SHUAIB ASGHAR
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
GOVT. RAZVIA ISLAMIA COLLEGE
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
GOVT. RAZVIA ISLAMIA COLLEGE
HAROONABAD, PAKISTAN
‘Eid’ is a short but
thought-provoking poem. Apparently it seems to be a poem of joy, as the title
suggests, but actually in it Alamgir Hashmi has pointed out some of the darker
aspects of our society. The poem is
based on the observations of an innocent but sensitive child who is around
there on the Eid day and watching the various people doing various jobs.
Eid is a festival
that comes on the day after the days of Ramazan have been devoted to fasting. It
is celebrated all over the Muslim world. This is the day when exchange of sweet
dishes is made between the near and dear ones. At the very outset of the story
it is made clear that Eid is more than the vermicelli thing. It must not be
taken merely as a festival of joy and celebration. There is something more to
do for the Muslims on this particular day.
Firstly the child
observes the devotees in the mosque who raises offertory for the prayer keeper.
The situation of the prayer-keepers in our society is very pathetic. Though
they are the Imams of our prayers yet they live in a very pitiable condition.
We often ignore them and they are provided just a paltry sum of rupees to meet
the very needs of their lives.
When the child
comes out of the mosque, he finds the beggars twitching and tugging the clothes
of the people. They ask for something. When the child observes this situation,
he is actually made aware of the miseries and sorrows of the poor people. The
poverty rate in our country is rapidly increasing. It is no doubt an alarming
situation. The beggars are shabby and dirty. Their clothes are full of muddy
smudges and they have nothing to fill their bellies while the other people are
enjoying the costly clothes and shoes and various dishes in their houses.
There
is an innocent desire to “anchor their corduroy cheeks”. He wishes the joys and
celebrations must be for all and sundry and no person should be unsupplied with
these pleasures. The well-off and prosperous Muslims should not ignore these
down-trodden people. They must give them their share of happiness.
On
the dining table, the child goes into the depth. There are a number of
questions regarding the miseries and sorrows, hovering around his plate. He is
being overcome by the feelings of sympathy for the poor people. When the child
holds the shining spoon in front of his face, he is actually finding a big
contrast with those begrimed faces distorted by poverty. This indicates the huge
gap between the rich and the poor in our country. How can this injustice be
eliminated? We all are to perform something. The festivals like Eid are
actually the reminders for this national and moral responsibility.
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