Abhivyakti and Expressions

Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi (CSA) has made quite a niche in the City Beautiful with its regularly held literary events, book-readings, interactions with writers, and poetry sessions. 

“The pull

Of an old scar…

Another winter”

and

“Stars adrift…

The loved ones who left

One by one.” (Both verses recited by Arvinder Kaur)

Today the CSA held a two-tiered session at the UT Guest. The morning session, Abhivyakti, showcased creative writers in Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu while the post-lunch session focused on writers who have made a name in the English language. All the writers belong to the city and have been quietly engaged in their creative pursuits.

Punita Bawa is a novelist and poet who recently brought out her book “Neeljal ki Sonemachhlian”. She is also trained in music and highly accomplished orator and speaker with a mellifluous voice, much in demand as a compere and host at local events. This morning she recited some poems from her latest collection. Her poetry has a strong feminist streak evident in the themes which revolve around the rights of women and the discriminatory attitude of our society towards the fairer sex. 

Rajwanti Mann, Deputy Director in Haryana Archives, is a researcher and poet. She acquired proficiency in Urdu and now writes in the language. She has recently published her debut collection of poems with the title “Babool ki Chhaanv”.  Coversational in tone, her poetry reaches out to the reader with its directness and sincerity.

Arvinder Kaur teaches in the local Govt. College. She has been writing poetry in Punjabi and in English and can deftly handle long poems as well as short haikus. This morning she spoke of Haikus, giving an introduction to the genre as it originated in Japan.  Arvinder has adapted the Japanese form to local taste and her first book of Punjabi haikus, “Nimolian,” was published earlier this year.

Manjit Tiwana has been writing poetry for the last fifty years and is a well-known name in Punjabi literature. In fact popular opinion rates her close to Amrita Pritam; she is now a leading voice in Punjabi poetry. Although something of a recluse who has spent time away from the local literary scene, she opened up today with the audience and enthusiastically read some of her poems.  In her opinion, kavita is “sanjeevani booti” that keeps her going. Highly symbolic, her themes are personal, dwelling on family relationships, loss, pain and grief.  

Presiding over the morning session was Brajendra Tripathi, well-known editor, critic and poet from the national Sahitya Akaademi, who has represented India at many forums, national as well as international. He complimented the CSA on organizing multi-lingual literary events and was particularly pleased with the response of the audience to the poetic renderings of the day. Tripathi read some of his own poems which touched upon several emotional issues, raising questions like “What is home?” Is home something abstract  or concrete? How does one define home? Is it an institution? Whatever it may be, home is a concept that cannot be defined; its meaning is not found in dictionaries and encyclopedias.

In the post-lunch session there were three more writers of the tricity and the session was chaired by Nirupama Dutt. 

Neelkamal Puri teaches in Govt. College for Girls, Sector 11. A very popular teacher, she is also into creative writing and has the distinction of being one of the leading Chandigarh residents capable of using the English language with ease and felicity. Her first book was Patiala Quartet, a city where she spent many years and to which she is emotionally attached. Her second novel, Remember to Forget, is set in Ludhiana, the city where she was born. In Puri’s novels the city is not simply a place but a character that has a major role to play in the story. She spoke at length about the beliefs underlying her writing and read excerpts from both her books. The audience was particularly moved by her passages on the infamous practice of female infanticide prevalent in the Punjab.

Rajbir Deswal is a cop-poet. A senior IPS officer, his love for literature is well-known and he is often in the news for the poetry he has published.  He writes in English and also in Hindi and Urdu (in Devnagari script). This afternoon he discusses his themes and read his poems before an interested audience. His Urdu poetry, in particularly, was greatly appreciated. From an earlier collection, “My Own Khajurahu,” he recited some pieces, explaining the nuances of the symbols used. A poem with the title “His Master’s Choice” was appreciated for its wit and subtlety.

Anuradha Bhattacharya is a young upcoming poet who has published two slim collections of poems. She teaches in Govt. College and has a passion for English. The poems she read this afternoon spoke of experiences that have touched her life. There is a certain innocence about her work, a freshness that speaks of her talent and holds promise for the future.

Nirupama Dutt, editor, critic and poet, who writes with fluency in English as well as Punjabi, presided over the session, concluding with a couple of poems recited before a highly appreciative e audience.  She had a word of praise for the speakers and for the platform that CSA provides to the burgeoning literary talent of the city.

Thanking the audience, Manju Jaidka, Chairperson of CSA, announced that the next CSA event would be held on 11^th January and then on 8-9 February 2014. Announcements will be made over Facebook and Blog. Photographs of today’s event will be posted on these sites.

CSA

CSA at the Book fair on 17th Nov

CSA at the Book fair on 17th Nov.

The main hall at the Chandigarh Book Fair was once again the hub of literary activity which commenced early in the morning and continued all day. Most of the activities were hosted by the Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi, beginning with book launches and author interactions.

It seems as though the residents of Chandigarh are becoming more and more creative day by day, judging from the number of books being published in the city. There are established writers coming up with new titles and also emerging new voices joining the literary chorus.

Pam Handa, who has moved to Chandigarh recently, launched her book of poems in English: "Kismet and Karma".  Subhash Sharma has translated Madhav Kaushik's Hindi poems into Punjabi and published them as "Parat aao Paarth".  Anant Sharma has published Hindi poems under title "Kabhi Khatam nahi hoti Kavita."  These titles, among others were released at the Book Fair this morning. Charandeep Singh and Ekum Manuk brought out their debut books. The Ahmadiya Society came up with a book on world peace.

The special guest of the day, poet and journalist Parminderjeet Singh released all these titles and then engaged the audience in a discussion of poetry, reciting some of his moving poems to an appreciative gathering. It was indeed another busy day of the CSA but everyone in the packed hall seemed to enjoy the sessions.

In the evening there was an interactive session with the very young and successful writer Sachin Garg who belongs to the rapidly burgeoning tribe of talented MBA graduates who combine their literary talent with marketing strategies. Sachin has published several bestsellers till date and is now a full-time writer. Engaged in a lively conversation with Meenu Gupta, he talked about the ideas that trigger his imagination, the need to be disciplined in one's writing habits, as also his passion for travelling and his love for people. 

Sachin came across as a very amiable young man with starry dreams in his eyes and a confidence to see his dreams turn into reality. Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi wishes him luck in his future enterprises.

The evening session marked the last of CSA events at the Book Fair. The Valedictory function will be held tomorrow and then it will be curtains on the event that has caused a giant ripple in this City Beautiful!

Thank you, UT Administration & NBT, for providing this delightful treat to all book lovers!

Photographs taken today are being posted on CSA Facebook.

November 16 at the Book Fair

At the Book Fair today the Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi was busy indeed, first with book launches, then with an author-interaction, and finally with a kavi sammelan.

Among the local authors whose books were launched was a fifteen year old girl from Bhavan Vidyalaya. Ishita Aggarwal has penned a novel entitled Lieability in which the main protagonist is a  high school girl from the eighth class who has the uncanny ability to detect lies! Ishita spoke about her book and her love for writing and her talk was much appreciated particularly by the youngsters in the audience.

A Banker who Writes:

Ravi Subramaniam hails from the south but he considers himself a punjabi. "I am a Punjoo at heart," he says, "having lived in Ludhiana for 17 of his formative years.

An IIM Bangalore graduate who became a best-selling author with his If God Was a Banker, Ravi is serious about his creative writing although he says he will never give up his regular job for the sake of novels. His inside information of the banking system, gathered over almost two decades of his career, gave him the raw material for his books. Although he is steeped in non-literary subjects like banking and economy, he uses his background as a framework against which he builds his stories.

Ravi writes thrillers which sell like hot cakes because they portray men and women who are not super-human beings but ordinary creatures that his readers can identify with. 

His latest book is Bankerupt, again on similar lines and Ravi is happy with its sales.

Not only did Ravi talk about his novels, he also spoke of the art of writing, the techniques he follows, and the need for pushing the sales of a book. Writing, he feels, is the easiest part of being a novelist. The major challenge lies in pushing the sales and many a good book suffers because it is not marketed properly.

The audience appreciated the author's candid talk and his account of the discipline and regularity he had to practice in order to produce his novels.  Of particular interest to all was the fact that Ravi Subramaniam's father was also a writer and his daughter had published her first novel last year at the age of thirteen. So much for the literary leanings in the family!

The grand finale of the evening was a Kavi Sammelan in which several poets participated, reciting their poems in Hindi and in Punjabi. Among those who recited their poems were Laaj Pushp, Kumar Vinod, Gyan P Vivek, Virendra Madhur, Dr Mukta, Sharanjit Kaur, and Janak Raj. 

Tomorrow the Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi will hold book launches and author interactions in the morning. In the evening there ill be a discussion with writers Nitika Singh and Sachin Garg.

Stories from the Kitchen

Day 3 at the Book Fair

So this was Tara Deshpande, the lady with the dimpled cheek and the winsome smile, with a bagful of stories gathered from the kitchen space. Stories with the flavour of cinnamon and pepper, and cloves and garlic.

At the Chandigarh Book Fair this evening the star attraction was Tara Deshpande who opened for the Chandigarh audience a totally new take on literature.  Whereas the Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi has encouraged its speakers to explore the various dimensions of literature and its multifarious connections with diverse fields like music and art and painting and cinema, this evening a totally novel perspective was unravelled before the packed hall at the Book Fair: cuisine and creativity!

Tara Deshpande has donned many hats in her career: as a stage artist, as an actress, writer, former model and MTV VJ. She has appeared in several acclaimed films such as Sudhir Mishra's Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin and Kaizad Gustad's Bombay Boys. She played Begum Sumroo in Alyque Padamsee's play of the same name. Since her marriage to an American citizen and moved to Boston in 2001, she has shuttled betweeen Bombay and Boston where she has been running a catering agency. Her husband, a graduate of Harvard Business School, is in finance. Tara published her first book, Fifty and Done (Harper Collins) at the age of 23. Her latest book A Sense for Spice: Recipes and Stories from a Konkan Kitchen (Westland Publishers 2012) has become a best seller.

In an animated conversation with CSA Chairperson, Manju Jaidka, Tara explored the relationship between food on the one hand and folk-lore, myth, history and culture, she spoke at length on how cuisine can be a bridge of understanding between peoples and how food and literature are inextricably intertwined.

A fascinating talk indeed, on a subject the is of interest to one and all, it was attended by a number of dignitaries and their wives. Mrs Ninette Sharma, wife of the Adviser to the Administrator, was present in the audience and felicitated the speaker.

Bhaag, Milka, Bhaag!

Chandigarh Book Fair 2013

This was soon after the inauguration of the Book Fair by His Excellency, the Governor, Shri Shivraj Patil.

The especially erected main hall of the exhibition was packed to capacity. From a distance you could hear the din. The heaving crowd within the tent roared, almost as though it were baying for someone's blood. From time to time there were catcalls and hoots and whistles.

But if you mustered up enough courage and approached the tent you would see that the noise did not emanate from anger or any other negative emotion. The young and the old packed like sardines were full of enthusiasm. Their excitement was almost palpable. They were waiting for their celebrity, Milkha Singh, the Flying Sikh.

And they waited! Waited patiently for the legendary hero.

Milkha Singh came slightly late. But he dashed in and almost dashed out. It almost felt as though he were running a 400 metre race, teasing his captive audience, cocking a snook and challenging them with a "catch me if you can!"

In the very precious half hour that the Flying Sikh spent with the tumultuous crowd he told them about his achievements and the lessons he had learnt in life. He exhorted them to work hard, not to cut corners, and keep on persevering until they reach their goal.

Apart from his bio-pic, "Bhaag, Milkha, Bhaag," the sportsman of yesteryears has penned an autobiography with the help of his daughter. It is entitled "The Race of my Life". Published this year by Rupa, it is an inspirational account of the ups and downs of his life, the courage and fortitude with which he overcame obstacles, and the hard lessons he learnt.

The crowd sat spell-bound and listened. But when Milkha Singh wanted to leave they all rushed on to the stage and mobbed him. The Flying Sikh had to do a disappearing trick and was whisked away deftly by the very efficient security guards provided by the UT Administration.

All in all a great start to a long-awaited Book Fair.

AKADEMI AT THE CHANDIGARH BOOK FAIR 2013

Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi will be very busy at the upcoming Chandigarh Bookfair to be held at the
Parade Ground, Sector 17, from 13th to 17th November. 

Take a look at what we are doing:

Nov 13: Ru-ba-ru with Sh Milkha Singh at 6pm

Nov 14: Childrens' Day Celebration at 11 am to 1 pm

Nov 15: Interaction with Sh Surjit Patar at 6pm

Nov. 16: Meet the author, Ravi Subramaniam, at 5 pm
              Kavi Darbar at 6 pm

Nov. 17: Book Launches and Author interactions from 11 am to 1 pm
             Meet the Writers: Nitika Singh and Sachin Garg from 6 to 7pm

Voices from the City

VOICES FROM THE CITY: A GATHERING OF POETS

Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi organized “Voices from the City”, a multi-textured poetry session with twenty local poets reciting their choicest poems in Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu. While in the recent past the CSA has been holding major events in which speakers from outside dominated, today’s session was solely dedicated to the talent of the City Beautiful. Established poets as well as budding writers vied with each other, holding the attention of the audience with their verses. Their enthusiasm was evident in the gusto with which they read their poems.

Those who held the platform this evening included the following (in alphabetical order):

Amandeep Singh

Amarjit Amar

Balbir Tanha

BD Kalia Hamdum

Chander Trikha

Gurdeep Gul

Kedarnath Kedar

Manjit Indra

Mrs Pannu

Nirmal Dutt

Santosh Dhiman

Shams Tabrizi

Shashi Prabha

Sultan Anjum

Sushil Hasrat Narelvi

Taaran Gujral

TN Raaz

Urmil Sakhi

Vibha Ray

Yojana Rawat

The session began with the debut poet, Amandeep Singh, presented a poem that drew comparisons between the West and the East, between America and Punjab, focusing on the changed lifestyles of the people in contemporary time, lamenting the loss of values and traditions. Sushil Hasrat’s poem on “Beti”, focusing on the various roles donned by a woman, was greatly appreciated. Highly topical, it spoke of the rising crimes against women and the need for social awareness and reform. Veteran poet, Balbir Tanha’s verses, “Dil main chahat ke chiragon ko halye rakhiye… laut aayengey, musafir hain safar pe nikley…”  “unki yaado ko seeney se lagaaey rakhiye” won a lot of applause.

Amarjit Amar displayed subtle humour and self-directed irony in his poems while Urmil Sakhi, in a gentle, mellifluous voice, rendered a sensitive poem of love, loneliness and loss couple with patriotism and sacrifice for the nation. “Madari ban woh mere Bandar man ko nachaata hai...” “Sakhi who aayega ik din laut kar… “

Vibha Ray, in a sequence of minaiture poems, painted different colours of life, including women’s issues like “Arre o aadmi nazar zara jhuka ke rakh teri is mehfil main aurat mahfooz nahi.” Shashi Prabha, too read short haiku style poems.

Yojana Rawat’a verses spoke of relationships in the lap of nature, with rivers and mountains representing human emotions and bonding. “Rang toh hamesha hi hotey hain hamarey andar” began one of her poems, evoking the colours of Holi and then went on to show how these colours may be  destroyed by political violence.

Santosh Dhiman sang a longish poem on “Betiyan” which was appreciated by the audience even though the lights went off and the hall was plunged in darkness. The session was temporarily disrupted by a sudden storm that blew out the lights and caused a temporary suspension of poetry but the veteran hasya-kavi, TN Raaz, soon brought the show back on the rails with his humorous poems, one of them lamenting the time when “Ek alhad si haseena humko baba keh gayi.” Although advanced in years, the resounding applause TN Raaz received proved that old is indeed gold.

Among the women poets it was Taaran Gujral who stole the show, reciting her poems on childhood. She sings her poems and her composition “Matthe na lage ilzaam” was greatly appreciated as she crooned in a voice mature and controlled. Gurdeep Gul, another seasoned poet, recited deftly crafted couplets with ease and felicity.

 Kedarnath Kedar’s topic was the atrocities perpetrated on women, referring to ageing money-laden sheikhs from the Middle-East who marry adolescent girls young enough to be their grand-daughters. Kedarnath writes in Punjabi and recites in a compelling, forceful manner, effectively jolting the conscience of society. Birendra Kaur Pannu, who writes in Hindi as well as Punjabi, sang a dirge lamenting the loss of a loved one. Manjit Indira’s poem captured with nostalgia the lost ambience of “Babul da Vehra” and the blessings of Ammi in a bygone childhood.

Shamz Tabrezi, the Urdu poet, insisted that one needs to be destroyed by love in order to be a good poet. “tu agar ishk main barbaad nahi ho sakta toh achcha shayar bhi nahi ho sakta.” Seriousness and levity were intricately woven into his verse. Sultan Anujm, another senior poet who writes in Urdu, recited his poems weighed down with ideas in a slow, sonorous, deliberate style: “Jinke chalney se kaampey gulaabon ke dil, gulshanon ko khuda woh hawayen na de.”

Nirmal Dutt, writes in Punjab; he, presented his compositions in a sophisticated, restrained manner, “katra katra, hauka, hauka,” liberally sprinkling his poems with titli te jugnu (butterflies and fireflies).

“Kalam se khoon kya tapka nahi hai / gazal ka rang kya nikhra nahi hai / sare bazaar isko na uchhalo / hamara dil koi sikka nahi hai,” said BD Kalia, Humdum, who is equally skilled in Hindi and Urdu.

Chander Trikha brought the session to a grand finale with his couplets. “Aadhey sach ki aadat chhod aur peed parai likh” was his advice. Write for others, write with a purpose, was his parting advice to all.

In this evening’s session there was rhyme, rhythm, blank verse; there were ghazals and couplets; there was love, romance, emotion, anger and much more reflected in the poetry. Besides these poets there were many others who expressed their keenness to present their poems. In the dark interlude when the lights went off, a couple of senior citizens willingly came to the rescue and held forth with extempore recitation of poems.

Manju Jaidka, the Chairperson of CSA, announced that a similar event would be held in the last week of October to accommodate poets who did not get a platform this evening and for those who write in English.

The event was ably conducted by Shri Madhav Kaushik, himself an accomplished poet. Although the rain had tried to play spoilsport, it was nevertheless a successful evening and the audience felt enriched by the variety and range of poems presented.

 Manju Jaidka

Chairperson, CSA

Voices from the City

You are cordially invited to listen to VOICES FROM THE CITY (our very own poets) in a Tri-lingual Kavi Sammelan.

Venue: Hotel Parkview, Sector 24
Date and time: Sunday, 15 September. 5.30 pm,

Join us, please! Bring your friends and family along.
...And stay on for refreshments after the event.

Nida Fazli

CSA’S EVENING WITH NIDA FAZLI. 18 Aug 2013

 

“Kabhi kisi ko mukammal jahaan nahi milta

kahin zami to kahin aasmaa nahi milta.”

“Hoshwalon Ko Khabar Kya
Bekhudi Kya Cheez Hai
Ishq Ki Jaye Phir Samajhiye
Zindagi Kya Cheez Hai….”

“Tu is tarah se meri zindagi mein shameel hai

jahan bhi jaun yeh lagta hai teri mehfil hai….”

Immortal lyrics, these! We have been humming them for quite a while now. So much so that they have become part of our day-to-lives. So how do we react when the composer of these verses decides to visit our city? We throng in large numbers to get perhaps a fleeting glimpse of the man who has said so much on our behalf, so much love, emotion, pain and ecstasy in the most appropriate, in the barest minimum words!

This is exactly what happened today when Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi organized a session with the Urdu poet lyricist Muqtida Hasan Nida Fazli, popularly known as Nida Fazli, who has been writing verses for almost half a decade now.  At the UT Guest House the hall overflowed with listeners who listened with rapt attention as Nida Fazli recited poem after poem, one doha after another, ghazal after ghazal. He was quite unstoppable. When the torrent of poetry stopped the audience would not let him go. They engaged him in a lively conversation, not just about his poetry but also on wide-ranging topics, from the language used by poets to the politicization of literature, from the literature of partition to the commercial aspects of lyricism today. Nida Fazli, being the seasoned veteran and expert public orator that he is, remained unfazed as he engaged with the audience.

Mr Fazli is an extremely well-read man. He makes frequent references to Amir Khusrau, to T.S. Eliot, Wordsworth, Whitman and other writers from across the globe. At the same time he comes across as well-rooted in Indian culture and tradition, bonding strongly with the aam aadmi, the common man rather than the privileged classes. He is a man deeply committed to literature and repeatedly emphasized the need to respect men of letters. The worth of a society, according to him may be measured by the respect it shows to its writers. He does not believe in barriers that divide man from man. On the contrary, he is convinced of a common human spirit pervading mankind, no matter what religion and background one hails from.

'Duniya jise kehte hain jaadu kaa Khilona hai

Mil jaaye to mitti hai kho jaaye to sona hai'.

The evening had a certain magic about it: the golden halo of poetic creativity that surrounded the poet seemed to expand and grow to such an extent that it enveloped the entire audience sitting in the hall and also spilling out of it. There was a bonding between the speaker and the listeners which lingered long after the session came to an end.

Some photographs of the session are attached. Others will soon be available on CSA’s FB and Blog.

Arun Shourie's Book

Arun Shourie on his book:

He is a man who calls a spade a spade. He is not afraid of ruffling feathers. He has been there, done that and has no regrets. A man with a deep sense of commitment who does not believe in living in delusions: that is Arun Shourie for you. 

Dr Arun Shourie was in the city on an invitation from the Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi. A PhD in economics, he is well known as a statesman and journalist but this morning he donned another mantel and spoke to an extremely receptive audience as writer: a man who has been through intense suffering and emerged as a strong and noble soul. Shourie is the father of a special child and the spouse of one who suffers from a debilitating Parkinson's disease. What is it like being trapped in such circumstances and how does one cope? He survives and keeps going with the help of a positive approach to life. He is not afraid of talking about his experiences, relating them to wider issues, reaching out to the world beyond his immediate circle. 

In his address today Dr Shourie remained focused on his book Does He Know a Mother's Heart? that begins with private pain but transcends to a public plane as the author shifts his attention to theology and religion. If there is a all-knowing God the father, he asks, why does he make his children suffer? Why does he cause them pain? Why does he punish them, torture them, crush them under piles and piles of suffering? There are no answers to these questions but we human beings, seeking a momentary stay against pain and grief, hang on to the abstract concept of an omnipotent deity.

So what is his advice to those who are faced with similar situations? Arun Shourie lists a few practical steps. Help others, he says, particularly those who are unable to return your favours; focus on the essentials, not on trivia; never look for reasons or for a purpose behind your suffering (for there is no design, no purpose); do not lapse into self-pity; do not be under the delusion of reprieve for fore will be none; above all, accept your situation cheerfully. Sounds like easy advice but Arun Shourie has actually been practising all this over the last three decades and more, ever since the birth of his son, the special child. 

The audience listened spell-bound to Shourie. It was evident that he had touched a sensitive spot in the hearts of all those who were present. When he finished there was a barrage of questions for him, asking him practical advise on the everyday management of suffering. With wit, humour and infinite patience, Dr Shourie responded to their queries. He further mentioned that he is now working on a book on spirituality and mysticism, exploring the many things that are beyond the ken of the human brain.

 

The session was organized under the auspices of the Chandigarh Heritage week being held in the city. Tomorrow (on 18th August) CSA will hold a session with the poet-lyricist Nida Fazli at the UT Guest House at 5.45 pm.

Photographs of this morning's session with Arun Shourie will soon be posted on the CSA blog and Facebook.

UPCOMING EVENTS:
CHANDIGARH HERITAGE FESTIVAL

Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi invites you to a special session with the
statesman, leader, journalist and writer whom we all know so well 

ARUN SHOURIE 

the author of Does He Know a Mother's Heart?
will speak of writing as a therapeutic process
on 17 August 2013
at 10.45 AM 

AND

Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi 
invites you to a special session with the
POET AND LYRICIST

NIDA FAZLI 
on 18 August 2013
at 5.45 PM 

Venue for both events: UT Guest House
Sector 6
Chandigarh

Join us, please!

Kavita Rim Jhim

KAVITA RIMJHIM

Chandiagarh Sahitya Akademi this morning organized a poetry session interestingly titled “Kavita Rimjhim” in keeping with the monsoon conditions. It rained poetry at UT Guest House where the audience in a packed conference hall was treated to verses in four different languages: Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and English.felicitated by the Akademi, B. Madan Mohan who hails from Yamunanagar and writes poetry and fiction in Hindi, and Roshanlal Sharma who is equally versatile in English and in Hindi. The session was chaired by the veteran writer, Prof Virendra Mehendiratta, ably conducted by the secretary of CSA, Madhav Kaushik.

Shri Ram Arsh, the seniormost poet, recited his poems in Punjabi and Urdu. His poems glossed over various themes, mainly people-centric, several of them shot through with gentle humour. For example, “Teri zulfon ki tarah hoti toh suljha leta, / Meri zindagi toh uljhi hai jataon ki tarah.”

Roshanlal Sharma read some poems in English and in Hindi. He may justly be called a nature poet; his verses hovered over themes related to the monsoon: the clouds and the rain, the gentle winds and the gushing rivers. Extending these ideas to human relationships, he evoked the passions that rage in the human heart.

B. Madan Mohan began with his poems on “aam aadmi”, the common man and deprived children in the streets. He recited extempore, his verses seemingly emerging from the depths of his heart. His sequence of love poems, “Saathi Pehli Baar” was greatly appreciated, as was his children’s poetry culled from his forthcoming collection “Gubbarey ki Udaan.”

In his concluding remarks, Virendra Mehendiratta praised the efforts of the CSA in transforming the city into a literary hub. The Chairperson of CSA, Manju Jaidka, thanked the audience for being supportive, announced that some more interesting programmes are slated in the coming weeks, information of which will soon be circulated on Facebook and Blog. Photographs of today’s function are posted on Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/chandigarhsahitya.akademi/posts/695198000497277

Unpublished Manuscripts

The CSA invites city-based writers (working or residing in Chandigarh) to submit unpublished book-length manuscripts in Hindi, English, Punjabi or Urdu. Some funding is available for Grants-in-aid and the best entries would be given financial assistance for publication. 

The following categories will be considered:Poetry 

• Short Fiction
• Novel
• Play
• Children's Literature

Entries may be submitted at the Chd Sahitya Akademi office on the 1st floor of the State Library, Sector 34. Deadline for submission is August 30, 2013. Length of manuscripts: Novels / short stories: 30,000 words to 60,000 words Poetry: 70 - 90 pages Plays: 30 - 50 pages (printed / typed)

MAYTIME MEHFIL

Thank you to those who came!

Those who didn;t -- we missed you!

CSA

REPORT OF TODAY’S EVENT:

MAY-TIME MEHFIL: CREATIVITY AND MORE

Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi today held yet another literary event at the UT Guest House. It was an impressive gathering of litterateurs, academicians and poetry enthusiasts. Intellectual exchange took place in a multi-lingual form, through different languages: some English, Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu. In addition to three writers in Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi, there was a fourth invited guest, a scholar of Sanskrit who spoke in English about the language of computers. So, in all the event was one that brought together many languages, human as well as machine.

Narendra Mohan is a well-known writer who has written a lot of poetry and drama. He talked about his creative journey, punctuating the account with anecdotes and remembered incidents from the past. His presentation was highly appreciated as he read in his gentle sonorous voice. Tracing the graph of his experiences through the ages, he talked about the difficult times of his youth, the partition days and his personal traumas. A recurrent image in his work is that of a dancer. The writer, according to Mohan, is one who would like the world to understand the rhythms that move him and make him dance. Invariably, however, the music to which he sways remains unheard by others and the writer is left dancing solo.

Krishan Kumar Toor, another noted writer who practices his art in the Urdu language, talked about writing ghazals, a genre to which he has dedicated his entire life, and recited several of his compositions. Toor has won several awards for his writing and is the editor of an Urdu poetry journal. His poetry is remarkable for its simplicity directness. The Urdu that he uses is a mix of Hindustani, so it is easily comprehended. Interspersed with aphorisms, he regaled the audience with his wit and verse.

Gurtej Koharwala hails from Ferozepur where he teaches Punjabi in a local college. He is a young man who has been writing poetry for almost two decades now; he has made a niche for himself and his poems are invariably included in all anthologies of contemporary Punjabi poetry.  Letting the poetry speak for itself, Gurtej recited his poems to a riveted gathering. He writes poetry with a purpose and it seems to emerge straight from his heart, with no artifice.

The fourth speaker today was Girish Nath Jha, associate professor at the special Centre for Sanskrit Studies, JNU, Delhi, where he teaches Computational Linguistics. Girish has a Master’s degree in Natural Language Interface from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, a PhD in Machine Translation, and has been a software engineer in the US for four years before joining JNU. He made a very powerful presentation on the use of Information Technology for the promotion of Language and Literature, making the audience aware of how the internet is being used and how software is being developed by his school for transliteration, so as to enable knowledge-sharing and transfer of information from one language to another. The subject is very new and there is a lot of scope for future development. Girish pointed out the road that literature is likely to take in the coming times.

Today’s event, with four different speakers using as many as seven different

languages, was greatly appreciated by all. From the effusive reactions of the audience, it was obvious, that Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi events are not only popular but also informative and much-awaited.

Chairperson Manju Jaidka, Vice-Chairman Anil Raina and Secretary Madhav Kaushik interacted freely with the audience, thanked everyone for the continued support and assured them that CSA would continue to hold literary events of a high order.

Link for pics will be uploaded on FB and Blog.

2  pics are attached herewith.

Chairperson, CSA

Round-Up 2013

Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi held its Annual Round-Up 2013 this evening at the UT Guest House. Presiding over the event was Shri K.K. Sharma, IAS, Adviser to the Administrator. Several well-known personalities of the city were present on the occasion; the hall was packed to capacity and many people in the audience could not get sitting space. This is a measure of the success of CSA events in the city

The highlight of the evening was the annual report of the Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi presented by the Chairperson along with a slide show of events that were held through the year. A brochure was released to mark the event. This is the fifth Round-Up being held by the CSA and all five brochures covering events of the last five years were presented to the Adviser.  

On this occasion the the CSA also released books written by six city authors who were given a Grants-in-Aid by the Akademi. Ajay Singh Rana, Neena Kanaujia and Dinesh Chandra were given the award for poetry.Ratan Chand Ratnesh, Nirmal Jaswal and Subhash Sharma for short stories.

In addition, three city writers who have been awarded for their books in print (for 2012) read excerpts from their works. Vijay Kapoor read his poems while Nirmal Jaswal and Dr Gargi read from their short stories.

Another talk this evening was by  Rajnish Wattas who is a professor of architecture and has served as the Principal of the local College of Architecture.  Prof Wattas is a die-hard fan  of the noted writer R.K. Narayanwhose 12th death anniversary takes place in another two days, on May 13th. Wattas made a power-point presentation on the life and works of Narayan, sharing his passion for the creator of Malgudi and his deep involvement with the various characters that people this fictional world. 

Shri KK Sharma, the Adviser, who was accompanied by his wife, Mrs Ninette Sharma, in his concluding remarks, praised the Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi for the excellent work being done in the field of literature and for making the city a vibrant hub of intellectual activity. He appreciated the work of Chairperson, Manju Jaidka, Vice-Chairperson Anil Raina, and Secretary Madhav Kaushik.

Photographs of this evening's event are being uploaded and the link will soon be available on CSA's Facebook page and Blog.

The next CSA event will be on 25th May at the UT Guest House.

Round-Up 2013

Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi invites you to its
ANNUAL ROUND-UP 2013
Presided over by 
Shri K.K. Sharma, IAS, Adviser to the Administrator

on 11 May 2013at 3.45 PM 
at UT Guest House
Sector 6
Chandigarh

Highlights of the session:
Round-Up of 2012-13 by the Chairperson, CSA
Slide presentation on R.K. Narayan by Prof Rajnish Wattas
Interaction with select award-winning writers of the city
Join us, please!

Manju Jaidka
Chairperson, CSA

Award for URDU manuscript

CSA announces its Grant-in -Aid for UNPUBLISHED MANUSCRIPT to the following writer in Urdu:

Mr Krishan Gautam
Congratulations. 
Once the book is published the grant money will be released.

Awards for Printed Books

AWARDS FOR PRINTED BOOKS :

Vijay Kapoor : "Pahad hi nahi hotey pahad" (poetry) 2012
Nirmal Jaswal: "rait ka Rishta"" (short story) 2012
Dr. Gargi: "Shubh Shuruat" (2011)

CSA would like to congratulate the winners.
The submissions of those who have not been awarded are also much appreciated.
The judges were very pleased with the quality of the work.
Thank you all for your enthusiasm and support.

Hasya Kavi Sammelan - a Report

Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi has once again brought people together to appreciate poetry that cuts across all borders of age and class. Judging from the numbers thronging the Punjab Kala Bhavan, the Hasya Kavi Sammelan organized by CSA this evening was a great success. If Surendra Sharma, the cheif artist at today's event was a crowd-puller, the other members of his team were equally talented and their performance went down very well with the audience.

The programme began with Master Mahendra who began by poking fun at his own emaciated appearance and then proceeded to regale the audience with poem after poem recited in a strong Haryanvi accent. "Manney key laat khani hai?" ("Do I wish to be kicked in the butt?") had the audience in splits.

Ashok Swatantra was equally amusing, particularly with his poem on a bus-conductor's wedding which described how professional habits die hard; in this case, the bus-conductor of the poem takes his official duties to the wedding ceremony in a manner that he is less of a bridegroom and more of the bus-conductor he has always been!

Sita Sagar, who is a professor of Sanskrit, a poet of note and gifted with a melodious voice, won everybody's hearts with a long-winded rhythmic poem on Chandigarh which summed all the features of the City Beautiful.

Many of the poems recited this evening carried a social message. They focused on changing socio-cultural patterns, the loss of values, and the break-up of a familiar way of life. Baghi Chacha had a touching poem about a man's relationship with a son who grows up and leaves him and a tree that remains rooted in his courtyard.

Ash Karan Atal, poet from Bombay, had a different brand of humour as he compared himself with former PM, Atal Bihari Vajpayee (with whom he shares 1/3d of his name, as he put it).  He had the listeners floored as he recited "Highway ke Humdum". 

The grande finale came with the star artist, Surendra Sharma who held the gathering mesmerized for the rest of the evening.  Each line that he uttered was punctuated with a resounding applause from the audience as he, through gentle satire, and in the manner of Addison, enlivened morality with wit and tempered with with morality. Mr Sharma uses laughter as a tool for bringing about social reform.  According to him, what we need today is not religion but philanthropy. Known for his subtle and not-so-subtle jibes targeting the institution of marriage, Shri Surendra ji poked fun at men and women, not even sparing himself. Laughter,he believes, is the best medicine and can work wonders in bringing normalcy back to a fragmented world.

Today's session of laughter and verse was appreciated by the audience that clamoured for more.  CSA  will continue to hold events for the city and looks forward to bringing people together again in its forthcoming events.

Stay tuned for more.