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May 28, 2017

India: Javed Jaffrey’s shayari on intolerance

The Indian Express

Gaay Hindu ho gaye aur bakra Musalman ho gaya: Javed Jaffrey’s shayari on intolerance
At a recent event in Bengaluru, the actor spoke about religious intolerance in the country, quoting a funny, but hard-hitting, shayari.

By: Express News Desk | New Delhi |
Published on: December 20, 2015

[. . .]

Nafraton ka asar dekho,
Janwaron ka batwara ho gaya,
Gaye Hindu ho gayee aur bakra Musalman ho gaya.

Ye ped ye patte ye shakhein bhi pareshan ho jayein,
Agar parinde bhi Hindu aur Musalman ho jayein.

Sukhe mewe bhi ye dekh kar pareshan ho gaye,
Na jaane kab nariyal Hindu aur khajoor Musalman ho gaye.

Jis tarah se dharm rangon ko bhi baant-te ja rahein hain,
ki hara musalman ka hai aur laal Hinduon ka rang hai,
Toh woh din bhi door nahin, jab saari-ki-saari hari sabziyan Musalmanon ki ho jayengi
Aur Hinduon ke hisse bas gajar aur tamatar hi aayenge

Ab samajh nahin aa raha is tarbooz kiske hisse jayega,
Yeh toh bechara upar se Musalman aur andar se Hindu reh jayega.

(Such are the effects of hatred, even animals have been divided,
the cow has become a Hindu, and the goat a Muslim.

Even the trees, the leaves and branches would lose all patience,
if the birds next were to be divided into Hindus and Muslims.

The sweets are all very confused,
knowing not when coconuts became Hindu and dates Muslim.

The way religion is dividing everything,
that green is now a colour of Muslims and red for Hindus,
Then even that day isn’t far off, when all the green vegetables would belong to the Muslims,
and Hindus would be left with carrots and tomatoes.

Now, here is a conundrum — what does the poor watermelon do?
It’s Muslim on the outside, but from inside a Hindu.)