Screed of Love
By Sumit Paul, New Age
Islam
25 July
2024
Bibliophiles
are acquainted with a famous quote, rather an aphorism, that, "A big book
is an evil. " Though 'evil' is too harsh a word, there's no doubting the
fact that a big book is often boring. But the same cannot be said about
Rakshanda Jalil's recent book 'Love in
The Time of Hate in The Mirror of Urdu. ' Despite its 427 pages, readers
remain glued to it till the end and there's never a ho-hum moment in the book.
Rakhshanda
Jalil's Book, Love In The Time Of Hate
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Rakshanda,
as her name suggests, is an ' effulgent ' and 'resplendent' writer, translator
and literary historian with a universal vision that transcends country and
creed. Her sane voice wafts through the dense clouds of hatred, violence and
insanity like a whiff of fresh air.
The
sensitive and erudite author knows that it's the overwhelming power of love
that has always triumphed in all ages and eras. So, she has penned this book
that revolves around the universality of love. Just the way, Chilean Nobel
laureate and the wizard of love poetry, Pablo Neruda believed that love would
have the last laugh, Rakshanda also believes that at the end of the day, it's
the all pervasiveness of love that will eclipse the darkness of rancour,
resentment and retribution.
To
disseminate the seeds of love, she has chosen Urdu, the language tailor-made
for poetry, literature and all that's soul-gladdening and mind-uplifting. How
Urdu, particularly Urdu poetry, has been a catalyst in building bridges and
demolishing all barriers, has been well described and documented by the author.
This
fascinating language of the subcontinent has witnessed the best and worst
periods in the chequered history of the subcontinent. The cavalcade of Urdu
language, poetry and literature has seen all the vicissitudes of time like a
dispassionate spectator, nay chronicler.
All those
events, episodes and experiences have been incorporated in the book in a
spectacular manner. The book is divided into four sections: politics, people,
passions and places. The cherry-picked Urdu couplets in the book not only ram
home the point, they make you think deeply.
Of late, a
sense of alienation, rather deracination, has engulfed Muslims. The murky
politics is aggravating the sentiments and widening the chasm. But, Rakshanda
hasn't gone into political machinations and delved into the bowels of political
power play. She has tried to bring back the estranged sanity in a sane and
sensible voice and manner. There's no mud-slinging and unnecessary lamentation.
She doesn't cast opprobrium on any community.
The tone of
Love in the time of hate is not lacerating. Rakshanda doesn't play to the
gallery and instigate readers to take drastic steps. Love is always gentle and
sober. So is her message through this book. She advocates peace, unity,
bonhomie, hope, optimism and stability.
This book
is a treasure-trove for the connoisseurs of Urdu poetry and a screed of love
for all those who're above all sorts of pettiness and puerile thoughts. One
must read Jalil's unputdownable book in these turbulent times of 'otherness' to
feel oneness. Reasonably priced (Rupees 699) and published by Simon &
Schuster India, Rakhshanda's thought-stirring tome will dispel the miasma of
hatred, prejudices and bitterness.
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A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in
comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed
articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including
Persian.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/books-documents/screed-love-hate-rakhshanda/d/132782