5 verses · ~1 min
हाथी की नंगी पीठ पर घुमाया गया दाराशिकोह को गली-गली और दिल्ली चुप रही
लोहू की नदी में खड़ा मुस्कुराता रहा नादिर शाह और दिल्ली चुप रही लाल किले के सामने बन्दा बैरागी के मुँह में डाला गया ताज़ा लहू से लबरेज़ अपने बेटे का कलेजा और दिल्ली चुप रही
गिरफ़्तार कर लिया गया बहादुरशाह जफ़र को और दिल्ली चुप रही दफ़ा हो गए मीर गालिब और दिल्ली चुप रही
दिल्लियाँ चुप रहने के लिए ही होती हैं हमेशा उनके एकान्त में कहीं कोई नहीं होता कुछ भी नहीं होता कभी भी शायद
रचनाकाल: 1991, नई दिल्ली
इति
The Poet
शलभ श्रीराम सिंह
Shalabh Shriram Singh
1939 · 1960s
Shalabh Shriram Singh was a bohemian visionary who deliberately rejected the comfortable illusions of mainstream literature to forge an entirely new path. Born in 1938 in the Faizabad district of Uttar Pradesh, he became the driving force behind the Yuyutsawad movement in Hindi poetry during the late 1960s. He refused to be categorized by traditional literary epochs, writing with a rebellious spirit that sought a total transformation of society. His iconic poem Nafas Nafas Kadam Kadam became a revolutionary anthem, echoing through protests and progressive circles long after it was written. Singh possessed a remarkable ability to bridge the lyrical traditions of the Urdu ghazal with the grounded realities of modern Hindi verse. He wrote not for applause, but to confront the deep social inequalities and religious hypocrisies that plagued the nation. Passing away in 2000, he left behind a legacy that continues to inspire young writers. He remains a fearless poet of the marginalized, proving that true literature must possess the courage to make the comfortable feel intensely uncomfortable.
Paired Painting
Shivaji Maharaj in the Court of Aurangzeb
This evocative work captures a defining moment in Indian history: the confrontation between the Maratha king Shivaji Maharaj and the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb at Agra. Within the opulent and suffocating grandeur of the Mughal court, Shivaji Maharaj stands with unwavering composure, his posture reflecting the courage of a lion facing an empire. The artist M. V. Dhurandhar masterfully utilizes light and perspective to contrast the rigid authority of the throne with the resilient spirit of the Maratha warriors. It is a profound meditation on dignity and defiance, illustrating the moment when the Maratha ruler confronted the treachery of his host, a pivotal instant that eventually fueled the rise of the Maratha Empire.
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