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Sunday, January 22, 2012

Sunday Surkhi-Islamic Welfare State

 Now, our friend Imran Khan has also started thinking of Islamic welfare state that he envisages in Pakistan. Same was the slogan of Bhutto and of Zia and I believe everybody else

 What remains to be understood what is the meaning of that term 'according to' who. I read somewhere that he in his speech said if the Scandinavians converted to Islam they would be better Muslims than us. I second it and wish to add that all the Western people if they convert they would be far better Muslims than all the existing Muslims of today--- Well, Maybe for some time and then they would learn from us------ and..........
 No, no, no
Please visit my Urdu blog at http://saugoree-bsc.blogspot.com/

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Sunday Surkhi-child-proof medicine bottles

 Last week I heard a long story (TV) of how medications bottles started saving lives of babies who would not know the difference between candies and dangerous tablets. There was no safety before but then in sixties (20th century) statistics developed  how many children get hurt even losing lives and  experiments were done how to make those bottles child proof. So these bottles you see these days came into being somewhere in 1973.  Curiosity and frailty, inability to see danger etc. were thus bypassed to produce safety measure, and of course it has been worth the trouble, since then.
 However for people of my age with arthritis etc. experience is opposite. I end up asking children (a bit grown) to help me open such bottles for me. Not much curiosity but frailty is back, haha.


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Saturday, January 14, 2012

HM Chiraghuddin Marhum - 3

 We shall go over his Political life  in this section and spend some time reflecting in the completely retired life before his death in the village Kotla.
    Most of the young Muslims who got Islamic teachings in Deoband mastered the art of speaking at the turn of the (20th) century as the most important thing for all Indians was to see their country free from the British empire. Indian National Congress was the first political party established (1885) which attracted most of the intelligentsia of India. Education amongst the Muslims was not common Madrissa Deoband induced many Muslim young men for joining such freedom movements. Mahmood-ulHassan and Hakim Ajmal Khan were well known Muslim leaders so their students, many of them were fired up with the enthusiasm. I suspect therefore that Mianji became interested and joined the movements (Indian National Congress) and must have developed the oratory power from that school, partly because it was the need of that day.  Muslim League was established in 1910 when Congress had already gotten established (from 1885).  Mianji also joined, at the national level, Jameeat-ul-Ulama-e-Hind. He must have worked hard to reach popularity giving him the position of provincial chairmanship of these national bodies. He belonged to that group of Ulama who supported Congress and he took part in all those local and general elections of these  parties. I remember slogans on the walls in Saugor written for he had at one time "yellow box" for voters, "Place your vote in the yellow box" (Peeli paitey main vote dalo) I am looking at and describing after four decades of his work. He had been jailed by the British Raj many times during his days of powerful speeches against the English and followed all the methods and philosophy of Gandhi. I am told one time Gandhi visited Saugor and my older brother (Bahijan Meraj) as a child had the priviledge of riding on Mr. Gandhi's shoulders, a gesture of friendliness toward the leader, "maulvi saheb". Since most of his previous adventures of fighting against the British must be similar. I shall describe the one I remember from my own experience.
   I was about 9 years old. Aug. 1942 Gandhi started the famous "quit India" movement against the British. Gandhi had several non-violent methods of "agitation" (This word was used by Mianji, I clearly remember, some English words he must have picked up in his  endeavors. He also knew Arabic but he was fluent in Urdu, Persian  and Hindi languages) Any way the whole India was in "agitation" (unsuccessful)   and one of the rallies that took place in our home town where Maulavi Saheb spoke as a leader of Congress party was witnessed by me which I vividly remember for obvious reasons.
 Jamia Masjid is in a central location and there was a large ground on its side where many buses and other motor vehicles traveling to and from the city would stand (kind of a makeshift bus stand  and in 2006  there was still some ground present during my visit) I could not see the stage because I could not even get to the Masjid so I was unable to see him or hear him. Crowds were gathered for his speech and he was known for fiery speeches eloquent, knowledgeable in Islam, Hinduism, Jainism and quoting other leaders freely he was able to excite the crowd's anger against the British. So after midday when many persons from the crowd attacked the Post office (government office) and put fire to it, brought down the lamp posts and wires, the main crowd was familiar with the results. The speaker will be arrested (the police Officer was well-known Sikh who we all considered our friend). He was there but the group of people had Maulavi saheb in the center of their circle so that no police could approach him. That continued till the evening. I had gotten home had my dinner and went to sleep when my mother woke us (all children)up. The police and Army came and our street was closed. Army announced curfew after 10 pm. Father was home and had already packed ready for the arrest. We were saying 'goodbye' to Mianji. Sure enough at 11 PM they knocked at our door.
 Next day appeared just usual for us but we kept hearing news which jail he was taken to etc. but a few months later he was brought to Saugor for court appearance and the judge was to announce the punishment after the hearing. They allowed the family to meet with him (for a couple of hours) outside the courts under a tree, I remember because it felt like picnic for me, outing with family, good food etc. He was given 2 years of jail. I did not read papers so I got to know his whereabouts from others who kept a track of what city he  went to. The movement continued unabated. I may remind you all that he being a "political Leader" the treatment in the jail was different according to the British law. They were well looked after and he being a physician always obliged the jailer and other officials so his respect while in the jail was only increased because after all they were Indians and all wanted to get rid of the British. In the society also our home suffering without father for two years had only increased his respect higher.
 He was sometime in Umraowti jail and some time in PachmaRi jail. (I have an article he wrote on Iqbal in this jail which is the only written thing from him, other than a book he had handwritten about Nabz or pulse) He was given meat well prepared by the jailers and their workers for the favorite prisoner, Maulavi Saheb. It was 1943 we were looking for his release from Jail. How did the family fare without him and the regular income. For some time Buddhoo Mian would run the clinic filling up his prescriptions from the dispensary so some income continued which as time passed it gradually decreased. I measure the financial strain from my breakfast. We were used to Paratha and Tea. At first the ghee started decreasing in the parathas; then it reduced to nil eventually and four five times a week meat reduced to vegetables and daal. We lived with these difficulties until he would be released. Ammanji (my mother) had the philosophy that she did not want her girls to be married in Perdesh (Lived for years in Central India but never felt it 'home'). So for that reason she had a two story house built in Kotla (ArabAli Khan) sometime in 1933 my birth year so we could have a house on return. My older sisters were getting of that age so migration was planned as soon as Mianji got out of Jail about 1943 Aug/September. He was greeted by crowds on release and garlanded "Maulavi Saheb Zindabad" before he got home. Jan or Feb 1944 the whole family transferred to Panjab by train (took 2and 1/2 days by train) and I traveled after finishing my 6th class exams in May '44. Maulavi Saheb became increasingly disappointed by many Congressmen's behavior and by 1945 he resigned from Congress on the basis that the principles of Congress are being trampled by some and 'Maha Sabha' element (BJP of today) was increasing as the partition of India got closer and his secretary Dr. Shukla replaced him as chairman. Shukla  was the first premier of Maddh pradesh after Partition. He did offer Maulavi saheb a position, out of respect, in his cabinet but Mianji refused as he was planning to leave Central India permanently. He did not Join Muslim league but basically retired from Politics and by 1948 retired from practice of medicine too. He traveled on 26th July 1947 to Panjab and that was the last safe train after which most trains traveling from  Indian side to Pakistan side were looted and Muslims massacred. On 14th of August he held a small gathering in the village Kotla and spoke to the villagers what that day meant (I had prepared the Pakistani flag myself) and what was Pakistan and that now Hindus and Sikhs living here are to be given your protection as you are the rulers the British are gone. Indian Government locked up our house until Mianji went back to Saugor, paid some money to the Government of India and took over the house where his sister (My Phoophijan) lived afterward until she died and then the house was donated to the local Jamia Masjid. Mianji  came back from India for the last time (1948) along with Kakkaji and was arrested in Kotla by "Azad Kashmir Forces"  as somebody complained that he was a past Congressman and now may be spying for India. He was taken by third day to Mirpur when he was presented to the Officer in charge and they realized their mistake and he was released as he told them that Nawab Siddiq Ali Khan (personal seceretary of Nawab Liaqat Ali Khan) knew him personally and  would vouch for him, if you call. That was his last 'arrest 'and he passed the rest of his life seeing patients without charge sitting in the sitting room of our village home. Many persons interested in politics would come to chat with him of whom I remember two. One was a young man from Murarian who became Highcourt Judge later and the other was the retired headmaster from Ladian the father of  Major Aziz Bhatti Shahid.  His skills as hakim were quickly realized by the surrounding villages so he was kept busy by patients who came to see the "siana" and that was my father's practice/life until his death with a stroke on 31st July 1957, just before my final results of MBBS were out, Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajeoon. During the two weeks before death Phoophijan and Shakir were able to come from India on his burial in Kotla ArbAli Khan. (There are other 'Kotlas" with different names, so I write full name here)


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Tuesday, January 10, 2012

HM Chiraguddin Marhum-2

   Leaving home at early ages for those youngsters who would not lend a hand to their fathers (at least in Panjab villages) for cultivation or farming, was not unusual. Mianji left, however, for education for Lahore with two anna piece (eight paisa) in his pocket. He spent his youth quite unknown to anybody pursuing his love of life the education of his choice. How he supported himself where did he sleep, eat etc. we have no information, except that somewhere in Anarkali such youngsters had some kind of lodgings. This daunting undertaking carried out by Mianji alone and neither I nor any of my older siblings ever heard from him mentioning anything about that period of his life, no suggestion how he passed his time and how he studied, what difficulties he faced, nothing. We are only told that, after schooling in Lahore he proceeded to Tibbia College Dehli graduating at the end of 19th century and then to Deoband madrasa graduating from that institution he had "Dastaar bandi"celebration in the year 1900, the green silk turban on a 'kullah'.
     By that time his father had married locally and settled in Saugor (CP) as the mother of Mianji had died back in Sahontra earlier and father decided not to go back to Panjab. There being no attraction in that small village Mianji decided to settle with his father in Saugor, starting his own clinic (Matab). He had learned great things from the two institutions he attended and all I see here is that he turned the 'family hobby' of using folk medicines (herbalist?) for villagers into a solid profession of medicine (Hakim) and more professional Islamic teachings (Imam masjid and teaching Qur'an etc.) being the family tradition he changed to 'hobby' if you will. Among his teachers in Dehli was the famous Hakim Ajmal Khan who was also known in national political circle and in Deoband Madrasa was the famed leader and Muhaddith Maulana MahmudulHasan, (Aseer-e-Malta) a political leader who infused the same spirit of independence and study of Qur'an into all his students and Mianji perhaps was more impressed because of the name resemblance with his own father.
 He started medical practice in 1901, It did not take him long to get established as a medical man with some political attachments like many educated young men of those days would do for the freedom of India. Muslims had been suppressed by the British more than Hindus but as is known about Maulana Mahmudul Hasan who was arrested by the British for "treason" and jailed and eventually banished (Kala Pani) to Malta giving him the name of "Aseer-e-Malta". He was freed from jail sent back to India due to poor health dying in 1920. MahmooduHassan, Mianji's father died in plague that broke out in 1905 leaving him all by himself with the step mother and her daughter (My Phuphijan). These were days of struggle for him so he waited till later for marriage with his cousin, older daughter of his uncle Hafiz Nizam Din. Unfortunately for both this did not work out and after one child's birth (Bhaijan Siraj) they divorced. It is known that both were equally 'hot-tempered'. A few years later how-ever, the second daughter of Hafiz Nizam Din (My mother, Fazal Begum) became his wife moving from Panjab down to Saugor This was probably about 1915 or 16. I cannot say how it came about that one daughter is divorced by a man and you offer the second daughter to him except that his younger uncle (Yaseen) played a significant part in this reconciliation. Although all the brothers of these two sisters boycotted him although they still had great respect for their well-educated cousin.
  By this time Mianji (We, all his children called him by that name, so that word to me carries the awe and respect of a great father) was well established as hakim, was involved in the  city and national politics, a hardworking man of strict principles he was eventually elected to be chairman of local municipal committee. In public he was known more as Maulavi Saheb and less often as Hakeem Saheb. As we have seen the first phase of his life was short in Sahontra and second one spent as a student collecting diplomas of Hikmat and Maulaviat.. Now we are in the third phase in which he spent most of his life in Saugor city. We shall talk about his personal life, along with his professional one and then take up political life separately.
PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIFE:
   After the second marriage his life became well arranged as his wife although only educated at home was an intelligent and expert in house management freeing Mianji for his outside pursuits completely. Between 1919 and 1941 10 children were born but one was lost before birth, so I had 6 sisters and two brothers, in addition to the oldest brother Siraj. Oldest sister Sakina and brother Meraj were born in Sahontra and the rest of all of us (Shakeela, Jameela, Zubaida, Wahaj, Minhaj, Zarina and Amina) in Saugor. We had one family photograph taken in 1940 which was before the birth of my last sister Amina. The step-sister of Mianji, our phoophi Aamna got married about the same time or just before Mianji's marriage. Our Phoopha was a wealthy man owner of lot of land around a small village about three miles from Saugor Our Phoophi had only one girl born just before the birth of Sakina, my oldest sister. We as children all grew up in Saugor city educated there until my older sisters got to a marriageable age. Our mother after coming to Saugor quickly picked up the language and cultural habits and ways and manners of central India. She being the wife of a popular leader (Maulavi Saheb) had to maintain a certain standard of living but not that of rich people. She was always teaching us to be "poor at heart" so Mianji was well-to-do or wealthy but not 'filthy rich'.
     Dress of Mianji  : (As you read on you will realize why I am describing this) By the time I was able to understand I saw him dressed in Shalwar and Kurta (Collerless shirt)  and being follower of Gandhian Philosophy he would not use any foreign things at all. So he would only wear white Khaddar (Khadi), most of the time the cloth was from the thread weaved by my mother; we always had "charkha" at home even in India although Charkha is more common in villages of Panjab. The head wear for men was a must in our culture (Remember the tall cap of Mirza Ghalib?) at that time and more respectable persons would wear turban woven around a "cap" called kullah (See its significance in the Urdu verse from Iqbal I wrote before my writing)  The silk was called "Kosa" locally produced and colored green. This turban would have two parts 'Shimla'. (I am writing for the younger generation who only wear such a thing on their wedding day and may not be familiar with all the significance.) The long part hangs down by the side and may be 24 to 30 inches long. The shorter one in the middle of the turban's cap stays by the side of kullah, may be about 2 to 3 inches long. Now the younger people know it to be standing up with a lot of stiffness induced by the starch and that was also used in those days but it was considered "dandy" or indicative of richness/haughtiness though sometimes also seen in highly placed respectable people (Raja Ghazanfer Ali Khan--Such high shimla is better referred to as Turra). For going out he always wore a coat cotton or wool depending on the weather. The shoes only one kind- Gurgabi somewhat similar to today's Golf shoes, all locally made.
     I remember his routine of a day. After Fajr prayer and breakfast he would get ready and would go to the large front room (his matab or clinic) divided into a dispensary and waiting room with chatai (a palm-mat) and a dhurri (dari) on its floor, one chair and a bench. He himself would be seated on a carpet/rug with a  round pillow (gaow takia) set against the house wall and  a "chawki" (a small desk-like structure, with short legs,)  in front of him on which were placed papers and inkpot and pen for him to write prescriptions.  He will see patients till midday and then come back in the house. The door would always be locked when he sits down with family for lunch. No interruption was allowed.  After a short siesta (longer during summer) he would go back to see patients until about 4 pm and would then come back put on his coat and turban a walking stick and would go to the local Municipal Offices finishing the work come back relax and after supper and Isha prayers would go to bed. Lunch and dinner times were family times and unless some guests have been invited he would not allow any visitors to interrupt his 'family time'. He was strict in his principals and would not change them for even "big shots" visitors.
   He was a very keen herbalist and always relied upon his own judgement for the correctness of herbs. That was the clue to the successful results of his 'treatment' Most of the concoctions and such complex medications were prepared by his capable compounder,  Imamuddin otherwise known as "Buddhoo" in our house. There was separate bigger "choolha" (fireplace) for that purpose. I was more interested in the preparations of such 'medicines' like Sherbat Gurhal or M'ajoons (these were sweet). His work ethics and relations with patients and the community in general are worthwhile legacies that myself and my two older brothers carry with us in our professional lives. He had developed tremor in later years of life but the componder could read his prescriptions without any trouble. In fact he had become a sort of Hakim on his own after having worked for years under Hakim Saheb. He is the one who continued that clinic during the absence of Hakim Saheb and even after we all moved back to Panjab. His 'students' would sit on one side to learn from him the art of practice of 'hikmat'
  Many things were stored in the house, grain (wheat), wood (for burning) and water supply in earthenware pitchers in one corner called " Gharonchi".  From his many grateful patients we would get milk supply from some farmers, other presents from grateful Hindu families. So we as children had 'plenty'. He himself was against movies and dramas, never saw one but he allowed his family occasionally for instructive type of movies. As a little boy I remember seeing with family including my mother and sisters, "Khandan" and "Sikander-e-Azam".
 Next I wish to take up his political life. Please click here to continue the story.



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Friday, January 06, 2012

HM Chiraghuddin Marhum-1


 حدیث دل کسی درویش بے کلیم سے پوچھ                          ھ                         
                    خدا کرے تجھے تیرے  مقام سے آ گا ہ  
      برہنہ سر ہے تو عزم بلند پیدا کر 
یہاں فقط سرشاہیں کے واسطے ھے کلاہ
 علّامہ اقبال رح
  I am not translating this but it has its message




 The ancestors of H (Hakim) M (Maulavi) Chiragh-uddin 
(Short name will be "Mianji" as we, his children called him)
          In the population of northern Punjab there are a lot of Kashmiri families ('people from Kashmir'). They may have such family or 'surnames as Bhatt or Butt or Khwaja or Mir or Dars etc. but not all of them maintained such family names as we know about Mianji's elders had not chosen any, so they were called just "Kashmiris". Some did take up such names as Butt or Mir or Dar through matrimonial or other connections into such "kashmiri" families.
   Background historical synopsis.   Although there were Muslim converts present, at least from the 12th century onward, but majority of non-Muslim residents in Kashmir (about 85%) accepted Islam around late fifteenth century under Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin who was a pious Muslim and promulgated Islam by peaceful means and worked for uplift of the subjects. When the Mughals took over in the 17th century only some improvement (Like Gardens or water enclosures and water fountains) was added to the beautiful landscape of Kashmir but the cultural and economic life of Muslims or minorities (mostly Hindus) remained poor and undeveloped. Ahmad Shah Durrani, the brute Afghan ruler was invited to Kashmir (1752) because the Mughal power had started declining resulting in too much hardship for the poor Kashmiris. Afghan rule, however, turned out to be no better. In fact it caused much more misery with increased taxes and no educational institutions or other support for cultural uplift.
    Why leave home? Considering above along with other factors such as economic constraints, must have been the reasons for Khair Din and Fazal Din, the two brothers to leave the beautiful valley in 1760 or thereabout. Their first priority was Islamic education (They were still very young my guess-"preteen") so they enrolled themselves in the teaching institution in Sialkote ,a well-known city in those days for Islamic and other teachings. After graduation they decided not to go back to Kashmir for reasons best known to them and settled in the Panjab. Khair Din went to Amritsar and Fazal Din got married and settled in a small village called Sahontra -- (Punjabi-wise-سھونترہ  and Urduwise- سہونترہ  in pronunciation), hardly 3-4 miles from the southern border of Kashmir
  We have no further information about Khair Din what happened to him and no information how and why Fazal Din found this small unknown village attractive enough to call his home. He was young and educated good looking promising fellow so it is not difficult to see that some father gave the hand of his daughter (named "Rasoolan") to him. Life here was pretty static and unchallenging.  He started educating the local people and must have brought books from Sialkote on leaving. There were no teaching institutions of any kind in the village or anywhere nearby. So the education of children was at home from generation to generation.
    His grandson  Saheb Din continued the same family tradition and here a hobby was added to these "persons of wisdom" (Siany- سیانے)-  Living was very simple as they had acquired small pieces of land for cultivation of whatever they fancied. Non-Muslims in these small villages made up 10 to 15 % only. Saheb Din therefore was a man regarded with respect and a local leader who everybody would consult for everything. Some change started now. He had three sons, the oldest was Nizam Din who was the first one to perform Hifz of complete Qur'an and became a regular Imam and teacher of Qur'an in the nearby village of Sidwal (Sidwal Kalan) just about a hundred or so yards from Sahontra. Next was Mahmud-ul-Hassan (Not "Din")though he was commonly known as "Allah Loke" and the youngest was Yaseen (again not "Din") who stayed in Sahontra making his earnings from the land and is reported to be Hafiz also. Allah Loke, the father of Mianji, however was of a more adventurous disposition.
    Most Kashmiris are said to indulge in cloth weaving or selling etc. Mahmudul Hassan would sell cloth but not from his home. Instead he would travel from place to place and he traveled far off places in this undertaking. So when Mianji was born in the village he did not see his father often. Other elders were unable to provide enough intellectual challenge for this bright kid. They instead tolerated lot of his mischiefs spoiling him, as he was the only boy in the family and there were no other children. Children of his Uncle were in Sidwal, though not very far but not in Sahontra either.
  So if you see these conditions of childhood of this kid, there being no school, no teacher nothing nearby to occupy his mind or provide a modicum of satisfaction to his urge for learning, it is not difficult to understand that he took the same step as that of his great grandfather--he left his home while very young probably no more than 6 or 8 years of age. this brings us to the first phase of his life to an end. We shall continue second phase next. Please click here to continue.

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