*Sudhirendar Sharma
Some regular readers of my ‘Music Notes’ provide me with interesting insights and reflections. An avid listener thinks that music reciprocates our feelings, soothing nerves like none other. It is an under-rated therapy, a kind of a placebo. At times, lyrics act like placebo.
Anxiety and depression have become dominant features of present-day living. More so for the consumerist generation who are afflicted by increasing number of breakups. Counseling as a profession has gained widespread acceptance, love-lorn and love-lost need counseling to get over depression, irrespective of age.
Reflecting on his enforced loneliness, a middle age friend wonders if God has ignored him and hums Sahir Ludhianvi’s lyrics आसमाँ पे है खुदा और ज़मीं पे हम, आजकल वो इस तरफ़ देखता है कम. In a way he accepts that it is one’s own fight with hardly anyone in support.
Of late, however, I have noticed that the millennials have taken it on their stride such unfortunate events in life. Breakups are being celebrated – menus for breakup dinners have been invented, and even breakup dresses are ready. (You may recall the recent hit – मेरे सैया जी से आज मैंने ब्रेक अप कर लिया).
Whether one likes it or not, it seems to be evolving as a way of ‘moving on’. Yet, depression and anxiety doesn’t go away unless one conditions his/her mind to respond to it. The question worth exploring is ‘why us humans can’t rejoice during adversities?’
I am not being crazy but rather suggesting that ‘let go’ can be practiced, and for good reasons. Poet Sawan Kumar questioned जब दिल टूटे तो रोये क्यों हम गाये क्यों नहीं and even हम नाचे क्यों नहीं. He makes it sound easy and possible when he writes : अपने जब बेगानी बनकर महफ़िल नयी सजाये, हम भी उनके दिल से खेले because at the end of the day भोली सूरत वाला हर इंसान बदलते देखा, हमने अपने प्यारों का ईमान बदलते देखा.
The song composed by only woman musician in the Hindi film industry Usha Khanna did hit popularity chart in 1980s, but continues to be as relevant or perhaps more.
It is a situational song but does provide idea on how to deal with similar situation in life. Even if we start thinking or repeating these lines जब दिल टूटे तो रोये क्यों हम गाये क्यों नहीं our mind will be trained to deal with anxiety. Try it…..
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iIUuSoK6J4A
*Sudhirendar Sharma is a environmental journalist and a development professional. His interest in music is related to his childhood that lay immersed in musical memories.
