ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>D&#298V&#256N SI&#7748GH MAFTOON (1890-1974)</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="D*VN,SIDGH,MAFTOON,Person,Person"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279D&#298V&#256N SI&#7748GH MAFTOON (1890-1974) was in his day the most talked-about editor in Urdu journalism. Born in the Punjab he migrated to Delhi in the early twenties. His sole asset was a smattering of Urdu. Gradually, he grew in his command of the language and became known for his mastery of Urdu prose acclaimed for its lucidity and exactness. Through his felicity in Urdu prose, he naturalized himself in the <i>milieu</i> of <u>Gh</u>&#257lib's Delhi. He achieved to a considerable degree its style and refinement. In his conversation, in his dress and in his tastes, he became a sovereign Delhi-ite. He had a natural genius in personal relationships. Among his lifelong friends and admirers was Josh Mal&#299h&#257b&#257d&#299. The poet's description of D&#299v&#257n Si&#7749gh in his autobiography <i>Y&#257do&#7749 k&#299 B&#257r&#257t</i> (Procession of Memories) is evidence of his esteem for him : "In eye contented, short of stature, of high courage, generous in hospitality, lion-hearted, friend of friends, the death of the enemy, prince-baiter, helper of the weak, worst of foes, best of friends. "</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; D&#299v&#257n Si&#7749gh was born of a Sikh family of H&#257fiz&#257b&#257d in the Gujr&#257&#7749w&#257l&#257 district of West Punjab on 4 August 1890. His father, a physician in government service, died when he was still an infant. This imposed severe hardship on the family. Young D&#299v&#257n Si&#7749gh had to interrupt his studies when he was a student of the middle school and seek employment with a cloth-merchant. Even at that age, he was an avid reader of Urdu newspapers. He also contributed an occasional piece to the only Urdu daily of that time in northern India, the <i>Aam</i>.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A pamphlet (<i>Kh&#363n-i-Shah&#257dat k&#257 T&#257z&#257 Qatr&#257 Qaum k&#299 Nazar</i>) he wrote about the excesses of Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Bh&#363pinder Si&#7749gh of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 won him the favour and patronage of the N&#257bh&#257 ruler, Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Ripudaman Si&#7749gh. With his support he launched from Delhi a weekly called the <i>Rayyat</i>, with Hassan Niz&#257m&#299 as his collaborator. But the paper ran only for six months, and had to fold up owing to heavy losses. D&#299v&#257n Si&#7749gh took employment in the N&#257bh&#257 court, but was dismissed from service with the deposition by the British of the Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 on 9 July 1923.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; D&#299v&#257n Si&#7749gh returned to Delhi to start another Urdu paper - the <i>Riy&#257sat</i>. The birth of the <i>Riy&#257sat</i> was a notable event in Urdu journalism. It was a real <i>putsch</i> so far as princely India was concerned. D&#299v&#257n Si&#7749gh threw open the columns of the <i>Riy&#257sat</i> to the grievances and complaints of the subjects of Indian states. He boldly took up the cause of the victims. The Indian princes began to feel vulnerable in the presence of the <i>Riy&#257sat</i>. Several were the cases brought up against it and its editor. The most famous was the suit started by the Naw&#257b of Bhop&#257l which lasted six years.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Apart from its political importance, the <i>Riy&#257sat</i> evolved a distinctive literary style. D&#299v&#257n Si&#7749gh's Urdu prose, smooth and direct, was utterly exempt from rhetoric. It was considered a model of chastity and correctness and won his paper instant audience. Many new writers began to copy it. Yet D&#299v&#257n Si&#7749gh was always modest about it. He used to say that no Punjabi could really master the subtle nuances of the Urdu idiom and, least of all, as he put it funnily, a Sikh.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The <i>Riy&#257sat</i>, as edited by D&#299v&#257n Si&#7749gh, was an experience for the people of that generation. Apart from leaders characterized by deep humanitarian concern and uncompromising nationalist views, he wrote two regular columns for his paper. These were "<i>N&#257q&#257bil-i-Fr&#257mosh</i>" (Memories Unforgettable) and &#8220<i>Jazb&#257t-i-Mashriq</i>" (Sentiments from the East). The former was a column of memoribilia rendered in brisk, captivating style, with a sting or moral at the end. The latter sampled a wide range of Indian folklore and poetry in several of the languages. These columns each yielded a fascinating book - <i>N&#257q&#257bil-i-Fr&#257mosh</i> and <i>Jazb&#257t-i-Mashriq</i>, both permanent possessions of Urdu literature.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <i>N&#257q&#257bil-i-Fr&#257mosh</i> is not a schematic autobiography, yet it is an intimate book of memoirs. Its prodigality of confidence is entrancing. In short, clipped epsiodes it unfolds the life of the author. It does not fail to capture its turmoil and irony, its fun and enjoyment. The outlook is throughout sane and robust. There is no attempt here either at self-pity or self-glorification. Nothing about the story seems manipulated - it reads naturally and unobtrusively. In parts, it has the excitement of a thriller, especially in the unravelling of courtly intrigue. It could thus be read also as documentation of princely India. Vast numbers of the author's friends and enemies tumble in and out of the narrative and they make a whole age come alive. Among friends whom D&#299v&#257n Si&#7749gh mentions with real affection are Bh&#257&#299 K&#257hn Si&#7749gh of N&#257bh&#257, Q&#257z&#299 Sir Az&#299z ud-D&#299n, prime minister, Dat&#299&#257 state, Mr. K. C. Roy, managing director, Associated Press of India, Sir John Thompson, Political Secretary, Government of India, Sard&#363l Si&#7749gh Caveeshar, B. G. Horniman, Bhayy&#257 Shai<u>kh</u> Ehs&#257n ul-Haq, and Josh Mal&#299h&#257b&#257d&#299. <i>N&#257q&#257bil-i-Fr&#257mosh</i> has been translated into Hindi and published under the title of <i>Trive&#7751&#299</i>. An abbreviated paperback was also brought out in Punjabi.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <i>Jazb&#257t-i-Mashriq</i> reflects D&#299v&#257n Si&#7749gh's eclectic literary taste. Song and verse of delicate emotion have been gathered here mainly from Hindi, Braj and Avadh&#299 and, occasionally, from Punjabi, Pushtu, Kashm&#299r&#299, Bengal&#299 and, even, Persian and Arabic. These are reproduced in the original, in Persian characters, with D&#299v&#257n Si&#7749gh's Urdu rendering which is always lucid and evocative. The book seems to have given him immense satisfaction. For he wrote in the Preface "My religious belief is no secret from my friends and others who know me. Throughout my life I have neither declared my faith in God nor had ever the courage to deny Him. I do not believe in heaven or hell. But, from the endeavour I have made to serve literature through this book, I am mentally conviced and satisfied that, if God, heaven and hell exist, I have secured myself a niche in heaven by the publication of this book. The prophets and poets whose verses I have here collected must intercede on my behalf. "</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In his politics D&#299v&#257n Si&#7749gh was a rebel. On several occasions he came into clash with authority. He challenged the powerful men of his day and fought out valiantly. But he would never hit below the belt. He throughout remained severely critical of leaders in communal politics of all shades - Hindu, Muslim and Sikh. About Master T&#257r&#257 Si&#7749gh's policies he wrote with extra acerbity and persiflage, perhaps because he knew him personally. But he recorded readily and sportingly his appreciation of many of his qualities.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Maftoon, D&#299w&#257n Singh, <i>N&#257q&#257bil-i-Framosh</i>. Delhi, 1957<BR> <li class="C1"><i>Jazb&#257t-i-Mashiq</i>.<BR> <li class="C1"> Mal&#299h&#257b&#257d&#299, Josh, <i>Y&#257do&#7749 k&#299 B&#257r&#257t</i>.<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Dharam Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>