TALKING ABOUT LOVE IN THE TIMES OF HATRED IS A BIG TGHING: Dr. NEERAJ SINGH

TALKING ABOUT LOVE IN THE TIMES OF HATRED IS A BIG TGHING: Dr. NEERAJ SINGH

15-FEB-ENG 1

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA------------------------A two day 114^th birth anniversary of a great REvolutionely poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz was organized in two sessions. Poets recite love poems in the Valentine atmosphere. The programme was organized by Jan Sanskriti Manch in the auditorium of the local Nagari Pracharini Library and Dr. Neeraj Singh, State President, JALS, presided over the meeting. On this occasion, Suresh Kantak’s poetry collection ‘Aaina Hoon Main’ was also released.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Neeraj Singh said that “It is a big thing to talk about love in a time of hatred. Progressive-Democratic poets loved in life but paid less attention in their poems but Faiz Ahmed Faiz is an exception. His legacy is our common heritage, both linguistically and continentally. There is no other such relevant Urdu poet who has such a deep concern for the Dalit and oppressed humanity at the international level.” He described the memory of his mother and the changing family situation in the present times and added that children came to their ancestral homes at their own pace.

Jitendra Kumar another member of the President’s Board, advised to read Faiz in its entirety. He said that Faiz is a favourite poet of the people of both Indian and Pakistan. He is the heritage of our Ganga-Jamuni culture and companion of our struggles. He stated that there is no moisture in your speech Rahbar. Ayodhya Prasad Upadhyaya, the third member of the Presidential Board, said that Faiz did not want India-Pakistan partition. He narrated –I came to you after crossing the mountains and ditches.

Siddharth Vallabh marked today’s time as a totalitarian-fascist, techno-feudal time and said that this is a critical period when the culture of capital has taken root in every home and village. It has also badly affected the world of literature. Big famous writers are getting rewarded and honoured by rejecting their values and ideals. Faiz seems very relevant in such times because there was never any deviation in him. Sudhir Suman started the programme and said that Faiz is a poet of love and revolution. The journey of the life of Faiz born in the family of a landless farmer, is very exciting and full of struggles. His poetry is woven with soft and poignant feelings of union and separation in love on one hand while on the other, it is also full of attitude of resistance to dictatorial regimes. He continued struggling all his life for freedom, equality and democracy for all. He was deeply influenced by the struggles and discussions of the Russian Revolution and the youth armed agitations. He recited a love poem named ‘Tumhre Saath’ and finally sang Faiz’s composition ‘Let’s Smile.’

The second session of the programme was dedicated to love poems. While starting the poetry reading, Santosh Shreyansh said in one of the his untitled poems –“in the cold night/ on the green graaa/ like drop of dew/ you came into my life.’ Siddharth Vallabh said about love-like a magician’s illusion, love is not like that so that some optical illusion is being created. In his second poem, ‘Prem Bar Bar Pukarataa hai”, he said the love is cord that scotch sorrows. Om Prakash Mishra drew a blueprint o f a world in which all good things would happen.

Suman Kumar Singh recited Faiz’s poem ‘Raqueeb Se and his poem titled ‘Cheera’ he said that the birds that opened their wings competed with the eagles, fluttering fluttering in the hot sun, chicks raised with noses came to meet that bird.

Janardan Mishra revealed the secret- I too had once love someone. Mamta Deep described the feeling of love like this—There is the same shadow around every relationship. Rupendra Mishra, while giving a lesion to the students present in the library and the people preparing for competitive exams, said that they should not take wrong steps due to failures. According to Faiz- The heart is not hopeless, it is unsuccessful. Ram’s evening is long but it is evening only. He said that writing is the basis of his love. Rakesh Kumar Ojha narrated that the lifeblood of my life/your wonderful sacrifice dear. Condolence regarding mother’s ‘calloused hands’ in the poem of Siddha Nath Sagar was expressed.

Ram Yash Avikal expressed the fact in his Bhojpuri poem—‘Aapas mein rahal naa sarokar e bhai/ ke karta kehu par upkaar e bhai. Vikrant in his poem ‘Kaisan e Daur Ail Ba’ showed the irony of leaving the loving life of the village and coming to a city full of problems. Sunil Chaudhary questioned the opportunistic and anti-people character of leaders in the current democracy.