This compilation of poems by young poet, who is professor-journalist-editor carries a foreword by former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. The author is recipient of the Best Book Award for 1996-97.
The poet is deeply disturbed at the Kashmir situation which has been burning in the fire of terrorism and so he voices his feelings and emotions to portray his sorrow as a displaced person. After writing Phiran mkein Chchipaye Tirange, this book under review, is the poet'ssecond compilation. Divided into four sections entitled ?Nadimarg ke Goonge Log, Ek Dashak baad Apne Gaon Mkein, Mere Visthapit Camp mein Zaroor Aana and Smriti Shesh? which carry 91 poems written between 1995 and 2005 as an emotional outpouring at the painful conditions in Kashmir.
The objective of his poems seems to be an effort to convey that ?Bharat?s? pain is not only of Bharat?it is the sorrow of any man uprooted from his soil and who is a patriot and wants to live his life with full faith, feelings and principles. Writing in the poem entitled Nishkasan Divas, he says:
Yey samay
peedaon ka barood ke kanon mein
badal ne ka hai
(This is the period which is meant to convert our pain into particles of dynamite.)
?Bharat? believes that the history of the displaced persons begins from the time of Bhishma'sresolve and survives by living like Dadhichi. He longs to write the history of their return to their homeland on the chinar trees, despite being aware that factionalism and unity are dependent on politics. Whenever politics hope to gain, the talks veer around in a set direction.
According to the poet, the only attraction of politicians is the vote bank. The Kashmiri Pandit is ignored and is an orphan because it is not the vote bank, and that is why their voice is not heard anywhere but the poet is attached to his country and his village, making him insist like a small child, ?This is my country and I will have it.?
The poet ?Bharat? is convinced that after the dark nights, daylight invariably emerges, in which the first ray of light of dawn to light up the sky. It is the first ray which despite engulfing the poet in desperation and sorrow, provides the energy to continue his struggle through his pen. He believes that ek nai subah ki talaash mein (in search of a new dawn), he will one day return to his homeland.
?M.G.
(Nirvasan Sahitya Prakashan, Visthapit Camp, Nagrota-284, Jammu.)
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