WHILE leaders have been campaigning vociferously, celebrated Padma Shri award winner poet Sardar Anjum has been watching the scene silently, penning his thoughts all the while. Verses flowing out of his pen are enough to be compiled into a small book. His observations are sensitive and yet of no-holds-barred variety. With the completion of the last round, he too has signed off for the time being with a ghazal, some of whose shairs are prophetic: Khair maqdam tab karenge, koi bhi sarkar hoJinke pairon ki zamin, poori tarah tayyar hoIt is now for politicians to show which one of them stands on a solid ground.The poet who had played a key role through his poetry and the serialGoongi Tawarikh in sublimating the unsaid agony of the Punjabis during terrorism days, goes on:Kya nikalenge bhanwar se wo hamari kishtiyanChhup ke baitha dil mein jinke aapsi takrar ho Ye watan ka mamla hai, khel bachchon ka nahinTaj pahnana use, jo taaj ka haqdaar hoWell, if the verdict proves to be as fractured as is anticipated, the crown will not go to the most deserving but the most manipulative.In another ghazal he issues a stern warning to the horse traders:Sar ooncha karke keh do, ab nangi talwaron seApna haq hum chheen ke lenge, kursi ke beemaron seKamzori ko kahen jo taqat, khudgarzi ko sardariKya rishta hai is mitti ka, aise kuchh sardaron se.His sense of disappointment at the lack of choice is palpable. He knows that all are out to grab power and none is for serving the people:Raj singhasan kis ko den, kis ke sar pe sardari haiApne har ik charagar ko kursi ki beemari haiHaar jeet ke daur mein 'Anjum' jiski neeyat saaf na hoUs pe dao nahin khelunga jo ghoda sarkari hoHe laments the same Hobson's choice in another ghazal:Kahan ujala mangne jayen, dono taraf andhera haiIdhar balayen udhar balayen, dono taraf andhera haiIs bejod siyasat ne apne hi ghar ko loot liyaAb yeh baat kise samjhayen dono taraf andhera haiDr Sardar Anjum had written a book of Punjabi poems, Girnar, against Emergency and not only published this book in 1976 but also read out his poems in the Punjab assembly. As a result he had to remain underground for nine months. Most politicians today are surrounded by self-serving advisors. This former head of the Urdu department of Panjab University has searing contempt for them:Ek sher ne, suna hai, kuchh aise geedar bhi pale hainUse dara kar jo kehte hain, 'hum tere ghar wale hain'Jungle ke is sher ko 'Anjum' kaash koi yeh samjhayeWo uski dastar ko ek din daag lagane wale hainPoliticians come out of woodwork to land at voters' door only during the election season. Poking fun at such casual visitors, Anjum had written just before the elections:Badi mushkil se ye mausam, savera ban ke nikla haiUse mat vote dena, jo andhera ban ke nikla haiWo jisne kal talak halat kabhi poochhi nahin meriVahi kambakht "Anjum" aaj mera ban ke nikla haiWhile politicians go about their task, he expects the common man to solve his own problems without being taken in by hollow promises and disruptive forces:Mandir masjid ke jhagdon ko, chhod ke aao kaam karenRab in dono se oopar hai kyon usko badnam karenNayee siyasat ke aangan mein aise ped ko paani do Mehnat karne wale jiski chhaya mein aaraam karenBade bade vaade to 'Anjum', shor machate rehte hainKhamoshi se, dukhi dilon ke chhote chhote kaamkaren.
Siyaasat serial 11
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