CULTURE

At the Crossroads
‘Doha’ as voice of people

Harnek Singh Komal

Ludhiana, October 4
The art form of ‘doha’ has enraptured the minds of people since long. In two rhyming lines, the poet conveys his ideas in a succinct manner. It resembles the couplet in a ghazal that is independent in its meaning so far as the other couplets are concerned. In Bhagat Kabir, ‘doha’ is the medium of communication with fellow-beings. At times it is a sort of self-appraisal while at other times it is the vehicle of philosophical thought. Interestingly, Kabir could afford to have a dig at the icon of his adoration. He says that the Lord will follow, like a disciple, the person whose mind is pure as the water of the Ganga:

Kabir mann nirmal bhaya, jaise Ganga neer
Pachhe laage Har phire, kaihat Kabir Kabir

This tradition of conveying the innermost thoughts in the form of a ‘doha’ has also been enriched from time to time by Punjabi poets. Now, Dr Harnek Singh Komal has come up with ‘Doha Darpan’, a collection of 500 ‘dohas’. These can in fact be called modern ‘dohas’ as in these the varied aspects of the present-day world have been focused in a very charming style. He is not cynical, although some of his ‘dohas’ indicate the topsy-turvy state of modern life:

Kaure vachan jo bolda, har thhan laave agg
Pass koi na aanvada, laahnat paave jagg

(The person who is harsh in his talk, ignites fire everywhere. Nobody goes near him, accursed as he is in this world.)

Jithhe hai mith bolri, ik suchajji naar
Oh ghar sunder bagh hai, khiri rahe gulzar

(The home where resides a sweet-tempered and good-natured woman is like a beautiful garden, the abode of eternal spring).

Dr Komal was born in 1943 at Aalamwala (Muktsar) where he received his early education. Later, he passed his matriculation from Government High School, Malout, and went to Nilokheri for his diploma in civil engineering. He served for some years the Irrigation Department, Punjab, but then opted for a teaching career. He did his MA in Punjabi from Punjabi University, Patiala, in 1975 and PhD from Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, in 1977. Starting his teaching career at Government College, Muktsar, he settled down at DAV College, Bathinda, from where he retired in 2003, after serving the institution for a quarter century.

As a litterateur, he has contributed a lot to Punjabi literature. During the period from 1970 to 2006, he has published six poetic collections, five books of literary criticism, two collections of mini short stories and two books (poetry and prose) for children, besides his forays, from time to time, into journalism, radio and television. He has been honoured by the various sahit sabhas of the state, but awaits patiently for a prestigious award for his lifetime contribution to Punjabi literature.

‘Doha Darpan’ can be termed as his magnum opus till date. In these 500 ‘dohas’, Dr Komal has presented, in a kaleidoscopic manner, the true picture of modern times. Above all, corruption, nepotism and hypocrisy are the objects of his condemnation. But he is not ruthless in his denunciation of all that has gone haywire in the land of his birth. Rather, he juxtaposes binary situations to highlight contradictions, paradoxes and absurdities in the modern lifestyle. He has been successful in adhering to the ‘doha’ tradition that entails polite ironic comments to bring home the point of view:

Komal apni kalam te, na kar bahuta naaz
Nigaar khane vich eh, tooti di aawaz
Lathhi jis de pass hai, osay di hai majh
Es taran da Belio, lokraj hai ajj
Jeevan de wich saadgi, uchche-suchche khayal
Hun taan aisay aadmi, milde mushkil naal.

— N.S. Tasneem