SAYING IT IN VERSE: POETRY SESSION ORGANIZED BY THE CSA
Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi organized a poetry session at the
UT Guest House this evening. There were
four local poets – Gurminder Sidhu, Madhavi Kataria, Vibha Ray and S.K. Setia –
and two invited poets – Liaqat Jafri and Pt. Vidya Ratan Assi – who came all
the way from Jammu to interact with poetry lovers in Chandigarh.
Vibha Ray is the Principal of DAV School (Lahore), Sector 8.
She has impressive credentials, with a doctorate in English Literature and an
Ll.B. from Panjab University. Apart from administrative acumen, she has a flair
for poetry, as was evident in her recitation this evening. “ Dard keval mera
hai… kaisey baantu?” asked Vibha Ray in a moving poem.
Madhavi Kataria, a very versatile person, has been active in
theatre over several decades now. Despite being very busy in an administrative
position she finds time for literature, poetry and the arts. The poems she read
with élan this evening were full of the music of nature, love and beauty, the
river and the sky, the rain and flowers, bumblebees and birds.
Gurminder Sidhu read her poems in Punjabi with confidence.
She spoke of human relationships, of families and particularly the plight of
women and young girls. Evidently Gurminder is concerned with the the girl child
and the lot that is meted out to her in our society. Where, in the cruel sea of
life, does a girl lose her childhood? This idea seems to haunt her poetry.
S.K. Setia has majored in English but is equally proficient
in Hindi, as evident from the poems he presented. His verse focused mainly on
meeting and parting. Parting from a friend, for instance, looking back at a
time of togetherness, reliving golden moments of the past. Why, asks Setia, why
does the heart long for forgotten landscapes? There seems to be no answer.
Liaqat Jafri, also from Jammu, was introduced by the
well-known playwright, Atamjit. He is young but accomplished enough to compete
with senior poets. Each line that he has composed is heavy with meaning.
“Kabhi bachchey ko naksha na dikhana./ na jaaney kaunsi
sarhad mita de.”
“Ek khwaish abhi adhuri hai. Khud se milna bahut zaroori
hai.”
Liaqat writes in Urdu and in Phutwari (a Pahari dialect). He
is soft spoken and gentle in demeanour, and recites his poems with an endearing
bashfulness. The theme of his ghazals this evening revolved around dreams and
aspirations and the fact that they soon dissolve when they encounter hard
reality. He seems to grope for a meaning in a dark, turbulent world.
Pt Vidya Rattan Assi from Jammu, the chief poet of the
session, was also introduced by Atamjit. He is a veteran who has the unique
distinction of being one who has devoted his entire life to poetry although he
has not received recognition or publicity. Having lived in the shadows of
anonymity he was with some difficulty persuaded to visit Chandigarh. Here he
recited his verses extempore.
“Pal hi main guzar jati hai sukh ki raatein / Dukh ki raten
pal bhar mein kyon nahi guzar jatey?”
“Ghar to hota hai dil ke rishtey se./ Eenth gaarey se ghar
nahi hota.”
“Ik zamana tha, woh zamana tha. Dil se miltey they, kya
zamana tha.”
His poetry is an interesting mix of nostalgia and
simplicity. It strikes a note of sincerity and reaches straight to the heart.
While introducing the poet, Atamjit mentioned that the ageing poet does not get
any state support and lamented the sad fact that artists and writers are often
neglected by a callous social order. The UT adviser, KK Sharma, who was present
on the occasion, appreciated the verses of Pt. Assi and agreed that senior
poets ought be accorded appropriate attention by the state.
The evening was remarkable in that the audience was totally
captivated and responded spontaneously to all the poems that were recited. By
the end of it there was an almost tangible elevation of spirits and the
audience did not want the secretary, Madhav Kaushik, to bring the session to a
close.
The next event of the CSA, Chairperson Manju Jaidka,
announced, will be held on 30th December at the UT Guest House.
Photographs of this evening’s events will be uploaded on the
Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi Facebook page.
