In
the dark times will there also be singing?
Yes
there will also be singing.
About
the dark times.
-Bertolt
Brecht
And this is what we
witnessed in the three- day Poetry Festival from 7 to 9 April, 2017 at Triveni
kala Sangam. Expressions of dissent, acknowledgement, bonhomie, emotions in all
forms-raw, naked, subtle and razor sharp.
Here was a microcosm of
The India that every true Indian heart yearns for. The three- day celebration –Vak:
The Raza Biennale of Indian Poetry 2017, organized by Raza Foundation was a
respite from all the mayhem that one has been reading, witnessing morass and
hearing on TV channels, in the newspapers and at every drawing room conversation.
The festival was a realization that not all is lost. Some sense of morality,
freedom and conscience does exist even today amid this morass. Eminent and
budding poets from all over the country came together under the banner of Raza
Foundation to share their expressions and voice their opinions. What was indeed
noteworthy was that the gathering in that auditorium comprised poets from
different parts of the country and not once did anyone feel a sense of isolation,
alienation or marginalization in any way. It was heartening to listen to the
voices from different cultures and regions as a collective whole. A number of
myths were shattered. A number of myths were reborn in refreshing avatars. There
were poets belonging to different religions who presented poems in languages we
don’t generally associate them with. Rajathi Salma the celebrated Tamil writer, whose debut
novel The Hours Past Midnight has
been listed for the Man Asian Booker Prize presented her poetry in Tamil
Language. Hers is one of the first novels by a
Tamil Muslim woman. Abhishek Shukla was one of the several esteemed
poets who presented his poems in Urdu. A number of panel discussions took place
ranging from Poetry as Memory, Poetry Freedom and Poetry as Conscience . It was
overwhelming to hear the voices of dissent, of anger, of disturbances, of conflict
and collective resonance in these times. However there were a few voices that
echoed the sentiments contrary to what the popular voices in the panel
discussions spoke about. A noted sociologist said-Poetry should only be read
for the sake of entertainment.It is not capable of arousing a sense of morality.
The translations of
poems helped in understanding the nuances and subtleties of other native languages
along with the rhythmic charm of listening to the intonations and music of the
native languages themselves. I am thankful to VAK for giving me the opportunity
to present the translations of the ghazals of Shamim Hanfi. I shall always cherish the memories of
meeting such poets like Sachidananda, Manglesh Dabral, Keki Daruwala , Salma
and many more who made the three days truly memorable. I am sure the voices
will reach out far and wide and bring about a definite positive change in
society one day. A day will come when we shall transcend all barriers of religion,
Languages, cultures, popular myths that tie us and cripple us at times,
prejudices and be born again with a sense of a collective conscience that we
belong to one country yet we have our individual differences we are so proud
of-our individuality.
Admission
into time and space of a poetic sensibility requires a belief in one’s sense of
judgment creating an awareness of the self. These reawakening and stirring of
the soul lead us to believe that we are
so incomplete. Yet, far from indicating that we flawed, they fill us with
desire, ignite our emotions, fuel our passions, and catapult us out into a new
world where journeys are begun, connections are made, and our divine sense of incompleteness persists.
It is events like these that can
help in writing a better history of our times.
Love is all there is, three cheers to VAK!
