The
Indian subcontinent contains within itself a rich and vast variety of
lands, not to speak of languages, races, religions and creeds. To sing
its glory or to revile it for the benefit of an international or even a
national audience, the Indian poet in a regional language doesn’t have
the right medium at his disposal, though it may be more ancient, more
pliable and richer than English. Given his long years of education in
English and his living away from his first-language area for many years,
B V Selvaraj is one of those cut out for the kind of work expected of a
national poet writing for readers here and abroad. This is how Dr. P.
Marudanayagam, Director, Pondicherry Institute of Liguistics, and a
former head of the department of English, Pondicherry University,
described his latest book of poems, " Hi-Rum-Cherry : Poems from
Delhi, Mizoram and Pondicherry".Born to Tamil parents and brought
up in the tribal highlands of Bihar (now Chhattisgarh), Selvaraj, a
senior Indian Administration Service officer and at present posted as
Secretary (Services) with the government of the National Capital
Territory of Delhi, has been moving from region to region, gaining the
unusual experience of a native and an exile in his own country. As a
senior member of Indian Administrative Service, he has served in Delhi,
Maharashtra, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Pondicherry and Mizoram –
lands that are geographically, culturally and linguistically as diverse
as different countries! Even a cursory glance at the poems will reveal
that Selvaraj need not be apologetic about his having been a civil
servant and that no critic of his poetry need be condescending on that
account.
The present volume, called "Hi-Rum-Cherry" and
divided into three parts, includes poems inspired by life for
considerably long periods of time in three different places, reminding
us of Dante’s "Inferno", "Purgatorio", and "Paradiso,"
though there is no one-to-one correspondence between the Italian poet’s
imaginary worlds and the Indian poetreal territories – Delhi, Mizorum
and Pondicherry! The political vibrance and commercial dynamism of
Delhi, the natural splendour of Mizoram and the hoary heritage of
Pondicherry, do not represent hell, purgatory and heaven but provide
fascinating vignettes of life and picturesque descriptions of characters
and events that combine heterogeneous emotional experiences.
Excerpts:
How
did you get the inspiration to write a book of poems?
The All India
Service offers diverse opportunities of serving in the States and at the
Centre. The AGMU cadre to which I belong is particularly unique because
we get chance to work in three states, six union territories and the
national capital territory of Delhi. The sub-continental diversity of
our country and the multi-cultural heterogeneity of people throw up
innumerable inspiring themes. In this book I have selected my poems,
written mostly in Pondicherry, Mizoram and Delhi, depicting life and
times, events and happenings, as varied and divergent as they may get.
Given
your busy schedule, how did you get the time to write the book?
When
thoughts crystallise and knock at the door one has to find time to
capture them, more so when they come in poetry. Late nights and weekend
afternoons were the most productive hours for me.
Are you or have
you ever been a literature student?
I don’t have a formal
grounding in literature. But I believe literature is essentially
reflection of humanity and civilisation. I also feel that poetry need
not be an exercise in abstraction but must function as an effective
vehicle of communication. My pieces are firmly rooted on the soil; they
speak the day-to-day language. There is a desire to speak to the
audiences on one-to-one. Poetry to me is a bursting forth of boundless
energy hidden in the mind and heart, to be shared with fellow-beings.
What
are your future plans?
This is my second volume of poetry. I am
sure I would have no choice but to go on writing my thoughts, feelings,
views, aspirations, expectations, disappointments and anguish. It may be
poetry, it may be in prose. Presently I am working on a fiction, which
would predominantly utilise the substratum of Mizoram to narrate the
drama of life.
You would discern many aberrations and angularities in
my expression. There may be many peculiarities which might escape my
blind spots, but having published this book gives me immense
satisfaction of having revealed the inner core of my being. In fact, the
challenge in life today is to share and accommodate one’s own thoughts
with those of others. I hope to some extent this book is going to
achieve this purpose.
What is your message to young aspirants of
Civil Services?
I may not be most qualified to give a message or
sermon to the aspirants of civil services. My only wish would be that
those who join the civil services or any other walk of life with starry
eyes, imaginative minds and idealistic aspirations should never allow
mundane and the routine to take the better of them. I may even venture
to say that creative expressions do help keep the heart and soul young
and vibrant. For life and living is but the product of how we dream and
what we dream!
What about your family background?
Born to Tamil
parents and brought up in the tribal highlands of Bihar, now Jharkhand,
I believe that region, religion, caste and creed are essentially
artificial.
Organic understanding of life keeps one’s feelings and
sensitivity alive. One can be a true professional only by upholding
humanism. Married to Jingle, I have a daughter who is studying medicine
and also writes poetry and indulges in some painting.
What do you do
at present?
After having served in Delhi, Maharashtra, Andaman
& Nicobar Islands, Pondicherry and Mizoram, I am presently posted as
Secretary to Government (Services), Govt. of NCT of Delhi, I am
dedicated to human resource administration in the Govt. of NCT of Delhi.
I am also Director –in charge of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption
efforts.
