When one begins to go through the Urdu poems written by Jaskiran Chopra in her latest anthology titled Mera Shaher, one is struck by the intensity of her love for her town-Dehradun. She writes that it has changed drastically and yet one can feel how strongly she has loved it since her childhood spent in this once verdant valley. She loves the memories of the city’s past when it was at the peak of its glory and beauty. In the poem titled “Alvida Doon” she writes :-
Badi Raftaar se yeh Doon ojhhal ho raha hai nazron se hamaari
Duaa hai yahi ke n a ho rukhsat
Kabhi yeh yaadon se hamaari
In her poem “Thhak Gaya Doon”, she says:
Mere khwabon mein toh mera shaher jagmagaata hai
Haqeeqat mein magar abb woh thakka sa nazar aata hai
The sense of having been part of an idyllic world that is fast vanishing prevails throughout this work which consists of one hundred poems (nazms and ghazals). People of Dehra Dun can well identify with this sense of loss and nostalgia. Memories jostle each other in these melodious poems. The reader will find in them an echo of his or her feelings. Many of the poems pull strongly at one’s heartstrings.
This is the first poetry collection of its kind as never before has any collection been dedicated to the valley of Doon. In her dedication of the book, the poet has mentioned “Waadi-e-Doon aur Uski yaadon ke Naam”. Nahin jaate
These poems are outpourings of an extremely emotional writer who loves to look back at the past and all that was beautiful in it. Nostalgia and loss lie at the heart of each poem. An “old world” feel is conveyed effectively through the verse. The beauty of Doon and the sophistication of Urdu mingle in “Mera Shaher to create a refreshing effect. In the ghazal “Ret ke Mahal”, the poet writes:-
Jaane kyon maazi ke saaye nahin jaate
Naye rishtay hamse nibhaye nahin jaate
dhah gaya hamaara iss chaman mein
Ret ke mahal abb hamse banaaye nahin jaate
The poetry shows a very exquisite use of Urdu in the traditional romantic style. We all know that the Dehradun of those past years will never return in reality. However, these lyrical poems of Chopra take us into that green and serene world that Doon once was. In the title poem “Mera Shaher”, the poet writes towards the end:-
“Lekar waapas yeh saari ‘tarakki’ ki raahein, kaash hamein woh pyaari dagar lauta deta
Iss taareek raste pe chalti bheed ko hataakar, koi farishtaa mujhe mera shaher lauta deta!”
This anthology has been published by Book World, Dehradun and was recently launched at the Valley of Words (VOW) International Festival of Arts and Literature held in the Doon valley in November. It was released by living legend Gulzar Dehlvi, the well-known Urdu poet, ands Farooq, the renowned industrialist and social activist of Dehra Dun.
Mera Shaher seems to be both an ode as well as an elegy to Dehradun. These emotions were earlier expressed by Jaskiran in her book “Memories of Another Day” (published by Investcare Publications) in prose. Here, in Mera Shaher, she does it in lyrical Urdu poetry that creates an extremely romantic ambience. In the poem “Tassavuraat ki Baat” the poet talks about the lack of leisure and lack of interest in creative activity:-
Hai kisko fursat jo karey abb jazbaat ki baat
Zikr ghazalon ka karey , ya karey naghmaat ki baat?
Hua gunaah abb khud ko zaahir karna
Aur hua hai kufr karna
Tassavuraat ki baat”
Besides being a tribute to the retreating charm of the Doon valley, Mera Shaher is a delightful collection of romantic poetry that does not come by often in these times. The poems are soothing and take us into a world of calm where we can introspect and think anew about life and love.
Mera Shaher has a beautifully written Foreword by Prof Anand Prakash, a well-known literary scholar.