Vijay Wali
It is said that love and compassion knows no bounds like that of region or language. Every poet who keeps thinking with his heart, keeps observing and feeling the pathos of people around him or within his visibility. A famous Hindi saying translates as “Where the sun does not reach, the poet does’’, so as a sensitive observer, a poet naturally reciprocates his feelings through his poetry.
The book we are talking about happens to be Dr Jitender Udhampuris Hindi poetry collection ¼Bgjk gqvk dksgjk½ “Thehra Hua Kohra’’, penned by him some time ago which is still fragrant with relevance and reality.
The book, according to author, is inspired by and based on unfortunate exhodus of a particular community from Kashmir hounded out to utter despair and wilderness of uncertainity. The poems incorporated in the book are a philosophical interpretation of miseries suffered by the displaced lot languishing in bleak hope of future. Udhampuri well versed with earlier co-existence of the valley, as an eye witness to displacement has meticulously portrayed agony, pain and deprivation, which also introduces us to a noble hearted poet that he is.
Dr Jitender Udhampuri, a doyen of Dogri literature, has many Sahitya Academy Awards to his credit, besides which his pursuits in Punjabi and Hindi have elevated his position in literary circles, undoubtedly one of the most widely read and loved poets.
It is known that the creativity excels when the thought touches one’s heart and sublime feelings find their way into creative expressions. Primarily the creative writer writes for quenching the thirst of creativity, then simultaneously he wants his feelings to be communicated to his fellow human beings, which gives him immense pleasure and mental satisfaction of reaching as many people as possible. The reachability gives him natural pleasure of accomplishment. But, the fact remains that a creative venture belongs to a writer or creator only uptill he places it before the world, after which it becomes a public property or belonging to whole of the humanity, beyond limitations of regions or languages.
As explained above, the writer of creative work, pens it down from his own perspective shaping his thoughts through words. These words are written in a systematic manner so as to convey essence of the basic thought. However, form presented is in the shape of words arranged in a specific order and the writer does not personally accompany them everywhere to project his specific point of view. Finally, it can be easily understood that every reader or listener has his own convictions regarding feeling of a particular dimension of a specific thought, as it is understood by an individual according to one’s own knowledge, experience, training or experience. This phenomenon is often instrumental in varied understanding of the same thought by various individuals. This works in two ways, that either a reader takes his own view of the creation or he sees it through a writers perspective. No doubt, the original thought keeps guiding him through, but some times it proves distractive too.
Fortunately, in this case, this condition gives the poet an advantage of universal appeal, by projecting this work as representation of universal feelings of suffering human race.
Poem entitled ‘Displacement’ is an glaring example of Udhampuris mettle and un-interrupted reach.
“In the dark cell
More pain inflicting than hand and anklet cuffs
are the shackles
growing within,
when winter sets in eyes
The blood of pulsating heart
becomes a song.
And sings like ulcers never sleep
I believe
It is not the body which is displaced
the thinking is
And wounds of thinking never heal’’…..
Dr Udhampuri while describing the human tragedy of displacement portrays the human emotions which can’t he limited by any reference to a particular group, instead it has an universal appeal.
“For many days
engulfed by unwanted
Fog and silence
I am sad
I can’t bear
Rain, Sunshine, Wind
Music of Greenery
My Earth is squeezed
My mind wants to stroll in sky……
…I am shaking
my wrinkles off my face
wearing a mask of laughter
resting my head on pillow of arm
I am thinking…..’’
The fact remains, that while writing the writer puts himself in the shoes of his subject model and finds some brighter aspects of the sufferings also, like patience and endurance which are essential stepping stones of survival. This inner human strength of will has helped the humanity survive many ordeals right from the era of known history. Like a sensitive observer of the human nature well versed with sentimental and psychological plains of human thinking. Dr Udhampuri rightfully portrays the silver linning of the ordeals in his poem “Untill the Morning’’.
“Give me as much as you can
Torture and pain.
Punish me if you wish
But never will
my confidence be broken
I am un-defeatable
I have great capacity of bearing pain.
Bravery and strength of struggle
Will keep me going.
Glowing day and night
in me will be
flame of strength of my soul…..
I won’t let rocks of snow melt inside
me break and keep them alive till last.
Since long lurching within me are
conflicts and inner struggles
I have still preserved
the lamp of life from gushing winds…”
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