Jangnaama

जंगनामा

Synopsis

My father had a significant influence on me. Born in undivided India, he was a freedom fighter, an educationist and an avid writer of Urdu poetry. A firebrand poet known as ‘Raj Sarhadi’ in the literary circle, he best depicted his love for the country in his writings. A collection of his Urdu poetry, 'Jang Naama', was published in 1973 and deals with three wars from different time periods: the Ram-Raavan conflict from mythology, the partition of India in 1947, and the creation of Bangladesh in 1971.

No one in my family studied Urdu, and the book remained in the library as a reminder of the secular values he stood for. जंगनामा is an attempt to reprint his original book, written in Urdu in Devanagari, so that it can be read and appreciated by a wider audience. Footnotes will help clarify difficult Persian and Arabic words. All proceeds from the book's sale would be donated.

Buy Now

A peep into his poetry …

“Mandir se nagaraj hum ko, na masjid se taalluk
Hum mohtakidkaba ‘o’ butkhaananahinhain,
Hum behresakunmey ka tajesusnahikarte,
Minnete kasha saakinahin, pemanahai.”
(I have no expectations from the temple, nor have I any relation with the mosque. Neither am I a follower of Kaba nor temples where idols are worshipped. I don’t desire worldly comforts. I don’t indulge in any vices such as liquor.)

poetry …

mita ke khud ko muyassar khudi ka jam to ho,
teri Nigha main mera koi mukam to ho
khudi ko ishk pe kurbaan kar najin sakta,
mera na ho mere jazbon ka ehtram to ho
Oh, God!!
(I am ready to die, surrender, eliminate and sacrifice myself, but you must have thought of some purpose for me to accomplish. I can’t sacrifice my self-respect and ego for your love. If not me, at least my emotions must be respected/ acknowledged.)
…

poetry …

hamne jab chaha badal ke rakh diya takdeer ko,
mauj ko sahil, to katre to dariya kar diya.

kar raha the barbadiyon ke mashware aasman,
jhuk gaya jab hamne izhare tamanna kar diya.

bekasi ka meri aalam dekh kar kehne lage,
be-vazha kun ‘Raj’ ne ye haal apna kar liya.

ye sab kayanaten hain aabad tuzh se,
amal se unhen apni jannat bana do.

…

Readers' Reviews

“जंगनामा के जो हिस्से मैंने देखे हैं वे इन्हीं जज़्बात की तर्जु मानी करते हैं। मतभेद और मनभेद, तानाशाही, असमानता, बदसुलूकी और बदकि रदारी के ख़िलाफ़ शायर बार-बार आवाज़ उठाता है। साथ ही, अमन के गीत भी सुनाता है। इस के कुछ हिस्से को पढ़कर मुझे खुशी हुई।

— -सैय्यद नुरूल हसन
शि क्षा मंत्री, भारत सरकार” “

“‘जलती मशालें’ उद्देश्य प्रधान साहि त्य की एक जीता-जागती मिसाल है। खास तौर पर, इस दौर में जब शायरी और उद्देश्य में हर दि न खाई बढ़ती जा रही है, राज़ साहब का यह नज़्म पेश करना एक बहुत बड़ी राष्ट्री य सेवा है। ”

— श्री जगन्ना थ प्रसाद
उप-सूचनाधि कारी, प्रेस सूचना ब्यूरो भारत सरकार, श्रीनगर 16 जुलाई, 1973 “

“जंगनामा जीवन, विचार और आत्मसम्मान की शायरी है। इसमें इश्क़, विद्रोह और उम्मीद मिलकर इंसान को सोचने, बदलने और आगे बढ़ने की प्रेरणा देते हैं।”

— Neetu singh “