Garhwali Poetry and Dhanga Se Sakshyatkar

Garhwali Poetry tour through Dhanga Se Sakshyatkar

(A review of poetry collection of Netra Singh Aswal By Rajendra Dhashmana)

Translation : Bhishma Kukreti

(Dhanga Se Sakshyatkar, a poetry collection of Netra Singh Aswal in Garhwali language, is one of the mile stones in Garhwali poetic world. The author wanted to write review on this poetry collection but when he read this commentary of Rajendra Dhashmana, he felt that it is better if he translates the same in English instead of writing a fresh one. This review is an intelligent and precise commentary on Garhwali language.)

Garhwali poems exist to be known since 1850. Later on, getting inspired by Hindi movement, various Garhwali poets started creating poems on the line of Hindi poems. The Garhwali poets used all the poetic styles and figure of speech of Sanskrit and Hindi. Usually, Garhwali verse creators who worked more on the form of poetry were called great poets of that time.

The above situation remained for many decades. It is also found that barring a couple of Garhwali words, the words were of Hindi. This situation of copying style, form, wordings, figure of speeches from Hindi and Sanskrit was never found in Garhwali folk songs or folklores or rarely established. Garhwali folk songs and folklores were original in form, style and subject. Copying form, style, poetic styles from outside, the Garhwali poems could not get originality nor could attract the readers due to lacking of Garhwalism or Garhwali taste.

As it is said before, Garhwali poets started creating Garhwali poems since 1850, people enjoy the verses of Chandramohan Raturi in his collections of poetry “Devva’ and ‘Virah Basant Vilap” published in the beginning of twentieth century. Taradutt Gairola once said that Raturi is Keats of Garhwali poetry.

(However, here, author feels that Chandra Mohan Raturi also diluted Garhwali language by using Hindi words and making Garhwali literature a kind of slave of Hindi and Sanskrit. For example the titles of his poetry collection Devva and Virah Basant Vilap are nowhere of Garhwali words.)

Pundit Satysharan Raturi and Atmaran Gairola were also the top most Garhwali poets of that time. These poets criticized unwanted social customs, selfishness, and poverty in their poems. Poems as ‘Suryodya’, ‘Betuli’, and ‘Panchhi -Panchak’ of Atmaram Gairola were very popular poems of his time. Since, these poets were well acquainted with Sanskrit, English and Hindi, their way of writing poems and use of style were very similar to the poets of these languages.

However, the subject of struggle in the life of common man is missing in the poems of this era. Read the examples of a couple of poems of that initial time of modern Garhwali poetry:

Savinay ‘gadhwali’ ya chh vinti hamari
Nij nij tum apno swarth yaro sambhalo
Vipul dhan kamala pas dig run ka leva
Unnati tab chha sara desh ki hun wali

-Atmaram Gairola

Swadesh ka hetu videsh java
Vidya nayi jo sabi seekhi ava

-Devendra Dutt Raturi

Let us pay attention on the verses of Gairola

Naunyal pyara chhan jo tumara
Sada vichara ar murkh bhair
Bhuka pyasa maila kuchaila
Kulli! Pahadi !firdan desu

The poet was bothered more about gaining knowledge of English and earning money. For that matter, if people go to foreign country, the poet would not have any opposition. No poets of that era thought about the medium of education and also not thought of earning the livelihoods should be in Garhwal.

However, today’s poets are more vociferous and effective for the same matter:

Mi vides jan de tu
Chain gaffa kahn de tu
Kuchh kamai lhan de tu
Fir Jhumailo jaj
Logun ka bhand mathaili
Par lagal jel jaili
Thokryon man din bitaili
Tu vides ni ja
Raunla raunla dagdi raunla
Rukho sukho jan bhi kahunla
Jhumka todla geet gaula

–Kankal from Phur Ghindudi

Iyun dandyun bati/gaul gauli
Baug/baugi saub undu janu chha
Tai roka
Na ho tab/kai din
Ham sab gaul jan /ham bi baug jan

-Lalit Keshwan

Up to, certain extent, most of the poets of older generation (before independence) performed their role as “Master Ji ‘(preacher or teacher). These poets took the responsibilities for teaching/preaching -“what to do, when to do, what not to do, how to become gentleman, what are better things, how to create poetry ….”. These teachers could not recognize the reality of their time. Atmaram Gairola commented adversely on freedom movement thinking that the rule of Tihri Maharaj is as Swaraj :

Swaraj vasta chhan jan mal
Nyochhawar karna roana chillana
Kapali fodna pai ni sakana
Syo raj hamku chha milun milayun

Let be there attention on Gairola ji’s these lines, wherein he praises English Raj:

Garhwal ka tu hitkarni chai
Teri kripa se such chain sabku

Leeladutt Kotnala wrote a poem praising Lord Ripen :

Bharat ka tol sab bharat ka tol
He lat ripan tero raige bol
Bharat badhai sab bharat badhai
Jab bati ai sab gharu gharu gyai

The poets of Tihri Raj-Bhakt or devoted to British rule wrote the chivalry poems praising soldiers not for the benefits of Garhwal, Garhwali or Garhwalism but with an intention that Garhwalis would choose British armed forces.

From this point, the poems of next generation were more sophisticated and with some fantasy. The poems ‘Sadei’ of Tardutt Gairola, ‘Paun Tu’ of Yogendra Puri, ‘Dundo’ of Chakradhar Bahuguna and ‘Beera’ of Jeetsingh Negi are the heritage of Garhwali poetry.

The poems ‘kakh holi meri dandi va kanthi’of Shridhar dobhal and ‘Rami Baurani’ of Baldev Prasad bamsu’Deen’ became very popular.

Bhajan Singh ‘Singh’ is important signature in Garhwali poetry world but he never could digest the change in structural forms happening in Garhwali poetry. No doubt, Bhajan Singh ‘Singh’ played a great role in cultural awareness in Garhwali society. Though, his couplets (Doha) are of old style and form but they proved to be very sharp in criticizing ‘poverty’, ‘bad customs’, and bias. Abodh Bandhu Bahuguna also has same capacity and style as of Bhajan Singh ‘Singh’

From late eighties and early nineties, many poetry collections were published but there have not been any significant evolution in Garhwali poetry. Definitely, a couple of poets tries to connect their verses with the time. There is satire and strength from language angle in the poems of Kanhaya Lal Dandariyal but he lacks strong identity because of his using dual language (Hindi and Garhwali)

Vinod Uniyal and Netra Singh Aswal are trying to pay attention on temperament and disposition in the poems than the structure and form or decorative poetry creation. In past, there have been many trials for changing the form and style.

Let us now talk on the poetry collection of Netra Singh Aswal:

Though, each person feels perplexed after many thoughts emerging in mind. However, there are few who can reach to the root cause of disorder or hassles. There are people who could be counted on fingers who feel restlessness for the thought of worry. The poet is a gene who feels restlessness for mis-happening and his emotions comes out from mind in the form of poetry. In fact, creation of poetry is fight against those powers who are busy in weakening the humanity. Those powers are trying to convert humanity into commodity for market or bazaar. Netra Singh tells about that :

Hwa at in hwa –
Jyanl bagat pun par
Tudai saka-mankhya-bagha dant

Netra Singh becomes frustrated on coy cats who do not find new ways or do not fight for their rights:

Namesake un khuni
Ju vote denai chhan-deendai jana chhan
Phir kapali par hath lagai phatt phatt
Hyali gadi gadik
Loktantra khuni runa chhan

Aswal tries to change the path of Garhwali poetry in second part of this collection. In these poems his virility and splendor is clearly visible:

Hamari chari taraf
lagni rai aag
Ar ham tahin sunana rain-swala bhwada ka geet
Dhungla pakanau khikchat
Ham mundane raun
Ar hamar kandud putak kuchyana rain
Shudh hunai mantar

We may find sharp satire in his poems written on conventional style in first part of this collection. The style, subject and tone are capable to awaken the readers. ‘Nirgut chhaun’ chhwwara, ma, poems have dreadfully prickly lampoon. In my opinion the poem should be aimed on a conference than non-alignment principle of India because non-alignment is our foreign policy. Nobody criticized our foreign policy of non alignment . Jikudi ma jamghat is also very powerful poem of awakening the readers and disturbing them.

Ghazals : From the point of views of vajan, kafia, radif are satisfactory but still, a few ghazals are like geet and najam. In Garhwali, we should call Ghazal as Ganjeli ( pestle ) because Ghazal also hit by last stanza as last part of pestle.

‘namesake‘, myara desai tasveer, govind hun chhaun, kranti ar ek dhanga se saxatkar poems are very sharp, capable of hitting the mischievousness.These poems are attractive and enjoyable

Ek Dhanga Se Saxatkar

By Netra Singh Aswal

Publisher: Gadhbharti , New delhi

Year of publication-1988