Thursday, April 9, 2015

Dr. AGNISHEKHAR ,A MODERN HINDI POET FROM KASHMIR



                                                                           



 Dr. AGNISHEKHAR  ,A MODERN  HINDI POET  FROM KASHMIR



Dr.Agnishekhar  ( Born 1955 ) is a well known Hindi writer and  poet from Kashmir . Apart from being a poet , he  is a Mountaineer, Public speaker and a known political  thinker representing   kashmiri Pandit community    currently living in  exile .  


This small write up   has nothing to do with Dr  Agnishekhar’s  political beliefs or convictions . I believe that his stature as a Poet gets overshadowed by his non literary Personality ( Political ) for which he is more popular and  known . We   are   at liberty to agree or disagree  with that aspect of his   personality  . But something that has a broader outreach is his sharp poetic sensibility . You can not ignore it. You can not disagree on that aspect. The  literary talent   of any Individual  wherever it be ,  whosoever he be,  Invariably attracts  the  attention of Lovers of fine Arts .


 And One  can not overlook the plethoric  modernism and ensemble of touching  imagery  that he creates  through  his poems; A   Nostalgia that can not be disowned  howsoever painful it be.His poems   come from a  heart that is awash in sensitivity  and beats  with  love for the land of his birth .

Through  his Exile poems  , Agnishekhar  comes very  close to the poetic sensitivity of Kurdish poets like  Sherko Bekas,  Choman Hardi and  Kajal Ahmed.These poems have been published in  almost all the leading Hindi Newspapers and  Magazines  of the country .

The influence of  Modern  Palestinian ,  Latin American and  Kurdish  poets is starkly visible in his work. So is the influence of Turkish Poet Nazim Hikmet Ran  whom he admires and loves to read and quote .He is an avid reader of Mahmoud  Darvish .
                                                                        

      ( Dr Agnishekhar  With Nida Nawaz . A close Friend and  a fellow  Hindi Poet from kashmir )

A  translator as well,Agnishekhar 's published books include  KISSI BHI SAMAY  ( Any Time ), MUJH SE CHHEEN LI  GAYI MERI NADI  ( They snatched my river from me ), KAAL VRIKSH  KI CHHAAYA MEIN  ( Under the shade of Death tree ) ,  JAWAHAR  TUNNEL ,MERI PYAARI KAVITAAYEIN and  DOZAKH ( A collection of  short stories ).

                                            
   ( With Cinematographer Ravi Kemu and Noted Hindi writer Prof.R L Shant )

In Feb2010, he  was chosen as the  event Coordinator for the  international conference of Poets held at Mysore . This conference was  attended by poets, Artists and Film makers  from  Iran, Norway, Germany ,Vietnam, Ireland ,  Chile , Austria,Israel, USA , Tibet and many other countries.  In this well attended conference organized by Rati Saxena of KRITYA , Subjects like conflict  survival ,exile consciousness ,Human Displacement in war and Terror   and  Loss of culture and identity came up for discussion through poems , lettere ,esays and films .

                                     
           
(Receiving Award from Sri Bhajan Sopori)

Post Migration  from Kashmir , Dr. Agnishekhar lives in jammu and keeps himself busy with writing and other activities  . He is married to Dr  Khema kaul who is  also an accomplished   Hindi writer.

" Autar ji , though i like to read all Poets more specifically Hindi Poets,  Yet In Urdu literature , Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Ghalib are  my favourite poets  . I am equally  impressed by the Vision and Humanism of Ali Sardar Jafri . I also keep reading  Manto and Munshi Prem Chand." informs  Dr Agnishekhar .

 I present three sample poems of the poet with my English rendering.

(1)
(Girtee Barf Mein )

Barf Gir Rahi hai ,
Aaj Phir chinaar ke neeche
Koyee dekh rahaa hai
Tumhaari   Raah
Dharrak rahi hai Eik Umeed Phir se
Din Badal jaane ki
Utkat Praarthhanaa koyee kar rahaa hai
Iss Himpaat mein ……..
Barf ke inn Vishaal Prastaron ke neeche
Beh rahi hai Maun  jal Dhaaraayein
Meri  Jijivishaa hain
Gharon ki Chhatein
Aur Perdon ki Tahniyon se latak rahi
Jami Huyee pandhaariyaan
Meray aansoo aur paseenay hain
Kye Huvaa
 Akelaa Huun  me  Iss Chatyrdik Shunyaa mein
Dhab  rahein hai  Barf ke neeche
Meray Kheit ,
Smritiyaan ,
Jarrein ,
Kavitaayein
Naam o Nishaan meray
Me har chinaar ke neeche
Barf ki Banbiyaan mein Khadaa
Kar rahaan huun Surya Upaasana
Budh-budhaa rahaa huun
Dhoop !
Dhoop!
Dhoop!
( Agni Shekhar )

( In the snow fall )

 Today the chinar tree is once again
Under falling snow ,
Some one  stands at  the pathway
Looking for you .
This heart beats once more with a hope 
 “Days are going to change  for Sure ”
An intense  prayer by some one
In this snow fall,
Under this  gigantic snow settlement ,
So many streams of silence keep moving ,
 Like  my resilience .
From the rooftops and  the branches of these trees ,
Frozen water  lines  dangle
 like my tears and sweat drops ,
What  ,if alone I stand today ,
In this desolate silence of    all the  four corners ,
Under this very  snow ,
Buried are  my fields ,
My recollections ,
My roots ,
My Poems
My being  and identity .
I stand underneath every chinar tree ,
In these  snow stacks ,
 Performing  Sun worship ,
I  keep murmuring ,
Sunshine  !
Sunshine !
Sunshine !

(2)
 ( Pull Par Gaay)
 Sab taraf Barf hai  khaamosh
Jale huve hamaare gharon  se Oonche  hain
Nippate peid
Eik Raah Bhatkii Gaay
Pull se Dekh rahi hai
Khoon Ki nadi
Rambhaa kartii hai
Akaash Mein Suraakh
Chheenktii hai jab meri maa
Yahaan Visthhaapan mein
Ussay Yaad kar rahi Hotii Haio Gaay
Itanay barson Baad bhi
Nahin Thhami hai Khoon ki nadi
Uss apr Khadi Hai Gaay
Iss par hai  meri Maa
Aur akaash mein
Gahraata ja Rahaa hai
Suraakh…
( Agnishekhar )

(The cow on the Bridge )
The snowfall has brought silence all over ,
These leafless  trees have grown taller than our burnt houses .
A stray cow looks below from the bridge ,
A river full of blood in spate
Pierces a hole in the sky as it moves fast .
In exile, My mother is disturbed by a sneeze ,
Possibly the cow remembers her.
So many years have gone past
Yet this river of blood has not ceased to flow.
On that side of the river stands the cow,
While on this side is my mother .
And in the sky above ,
The hole keeps on turning deeper and ever deeper .

(3)

(Yaad kartaa hai Bachaa )
Kyaa huvaa thhaa Uss Boraayi havaa mein ,
Hamaare parivaar ke saathh,
Kaise saham Gayaa thhaa Gaanv,
Bhaag  Gayee Thhi Nadi
Chhorr Ram Bharose  chinaaron ko
Baahar Hazaaron Dussaaye Kavvon ka Shor Thaa Aakramak ,
Aur Hum Thhay be chat Ghonsalon mein
Ya Hum Thhay Beil Par
Angooron ki aakhiri Gunchon ki tarah Gabraaye

Ro rahi Thhi Maa
Ro rahi Thhi Daadi
Ro rahaa thha Chhitkoo
Chaachi Thhi Ro rahi
Aur  aap Haathh Jorray
Chupp Rehnay  ko Keh rahay Thhay
Bujhaa Di Gayee thhi Bijli
Paros gayee thhi Chuppi
Gali Mein pataakhon Ki Ladiyon Ki tarah
Gulchharay Urra rahaa thhaa Shor
Papa,
Kal Jab Door darshan par
Dikhaaya ja trahaa thha Kashmir
Barfeeli Chotiyaan
Jheel, Jharney , Hare maidaan
Lagaa thha Mujhe Hum Peelay Zard pattay  hain
Buhaar Diye Gaye Hain Jhaarroo Se
Yahaan Campon Mein
“ Papa ! Kya Hamein Yahaan se Bhi Udaa Le Jaayegi Havaa ?….”
( Agnishekhar )


( A child Remembers )

What happened in that violent wind
With our family ?
Under fright , Entire village turned silent ,
The river too ran away
Leaving the Chinar trees to Nobody’s care .

Outside , crows in thousands joined to create
violent noise all over .
And we stayed put in our roofless nests ,
Like the last bunch of grapes
Hanging in bewilderment from the vine .

Mother wept bitterly ,
Grand mother wept ,
The young chhitkoo wept ,
The Aunt too wept .
And With your hands folded before them
You requested everyone to keep calm.

The lights were turned off
To serve silence in the room.
In the lane outside ,
The crackers burst in chain
Creating fierce noise .

Papa !
Yesterday when Kashmir was being telecast on Doordarshan ,
Snow clad mountains ,
Lakes ,
Waterfalls ,
Green valleys ,
I felt as if we are fallen dry leaves ,
Broomed away from the Garden
To these camps .
“Papa! Shall the wind carry us away from this place as well ?



( Autar Mota )


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CHINAR SHADE by Autarmota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.
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