Window
Seat | Mrinal Chatterjee | 2.7.23
Rain in
Indian Literature and Culture
Rain in India brings respite
from the heat of the summer months, and water for agriculture, which has been
the mainstay of livelihood of majority of the Indians. Besides its impact on
ecology, agriculture and economy, it has had profound impact on literature and
culture of India.
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| Photo: Depiction of rain in the Rajput miniature painting tradition |
In
the mythology and folklore, the story of Lord Varun, the god of rain and Indra,
the king of Gods and also of the thunderstorms, is frequently depicted in
various tales. Rain is often associated with the life-giving powers of nature
and is believed to be controlled by divine beings.
Rain
has been a popular theme in Indian poetry for centuries. The ancient Indian
texts, and the classical Sanskrit poetry of Kalidasa, often describe the beauty
and power of rain. The monsoon season, known as "Varsha" in Sanskrit,
has inspired countless poems that capture the joy, romance, and melancholy
associated with rain.
Rain
has often been used as a metaphor in Bhakti literature, which is a devotional
form of poetry in Hinduism. Poets like Mirabai, Surdas, and Tulsidas frequently
use rain as a symbol of divine love and longing for the beloved deity. The
sound of raindrops is compared to the sweet melodies of spiritual ecstasy and
the tears shed in devotion.
In
the ancient Indian treatise on performing arts called Natya Shastra, rain is
considered one of the key elements in creating the atmosphere and mood of a
play or dance performance. It is used to evoke various emotions and portray
different dramatic situations.
Now
to go with the mood of the rain, here is a sher
by Nida Fazli (1938-2016), celebrated Hindi and Urdu poet and lyricist on rain
barsāt kā bādal to dīvāna hai kyā jaane
kis raah se bachnā hai kis chhat ko bhigonā hai
(The rain cloud is crazy. How does he know,
which road to avoid, and which roof to rain on)
100
years of Journalism in J&K
It was on June 24, 1924, Ranbir, the first newspaper of Jammu
and Kashmir was published. It was an Urdu daily published by Lala Mulk Raj
Saraf. It played a stellar role in setting a very high benchmark in
public-focused independent journalism.
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| First issue of Ranbir |
The story of Ranbir which literally means “knight of the
battle field”, as well as its founder-editor is both interesting and inspiring.
Lala Mulk Raj Saraf was born on 8 April 1894 in
Sambal district to Dayanand Saraf and Jamuna Devi. He completed his graduation
from the Government Gandhi Memorial Science College in Jammu. He started his
career in journalism as a sub-editor at Bande Mataram, the daily nationalist newspaper
started by Lala Lajpat Rai in Lahore. He was inspired by the powerful
personality and equally powerful pen of Lala Lajpat Rai.
However, he returned to Jammu and planned to start a
newspaper. It was not easy. He was told by well-wishers that any attempt to
bring out a newspaper in the state might be regarded as an hostile act against
the State. But Saraf was not an easy man to be dissuaded. Arranging funds to
start the newspaper and setting up a printing press was a problem. To make ends
meet, he worked as an accountant during the day and spent hours in the public
library, finding ways to make conditions favorable for a newspaper in the
state.Securing permission to start the newspaper also proved to be a herculean
task.
After years of relentless efforts, he finally launched
Ranbir, which became a relentless crusader voicing the grievances of the people
and championing social reforms. Over time, Ranbir gained the reputation for
“absolutely trustworthiness”. Ranbir carried out campaigns against several
social evils of the time. Suppression of infanticide, abolition of
untouchability and the forced labour, prevention of infant marriage and removal
of many other social evils formed chief plank of the Ranbir and resulted in the
enactment of several reforms during the regime of Maharaja Hari Singh.
Saraf had to face trials and tribulations
including confinement, banishment, security demands and even threats of closure
for his nationalistic views and objective reporting which were hard to digest
by those motivated by other considerations. During the partition of India in
1947, when Ranbir vehemently opposed attempts to keep Jammu & Kashmir separate
from India, the former Prime Minister of J&K infamously ordered to “Starve
Mr. Saraf into submission.” The captivating saga of the many battles he waged
and won as a fearless journalist has been vividly captured in his
autobiography, “Fifty years as a Journalist”.
The vision of free press that was set in motion nearly a
century ago has sustained through the turmoil that J&K has endured, though
Ranbir ceased publication on 18 May 1950.
He wrote, “The power of the press is neither a gift bestowed
on us by any capitalist nor an estate conferred us by any government. It is a
trust placed in our hands by the people and to use it honestly is our
conscientious duty” These words, along with his life story, serve as a timeless
inspiration for journalists.
Tailpiece:
Trick
CIA: Yo, Pri! Need a few
billion?
Prigozhin: Da..da. Tell me what
to do?
CIA: March on Moscow. Kill or
capture Putin. Take over. Declare NATO victory. We’ll support you as new boss
of Russia. Half money now, half after Moscow win.
Prigozhin: Da. I march now.
Call disconnects.
Prigozhin calls Putin.
Prigozhin: America gives me
billions to march to Moscow and kill or capture you. They give half now. What
do I do?
Putin: Take the half. Bring
some vodka along.
Both laugh.
Call disconnects.
(Courtesy: Social
Media)
++
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