Do You Know That Is............?

I Think I May Have a Drinking/Drug Problem. What Should I Do?

2011-09-25T00:39:00.000+02:00

My friend thinks I have a drinking and drug problem. What should I do?
- Taylor*
Using alcohol or drugs regularly is usually just a step away from addiction — where you depend on these substances to feel good or get through your day.
Here are a few warning signs that someone may have a substance abuse problem:

relying on drugs or alcohol to have fun, forget problems, or relax
having blackouts
drinking or using drugs while alone
withdrawing or keeping secrets from friends or family
losing interest in activities that used to be important
performing differently in school (such as grades dropping and frequent absences)
building an increased tolerance to alcohol or drugs — gradually needing more and more of the substance to get the same feeling
lying, stealing, or selling stuff to get money for drugs or alcohol

It's usually hard for people to recognize they have a problem, which is why friends or family often step in. Quitting is hard to do, and many people find they can't do it without help. The best thing you can do is to talk to someone you trust — preferably an adult who can support you — so you don't have to deal with your problem alone.
Lots of resources are available for people with substance abuse problems. Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous offer information and recovery programs for teens. If you're looking for medical advice, a diagnosis, or treatment, consult your doctor or other qualified medical professional. If this is an emergency, contact emergency services in your area.

Coping With an Alcoholic Parent

2011-09-25T00:33:00.002+02:00

What's in this article?

Why Do People Drink Too Much?
How Does Alcoholism Affect Families?
What If a Parent Doesn't See a Problem?
Why Do I Feel So Bad?
What Can I Do?

Anthony is in bed when he hears the front door slam. He covers his head with his pillow so he doesn't have to listen to the sound of his parents arguing. Anthony knows that his mother has been drinking again. He starts worrying about getting to school on time and realizes he will probably have to help get his younger sister ready too.

Why Do People Drink Too Much?

Lots of people live with a parent or caregiver who is an alcoholic or who drinks too much. Alcoholism has been around for centuries, yet no one has discovered an easy way to prevent it.
Alcohol can affect people's health and also how they act. People who are drunk might be more aggressive or have mood swings. They may act in a way that is embarrassing to them or other people.
Alcoholism is a disease. Like any disease, it needs to be treated. Without professional help, a person with alcoholism will probably continue to drink and may even become worse over time.
Diseases like alcoholism are no one's fault. Some people are more susceptible to wanting to drink too much. Scientists think it has to do with genetics, as well as things like family history, and life events.

Sometimes what starts as a bad habit can become a very big problem. For example, people may drink to cope with problems like boredom, stress, or money troubles. Maybe there's an illness in the family, or parents are having marriage problems.
No matter what anyone says, people don't drink because of someone else's behavior. So if you live with someone who has a drinking problem, don't blame yourself.

How Does Alcoholism Affect Families?

If you live with a parent who drinks, you may feel embarrassed, angry, sad, hurt, or any number of emotions. You may feel helpless: When parents promise to stop drinking, for example, it can end in frustration when they don't keep their promises.
Problem drinking can change how families function. A parent may have trouble keeping a job and problems paying the bills. Older kids may have to take care of younger siblings.
Some parents with alcohol problems might mistreat or abuse their children emotionally or physically. Others may neglect their kids by not providing sufficient care and guidance. Parents with alcohol problems might also use other drugs.
Despite what happens, most children of alcoholics love their parents and worry about something bad happening to them. Kids who live with problem drinkers often try all kinds of ways to prevent them from drinking. But, just as family members don't cause the addiction, they can't stop it either.
The person with the drinking problem has to take charge. Someone who has a bad habit or an addiction to alcohol needs to get help from a treatment center.
Alcoholism affects family members just as much as it affects the person drinking. Because of this, there are lots of support groups to help children of alcoholics cope with the problem.

What If a Parent Doesn't See a Problem?

Drinking too much can be a problem that nobody likes to talk about. In fact, lots of parents may become enraged at the slightest suggestion that they are drinking too much.
Sometimes, parents deny that they have a problem. A person in denial refuses to believe the truth about a situation. So problem drinkers may try to blame someone else because it is easier than taking responsibility for their own drinking.
Some parents make their families feel bad by saying stuff like, "You're driving me crazy!" or "I can't take this anymore." That can be harmful, especially to kids: Most young children don't know that the problem has nothing to do with their actions and that it's all in the drinker's mind.
Some parents do acknowledge their drinking, but deny that it's a problem. They may say stuff like, "I can stop anytime I want to," "Everyone drinks to unwind sometimes," or "My drinking is not a problem."
Lots of people fall into the trap of thinking that a parent's drinking is only temporary. They tell themselves that, when a particular problem is over, like having a rough time at work, the drinking will stop. But even if a parent who drinks too much has other problems, drinking is a separate problem. And that problem won't go away unless the drinker gets help.

Why Do I Feel So Bad?

If you're like most teens, your life is probably filled with emotional ups and downs, regardless of what's happening at home. Add a parent with a drinking problem to the mix, and it can all seem like too much.
There are many reasons why a parent's drinking can contribute to feelings of anger, frustration, disappointment, sadness, embarrassment, worry, loneliness, and helplessness. For example:

You might be subjected to a parent's changing moods. People who drink can behave unpredictably. Kids who grow up around them may spend a lot of energy trying to figure out a parent's mood or guess what that parent wants. One day you might walk on eggshells to avoid an outburst because the dishes aren't done or the lawn isn't mowed. The next day, you may find yourself comforting a parent who promises that things will be better.
It may be hard to do things with friends or other people. For some people, it feels like too much trouble to have a friend over or do the things that everyone else does. You just never know how your parent will act. Will your mom or dad show up drunk for school events or drive you (and your friends) home drunk?
You might be stressed or worried. It can be scary to listen to adults in the house yell, fight, or break things by accident. Worrying about a parent just adds to all the other emotions you may be feeling. Are you lying awake waiting for mom or dad to get home safely? Do you feel it's not fair that you have to be the grown up and take care of things around the house? These are all normal reactions.

Although each family is different, people who grow up with alcoholic parents often feel alone, unloved, depressed, or burdened by the secret life they lead at home.
You know it's not possible to cause or stop the behavior of an alcoholic. So what can you do to feel better (or help a friend feel better)?

What Can I Do?

Acknowledge the problem. Many kids of parents who drink too much try to protect their parents or hide the problem. Admitting that your parent has a problem — even if he or she won't — is the first step in taking control. Start by talking to a friend, teacher, counselor, or coach. If you can't face telling someone you know, call an organization like Al-Anon/Alateen (they have a 24-hour hotline at 1-800-344-2666) or go online for help.
Be informed. Being aware of how your parent's drinking affects you can help put things in perspective. For example, some teens who live with alcoholic adults become afraid to speak out or show any normal anger or emotion because they worry it may trigger a parent's drinking. Remind yourself that you are not responsible for your parent drinking too much, and that you cannot cause it or stop it.
Be aware of your emotions. When you feel things like anger or resentment, try to identify those feelings. Talk to a close friend or write down how you are feeling. Recognizing how a parent's problem drinking makes you feel can help you from burying your feelings and pretending that everything's OK.
Learn healthy coping strategies. When we grow up around people who turn to alcohol or other unhealthy ways of dealing with problems, they become our example. Watching new role models can help people learn healthy coping mechanisms and ways of making good decisions.
Coaches, aunts, uncles, parents of friends, or teachers all have to deal with things like frustration or disappointment. Watch how they do it. School counselors can be a great resource here. Next time you have a problem, ask someone you trust for help.
Find support. It's good to share your feelings with a friend, but it's equally important to talk to an adult you trust. A school counselor, favorite teacher, or coach may be able to help. Some teens turn to their school D.A.R.E. (Drug and Alcohol Resistance Education) officer. Others prefer to talk to a family member or parents of a close friend.
Because alcoholism is such a widespread problem, several organizations offer confidential support groups and meetings for people living with alcoholics. Alateen is a group specifically geared to young people living with adults who have drinking problems. Alateen can also help teens whose parents may already be in treatment or recovery. The group Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) also offers resources for people living with alcoholics.
Find a safe environment. Do you find yourself avoiding your house as much as possible? Are you thinking about running away? If you feel that the situation at home is becoming dangerous, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at (800) 799-SAFE. And don't hesitate to dial 911 if you think you or another family member is in immediate danger.
Stop the cycle. Teenage children of alcoholics are at higher risk of becoming alcoholics themselves. Scientists think this is because of genetics and the environment that kids grow up in. For example, people might learn to drink as a way to avoid fear, boredom, anxiety, sadness, or other unpleasant feelings. Understanding that there could be a problem and finding adults and peers to help you can be the most important thing you do to reduce the risk of problem drinking.
Alcoholism is a disease. You can show your love and support, but you won't be able to stop someone from drinking. Talking about the problem, finding support, and choosing healthy ways to cope are choices you can make to feel more in control of the situation. Above all, don't give up!

Binge Drinking

2011-09-24T07:42:00.000+02:00

What's in this article?

What Is Binge Drinking?
Why Do People Binge Drink?
What Are the Risks of Binge Drinking?
Getting Help

Chet has known Dave since they were in elementary school together, but lately their friendship has been strained. Dave's drinking on weekends has turned him into a completely different person. Dave used to get good grades and play sports, but since he started drinking he hasn't been finishing assignments and he has quit the soccer team.

When Chet saw Dave pound five beers in 30 minutes at two different parties, he realized how serious Dave's problem was.

What Is Binge Drinking?

Binge drinking used to mean drinking heavily over several days. Now, however, the term refers to the heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time (just as binge eating means a specific period of uncontrolled overeating).
Today the generally accepted definition of binge drinking in the United States is the consumption of five or more drinks in a row by men — or four or more drinks in a row by women — at least once in the previous 2 weeks. Heavy binge drinking includes three or more such episodes in 2 weeks.

Why Do People Binge Drink?

Liquor stores, bars, and alcoholic beverage companies make drinking seem attractive and fun. It's easy for a high school student to get caught up in a social scene with lots of peer pressure. Inevitably, one of the biggest areas of peer pressure is drinking.
Other reasons why people drink include:

They're curious — they want to know what it's like to drink alcohol.
They believe that it will make them feel good, not realizing it could just as easily make them sick and hung-over.
They may look at alcohol as a way to reduce stress, even though it can end up creating more stress.
They want to feel older.

What Are the Risks of Binge Drinking?

Many people don't think about the negative side of drinking. Although they think about the possibility of getting drunk, they may not give much consideration to being hung-over or throwing up.

You may know from experience that excessive drinking can lead to difficulty concentrating, memory lapses, mood changes, and other problems that affect your day-to-day life. But binge drinking carries more serious and longer-lasting risks as well.

Alcohol Poisoning

Alcohol poisoning is the most life-threatening consequence of binge drinking. When someone drinks too much and gets alcohol poisoning, it affects the body's involuntary reflexes — including breathing and the gag reflex. If the gag reflex isn't working properly, a person can choke to death on his or her vomit.
Other signs someone may have alcohol poisoning include:

extreme confusion
inability to be awakened
vomiting
seizures
slow or irregular breathing
low body temperature
bluish or pale skin

If you think someone has alcohol poisoning, call help centre immediately.

Getting Help

If you think you or a friend have a binge-drinking problem, get help as soon as possible. The best approach is to talk to an adult you trust — if you can't approach your parents, talk to your doctor, school counselor, clergy member, aunt, or uncle.

It can be hard for some people to talk to adults about these issues, so an alternative could be a trusted friend or older sibling who is easy to talk to. Drinking too much can be the result of social pressures, and sometimes it helps to know there are others who have gone through the same thing.
If you're worried, don't hesitate to ask someone for help. A supportive friend or adult could help you to avoid pressure situations, stop drinking, or find counseling.

Alcohol

2011-09-24T07:25:00.000+02:00

What's in this article?

Getting the Facts
What Is Alcohol?
How Does It Affect the Body?
Why Do Teens Drink?
Why Shouldn't I Drink?
How Can I Avoid Drinking?
Where Can I Get Help?
What If I'm Concerned About Someone Else's Drinking?

Getting the Facts

Just about everyone knows that the legal drinking age throughout the United States is 21. But according to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, almost 80% of high school students have tried alcohol.
Deciding whether to drink is a personal decision that we each eventually have to make. This article provides some information on alcohol, including how it affects your body, so you can make an educated choice.

What Is Alcohol?

Alcohol is created when grains, fruits, or vegetables are fermented. Fermentation is a process that uses yeast or bacteria to change the sugars in the food into alcohol. Fermentation is used to produce many necessary items — everything from cheese to medications. Alcohol has different forms and can be used as a cleaner, an antiseptic, or a sedative.
So if alcohol is a natural product, why do teens need to be concerned about drinking it? When people drink alcohol, it's absorbed into their bloodstream. From there, it affects the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord), which controls virtually all body functions. Because experts now know that the human brain is still developing during our teens, scientists are researching the effects drinking alcohol can have on the teen brain.

How Does It Affect the Body?

Alcohol is a depressant, which means it slows the function of the central nervous system. Alcohol actually blocks some of the messages trying to get to the brain. This alters a person's perceptions, emotions, movement, vision, and hearing.
In very small amounts, alcohol can help a person feel more relaxed or less anxious. More alcohol causes greater changes in the brain, resulting in intoxication. People who have overused alcohol may stagger, lose their coordination, and slur their speech. They will probably be confused and disoriented. Depending on the person, intoxication can make someone very friendly and talkative or very aggressive and angry. Reaction times are slowed dramatically — which is why people are told not to drink and drive. People who are intoxicated may think they're moving properly when they're not. They may act totally out of character.
When large amounts of alcohol are consumed in a short period of time, alcohol poisoning can result. Alcohol poisoning is exactly what it sounds like — the body has become poisoned by large amounts of alcohol. Violent vomiting is usually the first symptom of alcohol poisoning. Extreme sleepiness, unconsciousness, difficulty breathing, dangerously low blood sugar, seizures, and even death may result.

Why Do Teens Drink?

Experimentation with alcohol during the teen years is common. Some reasons that teens use alcohol and other drugs are:

curiosity
to feel good, reduce stress, and relax
to fit in
to feel older

From a very young age, kids see advertising messages showing beautiful people enjoying life — and alcohol. And because many parents and other adults use alcohol socially — having beer or wine with dinner, for example — alcohol seems harmless to many teens.

Why Shouldn't I Drink?

Although it's illegal to buy alcohol in the United States until the age of 21, most teens can get access to it. It's therefore up to you to make a decision about drinking. In addition to the possibility of becoming addicted, there are some downsides to drinking:
The punishment is severe. Teens who drink put themselves at risk for obvious problems with the law (it's illegal; you can get arrested). Teens who drink are also more likely to get into fights and commit crimes than those who don't.
People who drink regularly also often have problems with school. Drinking can damage a student's ability to study well and get decent grades, as well as affect sports performance (the coordination thing).
You can look really stupid. The impression is that drinking is cool, but the nervous system changes that come from drinking alcohol can make people do stupid or embarrassing things, like throwing up or peeing on themselves. Drinking also gives people bad breath, and no one enjoys a hangover.
Alcohol puts your health at risk. Teens who drink are more likely to be sexually active and to have unsafe, unprotected sex. Resulting pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases can change — or even end — lives. The risk of injuring yourself, maybe even fatally, is higher when you're under the influence, too. One half of all drowning deaths among teen guys are related to alcohol use. Use of alcohol greatly increases the chance that a teen will be involved in a car crash, homicide, or suicide.
Teen drinkers are more likely to get fat or have health problems, too. One study by the University of Washington found that people who regularly had five or more drinks in a row starting at age 13 were much more likely to be overweight or have high blood pressure by age 24 than their nondrinking peers. People who continue drinking heavily well into adulthood risk damaging their organs, such as the liver, heart, and brain.

How Can I Avoid Drinking?

If all your friends drink and you don't want to, it can be hard to say "no, thanks." No one wants to risk feeling rejected or left out. Different strategies for turning down alcohol work for different people. Some people find it helps to say no without giving an explanation, others think offering their reasons works better ("I'm not into drinking," "I have a game tomorrow," or "my uncle died from drinking," for example).
If saying no to alcohol makes you feel uncomfortable in front of people you know, blame your parents or another adult for your refusal. Saying, "My parents are coming to pick me up soon," "I already got in major trouble for drinking once, I can't do it again," or "my coach would kill me," can make saying no a bit easier for some.
If you're going to a party and you know there will be alcohol, plan your strategy in advance. You and a friend can develop a signal for when it's time to leave, for example. You can also make sure that you have plans to do something besides just hanging out in someone's basement drinking beer all night. Plan a trip to the movies, the mall, a concert, or a sports event. You might also organize your friends into a volleyball, bowling, or softball team — any activity that gets you moving.
Girls or guys who have strong self-esteem are less likely to become problem drinkers than people with low self-esteem.

Where Can I Get Help?

If you think you have a drinking problem, get help as soon as possible. The best approach is to talk to an adult you trust. If you can't approach your parents, talk to your doctor, school counselor, clergy member, aunt, or uncle. It can be hard for some people to talk to adults about these issues, but a supportive person in a position to help can refer students to a drug and alcohol counselor for evaluation and treatment.
In some states, this treatment is completely confidential. After assessing a teen's problem, a counselor may recommend a brief stay in rehab or outpatient treatment. These treatment centers help a person gradually overcome the physical and psychological dependence on alcohol.

What If I'm Concerned About Someone Else's Drinking?

Sometimes people live in homes where a parent or other family member drinks too much. This may make you angry, scared, and depressed. Many people can't control their drinking without help. This doesn't mean that they love or care about you any less. Alcoholism is an illness that needs to be treated just like other illnesses.
People with drinking problems can't stop drinking until they are ready to admit they have a problem and get help. This can leave family members and loved ones feeling helpless. The good news is there are many places to turn for help: a supportive adult, such as your guidance counselor, or a relative or older sibling will understand what you're going through. Also, professional organizations like Alateen can help.
If you have a friend whose drinking concerns you, make sure he or she stays safe. Don't let your friend drink and drive, for example. If you can, try to keep friends who have been drinking from doing anything dangerous, such as trying to walk home at night alone or starting a fight. And protect yourself, too. Don't get in a car with someone who's been drinking, even if that person is your ride home. Ask a sober adult to drive you instead or call a cab.
Everyone makes decisions about whether to drink and how much — even adults. It's possible to enjoy a party or other event just as much, if not more so, when you don't drink. And with your central nervous system working as it's supposed to, you'll remember more about the great time you had!

Ankhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se

2011-09-23T07:36:00.000+02:00

Dear friends i have come through a song which is really cool and romantic if you shutoff the lights and listen this with close eyes oooh yaar really very sahar angaiz i mean very magistic.In this song a girl shows her filling about her lover and shows the ways of love really very good poetry.

Stop Smoking Your Personal Plan

2011-09-22T07:43:00.000+02:00

Everyone knows it can be hard to stop smoking. After all, the nicotine in cigarettes is a powerfully addictive drug. But with the right approach, you can do it. Millions of Americans have kicked the smoking habit by following some key steps, like lining up support from friends and planning ahead how they'll respond to cravings.

This personal planning tool helps you think through your approach. As you work through the planner, you'll see examples of some of the things other people did to stop smoking. When you're finished, you can print a goal sheet to guide and inspire you.
Stopping smoking takes daily awareness. You're replacing your smoking habit with a new, nonsmoking habit — and reprogramming your brain like that takes time. You'll need patience and, yes, willpower. So take it one day at a time. Look at your goal sheet every day and remind yourself of the reasons why you want to stop. Review the things that can trip you up so you can be prepared to take them on them during the day.
Did you forget and light up? Forgive yourself and get back on track. Did you get through a difficult situation without smoking? Congratulate yourself. It's a real achievement to stop smoking. When you reach your goal, you won't just be healthier. You'll also know a bit more about yourself — like the fact that you're strong enough to meet a really tough challenge.

smoking and Asthma

2011-09-22T07:40:00.000+02:00

What's in this article?

If You Smoke
If Other People Smoke

You may have family photo albums full of people smoking at every type of event, from birthday parties to company picnics. That's because smoking was once accepted pretty much everywhere — even in doctor's offices. But that changed as we learned more about the health problems it causes.
If you have asthma, smoking is especially risky because of the damage it does to the lungs.
When someone smokes, he or she may cough, wheeze, and feel short of breath. This is because smoke irritates the airways, causing them to become swollen, narrow, and filled with sticky mucus. These are the same things that happen during an asthma flare-up. That's why smoking can cause asthma flare-ups to happen more often. Those flare-ups may be more severe and harder to control, even with medicine.

If You Smoke

You may have started smoking because all your friends do or because you grew up in a house where lots of people smoked. Some people try smoking because they are curious or bored. No matter why you started, if you're thinking about quitting, it would probably help your asthma.
Smoking can undo the effect of any controller medicine you're taking. It also can force you to use your rescue medicine more often. It can also disturb your sleep by making you cough more at night and can affect how well you perform in sports or other physical activities. Worst of all, it can send you to the emergency department with a severe asthma flare-up.
If you decide to quit smoking, you don't have to go it alone. Seek the support of others who are also trying to quit. You also might ask your doctor about medication or different strategies that can help you crave cigarettes less.

If Other People Smoke

Even if you don't smoke, you may still run into smoky situations in restaurants, parties, or even at home if one of your family members smokes. Secondhand smoke is a known asthma trigger, so you'll want to avoid it as much as possible if you have asthma.
If you hang out with smokers or have a family member who smokes in the house, you are likely to have more frequent and severe asthma symptoms. You may have to take more medicine and your asthma may be harder to control. Finally, you may find yourself at the doctor's office or emergency department more often because of asthma symptoms.
There's not much you can do about other people's behavior, but you should let your friends and family know that what they are doing is making your asthma worse. Ask them not to smoke in your house or car. It's your air, after all.

Smoking

2011-09-22T07:35:00.000+02:00

What's in this article?

Once You Start, It's Hard to Stop
How Smoking Affects Your Health
Hookahs and E-Cigarettes
Kicking Butts and Staying Smoke Free

When your parents were young, people could buy cigarettes and smoke pretty much anywhere — even in hospitals! Ads for cigarettes were all over the place. Today we're more aware about how bad smoking is for our health. Smoking is restricted or banned in almost all public places and cigarette companies are no longer allowed to advertise on TV, radio, and in many magazines.

Almost everyone knows that smoking causes cancer, emphysema, and heart disease; that it can shorten your life by 10 years or more; and that the habit can cost a smoker thousands of dollars a year. So how come people are still lighting up? The answer, in a word, is addiction.

Once You Start, It's Hard to Stop

Smoking is a hard habit to break because tobacco contains nicotine, which is highly addictive. Like heroin or other addictive drugs, the body and mind quickly become so used to the nicotine in cigarettes that a person needs to have it just to feel normal.

How Smoking Affects Your Health

People start smoking for a variety of different reasons.Some think it looks cool. Others start because their family membersor friends smoke. statistics show that about 9 out of 10 tobacco users start before they're 18 years old. Most adults who started smoking in their eens never expected to become addicted. That's why people say it's just so much easier to not start smoking at all

There are no physical reasons to start smoking. The body doesn't need tobacco the way it needs food, water, sleep, and exercise. And many of the chemicals in cigarettes, like nicotine and cyanide, are actually poisons that can kill in high enough doses.

The body is smart. It goes on the defense when it's being poisoned. First-time smokers often feel pain or burning in the throat and lungs, and some people feel sick or even throw up the first few times they try tobacco.

The consequences of this poisoning happen gradually. Over the long term, smoking leads people to develop health problems like heart disease, stroke, emphysema (breakdown of lung tissue), and many types of cancer — including lung, throat, stomach, and bladder cancer. People who smoke also have an increased risk of infections like bronchitis and pneumonia.

These diseases limit a person's ability to be normally active, and they can be fatal. In the United States, smoking is responsible for about 1 out of 5 deaths.

Smokers not only develop wrinkles and yellow teeth, they also lose bone density, which increases their risk of osteoporosis (pronounced: ahs-tee-o-puh-row-sus), a condition that causes older people to become bent over and their bones to break more easily. Smokers also tend to be less active than nonsmokers because smoking affects lung power.

Smoking can also cause fertility problems and can impact sexual health in both men and women. Girls who are on the pill or other hormone-based methods of birth control (like the patch or the ring) increase their risk of serious health problems, such as heart attacks, if they smoke.

The consequences of smoking may seem very far off, but long-term health problems aren't the only hazard of smoking. Nicotine and the other toxins in cigarettes, cigars, and pipes can affect a person's body quickly, which means that teen smokers experience many of these problems:

Bad skin. Because smoking restricts blood vessels, it can prevent oxygen and nutrients from getting to the skin — which is why smokers often appear pale and unhealthy. Studies have also linked smoking to an increased risk of getting a type of skin rash called psoriasis.
Bad breath. Cigarettes leave smokers with a condition called halitosis, or persistent bad breath.
Bad-smelling clothes and hair. The smell of stale smoke tends to linger — not just on people's clothing, but on their hair, furniture, and cars. And it's often hard to get the smell of smoke out.
Reduced athletic performance. People who smoke usually can't compete with nonsmoking peers because the physical effects of smoking (like rapid heartbeat, decreased circulation, and shortness of breath) impair sports performance.
Greater risk of injury and slower healing time. Smoking affects the body's ability to produce collagen, so common sports injuries, such as damage to tendons and ligaments, will heal more slowly in smokers than nonsmokers.
Increased risk of illness. Studies show that smokers get more colds, flu, bronchitis, and pneumonia than nonsmokers. And people with certain health conditions, like asthma, become more sick if they smoke (and often if they're just around people who smoke). Because teens who smoke as a way to manage weight often light up instead of eating, their bodies also lack the nutrients they need to grow, develop, and fight off illness properly.

Hookahs and E-Cigarettes

It's not only cigarettes that get people dependent on tobacco. Hookahs, staples of Middle Eastern café society, are water pipes used to smoke tobacco through a hose with a tapered mouthpiece. There's a myth going around that hookahs are safer because the smoke is cooled when it passes through the water.

But take a look at the black, resinous gunk that builds up in a hookah hose. Some of that gets into users' mouths and lungs. Indeed, experts say hookahs are no safer than cigarettes — and since they don't have filters and people often use them for long periods, the health risks might be even greater. Hookahs are usually shared, so there's the additional risk from germs being passed around along with the pipe.

Also beware of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), which contain cancer-causing chemicals and other toxins, including a compound used in antifreeze. These battery-operated devices use cartridges filled with nicotine, flavorings, and other chemicals and convert them into a vapor that's inhaled by the user.

E-cigarettes haven't been evaluated or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), so they don't have to post the health warnings that nicotine replacement products or conventional cigarettes do. But there's no such thing as a safe nicotine product.

Kicking Butts and Staying Smoke Free

All forms of tobacco — cigarettes, pipes, cigars, hookahs, and smokeless tobacco — are hazardous. It doesn't help to substitute products that seem like they're better for you than regular cigarettes, such as e-cigarettes or filtered or low-tar cigarettes.

The only thing that really helps a person avoid the problems associated with smoking is staying smoke free. This isn't always easy, especially if everyone around you is smoking and offering you cigarettes. It may help to have your reasons for not smoking ready for times you may feel the pressure, such as "I just don't like it" or "I want to stay in shape for soccer" (or football, basketball, or other sport).

The good news for people who don't smoke or who want to quit is that studies show that the number of teens who smoke has dropped dramatically. Today, about 20% of high school students smoke — which means 4 out of 5 don't.

If you do smoke and want to quit, you have lots of information and support available. Different approaches to quitting work for different people. For some, quitting cold turkey is best. Others find that a slower approach is the way to go. Some people find that it helps to go to a support group especially for teens. These are sometimes sponsored by local hospitals or organizations like the American Cancer Society. The Internet offers a number of good resources to help people quit smoking.

When quitting, it can be helpful to realize that the first few days are the hardest. So don't give up. Some people find they have a few relapses before they manage to quit for good.

Staying smoke free will give you a whole lot more of everything — more energy, better performance, better looks, more money in your pocket, and, in the long run, more life to live!

Smokeless Tobacco

2011-09-22T06:54:00.000+02:00

You don't smoke it. You don't swallow it. All you do is slosh it around your mouth and spit out the brown juices every few seconds. OK, so it actually is pretty disgusting. But so what? After all, it's called smokeless or chewing tobacco. That means you chew and spit it, not smoke it, so it can't be as bad as inhaling tobacco smoke into your lungs, right?

Wrong . . . unfortunately, smokeless doesn't mean harmless. The fact is, chewing tobacco is every bit as dangerous as smoking it.

What Is Smokeless Tobacco?

Smokeless tobacco, also called spit tobacco, chewing tobacco, chew, chaw, dip, plug, and probably a few other things, comes in two forms: snuff and chewing tobacco.

Snuff is a fine-grain tobacco that often comes in teabag-like pouches that users "pinch" or "dip" between their lower lip and gum. Chewing tobacco comes in shredded, twisted, or "bricked" tobacco leaves that users put between their cheek and gum. Whether it's snuff or chewing tobacco, you're supposed to let it sit in your mouth and suck on the tobacco juices, spitting often to get rid of the saliva that builds up. This sucking and chewing allows nicotine, which is a drug you can become addicted to, to be absorbed into the bloodstream through the tissues in your mouth. You don't even need to swallow.

Where Does It Come From?

Smokeless tobacco has been around for a long time. Native people of North and South America chewed tobacco, and snorting and chewing snuff was popular in Europe and Scandinavia (the word "snuff" comes from the Scandinavian word "snus").

In the United States, chewing tobacco has long been associated with baseball. Players chewed it to keep their mouths moist, spit it into their gloves to soften them up, and used it to make a "spitball," a special pitch that involved the pitcher dabbing the ball with saliva to cause it to spin off the fingers easily and break sharply. (Spitballs were banned from the sport in 1920.) By the 1950s, chewing tobacco had fallen out of favor in most of America, so by that time not too many baseball players were spitting big brown gobs all over the infield. Instead of chewing their tobacco, most people were smoking it.

But, in the 1970s, people became more aware of the dangers of smoking. Thinking it was a safe alternative to lighting up, baseball players started chewing on their tobacco again. Some players even developed the habit of mixing their chewing tobacco with bubble gum and chewing the whole thing. Gross, huh?

These days, you don't find the majority of professional ballplayers with wads of chaw in their cheeks. But lots of guys and girls, athletes or not, still find time for chewing and spitting.

Who Chews?

As many as 20% of high school boys and 2% of high school girls use smokeless tobacco, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Of the 12 to 14 million American users, one third are under age 21, and more than half of those developed the habit before they were 13. Peer pressure is just one of the reasons for starting the habit. Serious users often graduate from brands that deliver less nicotine to stronger ones. With each use, you need a little more of the drug to get the same feeling.

So What's the Danger?

Just like smoking cigarettes, chewing smokeless tobacco can eventually rip apart your body and kill you. It's that simple, really. There's no such thing as a "safe" tobacco product.

Take Bill Tuttle, for example. An outfielder for the Detroit Tigers, the Kansas City Athletics (before they moved to Oakland), and the Minnesota Twins, Tuttle chewed tobacco for most of his career. In fact, a lot of Tuttle's baseball cards over the years pictured him with a cheek bulging with chewing tobacco. Thirty-eight years after the end of his baseball career, Tuttle had a more ominous bulge in his cheek — a huge tumor that was so big that it came through his cheek and extended through his skin. Doctors removed the tumor, along with much of Tuttle's face. Chewing tobacco as a young man had cost him his jawbone, his right cheekbone, a lot of his teeth and gum line, and his taste buds. Cancer caused by his chewing habit finally claimed him in 1998, but Tuttle spent the rest of his life trying to steer young people, as well as grown athletes, away from smokeless tobacco.

Other baseball players have met a similar fate. Even one of the greatest of all time, Babe Ruth, was fond of dipping and chewing tobacco. He died at age 52 of an oropharyngeal tumor, which is a cancerous tumor in the back part of the throat.

But, of course, it isn't just baseball players who learn to regret their choice to start chewing tobacco. According to the CDC, each year about 30,000 Americans learn they have mouth and throat cancers, and nearly 8,000 die of these diseases. Sadly, only about half of people with diagnosed mouth or throat cancer survive more than 5 years.

What Can Chewing Tobacco Do to Me?

The more immediate effects can disrupt your social life: bad breath and yellowish-brown stains on your teeth. You'll also get mouth sores (about 70% of spit tobacco users have them). But, it gets a lot more serious than that. Consequences of chewing and spitting tobacco include:

cracking and bleeding lips and gums
receding gums, which can eventually make your teeth fall out
increased heart rate, high blood pressure, and irregular heartbeats, all leading to a greater risk of heart attacks and brain damage (from a stroke)
cancer

Oral cancer means cancer of the mouth and can happen in the lips, the tongue, the floor of the mouth, the roof of the mouth, the cheeks, or gums. It's been medically proven that long-time use of chewing tobacco can lead to cancer. But cancer from chewing tobacco doesn't just occur in the mouth. Some of the cancer-causing agents in the tobacco can get into the lining of your stomach, your esophagus, and into your bladder.

Quitting the Dipping

If you're a dipper, put some long thought into breaking the habit and quitting now. When you decide to quit, don't do it alone. Tell friends or family and enlist their support. Strategies for breaking the habit include:

using a nicotine gum or a patch (ask your doctor about these options first)
planning ahead and using substitutes such as tobacco-free, mint-leaf snuff; sugarless gum; hard candy; beef jerky; sunflower seeds; shredded coconut; raisins; or dried fruit
getting involved in healthier activities: lifting weights, shooting baskets, going for a swim, etc.

It's tough to quit, but realize that backsliding is common, so don't give up. Your chances of success increase with each try!

Secondhand smoke

2011-09-22T06:49:00.000+02:00

What's in this article?

What Is Secondhand Smoke?
What Can You Do?

Emma's friend Megan lights up a cigarette every chance she gets — while she's cruising around with their friends on Friday nights, during breaks at the pizza place, before soccer scrimmages, even as she babysits her brother. Emma's worried — both for her friend's health and for her own. She's not sure Megan realizes how her habit could be affecting the health of the people she smokes around.
Everyone knows smoking is a bad idea. And by now you've probably heard that breathing in someone else's secondhand smoke is also hazardous to your health.

What Is Secondhand Smoke?

Secondhand smoke comes from both the smoke that smokers exhale (called mainstream smoke) and the smoke floating from the end of the cigarette, cigar, or pipe (called sidestream smoke).
It may seem pretty harmless, but secondhand smoke actually contains thousands of chemicals — from arsenic and ammonia to hydrogen cyanide — many of which have been proven to be toxic or to cause cancer (called carcinogens). High concentrations of many of these chemicals are found in secondhand smoke. In fact, secondhand smoke significantly increases a person's risk for:

respiratory infections (like bronchitis and pneumonia)
asthma (secondhand smoke is a risk factor for the development of asthma and can trigger attacks in those who already have it)
coughing, sore throats, sniffling, and sneezing
cancer
heart disease

So secondhand smoke doesn't just impact a person in the future. It can cause problems right now, like affecting someone's sports performance or ability to be physically active.

What Can You Do?

Chances are, you know someone who smokes. Maybe it's your Grandma or the guy you hang out with at your job at the mall. Whether you smoke or you're regularly around someone who does, it's never healthy to breathe in tobacco smoke. Even occasional or short-term exposure can take a toll on the body.
If you smoke, try to quit. Quitting isn't easy because smoking is highly addictive. But plenty of programs and people can help you make the brave effort to becoming smoke free. And just consider the benefits: You'll look, feel, and smell better, not to mention you'll have more money saved to go out and show off the newer, healthier you! Who knows — maybe knowing that you're protecting the people you love by quitting will help give you even more willpower to kick the habit.
If you don't smoke, ask the smokers you know to observe these two practical habits:

Take all their smoke breaks outside — away from other people, especially kids and anyone who's pregnant. Smoke lingers in the air hours after cigarettes are put out. That means if a smoker is puffing away anywhere inside, other people are inhaling that smoke, too. Because smoke sticks to people and their clothing, when smokers come back inside, they should wash their hands and change their clothing, especially before holding or hugging children.
Never smoke in a car with other people. Even exhaling out the window does little, if anything, to reduce smoke exposure.

It's been scientifically proven that secondhand smoke is dangerous. So, hopefully the smokers in your life will be willing to take these simple steps.
Just as a person who smokes chooses to light up, nonsmokers have a choice, too — to walk away from other people's smoke at home, school, work, restaurants, even friends' and family members' houses. New laws are making it easier all the time for nonsmokers to lead smoke-free lives.
Taking a stand on secondhand smoke will keep you much healthier and possibly even help someone you love think twice about their own unhealthy habit, too.

How Can I Quit Smoking?

2011-09-22T06:42:00.002+02:00

What's in this article?

The Difficulty in Kicking the Habit
More Strategies That Work
Physical and Mental Effects
Slip-Ups Happen

First, congratulate yourself. Just reading this article is a huge step toward becoming tobacco free. Many people don't quit smoking because they think it's too hard to do. They think they'll quit someday.

It's true, for most people quitting isn't easy. After all, the nicotine in cigarettes is a powerfully addictive drug. But with the right approach, you can overcome the cravings.

The Difficulty in Kicking the Habit

Smokers may have started smoking because their friends did or because it seemed cool. But they keep on smoking because they became addicted to nicotine, one of the chemicals in cigarettes and smokeless tobacco.
Nicotine is both a stimulant and a depressant. That means it increases the heart rate at first and makes people feel more alert (like caffeine, another stimulant). Then it causes depression and fatigue. The depression and fatigue — and the drug withdrawal from nicotine — make people crave another cigarette to perk up again. According to many experts, the nicotine in tobacco is as addictive as cocaine or heroin.
But don't be discouraged; millions of Americans have permanently quit smoking. These strategies can help you quit, too:
Put it in writing. People who want to make a change often are more successful when they put it in writing. So write down all the reasons why you want to quit smoking, such as the money you will save or the stamina you'll gain for playing sports. Keep that list where you can see it, and add to it as you think of new reasons.
Get support. People whose friends and family help them quit are much more likely to succeed. If you don't want to tell your parents or family that you smoke, make sure your friends know, and consider confiding in a counselor or other adult you trust. And if you're having a hard time finding people to support you (if, say, all your friends smoke and none of them is interested in quitting), you might consider joining a support group, either in person or online.

More Strategies That Work

Set a quit date. Pick a day that you'll stop smoking. Tell your friends (and your family, if they know you smoke) that you're going to quit smoking on that day. Just think of that day as a dividing line between the smoking you and the new and improved nonsmoker you'll become. Mark it on your calendar.

Throw away your cigarettes — all of your cigarettes. People can't stop smoking with cigarettes still around to tempt them. Even toss out that emergency pack you have stashed in the secret pocket of your backpack. Get rid of your ashtrays and lighters, too.
Wash all your clothes. Get rid of the smell of cigarettes as much as you can by washing all your clothes and having your coats or sweaters dry-cleaned. If you smoked in your car, clean that out, too.
Think about your triggers. You're probably aware of the situations when you tend to smoke, such as after meals, when you're at your best friend's house, while drinking coffee, or as you're driving. These situations are your triggers for smoking — it feels automatic to have a cigarette when you're in them. Once you've figured out your triggers, try these tips:

Avoid these situations. For example, if you smoke when you drive, get a ride to school, walk, or take the bus for a few weeks. If you normally smoke after meals, make it a point to do something else after you eat, like read or call a friend.
Change the place. If you and your friends usually smoke in restaurants or get takeout and eat in the car, suggest that you sit in the no-smoking section the next time you go out to eat.
Substitute something else for cigarettes. It can be hard to get used to not holding something and having something in your mouth. If you have this problem, stock up on carrot sticks, sugar-free gum, mints, toothpicks, or even lollipops.

Physical and Mental Effects

Expect some physical symptoms. If you smoke regularly, you're probably physically addicted to nicotine and your body may experience some symptoms of withdrawal when you quit. These may include:

headaches or stomachaches
crabbiness, jumpiness, or depression
lack of energy
dry mouth or sore throat
desire to pig out

Luckily, the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal will pass — so be patient. Try not to give in and sneak a smoke because you'll just have to deal with the symptoms longer.
Keep yourself busy. Many people find it's best to quit on a Monday, when they have school or work to keep them busy. The more distracted you are, the less likely you'll be to crave cigarettes. Staying active is also a good way to make sure you keep your weight down and your energy up, even as you're experiencing the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal.
Quit gradually. Some people find that gradually decreasing the number of cigarettes they smoke each day is an effective way to quit. However, this strategy doesn't work for everyone — you may find you have to stop completely at once. This is known as "cold turkey."
Use a nicotine replacement if you need to. If you find that none of these strategies is working, you might talk to your doctor about treatments. Using a nicotine replacement, such as gum, patches, inhalers, or nasal sprays, can be very helpful. Sprays and inhalers are available by prescription only, and it's important to see your doctor before buying the patch and gum over the counter. That way, your doctor can help you find the solution that will work best for you. For example, the patch requires the least effort on your part, but it doesn't offer the almost instantaneous nicotine kick that gum does.

Slip-Ups Happen

If you slip up, don't give up! Major changes sometimes have false starts. If you're like many people, you may quit successfully for weeks or even months and then suddenly have a craving that's so strong you feel like you have to give in. Or maybe you accidentally find yourself in one of your trigger situations and give in to temptation.
If you slip up, it doesn't mean you've failed, it just means you're human. Here are some ways to get back on track:

Think about your slip as one mistake. Take notice of when and why it happened and move on.
Did you become a heavy smoker after one cigarette? We didn't think so — it happened more gradually, over time. Keep in mind that one cigarette didn't make you a smoker to start with, so smoking one cigarette (or even two or three) after you've quit doesn't make you a smoker again.
Remind yourself why you've quit and how well you've done — or have someone in your support group, family, or friends do this for you.

Reward yourself. As you already know, quitting smoking isn't easy. Give yourself a well-deserved reward! Set aside the money you usually spend on cigarettes. When you've stayed tobacco free for a week, 2 weeks, or a month, buy yourself a treat like a new CD, book, movie, or some clothes. And every smoke-free year, celebrate again. You earned it.

مرزا اسد اللہ خان غالب

2011-09-21T09:07:00.000+02:00

مرزا غالب(1797-1869)اردو زبان کے سب سے بڑے شاعر سمجھے جاتے ہیں۔ ان کی عظمت کا راز صرف ان کی شاعری کے حسن اور بیان کی خوبی ہی میں نہیں ہے۔ ان کاا صل کمال یہ ہے کہ وہ ز ندگی کے حقائق اور انسانی نفسیات کو گہرائی میں جاکر سمجھتے ہیں اور بڑی سادگی سے عام لوگوں کے لیے بیان کردیتے ہیں۔غالب جس پر آشوب دور میں پیدا ہوئے اس میں انہوں نے مسلمانوں کی ایک عظیم سلطنت کو برباد ہوتے ہوئے اور باہر سے آئی ہوئی انگریز قوم کو ملک کے اقتدار پر چھاتے ہوئے دیکھا۔غالباًً ً یہی وہ پس منظر ہے جس نے ان کی نظر میں گہرائی اور فکر میں وسعت پیدا کی۔

مرزا غالب کا نام اسد اللہ بیگ خاں تھا۔ باپ کا نام عبداللہ بیگ تھا ۔ آپ دسمبر 1797ء میں آگرہ میں پیدا ہوئے۔ غالب بچپن ہی میں یتیم ہو گئے تھے ان کی پرورش ان کے چچا مرزا نصر اللہ بیگ نے کی لیکن آٹھ سال کی عمر میں ان کے چچا بھی فوت ہو گئے۔ نواب احمد بخش خاں نے مرزا کے خاندان کا انگریزوں سے وظیفہ مقرر کرا دیا۔ 1810ءمیں تیرہ سال کی عمر میں ان کی شادی نواب احمد بخش کے چھوٹے بھائی مرزا الہی بخش خاں معروف کی بیٹی امراءبیگم سے ہو گئی شادی کے بعد انہوں نے اپنے آبائی وطن کو خیر باد کہہ کر دہلی میں مستقل سکونت اختیار کر لی۔

شادی کے بعد مرزا کے اخراجات بڑھ گئے اور مقروض ہو گئے ۔ اس دوران میں انہیں مالی مشکلات کا سامنا کرنا پڑا ور قرض کا بوجھ مزید بڑھنے لگا۔ آخر مالی پریشانیوں سے مجبور ہو کر غالب نے قلعہ کی ملازمت اختیار کر لی اور 1850ءمیں بہادر شاہ ظفر نے مرزا غالب کو نجم الدولہ دبیر الملک نظام جنگ کا خطاب عطا فرمایا ، اور خاندان تیموری کی تاریخ لکھنے پر مامور کر دیا اور 50روپے ماہور مرزا کا وظیفہ مقرر ہوا۔

غدر کے بعد مرزا کی سرکاری پنشن بھی بند ہو گئی ۔ چنانچہ انقلاب 1857ءکے بعد مرزا نے نواب یوسف علی خاں والی رامپور کو امداد کے لیے لکھا انہوں نے سو روپے ماہوار وظیفہ مقرر کر دیا جو مرزا کو تادم حیات ملتا رہا۔ کثرت شراب نوشی کی بدولت ان کی صحت بالکل تباہ ہو گئی مرنے سے پہلے بے ہوشی طاری رہی اور اسی حالت میں 15 فروری 1869ء کو انتقال فرمایا

’’آئین اکبری‘‘ کی منظوم تقریظ

1855 میں سرسید نے اکبر اعظم کے زمانے کی مشہور تصنیف ’’آئین اکبری‘‘ کی تصیح کرکے اسے دوبارہ شائع کیا۔ مرزا غالب نے اس پر فارسی میں ایک منظوم تقریظ (تعارف) لکھا ۔ اس میں انہو ں نے سر سید کو سمجھایا کہ ’’مردہ پرورن مبارک کارِنیست‘‘ یعنی مردہ پرستی اچھا شغل نہیں بلکہ انہیں انگریزوں سے یہ سبق سیکھنا چاہیے کہ وہ کس طرح فطرت کی طاقتوں کو مسخرکرکے اپنے اجداد سے کہیں آگے نکل گئے ہیں۔ انہوں نے اس پوری تقریظ میں انگریزوں کی ثقافت کی تعریف میں کچھ نہیں کہا بلکہ ان کی سائنسی دریافتوں کی طرف اشارہ کرتے ہوئے مختلف مثالوں سے یہ بتایا ہے کہ یہی ان کی ترقی کا راز ہے۔ غالب نے ایک ایسے پہلو سے مسلمانوں کی رہنمائی کی تھی ، جو اگر مسلمان اختیار کرلیتے تو آج دنیا کی عظیم ترین قوتوں میں ان کا شمار ہوتا۔مگر بدقسمتی سے لوگوں نے شاعری میں ان کے کمالات اور نثر پر ان کے احسانات کو تو لیا ،مگر قومی معاملات میں ان کی رہنمائی کو نظر انداز کردیا۔

دہلی کے جن نامور لوگوں کی تقریظیں آثارالصنادید کے آخر میں درج ہیں انہوں نے آئینِ اکبری پر بھی نظم یا نثر میں تقریظیں لکھی تھیں مگر آئین کے آخر میں صرف مولانا صہبائی کی تقریظ چھپی ہے ۔ مرزا غالب کی تقریظ جو ایک چھوٹی سی فارسی مثنوی ہے وہ کلیاتِ غالب میں موجود ہے مگر آئینِ اکبری میں سرسید نے اس کو قصدا ً نہیں چھپوایا۔ اس تقریظ میں مرزا نے یہ ظاہر کیا ہے کہ ابوالفضل کی کتاب اس قابل نہ تھی کہ اس کی تصحیح میں اس قدر کوشش کی جائے۔

سر سید کہتے تھے کہ :

" جب میں مرادآباد میں تھا ، اس وقت مرزا صاحب، نواب یوسف علی خاں مرحوم سے ملنے کو رام پور گئے تھے۔ ان کے جانے کی تو مجھے خبر نہیں ہوئی مگر جب دلی کو واپس جاتے تھے ، میں نے سنا کہ وہ مرادآباد میں سرائے میں آکر ٹھہرے ہیں ۔ میں فورا سرائے میں پہنچا اور مرزا صاحب کو مع اسباب اور تمام ہم راہیوں کے اپنے مکان پر لے آیا۔"

ظاہرا جب سے کہ سر سید نے تقریظ کے چھاپنے سے انکار کیا تھا وہ مرزا سے اور مرزا ان سے نہیں ملے تھے اور دونوں کو حجاب دامن گیر ہو گیا تھا اور اسی لئے مرزا نے مرادآباد میں آنے کی ان کو اطلاع نہیں دی تھی۔ الغرض جب مرزا سرائے سے سرسید کے مکان پر پہنچے اور پالکی سے اُترے تو ایک بوتل ان کے ہاتھ میں تھی انہوں نے اس کو مکان میں لا کر ایسے موقع پر رکھ دیا جہاں ہر ایک آتے جاتے کی نگاہ پڑتی تھی ۔ سر سید نے کسی وقت اس کو وہاں سے اُٹھا کر اسباب کی کوٹھڑی میں رکھ دیا ۔ مرزا نے جب بوتل کو وہاں نہ پایا توبہت گھبرائے ، سرسید نے کہا:

" آپ خاطر جمع رکھئے ، میں نے اس کو بہت احتیاط سے رکھ دیا ہے۔"

مرزا صاحب نے کہا، " بھئی مجھے دکھا دو ، تم نے کہاں رکھی ہے؟" انہوں نے کوٹھڑی میں لے جا کر بوتل دکھا دی ۔ آپ نے اپنے ہاتھ سے بوتل اُٹھا کر دیکھی اور مسکرا کر کہنے لگے کہ، " بھئی ! اس میں تو کچھ خیانت ہوئی ہے۔ سچ بتاؤ، کس نے پی ہے ، شاید اسی لئے تم نے کوٹھڑی میں لا کر رکھی تھی، حافظ نے سچ کہا ہے:

واعظاں کایں جلوہ در محراب و منبر میکنند چوں بخلوت میروند آں کارِ دیگر میکنند

سرسید ہنس کے چُپ ہورہے اور اس طرح وہ رکاوٹ جو کئی برس سے چلی آتی تھی ، رفع ہوگئی ، میرزا دو ایک دن وہاں ٹھہر کر دلی چلے آئے.

سرسید کے زہن میں یہ نکتہ بیٹھ گیا اور اس کی باقی ماندہ زندگی مردہ پروردن کے کار نامہ مبارک سے بلند ہوکر مردہ قوم میں زندگی کا تازہ خون دوڑانے کی مبارک و مسعود کو ششوں میں بسر ہوئی

غالب اور علی گڑھ

دیار علی گڑھ اپنے جغرافیائی محل و وقوع کے اعتبار سے مرزا غالب کے مولد اکبر آباد اور مسکن و مدفن دہلی کے درمیان آباد وہ قدیم شہر ہے جو تاریخ میں عرصہ دراز تک ”کول“کے نام سے مشہور رہ کر مغل حکمراں بابر کے ایک ماتحت عہدیدار محمدعلی جنگ جنگ (فاتح کول)کے دور میں علی گڑھ کے نام سے موسوم ہوا تھا ۱مگر عہدغالب میں بھی دیار علی گڑھ کو اس کے قدیم نام ’کول‘ سے یاد کئے جانے کی روایت جاری رہی تھی غالب نے اپنے متعدد اردو خطوط میں اس شہر کو علی گڑھ اور ”کول“ دونوں ہی ناموں سے یاد کیا ہے۔ غالب کے مولد و مدفن سے دیار علی گڑھ کے محل وقوع کی قربت غالب اور علی گڑھ کے درمیان ایک وابستگی کی بنیاد کی حیثیت رکھتی ہے.

علی گڑھ تحریک کے بانی سر سید احمد خاں اور اقلیم شعر و ادب کے قد آور سخن ور مرزا اسد اللہ خاں غالب کے درمیان تعلق کے جن رشتوں کا سراغ ملتا ہے اس مقالے میں سب سے پہلے انہیں پر روشنی ڈالنا مناسب ہوگا۔ غالب اور سر سید کے صحیفہ حیات کے مطالعے سے اس دلچسپ اتفاق کا انکشاف ہوتا ہے کہ جس طرح سید احمد خاں کا مولد دہلی غالب کا مسکن رہا تھا اسی طرح غالب کا مولد آگرہ بھی چند سال تک سید احمد خاں کا مسکن بنا تھا۔ گویا ان دونوں ہم عصر مشاہیر میں سے ایک کا مولد دوسرے کا مسکن رہاہے۔ تنخواہ اور پنشن کے سلسلے میں دونوں معاصرین کے احوال میں اشتراک کا یہ دلچسپ پہلو بھی قابل ذکر ہے کہ غالب انگریزی حکومت سے پنشن اور مغل دربار سے تنخواہ پایا کرتے تھے۔ سید احمد خاں کو مغل دربار سے خاندانی پنشن اور انگریزی حکومت سے تنخواہ ملتی رہی تھی۔ مرزا غالب (متولد ۷۲دسمبر ۷۹۷۱ئ)سید احمد خاں (ولادت ۷۱ اکتوبر ۷۱۸۱ئ)سے عمر میں کم و بیش بیس سال بڑے تھے۔ غالب اپنی شادی (۷۱رجب ۵۲۲۱ھ مطابق شنبہ ۸۱ اگست ۰۱۸۱ئ)کے دو تین سال بعد تقریباًًً ۳۱، ۲۱۸۱ءمیں اپنے مولد اکبر آباد کو خیر باد کہہ کر دہلی منتقل ہوئے تھے اور غالب کے ورود دہلی کے چار پانچ سال بعدسید احمد خاں کی ولادت ۷۱اکتوبر ۷۱۸۱ء کو دہلی میں ہوئی تھی ۔

غالب اور سید احمد خاں کے سن وسال میں بیس برس کے اس تفاوت کے باعث ان دونوں ہم عصروں میں برابر کے دوستانہ روابط تو نہ قائم ہوسکے لیکن دہلی کے ایک ہی دیار میں دونوں کا برسوں تک قیام دونوں میں باہمی شناسائی اور قربت کا سبب ضرور بنا تھا۔ حیات جاویدمیں شاگرد غالب مولانا حالی راوی ہیں کہ سید احمد خاں مرزا غالب کو چچا کہتے تھے اور مرزا بھی سید صاحب پر بزرگانہ شفقت فرمایا کرتے تھے حیات جاوید میں مولانا حالی نے یہ بھی لکھا ہے کہ سید احمد خاں اپنے علمی ذوق کی تسکین و تکمیل کےلئے اٹھارہ انیس سال کے سن میں (۶۳۔۵۳۸۱ئ) کے آس پاس دہلی کے جن عالموں کی صحبت سے فیضیاب ہوتے رہتے تھے ان میں غالب بھی شامل تھے۔ فروری ۹۳۸۱ء سے سرسید احمد خاں انگریزی حکومت میں اپنی ملازمت کے باعث دہلی سے نکل کر زیادہ تر مختلف مقامات پر رہنے لگے اور دہلی میںانہیں مستقل قیام کا موقع کم ہی مل سکا تھا. ان حالات کے پیش نظر دہلی میں غالب سے سید احمد خاں کی ملاقات کے مواقع کم ہی رہے ہوں گے لیکن غالب اور سیداحمدخاں کے ادبی آثار میںایسے متعدد شواہد دستیاب ہوتے ہیں جن سے ان دونوں ہم عصروں میں باہمی تعلقات کا اظہار ہوتا ہے۔ مرزا غالب کا اردو دیوان پہلی بار سید احمد خاں کے بڑے بھائی سید محمد خاں کے مطبع واقع دہلی سے شعبان ۷۵۲۱ھ مطابق اکتوبر ۱۴۸۱ءمیں شائع ہوا تھا ۔۵ ان دونوں کے درمیان تعلقات کی تصدیق سید احمد خاں کے نام غالب کے اس نودریافت فارسی خط سے بھی ہوتی ہے۔ جو ۰۱جنوری ۲۴۸۱ءکے بعد مگر ۳۱دسمبر ۵۴۸۱ءسے قبل اس زمانے میں لکھا گیا تھا جب سید احمد خاں فتح پور سیکری (ضلع آگرہ) کے منصف تھے۔

غالب کا ایک نو دریافت فارسی خط کتاب تلاش غالب میں موجود ہے۔ اور اس کے مطالعے سے پتہ چلتا ہے کہ یہ خط در اصل غالب کے نام سید احمد خاں کے ایک خط کا جواب ہے۔ غالب کا یہ خط اور اس میں سید احمد خاں کے مکتوب کا حوالہ غالب اور سید احمد خاں کے درمیان مکاتبت کے رشتے کا بھی انکشاف کرتا ہے اس خط میں یہ بھی علم ہوتا ہے کہ غالب نے اس خط کے ہمراہ سید احمد خاں کو اپنی ایک نعتیہ مثنوی بھی نقل کرکے ارسال کی تھی۔ غالب نے مکتوب الیہ کے بڑے بھائی کو آخر میںسلام لکھ کراس خط کو تمام کیا ہے۔ سید احمد خاں کے بڑے بھائی سید محمد خاں ۳۱ذی الحجہ ۱۶۲۱ھ مطابق ۳۱دسمبر ۵۴۸۱ءکو دہلی میں فوت ہوئے تھے لہٰذا سید احمد خاں کے نام غالب کایہ فارسی خط ۳۱دسمبر ۵۴۸۱ء سے قبل لکھا گیا ہوگا۔ سید احمد خاں مرزا غالب سے غیر معمولی عقیدت رکھتے تھے۔ سید صاحب کی کتاب آثار الصنادید کے ۷۴۸۱ءکے پہلے ایڈیشن کے چوتھے باب میں ذکر بلبل نوایان سواد جنت آباد حضرت شاہ جہاں آباد کے عنوان کے تحت دہلی کے جن متعدد شاعروں کا حال ملتا ہے ان میں سر فہرست خاصی مدح و تعریف کے ساتھ غالب کے مفصل احوال اور ادبی آثار کو جگہ دی گئی ہے۔

اس کتاب میں ذکر غالب کے ضمن میں سید احمد خاں نے غالب سے اپنے عقیدت مندانہ گہرے روابط کا حالان الفاظ میں بیان کیا ہے۔ : ”ان (غالب)کی نعمت تربیت کا راقم آثم (سید احمد خاں) کو جو ان کی خدمت میں ہے، اس کا بیان نہ قدرت تقدیر میں ہے اور نہ احاطہ تحریر میںآسکتا ہے اور چوں کہ ”دلہا بدلہا باشد“ ان حضرت کو بھی وہ شغف تھا راقم کے حال ہے کہ شاید اپنے بزرگوں کی طرف سے کئی مرتبہ اس کا مشاہدہ کیا ہوگا میں اپنے اعتقاد میں ان کے ایک حرف کو بہتر ایک کتاب سے اور ان کے ایک گل کو بہتر ایک گلزار سے جانتا ہوں۔“ ۹ سید احمد خاں نے مرزا غالب کی فارسی نثر و نظم کے نمونے پیش کرنے کے ساتھ ساتھ مرزا صاحب کی اردو شاعری کے نمونوں کوبھی اس کتاب میں شامل کیا ہے۔ اس میں سید احمد خاں نے غالب کے احوال و ادبی آثار کے علاوہ غالب کے جن شاگردوں کے احوال و آثار کو کتاب میں جگہ دی ہے۔ ان میں یہ نام شامل ہیں: نواب محمد ضیاءالدین خاں بہادر نیر درخشاں (ص ص ۴۴۱ تا ۹۵۱) نواب زین العابدین خاں بہادر عارف (ص ص ۹۵۱ تا ۳۶۱)نواب غلام حسن خاں محودہلوی (ص ۳۶۱)نواب ذوالفقار علی خاں آذر (ص ۵۶۱) نواب محمد مصطفیٰ خاں بہادر حسرتی و شیفتہ (ص ص ۲۰۲ تا ۰۱۲) آثار الصنادید اپنے دامن میں غالب کی ایک منثور فارسی تقریظ بھی رکھتی ہے غالب کی یہ تقریظ پنج آہنگ (مشمولہ کلیات نثر غالب)میں بھی محفوظ ہے۔ غالب نے سید صاحب کی کتاب آثار الصنادید کا ایک نسخہ اپنے کرم فرما حکیم سید رجب علی خاں ارسطو جاہ ( ۶۰۸۱۔۹۶۸۱ئ ) کو اپنے جس فارسی مکتوب کے ہمراہ ارسال کیا تھا اس میں غالب نے اس کتابکی تعریف کی تھی۔ (احوال غالب ص ۹۱) غالب کے مکتوب الیہ ارسطو جاہ علم ریاضی میں سید احمد خاں کے حقیقی نانا (دبیر الدولہ امین الملک خواجہ فرید الدین احمد خاں مصلح جنگ) کے شاگرد رہ چکے تھے۔ ارسطو جاہ سید رجب علی خاں کے مختصر حالات زندگی بزم غالب میں موجود ہیں۔۱۱ غالب کے ادبی آثار میں سید احمد خاں کی مرتب کردہ فارسی کتاب آئین اکبری (سنہ اشاعت ۲۷۲۱ھ مطابق ۵۵۸۱ئ)پر بشکل مثنوی ایک منظوم فارسی تقریظ بھی موجود ہے۔ اڑتیس اشعار کی یہ مثنوی کلیات غالب طبع ۳۶۸۱ءمیں شامل ہے۔ اس مثنوی میں غالب نے اس خیال کا اظہار کیا ہے کہ آئین اکبری جیسی تقویم پارینہ کتاب پر محنت کرنے کے بجائے انگریزوں کے آئین حکومت پر توجہ دینا بہتر ہوگا۔

اپنی مرتب کردہ کتاب آئین اکبری کے خلاف غالب کی یہ تقریظ سید احمد خاں کو ناپسند ہوئی اور انہوں نے اسے کتاب میں شائع نہیں کی۔ ۲۷۲۱ھ/۵۵۸۱ءکے آس پاس کا یہ ناخوش گوار واقعہ غالب اور سید احمد خاں کے درمیان تعلقات میں کشیدگی و بد مزگی کا سبب بنا تھا. آئین اکبری پر غالب کی مخالفانہ تقریظ کی واپسی کے سلسلے میں سید احمد خاں نے غالب کے نام جو خط لکھا تھا وہ تو اب ناپید ہے لیکن حیات جاوید (ص ص ۲۷ تا ۳۷)میں اس ناخوشگوار واقعے کے متعلق مولانا حالی کے بیان کی شہادت سید احمد خاں اور غالب کے درمیان مکاتبت کے اس رشتے کی نشان دہی ضرور کرتی ہے جس کے ثبوت سطور گذشتہ میں پہلے بھی پیش کئے جاچکے ہیں۔ آئین اکبری کے متعلق غالب کی یہ مخالفانہ تقریظ اس لحاظ سے بھی ہمارے نزدیک ایک بعید از انصاف بات ثابت ہوتی ہے کہ غالب اس واقعے سے کچھ عرصہ قبل خود مہر نیم روز کے عنوان سے سلطنت مغلیہ کی تاریخ لکھ چکے تھے۔ مہر نیم روز کی پہلی اشاعت ۲ربیع الاول ۱۷۲۱ھ مطابق جمعہ ۳۲نومبر ۴۵۸۱ءکو منظر عام پر آئی تھی جو اکبر اعظم کے والد مغل حکمراں نصیر الدین ہمایوں تک کی سلطنت مغلیہ کی تاریخ پر مشتمل ہے ۔

ان حقائق کے پیش نظر سلطنت مغلیہ کی تاریخ سے متعلق جس کام کو وہ خود انجام دے چکے تھے اس کی سر انجام دہی پر غالب کا سید احمد خاں کو روکنا کہاں تک جائز تھا۔ ؟ ہمارے خیال میں یہ سوال قابل غور ضرور ہے۔ سید احمد خاں کی مرتب کردہ کتاب آئین اکبری کے متعلق غالب کی تقریظ سے ان دونوں ہم عصر مشاہیر کے درمیان ۵۵۸۱ءکے آس پاس پیدا ہوجانے والی یہ دوری یوں دورہوئی کہ مرزا غالب جب سفر رامپور سے دہلی واپس ہورہے تھے تو وہ راہ میں چند روز کے لئے مراد آبادکی سرائے میں ٹھہرے۔ سید احمد خاں اس زمانے میں مراد آباد ہی میں صدر الصدور تھے۔ سید صاحب غالب کو سرائے سے اپنے مکان لے آئے اور انہوں نے اپنے مکان پر غالب کی خاطر خواہ خاطرمدارات کرکے ان سے اپنے روابط دوبارہ استوار کر لئے۔ حالی کا بیان ہے کہ غالب نے یہ سفر والی ِ رام پور نواب یوسف علی خاں کے زمانے میں کیا تھا ۴۱ ہماری معلومات کے مطابق نواب یوسف علی خاں کے دور میں غالب کے قیام رام پور کازمانہ ۷۲جنوری ۰۶۸۱ءسے ۷۱مارچ ۰۶۸۱ءتک کی درمیانی مدت کو محیط رہا تھا اور وہ ۷۱مارچ سے ۴۲مارچ ۰۶۸۱ءکی درمیانی تاریخوں کے دوران مراد آباد میں سید احمد خان کے مکان پر ایک آدھ روز مہمان رہے تھے۔ ۵۱ غالب اور سید احمد خاں کے درمیان ذاتی نوعیت کے یہ روابط ہمارے غالب اور علی گڑھ کے سلسلے میں پس منظر کی حیثیت رکھتے ہیں۔ غالب کے عزیزوں ، کرم فرماﺅں ، شاگردوں اور عقیدت مندوں کی فہرست میں ایسے متعدد افراد کے نام ملتے ہیں جن کے روابط سید احمد خاں سے بھی ثابت ہوتے ہیں ان دونوں ہم عصر مشاہیر کے مشترک مربیوں اور رفیقوں وغیرہ کی جامع و مکمل فہرست جس محنت و فرصت کی طالب ہے اس کے لئے سر دست ہمارے پاس وقت نہیں ۔ہم غالب و سید احمد خاں کے دائرہ تعارف و تاثر میں شامل صرف ان چند افراد کے مختصر ذکر پر اکتفا کرتے ہیں جن کا حوالہ ان دونوں مشاہیر کے احوال یا ادبی آثار وغیرہ میں ہماری نظر سے گزرا ہے۔

سید محمد خاں سید محمد خاں (متوفی ۳۱ذی الحجہ ۱۶۲۱ھ مطابق ۳۱دسمبر ۵۴۸۱ئ) سید احمد خاں کے حقیقی بڑے بھائی تھے۔ سید محمد خاں نے سید الاخبار کے نام سے دہلی سے ایک ہفتہ وار اخبار نکالا تھا جس میں سید احمد خاں کے مضامین بھی چھپا کرتے تھے۔ یہ اخبار جس پریس سے شائع ہوتاتھا اس کے یہ دو نام ملتے ہیں:

(۱)لیتھو گرافک پریس دہلی. (۲)مطبع سید الاخبار دہلی .

سید الاخبار کے لیتھو گرافک پریس دہلی سے غالب کا اردو دیوان ان کی زندگی کے دوران پہلی بار شعبان ۷۵۲۱ھ مطابق اکتوبر ۱۴۸۱ءمیں چھپا تھا۔ غالب شاید اسی لئے سید محمد خاں اور ان کے سید الاخبار کو عزیز رکھتے تھے ۔سید الاخبار اور سید محمد خاں کے متعلق غالب نے میجر جان کوب کو اپنے ایک فارسی خط میں جو کچھ لکھا ہے اس کا اردو مفہوم پیش کیا جاتا ہے۔ ”سید الاخبار کے بارے میں آپ نے جو کچھ لکھا ہے وہ منت مزید ہے مطبع سید الاخبار کے مالک جو میرے دوست ہیں میراکلام چھاپ رہے ہیں۔ دیوان اردو غالباً ایک مہینے کے اندر چھپ کر نظر عالی سے گزرے گا۔ سید الاخبار ہر ہفتے آپ کی خدمت میں پہونچتا رہے گا مطبع والوں نے میری آپ سے نیاز مندی کی بنا پر آپ کا نام نامی سر فہرست خریداران رکھا ہے۔ “ مطبع سید الاخبار سے غالب کے اردو دیوان کے علاوہ خودسید احمد خاں کی بھی بعض کتب شائع ہوئی تھیں۔ جن میںآثار الصنادید طبع اول (مطبوعہ ۷۴۸۱ءبھی شامل ہے (بہ حوالہ آثار الصنادید سید احمد خاں مرتبہ خلیق انجم جلد اول اردو اکادمی دہلی طبع ۰۹۹۱ءص ۷۵۱)

مزید دیکھیے

العالم أسوأ الشاعر

حوالہ جات

^ مرزا اسد اللہ بیگ غالب
^ ^2.0 ^2.1 حیات جاوید، مصنفہ، خواجہ الطاف حسین حالی۔
^ تتلیوں کی تلاش۔۔سید نصیر شاہ
^ حیات جاوید (ص ۶۷۶)
^ حیات جاوید (ص ۴۵)
^ حیات جاوید ص ۹۵نیز ص ۱۶ تا ۲۶
^ (حیات جاوید ص ص ۴۳ تا ۵۳)
^ (حیات جاوید ص ص ۲۷، تا ۳۷ نیز یادگار غالب ص ص ۱۸ تا ۳۸)
^ غالب اور علی گڑھ, ڈاکٹر کاظم علی خاں.

بیرونی روابط

Mirza Ghalib

2011-09-21T08:50:00.000+02:00

Mirza Ghalib

Dabir-ul-Mulk, Najm-ud-Daula Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan (Urdu/Persian: مرزا اسد اللہ بیگ خان), pen-name Ghalib (Urdu/Persian: غالب, ġhālib meansdominant) and (former pen-name) Asad (Urdu/Persian: اسد, asad means lion) (27 December 1797 – 15 February 1869), was a classical Urdu andPersian poet from India during British colonial rule. During his lifetime the Mughals were eclipsed and displaced by the British and finally deposed following the defeat of the Indian rebellion of 1857, events that he wrote of. Most notably, he wrote several ghazals during his life, which have since been interpreted and sung in many different ways by different people. He is considered, in South Asia, to be one of the most popular and influential poets of theUrdu language. Ghalib today remains popular not only in India and Pakistan but also amongst diaspora communities around the world.

Family and early life

Mirza Ghalib was born in Agra into a family descended from Aibak Turks who moved to Samarkand after the downfall of the Seljuk kings. His paternal grandfather, Mirza Qoqan Baig Khan was a Saljuq Turk who had immigrated to India from Samarkand (now in Uzbekistan) during the reign of Ahmad Shah (1748–54). He worked at Lahore, Delhi and Jaipur, was awarded the subdistrict of Pahasu (Bulandshahr, UP) and finally settled in Agra, UP, India. He had 4 sons and 3 daughters. Mirza Abdullah Baig Khan and Mirza Nasrullah Baig Khan were two of his sons. Mirza Abdullah Baig Khan (Ghalib's father) got married to Izzat-ut-Nisa Begum, and then lived at the house of his father in law. He was employed first by the Nawab of Lucknow and then the Nizam of Hyderabad, Deccan. He died in a battle in 1803 in Alwar and was buried at Rajgarh (Alwar, Rajasthan). Then Ghalib was a little over 5 years of age. He was raised first by his Uncle Mirza Nasrullah Baig Khan. Mirza Nasrullah Baig Khan (Ghalib's uncle) started taking care of the three orphaned children. He was the governor of Agra under the Marathas. The British appointed him an officer of 400 cavalrymen, fixed his salary at Rs.1700.00 month, and awarded him 2 parganas in Mathura (UP, India). When he died in 1806, the British took away the parganas and fixed his pension as Rs. 10,000 per year, linked to the state of Firozepur Jhirka (Mewat, Haryana). The Nawab of Ferozepur Jhirka reduced the pension to Rs. 3000 per year. Ghalib's share was Rs. 62.50 / month. Ghalib was married at age 13 to Umrao Begum, daughter of Nawab Ilahi Bakhsh (brother of the Nawab of Ferozepur Jhirka). He soon moved to Delhi, along with his younger brother, Mirza Yousuf Khan, who had developeds chizophrenia at a young age and later died in Delhi during the chaos of 1857.

In accordance with upper class Muslim tradition, he had an arranged marriage at the age of 13, but none of his seven children survived beyond infancy. After his marriage he settled in Delhi. In one of his letters he describes his marriage as the second imprisonment after the initial confinement that was life itself. The idea that life is one continuous painful struggle which can end only when life itself ends, is a recurring theme in his poetry. One of his couplets puts it in a nutshell.

قید حیات و بند غم ، اصل میں دونوں ایک ہیں

موت سے پہلے آدمی غم سے نجات پائے کیوں؟

Translation:

The prison of life and the bondage of grief are one and the same

Before the onset of death, how can man expect to be free of grief?

Royal titles

In 1850, Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar II revived upon Mirza Ghalib the title of "Dabeer-ul-Mulk". The Emperor also added to it the additional title of Najm-ud-daulah. The conferment of these titles was symbolic of Mirza Ghalib’s incorporation into the nobility of Delhi. He also received the title of 'Mirza Nosha' by the emperor, thus adding Mirza as his first name. He was also an important courtier of the royal court of the Emperor. As the Emperor was himself a poet, Mirza Ghalib was appointed as his poet tutor in 1854. He was also appointed as tutor of Prince Fakhr-ud Din Mirza, eldest son of Bahadur Shah II,(d. 10 July 1856). He was also appointed by the Emperor as the royal historian of Mughal Court.

Being as a member of declining Mughal nobility and old landed aristocracy, he never worked for a livelihood, lived on either royal patronage of Mughal Emperors, credit or the generosity of his friends. His fame came to him posthumously. He had himself remarked during his lifetime that although his age had ignored his greatness, it would be recognized by later generations. After the decline ofMughal Empire and rise of British Raj, despite his many attempts, Ghalib could never get the full pension restored.

Poetry career

Ghalib started composing poetry at the age of 11. His first language was Urdu, but Persian and Turkish were also spoken at home. He got his education in Persian and Arabic at a young age. When Ghalib was in his early teens, a newly converted Muslim tourist from Iran (Abdus Samad, originally named Hormuzd, a Zoroastrian) came to Agra. He stayed at Ghalibs home for 2 years. He was a highly educated individual and Ghalib learned Persian, Arabic, philosophy, and logic from him.

Although Ghalib himself was far prouder of his poetic achievements in Persian, he is today more famous for his Urdu ghazals. Numerous elucidations of Ghalib's ghazal compilations have been written by Urdu scholars. The first such elucidation or Sharh was written by Ali Haider Nazm Tabatabai of Hyderabad during the rule of the last Nizam of Hyderabad. Before Ghalib, the ghazal was primarily an expression of anguished love; but Ghalib expressed philosophy, the travails and mysteries of life and wrote ghazals on many other subjects, vastly expanding the scope of the ghazal. This work is considered his paramount contribution to Urdu poetry and literature.

In keeping with the conventions of the classical ghazal, in most of Ghalib's verses, the identity and the gender of the beloved is indeterminate. The critic/poet/writer Shamsur Rahman Faruquiexplains that the convention of having the "idea" of a lover or beloved instead of an actual lover/beloved freed the poet-protagonist-lover from the demands of realism. Love poetry in Urdu from the last quarter of the seventeenth century onwards consists mostly of "poems about love" and not "love poems" in the Western sense of the term.

The first complete English translation of Ghalib's ghazals was written by Sarfaraz K. Niazi and published by Rupa & Co in India and Ferozsons in Pakistan. The title of this book is Love Sonnets of Ghalib and it contains complete Roman transliteration, explication and an extensive lexicon.

His letters

Ghalib poem in Nastaliq

Mirza Ghalib was a gifted letter writer. Not only Urdu poetry but the prose is also indebted to Mirza Ghalib. His letters gave foundation to easy and popular Urdu. Before Ghalib, letter writing in Urdu was highly ornamental. He made his letters "talk" by using words and sentences as if he were conversing with the reader. According to him "sau kos se ba-zaban-e-qalam baatein kiya karo aur hijr mein visaal ke maze liya karo" [ from hundred of miles talk with the tongue of the pen and enjoy the joy of meeting even when you are separated] His letters were very informal, some times he would just write the name of the person and start the letter. He himself was very humorous and also made his letter very interesting. He said "main koshish karta hoon keh koi aisi baat likhoon jo parhay khoosh ho jaaye" [I want to write the lines that whoever reads those should enjoy it] When the third wife of one of his friends died, he wrote... Some scholar says that Ghalib would have the same place in Urdu literature if only on the basis of his letters.They have been translated into English by Ralph Russell, The Oxford Ghalib.

Ghalib was a chronicler of this turbulent period. One by one, Ghalib saw the bazaars – Khas Bazaar, Urdu Bazaar, Kharam-ka Bazaar, disappear, whole mohallas (localities) and katras (lanes) vanish. The havelis (mansions) of his friends were razed to the ground. Ghalib wrote that Delhi had become a desert. Water was scarce. Delhi was now “ a military camp”. It was the end of the feudal elite to which Ghalib had belonged. He wrote:

“An ocean of blood churns around me-
Alas! Were these all!
The future will show
What more remains for me to see”.

His pen name

A photograph of Mirza Ghalib

His original Takhallus (pen-name) was Asad, drawn from his given name, Asadullah Khan. At some point early in his poetic career he also decided to adopt the takhallus 'Ghalib' (meaning all conquering, superior, most excellent).

Popular legend has it that he changed his pen name to 'Ghalib' when he came across this sher (couplet) by another poet who used the takhallus (pen name) 'Asad':

The legend says that upon hearing this couplet, Ghalib ruefully exclaimed, "whoever authored this couplet does indeed deserve the Lord's rahmat (mercy) (for having composed such a deplorable specimen of Urdu poetry). If I use the takhallus Asad, then surely (people will mistake this couplet to be mine and) there will be much la'anat(curse) on me!" And, saying so, he changed his takhallus to 'Ghalib'.

However, this legend is little more than a figment of the legend-creator's imagination. Extensive research performed by commentators and scholars of Ghalib's works, notably Imtiyaz Ali Arshi and Kalidas Gupta Raza, has succeeded in identifying the chronology of Ghalib's published work (sometimes down to the exact calendar day!). Although thetakhallus 'Asad' appears more infrequently in Ghalib's work than 'Ghalib', it appears that he did use both his noms de plume interchangeably throughout his career and did not seem to prefer either one over the other.

Mirza Ghalib and Sir Syed Ahmed Khan

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan

1855, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan finished his highly scholarly, very well researched and illustrated edition of Abul Fazl’s Ai’n-e Akbari, itself an extraordinarily difficult book. Having finished the work to his satisfaction, and believing that Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib was a person who would appreciate his labours, Syed Ahmad approached the great Ghalib to write a taqriz (in the convention of the times, a laudatory foreword) for it. Ghalib obliged, but what he did produce was a short Persian poem castigating the Ai’n-e Akbari, and by implication, the imperial, sumptuous, literate and learned Mughal culture of which it was a product.^[15]The least that could be said against it was that the book had little value even as an antique document. Ghalib practically reprimanded Syed Ahmad Khan for wasting his talents and time on dead things. Worse, he praised sky-high the “sahibs of England” who at that time held all the keys to all the a’ins in this world.

This poem is often referred to but has never translated in English. Shamsur Rahman Faruqi wrote an English translation. The translation is accurate if lacking the felicity of the original:

“

Good news my friends, this ancient book’s door

Is now open, because of the Syed’s grace and fortune, 1

The eye began to see, the arm found strength That which was wrapped in ancient clothes, now put on a new dress. 2

And this idea of his, to establish its text and edit the A’in Puts to shame his exalted capability and potential, 3

He put his heart to a task and pleased himself And made himself an auspicious, free servant. 4

One who isn’t capable of admiring his quality Would no doubt praise him for this task, 5

For such a task, of which this book is the basis Only an hypocrite can offer praise. 6

I, who am the enemy of pretence And have a sense of my own truthfulness, 7

If I don’t give him praise for this task It’s proper that I find occasion to praise. 8

I have nothing to say to the perverse None know what I know of arts and letters, 9

In the whole world, this merchandise has no buyer. What profit could my Master hope from it? 10

It should be said, it’s an excellent inventory So what’s there to see that’s worth seeing? 11

And if you talk with me of Laws and Rules Open your eyes, and in this ancient halting-place 12

Look at the Sahibs of England. Look at the style and practice of these, 13

See what Laws and Rules they have made for all to see What none ever saw, they have produced. 14

“Science and skills grew at the hands of these skilled ones

Their efforts overtook the efforts of the forebears. 15

This is the people that owns the right to Laws and Rules None knows to rule a land better than they, 16

Justice and Wisdom they’ve made as one They have given hundreds of laws to India. 17

The fire that one brought out of stone How well these skilled ones bring out from straw! 18

What spell have they struck on water That a vapour drives the boat in water! 19

Sometimes the vapour takes the boat down the sea Sometimes the vapour brings down the sky to the plains. 20

Vapour makes the sky-wheel go round and round Vapour is now like bullocks, or horses. 21

Vapour makes the ship speed Making wind and wave redundant. 22

Their instruments make music without the bow They make words fly high like birds: 23

Oh don’t you see that these wise people Get news from thousands of miles in a couple of breaths? 24

They inject fire into air And the air glows like embers, 25

Go to London, for in that shining garden The city is bright in the night, without candles. 26

Look at the businesses of the knowledgeable ones: In every discipline, a hundred innovators! 27

Before the Laws and Rules that the times now have All others have become things of yesteryears, 28

Wise and sensitive and prudent one, does your book Have such good and elegant Laws? 29

When one sees such a treasure house of gems Why should one glean corn from that other harvest? 30

Well, if you speak of its style, it’s good No, it’s much better than all else that you seek 31

But every good always has a better too If there’s a head, there’s also a crown for it. 32

Don’t regard that Generous Source as niggardly It’s a Date-Palm which drops sweet light, like dates. 33

Worshipping the Dead is not an auspicious thing And wouldn’t you too think that it’s no more than just words? 34

The Rule of silence pleases my heart, Ghalib You spoke well doubtless, not speaking is well too. 35

Here in this world your creed is to worship all the Prophet’s children, Go past praising, your Law asks you to pray: 36

For Syed Ahmad Khan-e Arif Jang Who is made up entirely of wisdom and splendour 37

Let there be from God all that he might wish for Let an auspicious star lead all his affairs. 38

The poem was unexpected, but it came at the time when Syed Ahmad Khan’s thought and feelings themselves were inclining toward change. Ghalib seemed to be acutely aware of a European[English]-sponsored change in world polity, especially Indian polity. Syed Ahmad might well have been piqued at Ghalib’s admonitions, but he would also have realized that Ghalib’s reading of the situation, though not nuanced enough, was basically accurate. Syed Ahmad Khan may also have felt that he, being better informed about the English and the outside world, should have himself seen the change that now seemed to be just round the corner. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan never again wrote a word in praise of the Ai’n-e Akbari and in fact gave up taking active interest in history and archaeology, and became a social reformer.

Personal life

Mirza Ghalib's tomb near Chausath Khamba, Nizamuddinarea Delhi.

Mirza was born in Kala Mahal in Agra. In the end of 18th century, his birthplace was converted into Indrabhan Girls' Inter College. The birth room of Mirza Ghalib is preserved within the school. Around 1810, he was married to Umrao Begum, daughter of Nawab Ilahi Bakhsh Khan of Loharu(younger brother of the first Nawab of Loharu, Nawab Mirza Ahmad Baksh Khan, at the age of thirteen. He had seven children, none of whom survived (this pain has found its echo in some of Ghalib's ghazals). There are conflicting reports regarding his relationship with his wife. She was considered to be pious, conservative and God-fearing.

Ghalib was proud of his reputation as a rake. He was once imprisoned for gambling and subsequently relished the affair with pride. In the Mughal court circles, he even acquired a reputation as a "ladies man". Once, when someone praised the poetry of the pious Sheikh Sahbai in his presence, Ghalib immediately retorted:

“	How can Sahbai be a poet? He has never tasted wine, nor has he ever gambled; he has not been beaten with slippers by lovers, nor has he ever seen the inside of a jail."	„

He died in Delhi on February 15, 1869. The house where he lived in Gali Qasim Jaan, Ballimaran, Chandni Chowk, in Old Delhi has now been turned into 'Ghalib Memorial' and houses a permanent Ghalib exhibition.

Religious views

Ghalib was a very liberal mystic who believed that the search for God within liberated the seeker from the narrowly Orthodox Islam, encouraging the devotee to look beyond the letter of the law to its narrow essence. His Sufi views and mysticism is greatly reflected in his poems and ghazals. As he once stated:

“	The object of my worship lies beyond perception's reach; For men who see, the Ka'aba is a compass, nothing more."	„

Like many other Urdu poets, Ghalib was capable of writing profoundly religious poetry, yet was skeptical about the literalist interpretation of the Islamic scriptures. On the Islamic view and claims of paradise, he once wrote in a letter to a friend:

“	In paradise it is true that I shall drink at dawn the pure wine mentioned in the Qu'ran, but where in paradise are the long walks with intoxicated friends in the night, or the drunken crowds shouting merrily? Where shall I find there the intoxication of Monsoon clouds? Where there is no autumn, how can spring exist? If the beautiful houris are always there, where will be the sadness of separation and the joy of union? Where shall we find there a girl who flees away when we would kiss her?	„

He staunchly disdained the Orthodox Muslim Sheikhs of the Ulema, who in his poems always represent narrow-mindedness and hypocrisy:

“	The Sheikh hovers by the tavern door, but believe me, Ghalib, I am sure I saw him slip in As I departed."	„

In another verse directed towards the Muslim maulavis (clerics), he criticized them for their ignorance and arrogant certitude: "Look deeper, it is you alone who cannot hear the music of his secrets". In his letters, Ghalib frequently contrasted the narrow legalism of the Ulema with "it's pre-occupation with teaching the baniyas and the brats, and wallowing in the problems of menstruation and menstrual bleeding" and real spirituality for which you had to "study the works of the mystics and take into one's heart the essential truth of God's reality and his expression in all things".

Ghalib believed that if God laid within and could be reached less by ritual than by love, then he was as accessible to Hindus as to Muslims. As a testament to this, he would later playfully write in a letter that during a trip to Benares, he was half tempted to settle down there for good and that he wished he had renounced Islam, put a Hindu sectarian mark on his forehead, tied a sectarian thread around his waist and seated himself on the banks of the Ganges so that he could wash the contamination of his existence away from himself and like a drop be one with the river.

During the anti-British Rebellion in Delhi on 5 October 1857, three weeks after the British troops had entered through Kashmiri Gate, some soldiers climbed into Ghalib's neighbourhood and hauled him off to Colonel Burn for questioning. He appeared in front of the colonel wearing a Turkish style headdress. The colonel, bemused at his appearance, inquired in broken Urdu, "Well? You Muslim?", to which Ghalib replied, "Half?" The colonel asked, "What does that mean?" In response, Ghalib said, "I drink wine, but i don't eat pork."

Views on Hindustan

In his poem "Chirag-i-Dair" (Temple lamps) which was composed during his trip to Benaras during the spring of 1827, Ghalib mused about the land of Hindustan (the Indian subcontinent) and howQiyamah (Doomsday) has failed to arrive, in spite of the numerous conflicts plaguing it.

“

Said I one night to a pristine seer

(Who knew the secrets of whirling time)
"Sir, you well perceive
That goodness and faith,
Fidelity and love
Have all departed from this sorry land
Father and son are at each other's throat;
Brother fights brother, Unity and federation are undermined
Despite all these ominous signs,
Why has not Doomsday come?
Who holds the reins of the Final Catastrophe?
The hoary old man of lucent ken
Pointed towards Kashi and gently smiled
"The Architect", he said, "is fond of this edifice
Because of which there is color in life; He
Would not like it to perish and fall."

”

Contemporaries and disciples

Ghalib's closest rival was poet Zauq, tutor of Bahadur Shah Zafar II, the then emperor of India with his seat in Delhi. There are some amusing anecdotes of the competition between Ghalib and Zauq and exchange of jibes between them. However, there was mutual respect for each other's talent. Both also admired and acknowledged the supremacy of Meer Taqi Meer, a towering figure of 18th century Urdu Poetry. Another poet Momin, whose ghazals had a distinctly lyrical flavour, was also a famous contemporary of Ghalib. Ghalib was not only a poet, he was also a prolific prose writer. His letters are a reflection of the political and social climate of the time. They also refer to many contemporaries like Mir Mehdi Majrooh, who himself was a good poet and Ghalib's life-long acquaintance.

Film, TV serial and plays based on Ghalib

Indian Cinema has paid a tribute to the legendary poet through a film (in sepia/black and white) named Mirza Ghalib (1954) in which Bharat Bhushan plays Ghalib and Suraiya plays his courtesan lover, Chaudvin. The musical score of the film was composed by Ghulam Mohammed and his compositions of Ghalib's famous ghazals are likely to remain everlasting favorites.

Pakistani Cinema has also paid tribute to the legendary poet through another film also named Mirza Ghalib. The film was directed by M.M. Billoo Mehra and produced as well by M.M. Billoo Mehra for S.K. Pictures. The music was composed by Tassaduq Hussain. The film starred Pakistani film superstar Sudhir playing Ghalib and Madam Noor Jehan playing his courtesan lover, Chaudvin. The film was released on November 24, 1961 and reached average status at the box-office, however, the music remains memorable in Pakistan to this day.

Gulzar produced a TV serial, Mirza Ghalib (1988), telecast on DD National that was immensely successful in India. Naseeruddin Shah played the role of Ghalib in the serial, and it featured ghazalssung and composed by Jagjit Singh and Chitra Singh. Serial's music has since been recognised as Jagjit Singh and Chitra Singh's magnum opus enjoying a cult following in the Indian subcontinent. The serial was colored by contemporary Indian nationalism, and Ghalib's persona was frequently a vehicle for propaganda in favour of national unity.

The Pakistan government in 1969 commissioned Khaliq Ibrahim (died 2006) to make a documentary on Mirza Ghalib. The movie was completed in 1971-72. It is said, that the movie, a docudrama, was historically more correct than what the official Pakistan government point of view was. Thus, it was never released. Till this date, barring a few private viewing, the movie is lying with the Department of Films and Publication, Government of Pakistan. The movie was made on 16 mm format. Ghalib's role was played by actor Subhani Bayunus, who later played this role in many TV productions.

Various theatre groups have staged plays related to the life of Mirza Ghalib. These have shown different lifestyles and the way he lived his life. Dr Sayeed Alam's 'Ghalib in New Delhi' has had more than 200 shows around the world. Danish Iqbal's Play 'Ghalib' was staged in Dubai on the occasion of 150th year of India's first war of Independence. Another Play titled 'Ghalib' and written by Dr Sayeed Alam was staged many times in Delhi. Late Sheela Bhatia used to have a running production on Ghalib. Qaid-e-Hayat (Imprisonment of Life, 1983) written by Surendra Verma talks about the personal life of poet Ghalib, including his financial hardships and his tragic love for Katiba, a woman calligraphist, who was working on his diwan. Over the years, it has been directed by numerous theatre directors, including Ram Gopal Bajaj in 1989, at the National School of Drama, Delhi.

An animation film on Mirza Ghalib is telecast on Zee Cinema.

Ghalib in today's culture

Ghalib is still very popular today, and his poetry is well known. Ghazal singer Jagjit Singh had sung some of his most beautiful ghazals.

References

^ Varma, Pavan K. (1989). Ghalib, The Man, The Times. New Delhi: Penguin Books. pp. 86.ISBN 0-14-011664-8
^ Remembering 1857 in 2007 - The Times of India
^ Ghalib in California - Dawn
^ ^a ^b Mirza Ghalib
^ gh h
^ Mirza Ghalib: The "Godless" Lover by Byjameela Siddiqi
^ ^a ^b ^c Varma, Pavan K. (1989). Ghalib, The Man, The Times. New Delhi: Penguin Books. pp. 86.ISBN 0-14-011664-8
^ Mirza Ghalib.
^ Thackston, Wheeler: "A Millennium of Classical Persian Poetry," Ibex Publishers Inc. 1994, p.98
^ "Shamsur Rahman Faruqui explains".
^ "Dr. Sarfaraz K. Niazi".
^ Roman transliterations with English translation of uncommon Uncommon words
^ Page at hinduonnet.com
^ A vast and triumphalist document on the governance of Akbar. The A’in was also the world’s first anthropological text and gazetteer, and much else besides.
^ ^a ^b ^c From Antiquary to Social Revolutionary: Syed Ahmad Khan and the Colonial Experience ByShamsur Rahman Faruqi.
^ Hayat-i-Javed (A Biography of Sir Sayyid) by Altaf Husain Hali (1901), translated by David J. Matthews (New Delhi: Rupa and Company, 1994),
^ The word a’in can mean all or any of the following: character, convention, temperament, habit, rule, path, law (ecclesiastical or secular), creed, praxis, quality, intention, organization, management, system, decoration, beauty. (Lughat Nama-e Dehkhoda). There are about eighty meanings in all. These meanings seem to have developed over the centuries. Most were available to Abul Fazl; all were available to Ghalib.
^ He did edit another two historical texts over the next few years, but neither of them was anything like the Ai’n-e Akbari.
^ Genealogy of the Nawabs of Loharu Queensland University
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g William Dalrymple, The Last Mughal, p. 41
^ William Dalrymple, The Last Mughal, p. 417
^ Ghalib, 1797-1869: Life and Letters, Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib, Oxford University Press, 1994, Chapter 7
^ Mirza Ghalib (1988) (TV) at the Internet Movie Database
^ "Ghalib and his troubles". The Hindu. Jan 11, 2008.

External links

Ghalib at Kavita Kosh (Devanagari Hindi script)
Fully coloured Deewan-e-Ghalib
Best Urdu-Poetry by Mirza Ghalib
Ghazal Translated By Qazi Muhammad Ahkam
koii ummiid bar nahii.n aatii Translated By Qazi Muhammad Ahkam
Selected Ghazals of Ghalib(Audio) Read by Qazi Muhammad Ahkam
DIVAN - E - GHALIB The Urdu Ghazals of Mirza Asadullah Khan "GHALIB".
Deewan-E-Ghalib
Poetry of Ghalib - Complete Collection of Mirza Ghalib, A large Number of his Ghazals
The Love Sonnets of Ghalib - Biography, selected works, and all things Ghalib
Biography and selected works
The Joy of the Drop - 37 poems by Ghalib in English translation.
Selected couplets of Mirza Ghalib
Selected couplets with translation of Mirza Ghalib
English translation of one of Ghalib's Persian poems.
Authorised Version of Deewan-e-Ghalib known as Nuskhae Hamidia uploaded by Javed Hussen
Complete Persian poetry of Mirza Ghalib at scribd uploaded by Javed Hussen
Mirza Ghalib's Diary of 1857 First Indian Libaretion Struggle in Urdu Translation uploaded by Javed Hussen
unpublished Poems of Mirza Ghalib edited by Kalidas Gupta Raza uploaded by Javed Hussen
original Urdu free pdf of Yaadgare Ghalib by Altaf Hussain Hali
Loharu Family Link
An Bangla selected translation of Mirza Ghalib with originial Urdu

Black rice bran reduces inflammation

2011-09-21T08:08:00.000+02:00

Research claimed black rice may help soothe inflammation involved in allergies and other diseases.

Mendel Friedman and colleagues at the US Department of Agriculture`s Western Regional Research Center in Albany, California conducted the research, which became the focus of the latest episode in the American Chemical Society`s (ACS) award-winning podcast series, "Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions".

In previous research as well, the group identified several potential health benefits from eating black rice bran. Bran is the outer husk of the grain, which is removed during the processing of brown rice to produce the familiar white rice. Those experiments, which were done in cell cultures, hinted that black rice bran suppressed the release of histamine, which causes inflammation.

A diet consisting of 10 per cent black rice bran reduced inflammation associated with allergic contact dermatitis, a common type of skin irritation.

Men suffer more by cold than women: research

2011-09-21T08:00:00.000+02:00

According to a new research, men really do suffer more than women when they get a cold.

The male immune system is less effective at fighting off infections than the female system and that means men feel worse when battling illness than women, researchers have shown.

Dr Ramona Scotland, of Queen Mary University of London, led a team which studied the immune systems of mice and rats given a host of different infections. They looked at the white blood cells in the lungs and stomach, which act as the body’s first line of defence against infection.

“We found that the females had around twice as many white blood cells than males which was a huge surprise,” a newspaper quoted her as saying. “For all types of illness, the female mice and rats were less sick than the male.

Driverless car in testing phase

2011-09-21T07:57:00.000+02:00

Engineers have been testing the automobile around the Berlin.

The vehicle maneuvers through traffic on its own using a sophisticated combination of devices, including a computer, electronics and a precision satellite navigation system in the trunk, a camera in the front, and laser scanners on the roof and around the front and rear bumpers.

"The vehicle can recognize other cars on the road, pedestrians, buildings and trees up to 70 meters (yards) around it and even see if the traffic lights ahead are red or green and react accordingly," Raul Rojas, the head of the city s Free University said.

“In fact, the car’s recognition and reaction to its environment is much faster than a human being’s reaction.”

The scientists have worked on their research car, a Volkswagen Passat worth euro400,000 ($551,800) with lots of built-in special technology, for four years. Several other groups have also been working on such technology recently, which has been testing a robotic Toyota Prius in Nevada.

Dead whale washes ashore Karachi beach

2011-09-21T07:50:00.000+02:00

The dead whale had been washed ashore by strong tides this morning.It weighs several tonnes and is 25-feet-long.

Curious onlookers gathered at the beach to catch a glimpse of the whale. However, the stench emanating from the mammal prevented many from coming too close.

Beach authorities have initiated efforts to remove the animal from the shore.

کراچی: سی ویو کے ساحل پر 25 فٹ لمبی مردہ وہیل مچھلی

2011-09-21T07:45:00.000+02:00

کراچی میں سی ویو کے ساحل پر پچیس فٹ لمبی مردہ وہیل مچھلی آگئی لوگوں کا تانتا بندھ گیا

کراچی کے ساحلی علاقے سی ویو پر مردہ وہیل کے آنے کی اطلاع تیزی سے پھیل گئی جس پراطراف کے مکینوں کے علاوہ شہر کے دیگر علاقوں سے لوگوں کی بڑی تعداد بیس سے پچیس فٹ لمبی اس مردہ مچھلی کو دیکھنے پہنچ گئی۔علاقہ مکینوں کے مطابق گزشتہ شب مردہ وہیل ساحل پر آگئی تھی جس کے باعث تعفن پھیل رہا تھا مردہ وہیل کی ساحل پر موجودگی کی اطلاع ڈیفنس ہاؤسنگ اتھارٹی کے متعلقہ حکام کو دی گئی جس پر ڈی ایچ اے کا عملہ موقع پر پہنچ گیا اورمردہ وہیل کو ٹریکٹر سے کھینچ کر منتقلی کا کام شروع کردیا ۔

مقبوضہ کشمیر کی پہاڑیاں ایک سونامی کے باعث معرض وجود میں آئیں، امریکی ماہرین ارضیات کا انکشاف

2011-09-21T07:40:00.000+02:00

امریکی ماہرین ارضیات نے کشمیر میں 25 کروڑ سال قبل سونامی آنے کا انکشاف کرتے ہوئے کہا ہے کہ سونامی کے آثار گریل کی پہاڑوں میں پائے جاتے ہیں اور سرینگر کے مضافات میں کھنموہ اور زیون کی پہاڑیاں سونامی کے باعث معرض وجود میں آئی ہیں۔

مقبوضہ کشمیر کے ایک اخبار کی رپورٹ کے مطابق امریکی ماہر ارضیات 25 کروڑ برس قبل کشمیر میں سونامی پیدا ہونے کے اندازے کا اظہارکیاگیا ہے۔ کشمیر یونیورسٹی میں طلبہ اور اساتذہ کے ساتھ تبادلہ خیال کے دوران بوسٹن امریکہ کی میساچوٹس یونیورسٹی کے پروفیسر بروک فیلڈ نے کہا ہے کہ اس کے واضح اثار گریل کی پہاڑی گھاٹیوں میں پائے جاتے ہیں، جو سرینگر کے مضافات میں کھنموہ اورزیون کی پہاڑیوں کا سلسلہ ہے۔ پروفیسر بروک فیلڈ کے مطابق یہ پہاڑیاں ٹیکساس امریکہ میں پائے جانے والے کے ٹی بونڈری سیکشن کے ساتھ قریبی مشابہت رکھتی ہیں اور ممکن ہے کہ یہ پہاڑی گھاٹیاں بھی اسی انداز میں ٹیتھس نامی سمندر سے اٹھنے والی سنامی کے نتیجہ میں معرضِ وجود میں ائی ہوں گی جس طرح ٹیکساس میں ہوا ہے۔

NASA Spacecraft Discovers Planet Orbiting 2 Suns, Just Like Star Wars

2011-09-21T07:28:00.000+02:00

An illustration of the planet called Kepler-16b (foreground) which orbits two stars. (NASA/JPL-Caltech)

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Kepler spacecraft has found a planet that orbits two stars just as Luke Skywalker’s home world does in the Star Wars movies, NASA announced Thursday.

An orange sun and a red sun that actually orbit each other define daytime on Kepler 16b, the 21st planet outside our own solar system discovered by planet hunter.

ناسا نے 2 سورج والا سیارہ دریافت کرلیا

2011-09-21T07:24:00.000+02:00

ناسا کے ماہرین فلکیات نے کائنات میں پہلی بار ایک ایسا سیارہ دریافت کیا ہے جس پر دو سورج طلوع ہوتے ہیں۔

کیپلر 16 بی سیارہ زمین سے دو سونوری سال کی دوری پر واقع ہے۔ سیارے پر برف کی موٹی تہ موجود ہے اوردرجہ حرارت منفی تہتر سے منفی ایک سو ایک ڈگری سینٹی گریڈ تک رہتا ہے۔ ماہرین کا کہنا ہے کہ سیارے پرزندگی کےآثار ہوسکتے ہیں۔اس سیارے کے دونوں سورج زمین کے سورج سے کم گرم ہیں۔

IBM and DARPA to Create Microchips That Work Like the Human Brain.

2011-09-21T07:19:00.000+02:00

DARPA (the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) — they are the people behind plans for a transforming flying car, batteries that are smaller than grains of salt, and oh, they invented the Internet. Now, in parternship with IBM, DARPA is investing $21 million in a project to develop a series of experimental computer chips that will be designed to replicate the human brain’s perceptive, active and cognitive abilities.

انسانی ذہن کی طرح کام کرنیوالی مائیکرو چپ تیار

2011-09-21T07:09:00.000+02:00

ٹیکنالوجی کی بین الاقوامی کمپنی آئی بی ایم نے دعویٰ کیا ہے کہ اس نے ایک ایسی ’مائیکرو چِپ‘ تیار کی ہے جو انسانی ذہن کی طرح کام کر سکتی ہے۔

آئی بی ایم کے مطابق مائیکرو چپ کی خاص بات یہ ہے کہ یہ کسی بھی زندہ وجود کے اندر کارفرما نظام کی طرح نئی معلومات ملتے ہی ’ری وائر‘ یعنی مواصلات کا سلسلہ دوبارہ شروع کرنے کی صلاحیت رکھتی ہے ۔ سائنسدانوں کا کہنا ہے کہ مستقبل میں ہو سکتا ہے کہ ٹیکنالوجی سیکھنے کا عمل از خود جان لے اور کمپیوٹر انسانی طرزِ عمل کو سمجھنے اور ماحول کی نگرانی کرنے میں مدد فراہم کر سکیں۔

کمپیوٹر اور انٹرنیٹ انسانی یادداشت کے لیے نقصان دہ

2011-09-21T07:03:00.000+02:00

ایک نئی سائنسی تحقیق میں کہا گیا ہے کہ کمپیوٹر اور انٹرنیٹ انسانی یادداشت کے صلاحیت کو متاثر کر رہے ہیں۔

ایک تحقیق میں یہ با ت ثابت ہوئی ہے کہ کمپیوٹر جہاں ہمیں بہت سی معلومات سے آگاہ کرتا ہے وہیں انسان اس پر انحصار کر کے اپنی ذہنی صلاحیتوں کو بھی کم کر رہا ہے ۔ لوگ سمجھتے ہیں کہ معلومات اکٹھی کر رہے ہیں لیکن ہم جب کسی چیز پر انحصار کر تے ہیں تو دماغی طور پر سکون محسوس کر تے ہیں کیونکہ یادداشت کا کام کوئی اور ذرائع کر رہے ہیں کیونکہ ہم معلومات کو ایک جگہ محفوظ کر لیتے ہیں ۔ ہمیں یہ پتہ ہوتا ہے کہ معلومات ہمارے کمپیوٹر میں کہاں موجود ہیں لیکن اس بات سے آگاہ نہیں ہوتے کہ اصل معلومات ہیں کیا۔

Scientific study shows internet use changes human memory

2011-09-21T06:59:00.000+02:00

The internet has fundamentally affected the way people access and store information, and many people (myself included) have wondered if it's also changing the way our minds work. According to the New York Times, a recently published scientific paper shows that we are indeed changing the way we store information in our brains thanks to the internet.
The paper's title, "Google Effects on Memory: Cognitive Consequences of Having Information at Our Fingertips" sounds faintly ominous, and the study results do show that people are less likely to retain information if they believe they'll simply be able to Google it later. According to the study's abstract, "When people expect to have future access to information, they have lower rates of recall of the information itself and enhanced recall instead for where to access it."
The implication here seems to be that instead of dumbing us all down and turning our memories into sieves, we're becoming less reliant on our own memories and more capable of turning to external sources for finding information. Before the internet, finding an esoteric bit of data usually meant a trip to a library or other physical storehouse and a laborious search, which made retaining that data in one's own memory more important; now, that same data is accessible within seconds if you've got a decent 3G connection. In a sense, we've offloaded a portion of our own memory into the "cloud."
The Star Trek geek in me has to point out that these handheld boxes we use to access a huge storehouse of information, supplementing our comparatively limited "wetware" memories, is similar in many ways to the Bynars from the first season of The Next Generation. Those fictional aliens were reliant on their equivalent of the internet to a vulnerable extent, however; without their central computer, they'd be unable to survive. We haven't reached that point quite yet, but as Google and related online services supplement human memory more and more, trivia demigods like Ken Jennings may become increasingly rare in future generations

Do You Know That Is............?

I Think I May Have a Drinking/Drug Problem. What Should I Do?

Coping With an Alcoholic Parent

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Why Do People Drink Too Much?

How Does Alcoholism Affect Families?

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Ankhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se

Stop Smoking Your Personal Plan

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If You Smoke

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Smoking

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Once You Start, It's Hard to Stop

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مرزا اسد اللہ خان غالب

’’آئین اکبری‘‘ کی منظوم تقریظ

غالب اور علی گڑھ

مزید دیکھیے

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بیرونی روابط

Mirza Ghalib

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Mirza Ghalib and Sir Syed Ahmed Khan

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