|
Among the many frivolous activities prevelant at Jubilee Hostel, VM Hall where I resided, two were most significant viz a fascination with 'Jasoosi Duniya' and playing Bridge almost round the clock, settling arguments about bad bids and botched play by consulting books by the greatest bridge player of the time, Culbertson.
The minute the monthly publication of 'Jasoosi Duniya' and 'Imran Series' written by the late 'Ibn-e-Safi' hit the market the more affluent wards would buy a copy or two and the rest living on a tight budget hovered around taking numbers in the waiting list in order to be able to read it in a cost-effective way.
Ibn-e-Safi who later migrated to Pakistan and passed away there suffering a psychotic breakdown before his death had an uncanny ability to distill one fascinating detective story after another from a multitude of sources in English and other languages with such refinement that it could not strictly be called plagiarism and the stories were liberally sprinkled with humor. One line I used to like was
' Hameed Sardi khai huay Pillay ki tarah kanp reha tha'.
Another source for fun for the entire university community was the annual Mushaira which used to be held in the early years in the very small Strachey Hall, where some students used to come covered in 'Lihafs' to ward off cold. Later, the venue shifted to a 'Pindal' erected for this purpose.
Hooting less distinguished and sometimes even distinguished poets if they faltered was considered a sacred literary and cultural duty. Once Salam Machlishahri totally drunk started his poetry rather haltingly which was greeted by a chorus of boos and catcalls. Disheartened he recited this 'Filbadeeh' couplet
' Shayad yehi has Bazm-e-Aligarh magar Salam
Miltay naheen hain mujh ko fasane Majaz kai'.
At another time, one of our seniors at the hostel Zillay Hasan Abidi recited his revolutionary poem which went partly like this: Sahar hoee Sahar Hoee
Yeh shaur hai Sahar Hoee
Kahan hoee Kidhar hoee
Bare Baroon kay ghar hoee When he came to the next stanza starting with 'Ghareeb Maoon ki Baitiyan' came the uproarious chant
'Tum say sub Biyahdi gaeen'. My dear friend and former class mate Dr. Wajid Ali Naqvi has related an anecdote in his article 'Safar Nisf Sadi Ka' which appeared in the Federation of Aligarh Alumni Associatios of North America's 'Sir Syed Day Aligarh Magazine' 2006.
The wife of a faculty member at AMu and a post-graduate student decided to throw her hat in the ring for election to the student union. As was customary for the candidates seeking election she was one day starting her 'round' of Sir Syed Hall East followed by a coterie of her 'campaign workers'. At about the same time a 'bera' was walking behind her entrouge carrying a cot on his head. Sudedenly a loud voice reverbrated from somewhere: 'Woh aage aage wasl ka wada liyaee hoaay
Hum peechay peechay sir pa khatoola liyaee hoaay.' After which the aspiring candidate promptly quit her quest for high office.
|
