Sahir Ludhiyanvi

 1.Today is the birth centenary  of Lyricist and Poet Sahir Ludhianvi (  Born 8 March 1921- Died 25 Oct 1980 ).

2. Today is also the International  Women's Day 

So what was the connection in my mind ? 

I was reminded of a song from 1958 movie 'Sadhna' ( BR Films) in which this particular film song penned by Sahir Ludhianvi , describes the anguish a woman expresses ;---------

 औरत ने जनम दिया मर्दों को, मर्दों ने उसे बाज़ार दिया

जब जी चाहा मसला कुचला, जब जी चाहा दुत्कार दिया

(Woman gave birth to men
And men gave her the marketplace
To crush and trample at will
To reject and cast off at will )


तुलती है कहीं दीनारों में, बिकती है कहीं बाज़ारों में
नंगी नचवाई जाती है, ऐय्याशों के दरबारों में
ये वो बेइज़्ज़त चीज़ है जो, बंट जाती है इज़्ज़तदारों में
औरत ने जनम दिया मर्दों को...

She is weighed somewhere in dinars
And sold somewhere in bazaars
She is made to dance naked
In the courts of the debauched
She is that dishonored creature
Who is shared out between the honorable

मर्दों के लिये हर ज़ुल्म रवाँ, औरत के लिये रोना भी खता
मर्दों के लिये लाखों सेजें, औरत के लिये बस एक चिता
मर्दों के लिये हर ऐश का हक़, औरत के लिये जीना भी सज़ा
औरत ने जनम दिया मर्दों को...

For men, every torment is acceptable
For a woman, even weeping is a crime
For men, there are a million beds
For a woman, there is just one pyre
For men, there is a right to every depravity
For a woman, even to live is a punishment

जिन होठों ने इनको प्यार किया, उन होठों का व्योपार किया
जिस कोख में इनका जिस्म ढला, उस कोख का कारोबार किया
जिस तन से उगे कोपल बन कर, उस तन को ज़लील-ओ-खार किया
औरत ने जनम दिया मर्दों को...

The lips which gave them love:
They traded those very lips
The womb in which their bodies were formed:
They reduced that womb to mere merchandise
The body from which they grew, like buds:
They shamed and abased that body

मर्दों ने बनायी जो रस्में, उनको हक़ का फ़रमान कहा
औरत के ज़िन्दा जलने को, कुर्बानी और बलिदान कहा
इस्मत के बदले रोटी दी, और उसको भी एहसान कहा
औरत ने जनम दिया मर्दों को...

The customs that men created
Were given the name of rights
The burning alive of a woman
Was decreed to be sacrifice
In return for purity she was given bread
And even that was called a favour

संसार की हर एक बेशर्मी, गुर्बत की गोद में पलती है
चकलों ही में आ के रुकती है, फ़ाकों से जो राह निकलती है
मर्दों की हवस है जो अक्सर, औरत के पाप में ढलती है
औरत ने जनम दिया मर्दों को...

Every disgrace in this world
Is nurtured in the lap of hardship
The path that begins in hunger
Leads inevitably to the brothel
It is often the lust of men
That takes shape in the sin of women

औरत संसार की क़िस्मत है, फ़िर भी तक़दीर की हेटी है
अवतार पयम्बर जनती है, फिर भी शैतान की बेटी है
ये वो बदक़िस्मत माँ है जो, बेटों की सेज़ पे लेटी है
औरत ने जनम दिया मर्दों को...

Woman is the destiny of the world
But she is still the one abased by fate
She bears reincarnations and prophets
But she is still the Devil’s daughter
This is that ill-fated mother
Who lies on the bed of her sons

Many women in India are so bound in tradition that they believe that breaking out of it, in fact even challenging it, is fundamentally wrong. Now, respecting the good aspects of tradition is just fine but when such tradition only imposes restrictions on women, instead of empowering them, surely it cannot be worth perpetuating for tradition’s sake? there are many women, used and abused by men - and the saddest thing is that most of them just accept it as their fate.

Many decades later, after Nirbhaya, # metoo and many such cases, has woman's life changed ?

A point to ponder.....