“Deewaaron Ka Jungle Jiska Aabaadi hai Naam” – Sahir Ludhianvi

‘Deewaaron ka Jungle- Jiska Aabaadi hai naam’

Go To Deewaaron ka Jungle – I
Deewaaron ka Jungle – II
Deewaaron ka Jungle – III

I had marked this ‘poem’ about a year back when I read it in book of compilation of Sahir’s poems and songs. I had no idea then if it was included in any film or the film’s name.

One day while doing my regular searching information about films, I was going through the information about the film ‘Deewaar-1975’ on wiki and there I noted the soundtrack and found this song mentioned therein.
Then the search on you tube followed and this was available there.

But this song was not included in the film for the reasons unknown to me.

However as I wish to present this song with a write up (as it very well deserved) the post got delayed.

When I was going through this poem and reading it again and again it prompted me to weave an article around it.

The infamous ‘Delhi Gang Rape’ was in news then, corruption at its peak, public apathy towards social commitment also at its peak, insensitivity and callousness taking to new heights and the daily news and the various discussions on TV channels only add to the agony of our helplessness and inability to bring an ‘overall change’.
The whole country was in state of shock over the ‘Delhi Gang Rape’ and scattered revolt and protests were held up in the country which later on settled down and now forgotten only to raise head at a time which nobody knows, and in the process the culprits of the Delhi Gang Rape have also got a respite and who knows, one good morning, they will be able to roam freely in around.

As I was half way through of my article there were two ‘interviews’ one of Nana Patekar on IBN Lokmat and another one of Gulzar Saab, which I have already covered in Part-II and III of this article.

Somewhere I also had apprehensions of doing a balanced write up for this song so that it is in line with the meaning of the lyrics and seek for the essence of the emotions, the agony the poet is going through and finally to bring the change the poet is striving for.

And thus the draft was revisited and updated time to time.

This four part series – ‘Deewaaron ka Jungle’ is concluding today.

Today is also the birth anniversary of the great ‘shaayar Sahir Ludhianvi’ who had written this poem almost about 38 years back.

Just to put here that, the incidences of crime against women, crime against children, the overall increasing crimes in the society, the vulnerability of human life, the problems faced by common man, inflation, hunger, corruption, lack of basic amenities all make us to think – is this the country our freedom fighter heroes have dreamt of ?
The situation is grimmer than we actually see it.

But the daily survival in this competitive environment and fast moving life takes it all and finally the ‘roti ki Jung’ covers all agonies of life under it.
In circumstances like above where the common man suffers the agony, a litterateur, a poet, also go through the same emotions, and when the poet is Sahir Ludhianvi, the words are surely to hit directly our conscience;

Deewaaron ke is jungle mein
Bhatak rahe insaan
Apne apne uljhe daaman
Jhatak rahe insaan
Apni vipadaa chhod ke aaye
Kaun kisi ke kaam
Baahar se chup chup lagtaa hain
Andar hain kohraam

Note that Sahir has written these lines about 38 years or so before?
What has prompted him then?

It seems that the social values had started declining since long time back and today it has reached its peak
We have made developments only in terms of ‘insensitivity’ and ‘callousness’.

(Thanks to the book that I got 4/5 years before that I came to know about this song)

Deewaaron ka jungle jiskaa
Aabaadi hain naam
Baahar se chup chup lagtaa hain
Andar hain kohraam

Deewaaron ke is jungle mein
Bhatak rahe insaan
Apne apne uljhe daaman
Jhatak rahe insaan
Apni vipadaa chhod ke aaye
Kaun kisi ke kaam
Baahar se chup chup lagtaa hain
Andar hain kohraam

Seene khaali aankhein sooni
Chehron par hairaani
Jitney ghane hangaame isme
Utni ghani veeraani

Raatein qaatil subahein mujrim
Muljim hain har shaam
Baahar se chup chup lagtaa hain
Andar hain kohraam

Haal na poochhe dard na baante
Is jungle ke log
Apnaa apnaa sukh hain sabkaa
Apnaa apnaa sog
Koyee nahin jo haath badhaakar
Girton ko le thaam
Baahar se chup chup lagtaa hain
Andar hain kohraam

Bebas ko doshi thehraaye
Is jungle ka nyaay
Sach ki laash pe koyee na roye
Jhooth ko sis nawaaye
Patthar ki in deewaaron mein
Patthar ho gaye raam
Baahar se chup chup lagtaa hain
Andar hain kohraam

Poem in Devnagri script:-

दीवारों का जंगल जिसका
आबादी हैं नाम
बाहर से चुप लगता हैं
अंदर हैं कोहराम

दीवारों के इस जंगल में
भटक रहे इंसान
अपने अपने उलझे दामन
झटक रहे इंसान
अपनी विपदा छोड़ के आये
अपनी विपदा छोड़ के आये
कौन किसी के काम
बाहर से चुप लगता हैं
अंदर हैं कोहराम

सीने खाली आँखें सूनी
चेहरे पे हैरानी
जितने घने हंगामे इसमें
इतनी घनी वीरानी
रातें कातिल सुबहें मुजरिम
रातें कातिल सुबहें मुजरिम
मुलजिम हैं हर शाम
बाहर से चुप-चुप लगता हैं
अंदर हैं कोहराम

हाल न पूछे दर्द न बांटे
इस जंगल के लोग
अपना-अपना सुख हैं सबका
अपना अपना सोग
कोई नहीं जो हाथ बढ़ाकर
गिरतों को ले थाम
बाहर से चुप-चुप लगता हैं
अंदर हैं कोहराम

बेबस को दोषी ठहराए
इस जंगल का न्याय
सच की लाश पे कोई न रोये
झूठ को सीस नवाए
पत्थर की इन दीवारों में
पत्थर हो गए राम
बाहर से चुप-चुप लगता हैं
अंदर हैं कोहराम

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