Mama Why Are They Not Begging Like Us ,,,Are We Different

hands in their pockets
stony eyed they stare
but alms they wont give
for beggars they have
nothing to spare
mother child
conjoined pair ,,
the other side of
the royal minaret
the limping lion roars
ghar ghar islam
but for the poor
fuck they care
the untouchables
of Islamic Indian society
held captive in a lair
will they even give a
dime from their royal
share ..a falling house
of doomed humanity
they wont repair ..
allah ho akbar as
the royal minaret
blares ,, wear and tear
i d rather be an indian
than only a hindu or a
muslim the patriot swears
politicians want sectarian strife
to build their dynasties for
wealthy comfort for their heir

Sadal Vida Hussaina Wa Hasrata Hussaina Hakim Shame Laeen Ast

The Mark Of Hussain..Kama Matam And Kids

All over the cities I have shot documented Moharam..I have seen little kids getting their heads marked with the blade of a dagger .
Little kids who perhaps hardly know what is happening but are aware of the grimness of the moment.

In Hyderabad almost every child , including little girls get the head cut by the dagger known as the kama, it is a symbolic cut unlike the swift rapid strokes by Shia adults while hey do their kamazani.. or kama matam.

Almost every Shia child has a bandage on his head in Hyderabad on Ashura day .. and Chehlum.

In Chennai the child has his head cut on Ashura day and here strangely even Hindu mothers with new born boys have the childs head cut for holistic healing purpose ,, I asked one Tamil Hindu mother waiting for her childs head to be cut, why she was doing it , she replied to keep the child healthy and prevent evil eye ,, I had no words to respond .

In Mumbai the head cutting starts at Kaiser Bagh from eve of 8 Moharam and the kids get initiated thanks to Munna Bhai who helps them get over the fear of the blade.

Than the kama matam continues on 9 Moharam juloos that begins at Honda junction .. and ends a Amin Imambada .

More kama maam on Ashura Day morning a Amin Imambada , and later at the Ashura juloos on the streets of JJ till Mazgaon .
Within the Shia cemetery the kama matam is of sheer frenzy, and mostly teenagers take part.

Lucknow kama matam  takes place on Ashura day juloos and Chehlum juloos .. but than comes Athvi the last day of Shia mourning and kids participate in large numbers at Kazmain..led by Baney Bhais Anjuman,

In Hyderabad even girls women do kama matam..

In Delhi Ashura day kama matam takes place at Kashmiri gate , and Chehlum near Jama Masjid and Sher E Marda cemetery.

In Kolkatta it is basically hand held razor matam.. and some kama mata,

At Hussain tekri Chehlum the Kashmiri Shia kids do inense kama maam most of the Kashmiri adults puncture their scalps with surgical needles .

As a people photographer as a documentarist I shoot , I dont hold opinion , I dont proselytize nor do I glorify bloodletting ,, but yes I shoot it prolifically .

My grandkids all girls are not scared of the kama ..


And this post is to give you the meaning of kama, this child was watchin me with two daggers , and than he walked upto Baney Bhai asking him to cut his head , and there is absolutely no force , child abuse ,,and this kid had no fear no apprehension ..
And for the record I hardly shoot kids doing kama matam, these are just a few I took ,, kids in Lucknow have requested me to bring them kama when I next come to shoot Moharam.

Ham Kare Matam Lage Chot Apko . Koste Hain Ham Yazid Aur Uske Bap Ko

Chehlum In Lucknow 2014 - My Kama Matam

I reached Lucknow on 13 December and was staying at my inlaws house at Nakhas.

It is from Nakhas NizamSabs Imambada the juloos or procession begins after a majlis by Maulana Kalbe Jawad Sab.

I was going to cut my head with two daggers one long and the other a short hunters precision knife.

The pictures of my Kama matam was shot by Guddu , Saeed Hussain my relative ..he has been shooting my kama matam every time in Moharam in Lucknow .

This was my second Chehlum in Lucknow and I had a serious leg injury from Mumbai, so I had bandaged my leg..I was barefeet in the winter chill .

The procession moves from Nakhas to Talkatora Karbals about  8 km.. On the way a Hindu high priest from a Hanuman Temple came and spoke kind words asked me if I needed water or something and this is the beauty of our beloved Motherland ,, as humans we are all equal and part of the diverse branches of the same tree.

I cut my head thrice  , and doing my Kama Matam with Baney Bhais Anjuman was gratifying as he warned others not to hold my arms and le me cut myself freely bu only with one dagger .. later on my mother in laws instructions Guddu took away both my daggers and left it with her ,, as I moved on with the procession.

It was a long route and the winter chill , later on my return  I took a cycle ricksha home as the entire stretch is closed to traffic .

My head has already healed ..


Tareekh dey rahi hai yeh awaaz dam ba dam
Dasht-e-sabat-o-Azm hai Dast-e-Bala-o-Gam
Sabr-e-Maseeh wa juraa't suqrat ki qasam

Is rah mea hai sirf ek insaan ka qadam
          Jis kee rago'n mein Aatish-e-Badr-o-Hunain Hai
          Us soorma ka isme girami Hussain Hai


Jo Saheb-e-Mizaj-e-Naboowat tha wo Hussain
Jo waris-e-zameer-e-Risalat tha wo Hussain
Jo Khalwati-e-Shahid-e-Qudrat tha wo Hussain
Jis kaa wojood fakhr-e-mashiat tha wo Hussain
          Sanchay main dhalney key liye Kainaat ko
          Jo tolta tha Nok-e-Mazaa' par hayat ko

Jo Ek nishan-e-Tashna dhani tha wo Hussain
Geeti pey Arsh kee jo nishani tha wo Hussain
Jo Khuld ka Ameer-e-Jawani tha wo Hussain
Jo Ek san-e-jadeed ka bani tha wo Hussain
          Jis ka Lahu Talatum-e-pinhaa'n liye huway
          Har boond mein tha Nooh ka Toofan liye huway


Jo Karwan-e-Azm ka Rehbar tha wo Hussain
Khud Apney khoon kaa jo shanawar tha wo Hussain
Ek Deen-e-Tazaa ka jo payambar tha wo Hussain
Jo Karbala ka dawar-e-Mehshar tha wo Hussain
          Jis kee nazar pey Shewa-e-Haq ka madar tha
          Jo Rooh-e-Inqilab ka parwardigar tha

Ha'n ab bhi jo manara-e-Azmat Hai wo Hussain
Jis kee nigah marg-e-Adawat Hai wo Hussain
Ab bhi jo Mehwa-e-Dars-e-Mohabbat Hai wo Hussain
Aadam kee jo daleel-e-Sharafat hai wo Hussain
          Wahid jo ek namoona hai zibh-e-Azeem Ka
          Allah rey intekhab Khuda-e-Hakeem ka

Ha'n wo Hussain Jis kaa abad Aashna Sabat
Kehta Hai Gaah Gaah Hakeemoo sey bhi yeh baat
Yaney duroon-e-pardaa-e-Sad Rang-e-Kainaat
Ek Karsaz Zehn hai, Ek zee Shaoor zaat
          Sijdoo'n sey khainchta hai jo masjood kee taraf
          Tanhaa jo ek ishara hai maabood kee taraf


Taaqat see shaei ko khaak mein jis ney mila diya
Taqtaa Ullatt key qasr-e-huqoomat ko dha diya
Jis ney hawa mein ruab-e-Imarat Urhaa diya
Thokar sey jis ney afsar-e-Shahi Gira diya
          Is tarha jis sey Zulm Siyah Faam ho gaya
          Lafz-e-yazeed dakhil-e-Dushnam ho gaya


Pani sey teen roz huway jis key lab na tar
Teg-o-Tabr ko sompp diya jis ney ghar ka ghar
Jo mar gaya Zameer kee Izzat key nam par
Zilaat key Aastaan pey Jukaya magar na sar
          Lee jis ney saans rishtey-e-Shahi ko Tor kar
          Jis ney Kalai maut kee rakh dee maroar kar


Har chand ahl-e-joer ney chaha yeh barhaa
Ho jaey mehaw yaad-e-Shaheedaan-e-Karbala
Baqi rahey na naam zameen par Hussain kaa
Laikin Kisi ka zoar Azizo Na Chal saka
          Abbas-e-Namwar key lahu sey dhula huwa
          Ab bhi Hussainiat ka alam hai khula huwa


Yeh subh-e-Inqilab kee jo aaj kal hai zoe
Yeh jo machal rahi hai Saba, Phatt rahi hai poe
Yeh jo Chirag-e-Zulm kee tharaa rahi hai loe
Dar parda yeh Hussain kee Anfaas kee hai roe
          Haq key Chiray huway hain jo yeh Saaz Dosto
          Yeh bhi isee jari kee hai Awaaz Dosto


SIXTAINS SELECTED FROM MARSIA OF JOSH MALIHABA'DI

www.ya-hussain.com/poetry/sixtains.htm

I Will Be Off Flickr For A Few Days ,,, Shooting Chehlum

She is the most fragile beggar doll of ajmer ,,she is reliving a nightmare short petite a scarf covering her scanty hair , arched knees what a pair ,,her god has gone AWOL ,, leaving her on a wheelchair .. mind you she is a woman fighting her demons held captive in his snare ..a doll that time tried could not repair , i shot her , her pain with you i share ...she is gasping for breath some fresh air ,,women need to be empowered to overcome remorse and despair ,, a puppet in the hands of professional beggars they earn from her misery ,, but fuck who cares ,,

“No place to come to, and you’ll end where you are, Deep in the centre of the endless maze” — Edwin Muir

poor kids are wondering if they too will end up as beggars too, our municipal education sucks ,,a farce played without heart without dedication..like our cleanliness drive ,, we want to clean our surroundings but not our inner corrupt self,,, and sadly corruption resides deep in the heart soul of the common Indian..he encouraged it pushed and promoted it .. there is dirtiness ugliness in corruption in every walk of life ,, you have to give something to get something.. politics religion bureaucracy police every section of society has been infiltrated by corruption.even education.. RIP.. Cleanliness .


photography is not just shooting pictures it is aligning mind to matter