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Safeena "Viyogi hoga pehla kavi, aaha se upja hoga gaan/ nikal kar nainon se chupchap, bahi hogi kavita anjaan." IF these lines of the celebrated romantic poet Sumitranandan Pant be the true measure of poetry, then by Bittu Sandhu’s own admission the first plaintive notes of her pain and poetry had been sown at a very young stage of her life. However, it is not often that these notes mature into a symphony that might attract others. It is here that Bittu Sandhu has been fortunate in finding a friend who not only recognised and appreciated the sensitive poet in her being, but also encouraged her to keep expressing herself in words so that the pain and suffering of life instead of drowning her transforms itself into Noah’s ark to take her to safety.
Not surprisingly, the metaphor of ‘safeena’ pervades through the work and the most touching among them being the one that ends with the confession "Saha nahin jaata jab safina sahil pe gark hota hai", though one is disappointed to see it ending on a slightly desperate note when the poetess says: "Dua karo khali safeena bhanwar mein doob jaye / sahil pe nahin to samudra kit ah mein panah paye." Nostalgia and romance is the core of this collection and a reader should be forgiven for asking "What ails thee `85?" , for anguish at the lost love and the strain of coping with the memories of the past is almost contagious for all those who have loved and lost. Having said that, it must be added that this is a genre that might not appeal to readers across the board. Some might find the mood all too monotonous, for life does not remain obsessed with love and romance and that there are other issues that have as deep an impact on life as love. Some might fault it on the ground that it can neither be categorised as Hindi or Urdu. Truthfully, it is mixture of both and if it happens to be distinctive of the region, then so be it. Balramji Das Tandon:
Ek Prerak Charitra The book is a son’s tribute to the public life of his father on the occasion of his 81st birthday. Avid readers of books might find the attempt not only wanting in objective assessment of events but also amateurish and yet, it needs to be welcomed as it deals with the contemporary history of Punjab through the life of this BJP stalwart. Of particular interest are the early years after Partition, when nursing a new political party that was unapologetic about its philosophy was as challenging as any of the Herculean tasks.
Balramji Das Tandon, who became a pracharak of the Sangh in 1947, has led an eventful life, both as a social worker as well as a politician. Today, many a fellow traveller might be willing to jump on to the band wagon of the BJP, the present incarnation of the Bharatiya Jan Sangh, little appreciating the toil and sacrifice that has gone into the nursing of the party. The likes of Tandon were not only strict adherents of discipline and austerity but also practitioners of patience, fortitude and endurance. It was these virtues that helped Tandon and his colleagues to overcome the failures and frustrations that were often their lot. The spirit of sacrifice and the shunning of personal glory have helped Tandon guide the party to its present position of strength. Having said, it needs to be added that a Boswell does not find fault in his Johnson, more so if he happens to be the son. This explains his inability to see even in hindsight the folly of the Maha Punjab movement to neutralise the Punjabi Suba demand and also the none too subtle derision of the creation of Himachal Pradesh. More inexplicable is the incorrect narration of a Hindi story that is read by all Hindi reading students. Famous story writer Sudarshan’s Baba Bharti becomes a king, Khadag Singh becomes Durga Singh and the horse Sultan becomes Chetan! To the lovers of Hindi literature, this borders on blasphemy.
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Excellently
produced, there is an old world charm in the illustrations of Imroz
and a genuine expression of appreciation by Manjit Man and Gurdas Man
that adds value to this collection. For those who enjoy a particular
genre of poetry in audio form, there is a CD of selected poems in her
own voice. These packaging and marketing frills apart, the poetry of
Bittu Sandhu has a special appeal for those who lament the smoldering
relations between individuals. There are occasions when she does not
hesitate in warning the haughty and the disloyal of the retribution
that might be awaiting them: "Khuda kare tumhe koi tumsa na
mile, bhool jaoge yoon itrana jis din kiye salook wapis mile."
But usually there is a fatalistic acceptance of pain and suffering and
no reward as is expressed in the poems, Hathon ki Lakeerain and
Yeh kaisa Bandhan.
In
fact, the younger readers might find it rather intriguing to notice
that during the early decade of Independence, the politics of the
state was to a large extent determined by the impact of Partition and
its aftermath. But that is how it was, and for the discerning reader,
variations of that cataclysmic event continue to determine the course
of the party born out of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh.