Saturday, February 26, 2011

जिंदगी अक्स में गर गुजरती

गर अपने होंठो पर सजाना है तो खुदा कि इबादत को सजा
गर कुछ गुनगुनाना है तो जिंदगी के नगमें गुनगुना
कि ये सफर नहीं किसी सिफार कि कगार का
जानिब ये है अक्स तेरी ही शक्शियत का
जिंदगी का मानिब समझ ऐ राहगुज़र
कि राह में थक कर मंजीलें नहीं मिलती
समझ बस इतना लीजे ऐ खुदा के बंदे
कि यादों में तो गैर बसा करते हैं
जा तू अपनों के दिल में बसर कर
जिंदगी का मानिब समझ ऐ राहगुज़र
कि गुनगुनाना है कुछ तो जिंदगी के नगमें गुनगुना
गर अपने होंठो पर सजाना है तो खुदा कि इबादत को सजा

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Valentines Day and the Concept of Love

Valentines day that is celebrated as a day when love and affection floats in air, somehow does not have any historic background to it.  The word Valentine is more so associated with the Martyrs.  The day is more or less named after the Christian Martyrs who attained martyrdom while preaching Christianity.

Saint Valentine who is identified to be associated with the day is not the only Valentine as per the historical facts around Valentine Day.  It is a myth that he was executed by Roman Emperor Claudius II for secretly marrying the young man who otherwise were not supposed to marry as per Claudius's Regime. The myth extends that Emperor Claudius thought that young unmarried man are better soldiers than married ones'.

However, if we get to the root of the facts, we find that Saint Valentine was thrown in prison and executed when he did not collude with the Emperor when the Emperor wanted Saint Valentine to convert to Roman Paganism.  Saint Valentin on the contrary is identified to have tried to impress and convince the Emperor to convert to Christianity.

The another myth associated with Valentines' Day is that it is a Holy day and is integral part of the Roman Catholic Calendar. But, if we look at that part, in 1969, the day was removed from the General Roman Catholic Calendar and relegated to local calendars.

Now lets come to the Indian Scenario, the Day "Valentines Day" is more so in practice for the commercial interest of the multinational organizations that operate in India.  The sort of promotions and the sort of offers that fly to attract the youngsters on this day marks the clear demarcation of the Valentines Day as more of Pomp and Show Day than actually Expressing the Love to the Beloved.  I am shocked that the youngsters flock to coffee shop or other such hang outs with the ones' whom they express love and later in the evening they are found to be shaking their legs in a Discotheque with a glass of Drink in their hands.  I have been surprised when I was invited to one such Party at one of friends' place where I found that the guy who proposed to a girl in the day was getting intimate with another girl that evening. It was pretty shocking for me and when I asked, he said he was going around with that girl and was waiting for proposing to the girl he loved for the year round and waiting for Valentines Day. He also added that before the party he told the girl that he proposed someone.... That guy and his partner that evening were also celebrating it as their official Break-up Day....

For me the concept from than on was ridiculous and when I got to the facts, I was like, "Do We Know the Facts about the Day?"