Ain Haider, the Aag ka Darya fame novelist. She often used to stay at her place during her visit to Delhi. Azra Raza a close friend of Sughra and niece of Dr. Saleha Abid Hussain, Sughra Mehdi’s aunt, narrates in her article while commemorating Qurratul Ain Haider, “She (Quratul Ain Haider) considered Sughra Mehdi as her friend and confidant (Aini Apa bestowed the title of “Musheer Fatima” on Sughra as Sughra is forever being solicited for practical advice by the young and old alike).” 

Though, Sughra Mehdi was not very much impressed by the writings of Quratul Ain Haider as she confessed in the interview given to Dr. Shagufta Yasmin.

Sughra Mehdi was a strong advocate of Jamia’s secular and liberal status. Even she expressed her disapproval of the environment of AMU in comparison to the atmosphere that Jamia provided to its students. Syeda Hameed, former member of the National Commission of Women and a close associate of Sughra Mehdi writes about her love for Jamia, “Whether it was the backlash after the publication of Salman Rushdie’s Satanic Verses or, decades later, the incident at Batla House, Sughra Mehdi defended Jamia Millia as a secular and a liberal institution opposed to all colours of fundamentalism. She lashed out against those who for their vested interests marred the beautiful face of her alma mater, leading to the hateful perception outside.”  She further writes, “She had lived and breathed in an institution that symbolised the philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore that enjoined the opening all the doors and windows of one’s mind so that winds could blow in from every direction. Jamia welcomed children of every religion and community, and allowed them to freely practice their faith.” She could never ever bother to tolerate anything false said about her loved institute.

Though her demise declares the end of a golden era of Urdu fiction, but her work and the memories associated with her will always remain afresh in the minds of her admirers and her fellow workers. She was a gem for the entire Jamia community, a woman who was considered bitter and blunt in her expression, but everyone wanted to meet her, talk to her and she was always there to help them with her arms wide opened. Jamia community will never be able to fill the space left by her death. She was a living legend.

Notes:

1) Dr. Shagufta Yasmeen, Prof. Sughra Mehdi Se Guftugu, Ajkal (Urdu),  July 2014, pg 7-10.

2) Nigar Azeem, Ek Bagh o Bahar Shakhsiyat – Sughra Mehdi, Ajkal (Urdu).

3) Azra Raza, Aini Apa No More?, Outlook India, Web Version, August 2007

4) Syeda Hameed, Sughra Mehdi, a Friend and Fellow Traveler, caravandaily.com

(Published on Jamiajournal.com)

More than 100 years of glorious art and culture of Bihar, handicrafts and handloom , Madhubani Paintings, Sikki Craftwork, Bhagalpuri Silk and  very famous food items like Litti Chokha, malpua, makhana kheer, you can find it all at one place at Delhi's cultural hub, Dilli Haat.

Bihar is celebrating its 103rd foundation Day and the event is marked with the exhibition of Bihar's Cultural Heritage, its artwork, its food, folk music and Dance. Bihar Utsav, started from 22nd of March will last till 30th. You can enjoy cultural events everyday at 5:30 in the evening. 

Bihar is famous all over the world for Madhibani art. Though Madhubani or Maithila style of painting is practiced in the northern areas of India and Nepal also but, Bihar has a uniqueness in this style that no one competes.

You can also find Bhagalpuri Silk, Jute work from Patna and Sikki artwork from Madhubani at the exhibition.The exhibition will last till 30th of March. 

Apart from Handicrafts and handloom, Bihar is featuring its folk culture through Dance and Musical Events in the exhibition. The ehibition has enough material to attract the lovers of Artworks, Hadicrafts, Silk and Cotton of Bihar and elegant samples of Madhubani Art. 

Bhagat Singh, an atheist, an advocate of socialist reform of pre - independence Indian political and social system, was an extreme supporter of the prevalence of the Secular values amongst the masses of Indian nation who were channelized by narrow minded preachers of communalism and revivalistic mentality. Bhagat Singh and his associates always spoke against the mental set up followed by religious intolerance and narrowness of social entity based on religious disparity. The comrades of HSRA and Naujawan Bharat Sabha, both having concrete influence of Bhagat Singh and other mind like revolutionaries like Sukhdev, Bhagwati Charan Vohra, Kedar Nath Sahgal etc, always condemned communalism in strong words and considered it one of the obstacle in the path of freedom of the motherland. The ideology of all these revolutionaries that they cherished was depicted in all there words and actions. Following is and excerpt from the Manifesto of Naujawan Bharat Sabha when it came into existence in 1926, the manifesto reads,

"Religious superstitions and bigotry are great hindrance in our progress.
They have proved an obstacle i our way and we must do away with them. "The thing that cannot bear free thought must perish." The are many other such weaknesses which we are to overcome. The conservativeness and orthodoxy of the Hindus, extra-territorialism and fanaticism of the Mohammedans and narrow - mindedness of all the communities in general are always exploited by the foreign enemy (British Government)."

However, the revolutionaries were always criticized and mocked by these communal power due to their stand against religious narrow mindedness. This was the stringent policy of the revolutionaries to prevail communal harmony among the masses. India devoid of any social disparity based on religion or casteism was there dreamland and they gave away there lives for this noble cause.

                        Koi dam ka mehman hun ai ahl e mahfil
                          Charagh e sahar hun bujha chahta hun!
                                                                     - Allama Iqbal

This was one of the couplets along with others that Bhagat Singh scribed in his last letter written to his younger brother Kultar Singh on the 3rd of March 1931.
Bhagat Singh like many other youngsters of his era was fond of Urdu poetry, Mirza Ghalib was his favourite poet in the classics while  Iqbal in contemporary poets. Bhagat Singh often used to chant famous couplets of Ghalib when in a good mood. 
Urdu poetry was the voice of most of the youth at that time. It contained a lot of couplets that were the metaphors to the desires of revolutionaries. Ram Prasad Bismil's love for poetry and his poetic skills are well known. His song "Sarfaroshi ki Tamanna... " was the most loved composition among the revolutionaries. From the court room to the scaffold, this was the rendering that echoed in the extremity of its glory. 

(Source: bhagatsinghstudy.blogspot.com)

The famous author on Bhagat Singh Prof Chaman Lal has discovered a leaf that contains Bhagat Singh's favourite Urdu poetry in his own handwriting. There are various couplets of Mirza Ghalib and Iqbal including Ghalib's famous Ghazal 'Ye na thi hamari qismat.... ."  I am reproducing some of these couplets here to help those who are not acquainted with Urdu Script. 

The very first couplet written by him is from his favourite poet Mirza Ghalib and it reads, 

1) Ishrat- e -qatal gah, ehl- e -tamanna mat pooch
Eid nazara hai Shamsheer ka uryaan hona!

Some other couplets are as following, 

2) Kee mere qatl ke b'ad usne jafa se tauba

Haye us zood pasheman ka pasheman hona

3) Haif us char girah kapde ki qismat Ghalib

Jiski qismat mein ho aashiq ka gareeban hona

4) Hazrat e naseh gar aayen(awen) deeda o dil farsh e rah

Koi  mujhko ye to samjha do ki samjhayen(awen) gey kya

He has included some couplets of his favourite ghazal from Mirza Ghalib, "Ye na thi hamari qismat..."

Ye na thi hamari qismat jo (ki) wisal e yaar hota

Agar aur jite rahte yahi intezar hota

Tere wa'de per jiye hum to ye jaan jhoot jana

ki khushi se mar na jate agar aitbaar hota

Teri nazuki se jana ki bandha tha ahd e booda

Kabhi tu na tod sakta agar ustwar hota

Ye kahan ki dosti hai (ki) baney hain dost naseh

Koi charasaz hota koi ghamgusaar hota

Kahun kis se main ki kya hai shab e gham buri bala hai 

Mujhe kya bura tha marna agar ek baar hota

As mentioned above after Ghalib, Iqbal was his favourite poet in all the contemporary poets. It is known from certain facts that Bhagat Singh has adopted the slogan "Inquilab Zindabad" from Allama Iqbal but some say that this was originally coined by Hasrat Mohani. Bhagat Singh has written various couplets of Iqbal that he liked most. The Roman transcription of some the couplets is being produced for the facility of the readers.

1) koi dam ka mehman hun ai ahl e mahfil 

    Charagh e sahar hun bujha chahta hun

2) Achcha hai dil ke sath rahey pasban e aql 

    Lekin kabhi kabhi usey tanha bhi chhor de

3) Khuda ke ashiq to hain hazaron, banon mein phirte hain marey marey

    Main uska banda banunga jisko khuda ke bandon se pyar hoga

4) Main zulmat e shab mein le ke niklunga apne darmandah karwan ko

    Sharar fashan hogi aah meri , nafas mera sholbaar hoga

5) Na puchh Iqbal ka thikana abhi wahi kaifiyat hai us ki

    Kahin sar e rah guzaar baitha sitam kash e intezar hoga

Apart from this written record of Bhagat's favourite couplets and ghazals, there is string of stories narrated by his comrades showing his love for poetry and songs.