PADMA SACHDEV : A POETESS OF DUGGAR LAND WITH UNIVERSAL APPEAL ..

                                                                    

PADMA SACHDEV. I LIKE AND ADMIRE HER POETRY.

Padamshri Padma sachdev is a stalwart among modern Dogri poets from jammu. Born in 1940 in Purmandal Town (  situated On the Banks of  sacred river Devak )  about 39 Kms from jammu ,she  happens to be the eldest of three children of Prof. Jai Dev Baru a Sanskrit scholar . Padma ji  writes in Hindi as well. Apart from poetry , she has also written some Novels and short  stories .In 1969 ,She published her first collection of poems with an introduction by well known Hindi poet, Ram Dhari Singh Dinkar.He wrote :

 “Padma ki kavita sun kar mujhe laga mein apni kalam phaink doon kyoonki jo batein Padma kahati hai, wahi asli kavita hai”.

(Reading the poems of Padma, I felt I should throw away my pen because the things Padma says is real poetry.)

 Thereafter she published five more collections of her poems at regular intervals — Tawi Te Chanhaan in 1976, Nehriyan Galiyan in 1982, Pota Pota Nimbal in 1987, Uttarbaihni in 1992 and Tainthiyaan in 1999. The titles of her books are emblematic and noteworthy. Padma ji can also understand and speak  kashmiri.
                                                                            

                      (Padma sachdev, Dinesh Nadini Dalmia and Ram Niwas Mirdha.)

 (Two Eminent Dogras..Tabla Maestro late ustaad Allah Rakha on his right is Padma sachdev and on his left is Mrs Allah Rakha.)

                                                                        ( Padma Ji )

(Sheikh Mohd Abdullah, Begum Abdullah, Ramanand sagar, Dalip Kumar, Urdu writer Krishen Chander , Padma Sachdev and  Shamim Ahmed Shamim MP .. Mumbai 1975)

Her poems have been sung by Lata Mangeshkar with whom she enjoys a close rapport.She is recipient of the prestigious Sahitya Academy award apart from many other awards like Soviet land Nehru Award and UP state Hindi Academy Puruskar   etc. etc. Padma Ji ‘s favorite Dogri poet is none other than  Padamshri Prof. Ram Nath Shastri (1914-2009). He was "Father of Dogri",  a prolific and multifaceted personality . Poet, dramatist, actor, fiction writer, lexicographer, essayist, educationist, translator and  an editor for over 6 decades.  Padama ji adds

“Professor Ramnath Shastri is the Bharatendu Harishchandra of Dogri. There is not a single person, who is writing in Dogri now has not been influenced by him Not a single word is there in Dogri on which his stamp has not been registered.”

Her personal life has been just fight against odds. A battle with Tuberculosis for which she was admitted to  Chest Diseases Hospital In Drogjan Dagate ( Kashmir ) for 3 years  and a failed marriage with  Ved Pal Deep eminent Dogri Poet and editor of  urdu daily SANDESH published from Jammu . A letter from Bakshi  Ghulam Mohd the then chief Minister of J&K got her a job of Dogri News reader in All India Radio New Delhi and  then her marriage with classical singer Sardar Surrinder Singh Sachdev (  Singh Bandhus ) who also worked as Duty officer AIR New Delhi.

I post a sample poem of this great poet of our state .

( Peeda Da Dabbaa)

Siir Jedaa Dikhaa De Ho

Siir Nayee Eay,

Dabaa Eay Peeda Da ..

Chhanakdaa Eay Chhankanay Aalaa Lekhaa,

Peeda Eiday Tche Go’l Go’l Phirdee eay,

Dhuun Jan Uthdaa Eay,

Mushaq Jan Ondhii Eay,

Peedaan Te Ho’r Bhi Badiyaan Ne,

Kish Chetay Diyaan ,

Kish Beitay Diyaan,

Jeiday Na Rakhan Huunday ne

Na Suuttan Huunday Ne

Kish ajjay di Peed

Kish Kalley Di

Par

Ikk Peed Ho’r Bhi Eay

Jeiddi Chhanakdi nayee,

Chhadi Huundi Eay,

Eay Peed Ouss Dukhey Di Eay

Jedaa Aoon Huun Tugii Nayee du’ssdi

( Padma sachdev)

Box of Pain

This head

That you see on my shoulders

Is not my head

It's a box of pain

It jingles like a jingle box

Pain moves in it round and round

Smoke rises

It smells

Like the smell of a pyre.

There are other pains too

Several of them

Some of memories

Some of secrets

That cannot be kept

Nor thrown away

Some pains of today

Some of yesterday.

But

There is another pain also

Which doesn't make a sound

Which is only there

This pain is of that suffering

Which I do not share with you any more.

          

 (Translated from Dogri by Shivnath A poem from “ Nehriyaan Galiyaan” ( Dark Lanes ) , a collection of Dogri Poems by Padma Sachdev. Wonderful Poems. Some intense and moving . Some emerging straight from her Heart. The Book has a beautiful Foreward by Dr Harivansh Rai Bachan .)

I conclude this post with  some lines from Padma ji ''s Dogri poem' Des Nikaala' or' Exiled'... 'Des Nikaala' has been my favourite Dogri poem.

Sang saathnaan gali Bidesh huyii
Aaoon babulaa ki pardes huyii
Ohka Soha nahin Ohka syaala nahin.,
Miggi maarda koyee bhi Aala nahin
........... Kunn Aakhdaa Des nikaala nahin.

(padma sachdev)

My simple english rendering of the above  lines would be ...

Away have I moved From companions, friends and those streets,
Like a daughter, O father, I stand shelved to distant lands,
Denied to me are the summers and winters of that land,
And over here, none comes calling for me.
Who says I have not been Exiled ?

( Autar Mota )

PS

Dinesh Nadini was wife of Industrialist Ram Krishen Dalmia the Head of Dalmia Empire. Dinesh Nadini was a well known Hindi poet,short story writer and Novelist. She was recipient of Padma Bushan for her creative work. Dalmias were great patrons of Music, literature and other Arts.Ram niwas Mirdha was a well known minister in central cabinet..A connoisseur of fine Arts, Mirdha served as chairman of sangeet Natak Academy.

                                                                        

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