Freedom!

The feeling that bounces your heart with elation,

The feeling that throbs in God’s every creation;

The feeling that floats in clouds in sky,

The feeling that glides the birds so high;

The feeling that wriggles a river with passion,

The feeling that leaves a touch of sensation;

The feeling that opens up all new horizons,

The thrilling feeling is that of freedom.

Freedom showers its joys, instils life with a thrill,

To build your way, it gives you will.

Freedom is a heavenly touch, it is a boon,

That makes life dance, it is a melodious tune.

Even after fifty monsoons, the past still reeks,

The path stained with blood, present still sweeps;

The future is so ‘bright’, its shadows are so ‘bleak’,

The seeds sown by ‘yesterday’, is what ‘tomorrow’ reaps.

Past ‘is’ an excellent teacher, present ‘can be’

an excellent learner,

But future ‘always has’ to be an excellent bearer.

Freedom today has foundation on past sorrow,

Let us learn from past and weave a better tomorrow.

Let us all unite and enjoy our freedom,

Long live India! Long live freedom!

— Navreet Natt

My grandfather

A grandfather is caring,

for the things he’ll say or do

Will bring a smile or dry a tear

or make a dream come true...

A grandfather is sharing

with his kind and thoughtful ways,

A grandfather is generous

with encouragement and praise...

A grandfather is wisdom,

shared with laughter or a smile

A grandfather is friendship

that makes life more worthwhile.

But most of all, with his warm heart

and thoughtful, caring deeds,

A grandfather is love —

and that’s what every family needs.

— Rahul Kanwal

After the rain

The leaves are fresh after the rain,

The air is cool and clean,

The sun is shining warm again,

The sparrows are hopping in the lane.

After that we sing and play,

And also dance with our friends,

Calling out in many voices,

Hip, hip, hurray! Hip, hip, hurray !

— Pulkit Mitra

Work is worship for him

By Rajesh Sharma

BALWENDRA considers himself lucky enough to have studied at the Department of Hindi in Panjab University (PU), Chandigarh. Reason: Acharya Hazari Prasad Dwivedi, Dr Inder Nath Madan and Prof Dharam Pal Maini have been an integral part of this department. There is one more name connected with the department which inspires in Balwendra’s heart still greater respect for the department. This name, however, is sans status.

He is Shyam Lal. A peon in the department. And a poet!

Likhne ki kala Bhagawan ki den hoti hai. Aadami jitni marzi koshish kare par Bhagawan ki kripa ke bina vah likh nahin sakta, (The art of writing is a gift of God. Without His grace one cannot write, howsoever hard he may try.)," says the pen-pundit who falls in the line of Guru Ravi Das, a shoemaker, Kabir Das, a weaver, and Lal Singh ‘Dil’, a tea-vendor.

Fiction it might sound, but Lal’s story is very interesting and motivating as well. Originally from Uttar Pradesh, 54-year-old Shyam Lal has studied upto seventh standard. In 1951, he shifted to Jalandhar along with his family. There he started working as a mechanic even as his father, Ram Bhikhari, got a job of peon in the DAV College, Jalandhar. Years rolled on.

Then Dr Inder Nath Madan, while himself switching the job of teaching at DAV College, Jalandhar, to the Department of Hindi, PU, Chandigarh, brought his father along in 1964.

Meanwhile, Lal continued with the same job. In 1967, on hearing the news of his mother’s illness, Lal rushed to Chandigarh.

On the very next day, Acharya Hazari Prasad Dwivedi, on the request of Lal’s parents, interviewed him for the post of peon with the Tagore Chair. The question was: Aap bhi apane baap ki tarah kaam karoge? (Will you also work like your father?). His father happened to be an honest and hardworking person. An affirmative reply got him the job.

Life had taken an altogether different turn for Shyam Lal. He started studying books as, in due course of time, he was made incharge of the library with the Tagore Chair. And this is where his ishq with literature began. His feeling at that time was: when others can write, why can’t I?

Of course, he could. He wrote a poem titled Chail, as poetry fascinated him most. This very first poem got him due appreciation and encouragement from the faculty-members. Appreciation still pours in.

This is what Dr Satya Pal Sehgal, a lecturer in the department, has got to say about him: "He is a sensitive soul, committed to his work. He carries the values set by Acharya Dwivedi during his tenure as Professor in Tagore Chair. Above all, he has a poetic potential which makes him one of the finest human beings around."

Any prizes? During one of the functions held in memory of Acharya Dwivedi, he recited a poem on Acharya Dwivedi. It got him a book as prize from Prof D. P. Maini. A few magazines, including the Campus Reporter (a Panjab University Campus students’ magazine) have carried his poems.

As far as others’ poems are concerned, Kabir and Tulsi are a favourite with him. He also enjoyed a good relationship with Kumar Vikal who used to live on the campus.

About relationships, however, Lal is very clear. Therefore, he has this to say on the one between life and literature: "Kinhin vadon mein na uljha kar sahitya ko zindagi ke saath juda hona chahiye,

(Without being entangled in any movements, literature should be related to life.), "he says candidly.

Does status affect relationships? It may. But Lal does not pay any heed to these small things. Work is worship for him. He is happy with his present lot. He believes in both destiny and God.

But both of them have been a little cruel to him. He is suffering from diabetes. As a result, he has not been able to write anything for the last a couple of years. "Dil karata hai likhane ke liye, par dimag dusari taraf chala jata hai", he says in a choked voice.

May he get well soon!