جون کے جنم دن پر
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مشتاق احمدیوسفی نے کہاتھا
ایک زمانے میں جب ہم جوان تھے اور جون ایلیا بالکل ایسے ہی تھے جیسے کہ اب ہیں توہم رسالوں میں ان کی غزلیں یہ سمجھ کربڑے شوق اور بے تابی سے پڑھتے تھے کہ یہ کسی آوارہ اینگلوانڈین لڑکی کا کلام ہے
صاحب ہمیں (اپنی) بھری جوانی میں جون ایلیا کی بابت ایسا کوئی مغالطہ نہیں رہا
سو جون کو پڑھنے میں کسی بے تابی کا ہم دعویٰ نہیں کرتے
پہلی کتاب جسکوہمارے ہاتھ لگے وہ ان کا مجموعہ تھا ’شاید‘
اس کتاب کو پہلے پہل ہاتھ میں لینے کا خمار
؎ ہمیں یاد ہے کچھ ذرا ذرا تمھیں یاد ہو کہ نہ یاد ہو
ہم آدمجی سائنس کالج کراچی میں گیارہویں کے پڑھاکوطالبعلم تھے
گرومندرکے نزدیک ہی مزارقائد کے پڑوس میں علامہ اقبال پبلک لائبریری تھی جہاں سے امی کے شناختی کارڈکی ضمانت پرکتابیں مستعارمل جاتی تھیں
لیکن شاعری سے بھی بڑھ کرہم جون ایلیا کی جس کاوش سے متاثرہوئے وہ تھے انکے انشائیے
سسپنس ڈائجسٹ سے ہمارا ماہانہ یارانہ تھا
اور سسپنس کا آغازہی جون کے یک صفحی انشائیے سے ہوتا تھا
تحریر کی کاٹ اوراندازبیان، صاحب پڑھنے اور سر دھننے کا مقام تھا
کچھ جملے تو لوح دل پرایسے نقش ہوئے کہ آج تک یاد ہیں جیسے
’تم نے کبھی جو کے تخم سے گندم کو طلوع ہوتے دیکھا ہے!‘
صاحبو اگر آج بھی جون کی آواز کانوں کو بھلی لگتی ہے اور اس کے لفظ دل کے تاروں پہ ویسا ہی کاری وارکرتے ہیں تو جان لینا چاہیے کہ جون ہرزمانے کا شاعرہے اور اس سدابہار ہستی کی یاد کو زوال نہیں
ایک ہی حادثہ تو ہے اور وہ یہ کہ آج تک
بات نہیں کہی گئی بات نہیں سنی گئی
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Surrender
*reader discretion is advised*
___
Before the ceremony a French reporter came to me and said
'How are you feeling, Tiger?'
I replied 'Depressed'
Arora, who was standing nearby remarked
'Any other general in these circumstances could have not done better.'
The picture above, now documented history will haunt us forever
Niazi couldn't muster the courage to include it in his book
What he did include was that upon his repatriation to Pakistan at Wagah
"There was a big crowd ....
People were shouting, Show us General Niazi, our ghazi."
Niazi failed to see the issue in East Pakistan in a political perspective
With insufficient and depleted resources when he encountered full thrust of Indian War machine the end was inevitable
but then Dhaka was surrendered without a single shot fired
and Niazi had others to blame
December Shards
(reader discretion is advised)
___ 1. The Civil Servant of Kushtia
It was on the cover of Newsweek or was it Time?
Smiling faces
'Bengali rebels displaying severed head of a federal soldier'
'He wasn't a soldier', years later Lt Ataullah of 27 Baloch would reveal
He was Waqar Naseem Butt a Civil Servant from West Pakistan posted to Kushtia
A company of 27 Baloch owing to rebels' attack on Ni 29/30 Mar had to retreat to Jessore
Waqar refused to evacuate with them
He thought he belonged to the place
He thought he belonged to his countrymen
2. Mymensingh
Brothers in Arms
___
A cantonment 60 miles north of Dhaka, housed East Bengal Regiment & elements of East Pakistan Rifles
Liberation War Museum of Dhaka would deny that there ever was a cantonment in Mymensingh
Residents do recall soldiers taking on their brothers
The Gentlemen Gorkhas
The Balochi Sultan
___ 2/5 Gorkha Rifles (FF) a decorated Indian Unit fought at Pir Ganj and Bogra in Dec of 71
They built a road block at Pir Ganj and in a daring move crossed Karatoa River almost capturing Pak divisional and brigade commanders in an ambush
Gen Tajammul, who then commanded the famed Hilli Brigade tells us an interesting tale
On 7 Dec GOC had asked Tajammul to accompany him to Rangpur
"He told me it was only a short visit and we would be back by evening"
As they drove to Pirganj they came across a tank within 400 yds
Tajammul was first to ask, "whose tanks are these"
Gen Nazar replied, "the enemy's"
Tajammul says as per their assessment Karatoa river was considered impassable
In crossing the river and laying the daring ambush the valiant Gorkhas had achieved complete surprise
A Son, a Friend, a Shaheed
Shabbir of Sabauna
__
Sometimes I wonder what motivated him to approach death with such alacrity
My son always had a premonition where he was headed
Sometimes when I pine too deeply for him, he comes in my dream gesturing he has acknowledged my feelings
'Ammi Jee' in an interview fondly remembered her elder son
Maj Sharif had raised his kids on simple guidelines, hard work & honesty
Rule of thumb: کسب کمال کن کہ عزیزجہاں شوی
Achieve excellence and ye shall be loved by the world
Major Shabbir Sharif did the same and earned glory
In Miani Sahab Shabbir sleeps beside his best friend Tanveer who took his own life
His mother would see Tanveer in pain in her dreams
She had told Shabbir of her wish to have a saint or martyr buried beside him
Sometimes I feel Shabbir embraced shahadat for the sake of friendship
"I had so far turned down any suggestion to recommend names for the gallantry awards…
The only exception I had made was that of Major Akram Shaheed Nishan-i-Haider of 4FF"
writes Gen Tajammul in The Story of My Struggle
He commanded the Hilli Brigade
The officer goes on to write
It was with this background that when after finishing his briefing Lt Col Mumtaz put up Maj Akram's (Shaheed) citation for Hilal-i-Jurrat for my approval, I was so much swayed by emotions that I upgraded it to Nishan-i-Haider because his company had really put up a heroic fight
The only Nishan e Haider on Eastern Front was originally recommended for Hilal-e-Jurrat by 4 FF (a.k.a Bawanja Sikh a.k.a Tunpur Bawanja)
It was upgraded by a commander who had a reputation of discouraging even downgrading the wartime gallantry awards
Wa To'izzo Mann Tashaa'o
یارڑے دا سانوں ستھرچنگا بھٹھ کھیڑیاں دا رہنا
متر پیارے نوں حال مریداں دا کہنا
many are the reasons of my love for this wonderful community called Sikhs
their simple & carefree manners
hilarious Sardar jokes and the way they laugh on their own jests
simple beats & suchal vocals causing my blood to stir
and their melodious & stunningly insightful Gurbanis
Our journey, dear reader starts at Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib
the site of the parental home of Guru Nanak at a place that once was known as Rai Bhoi Ki Talvandi
on-site attractions include a well that has been preserved from the days of the founding Guru