Asrar Jamayee: An Offspring Of Ill-Fate
By
Sumit Paul, New Age Islam
4 April
2024
"Jis Tarah Hans Raha Hoon Main Pee-Pee Ke
Garm Ashk
Yoon Doosra Hanse Toh Kaleja Nikal Pade"
Kaifi Azmi
(The way I'm smiling, swallowing the hot tears/
Anyone in my place would have given in)
Youtube/Rekhta - Asrar Jamayee left the world on April 4.
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Does the
name Asrar Jamayee ring a bell? Maybe not. This Urdu poet and King of satire
breathed his last on April 4, 2020. Hardly anyone had any idea how this Khuddaar
(self-respecting) man lived his life in abject penury. He had a towering
self-esteem, like most Urdu poets.
Asrar
Jamayee's satire was once awarded by the first President of India, Dr Rajendra
Prasad, who had his early education at a Madarsa and could read, write and
speak Urdu, Persian and Arabic. But that's for some other day. Towards the
fag-end of Jamayee's life, even local Mushairas stopped inviting him.
I've always
wondered why lady luck never smiled on Jamayee Saheb. He died at the age of 83.
Happiness eluded him throughout his life. On this count, Jamayee Saheb’s life
was like that of the exceptionally good composer of Hindi film music, Jaidev
Verma who also lived in poverty and died unsung in a small room in Bombay. Both
the greats never tied the knot. But that's immaterial.
Asrar would
always sing Jaidev Verma's immortal composition sung by Talat Mahmood, 'Dekh
Lee Teri Khudai, Bas Mera Dil Bhar Gaya/ Teri Rahmat Chup Rahi, Main Rote-Rote
Mar Gaya' (Film: Kinare-Kinare, Lyricist: Nyaya Sharma, 1963). Indeed, both
the stalwarts were terribly upset by god or fate's ill-treatment.
Jamayee Saheb
was declared dead by the Social Welfare Department of South Delhi in 2013,
depriving him of his monthly pension of Rs 1,500! He never got any award for
his poetry, though he certainly deserved the Padma Shri or Urdu Academy Award.
He was not
good at lobbying and hobnobbing with those who pick up candidates for awards.
Before he breathed his last, he met with an accident. Yet, he soldiered on
quoting Ghalib, "Ranj Se Khoogar Hua Insaan Toh Ghat Jaata Hai Ranj/ Mushkilein
Mujh Par Padeen Itni Ke Aasaan Ho Gayeen" (Once you're inured to
pains, the intensity may drop/ Troubles became bearable when they befell me
non-stop). It was like, pessimism when you get used to it, is just as agreeable
as optimism.
Satire and
sarcasm are often the manifestations of angst. "Humour is a child of an
emotional tumour," aptly opined the English critic, I A Richards. American
humorous poet Ogden Nash also suffered a lot in life. His personal life was
shambolic.
Since Asrar's
heart was full of angst and disenchantment, he could write beautiful satires.
For example, you'll agree with him when he wrote, "Ae Desh Ke Rahbar Ye
Toh Bata, Kya Tujhe Ye Nahin Dikhta Hai/ Jis Desh Mein Ganga Bahti Hai Uss Desh
Mein Paani Bikta Hai " (Oh the leader/well-wisher of the country, are
you blind?/ Where Ganga flows, water is sold).
Asrar was a
prolific writer. In fact, writing would assuage his lingering pain and
suffering. He once quoted Jameel Mazhari, "Itna Gham Hai Mere Andar/ Na
Likhoon Toh Paagal Ho Jaaoon" (There's so much pain within me/ I shall
go mad if I don't write).
By the way,
like Jameel Mazhari, Asrar Jamayee was also from Patna, Bihar where he was born
in 1937. His entire life was a saga of pain, pathos and predicament. It was
Aazmaish-e-daaro-rasan (test of the stake and rope). Such sustained ill-fate
must never visit anyone, not even to those whom we don't like much.
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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://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/asrar-jamayee-offspring-fate/d/132074
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