…faiz was a visionary…he wrote long before Chowk came into being about the happenings on Chowk … here are two stanzas from that great poem for your consumption…

nisar main teri galiyon ke ai watan ke jahan
chali hai rasm ke koi na sir uTha ke chalay
jo koi chahnay wala tawaaf ko niklay
nazar chura ke chalay, jism-o-jaan bacha ke chalay

hai ahl-e-dil ke liye ab ye nazm-e-bast-o-kushaad
ke sang-o-khisht muqayyad hain aur sag azaad

bahut hai zulm ke dast-e-bahana ju ke liye
jo chund ahl-e-junoon teray naam lewa hain
banay hain ahl-e-havas muddaee bhi munsif bhi
kise vakeel Karen kiss se se munsifi chaahen

magar guzaarnay walon ke din guzartay hain
teray firaq mein yun subh-o-sham kertay hain

… on 10th November 2005 Chowk old guard was removed in a bloodless coup and a new dictator was ushered in, who trumpeted about chowk, chowkies and their dreams with huge promises for restoration of democracy, justice and fairplay…i quote from the first Shahi Farman (Royal Edict)…;)

Many of you need that space and Chowk is proud to be a part of that geography. It will not, however, play any part in how you use the terrain. If you go there thinking of it as a boxing ring, then be prepared to fight. And fight your own battles, wipe
your own blood.

No complaints regarding UP will be entertained; you have been given the option to use the ‘Ignore’ feature. One assumes adults are using this site and know how to activate it. So, have a good time there. That is your room within Chowk; clean it up yourself.

… given this carte blanche , simpletons at chowk started dreaming about FREEDOM…but the former tactics of banning interactors on unplugged continues…removing entire threads continues…apparently all the promises were just promises…and once more faiz comes to mind…what a prophet was our faiz…


ye dagh dagh ujala ye shab gazeeda sahr
voh intezar tha jisska ye voh sahr to nahin
ye voh sahr tou nahin jiss ki arzoo lay ker
chalay the yaar ke mil jay gi kahin na kahin
falak ke dasht mein taaron ki akhri manzil
kahin tou ho ga shab-e-sust mauj ka saahil
kahin tou ja ke rukay ga safina-e-gham-e-dil
jawan lahoo ki pur asraar shah raahon say
chale jo yaar tou daman pe kitnay haath paRay
dayar-e-husn ki be sabr khwab gahon say
pukaarti rahin baahen badan bukaatay rahe
bahut aziz thi lekin rukh-e-sahr ki lagan
bahut qareen tha hasinaan-e-noor ka daaman
subuk subuk thi tamanna dabi dabi thi thakan

suna hai ho bhi chuka hai firaq-e-zulmat-o-noor
suna hai ho bhi chukka hai visaal-e-manzil-o-gaam
badal chukka hai bahut ahl-e-dard ka ka dastoor
nishat-e-vasl halaal-o-azaab-e-hijr-o-haraam
jigar ki aag nazar ki umang dil ki jalan
kisi pe chara-e-hijran ka kuch asar hi nahin
kahan se aayee nigar-e-saba kidhar ko gayee
abhi chiragh-e-sar-e-rah ko kuch khabar hi nahin
abhi garani-e-shab mein kami nahin aayee
najat-e-deeda-o-dil ki ghaRi nahin aayee
chalay chalo ke voh manzil abhi nahin aayee