TEARS AND SWORDS

Without being WARRIOR one cannot be an EMPEROR’

Last night , searching melodious ghazals , I remembered , “na kisi ki ankh ka noor
hoon…………..”

The search brought to me to find this in the film “ Lal Qila “ ( 1954 ).The ghazal which
touches one ‘ heart is

“ kitna hai badnaseeb Zafar ,dafn ke liye

Do gaz zameen bhi na mili kooye yaar mein”

………….It is just heart rendering ……………with a sad heart , I went to the bed ; --------- all those instances of
the princes & elite of the society were killed by the British Army by hanging them on trees at the place which is
now called “ KHOONI DARWAZA “( you must have crossed through this while going from New Delhi to the Old
city, perhaps without knowing its historical background ). All the more , an old man , the emperor of a great land ;
being carried in a cage like horse driven buggy on a rough road , from Delhi to Rangoon , haunted me all the
night .

At the call of the muezzin , I awoke and as soon as I put my feet on the floor
, the picture of an another emperor , Aurangzeb , came to my mind like a flash. It was his empire that was the
largest in the history of this subcontinent ---------- but he never took rest in a cozy mahal -------- he led a life of a
warrior . It is one’s STRUGGLE which keeps him on the top ,” WITHOUT BEING WARRIOR YOU CAN’T BE AN
EMPEROR”.

This is as much true in the life of a nation as in any individual’s. .listen the ghazal.”KITNA HAI
BADNASEEB -----------------“ Let some drops of tears flow down your cheeks but remember the tears don’t
change the destiny of one’s life .

With tears, I remember an another similar tragic story of the last king of the Muslims Spain ,
Andalusia. . Chased by the armies of Christian king Ferdinand and queen Isabella , the fleeing king along with
his families cast last glance from above the hills over to the fabulous castle AL HAMBRA , he burst in to tears
.His old mother --- consoled him , “ stop weeping , my son . It is the sword that can win you back , not the tears “
----------( such was the tragic end of the Muslims rule over spain from 711 – 1492 almost 780 years )

NOTE ; - for details of “ KHOONI DARWAZA” “AL HAMBRA “ see WIKEPEDIA.