History of literature
Critical History of Garhwali, Literature, Kumaoni , Nepali Himalayan Literature
Dhai: A Garhwali Poetry Collection for Paving the Way for Modernizing Garhwali Poetry and inspiring Next Gene Poets for Experimenting
Bhishma Kukreti
Dhai is a Garhwali Language poetry collection of eight young Garhwali poets of their time (1980-AD). There is historical importance of this book for cooperative poetry movement in Delhi by poets, The book Dhai has historical significance for bringing adhering the path of Kanhaya Lal Dandriyal, Jayan Nand Baulya for bring realism in Garhwali poetry by Lalt Keshwan, Chandra Singh Rahi, Parshwar Gaud, Lokesh Navani, Netra Singh Aswal, Deen Dayal Banduni, Vinod Uniyal, Yashwant Rawat. The Indian literature will remember Dhai for accepting the new experiments in terms of form and style in garhwali poetry by the new generation poets as Gaud, Uniyal and Aswal or Keshwan
The biggest importance of Dhai in Garhwali literature is that a Shilpkar poet got place in a poetry collection of different poets Every Garhwali will always appreciate the selectors and conveners of poetry collection for Dahi----Netra Singh Aswal, Vinod Uniyal, Pareshwar gaud and Lokesh Navani for placing the poems of Chandra Singh Garhwali in Dhai
As happened in the field of Caribbean Literature, it happened with Garhwali literature too. The following passage for Wikipedia (Ref:1) will clear the condition of the literature of both the territories:
“Many—perhaps most—Caribbean or West Indian writers have found it necessary to leave their home territories and base themselves in the United Kingdom the USA or Canada in order to make a living from their work—in some cases spending the greater parts of their careers away from the territories of their birth. Critics in their adopted territories might argue that, for instance, V S Naipaul ought to be considered a British writer instead of a Trinidadian writer, or Jamaica Kincaid and Paule Marshall American writers, but most West Indian readers and critics still consider these writers "West” .”
Same way, Garhwalis have to migrate from Garhwal for earning and settled many parts of India. However, migrated Garhwali did not leave their roots as Caribbean were attached to their culture, historical aspects, love for motherland and native languages.
As the Caribean writers as Dereck Walcott (Trinidad and lived in the United States) since then; and V S Naipaul ( Trinidad and resident in the U K , Saint John Perse, Earl Lovalac, Austin Clark, Claud McKey, Orlando Patterson Andrew Salkey, Edward K. Brathwaite Linton Kwesi Johnson, Michelle Cliff caryl Philips, Edwidge Danticat, Andrea Levy Colin Chanar Marlon Jamesto name a few served the West Indian literature (in English or their native language) , same way, migrated Garhwali in Delhi or other parts of India contributed Garhwali literature
There are poems of eight migrated Garhwalis in Dhai a Garhwali poetry collection published in 1980 from Delhi by Garhwali literature creative ‘Garh Bharti.
The introductory poem (Preface in form of modern styled poem ) provides speculation to the readers that the poems of Dhai are very near to realism, humanity, and the poems are because of self experiences of each poet. The introductory poem indicates that the poems of Dhai are fresh, newer in terms of subject, exciting in terms of experiencing of the poets and the poets are more concerned to the common man than creating poetry for the sake of creation only. The introductory note is right and the poets fulfill the promise in the prefacer note
There are five poems of Lalit Keshwan dealing with different subject in each poem. The poems are satiric poems and attacks on the system with sharp wits. Keshwan created poems in new format.
The memorable event , the cheerful aspect in the garhwali poetic field is emerging of Chandra Singh Rahi as modern poet and first representative poet of Shilpkar community of Garhwal region. Before the famous singer Chandra Singh Rahi , no Garhwali poet raised the voice of deprived class, the psych of Shilpkar community (Schedule Caste ) so loudly through Garhwali poems and his poems are marvelous pieces of modern Garhwali poetry with full of realism too.
There are three poems of Chandra Singh Rahi in this collection of Garhwali poems. ‘Jat aur That ‘ is to show inhumanly gesture by keeping untouchability and Jatiya culture (Caste system in India) . Ransingha Bajai de ‘ is all about the injustice by the upper caste to the Art creating class I.e. Shilpkar community . The language is very sharp and vociferous against the suffering of deprived class of Garhwal. The poem Gadh ma ka lal ’ is definitely an inspirational poem that Garhwalis become competent community .
The Garhwali poetic world will position Chandra Singh Rahi in the same respect and reverence as the Black Art movement position and praise the literature /art creators Amiri Baraka, Gwendolyn Brooks, Ed Bullins, Eldridge Ceaver, Jayne Cortez, Harold Cruse, Mari Evans, Hoyt Fuller, Nikki Giovanni, Lorraine Hansberry, Gil-Scott Heron, Maulana Ron Karenga, Etheridge Knight, Adrienne Kennedy, Haki R. Madhubuti, Larry Neal, Ishmael Reed, Sonia Sanchez, Ntozake Shange, Quincy Troupe, and John Alfred Williams for contributing enhancing the self esteem, pride of deprived black community all over world.
The poems of Pareshwar Gaud .(The first Garhwali movie producer ) are with newer subjects of his time in Garhwali poetry. All his poems are of newer forms (Atukant) . The narration is simple but compell the readers for thing specially the poems Leesa and Doodh aur Boli.
By nature very calm, the father of Garhwali Kavita (Poetry) movement in rural Garhwal Lokesh Navani is very calm but his poems of this collection are rebellion nature. The poems are of Geet form but subject and the poetic presentation is different than the conventional Geet.
The famous Garhwali dramatist, social activist and critic Rajendra Dhashmana says abot the poems of Netra Singh Aswal that he was one of the noted Garhwali poets who broke the ild fashioned form and old preaching style of Garhwali poems. There are five poems of netra singh Aswal and are not only conscious about Garhwal, Garhwalis, Garhwalism but poems take us for thinking about humanity, wrong happening the nation and state of affair of India in international forums. The format and style is fresh of his time (that is eighties ).
The poems of Deen Dayl Banduni Deen are in conventional format and subjects are related imagery, nature, the pain of women of Garhwal, etc. The poems compel the readers for new thinking .
Garhwali literature will remember Vinod Uniyal for his contribution in organizing Garhwali literature creative in Delhi and inspiring them for new creation. There are two poems in this volume and both are satire on the intellectuals, administration, politicians and the lowest cader of administration in rural Garhwal. The language is with metaphores and he used the symbolic words of Dabralsyun, Ganga Salan Garhwal for narrating his poems The poems of Vinod Uniyal compel the readers not only thinking but readers wanting to take some action against wrong happenings.
There is only one poem of Yahswat Rawat deals with the migrated garhwali in foreign places . The poem is capable of creating pathos rapture in the reader’s mind.
All poets of this collection Dhai are different in subject and narration and all tried their best for modernizing Garhwali poetries.
The woks of Vinod Uniyal, Keshwan, Gaud, Rawat, Rahi, banduni Aswal and Navani is milestone and still inspire the new generation poets to do experiments, be with humanity and common man.
As in late nineteenth century, Latin American literature creative Nicaraguan Rubin Dario, Jose Marti, Manuel Gonzalez , Jose Carlose Mariategui, Jose Maria Argued as , Jose Enrique , Rosario Castellanos, Jorge Luis Borges, Roberto Arlt, Mario de Andrade , Oswald de Andrade, Carlos Drummond , Juan Rulfo, Miguel Angel Asturias
contributed for , Modernismo or Modernization of Latin American literature , Lalti Keshwan, Vinod Uniyal, Chandra Singh Rahi, Deen Dayal banduni, Netra Singh Aswal Pareshwar Gaud, Lokesh Navani Yashwant singh Rawat contributed in modernization of Garhwali poetry by publishing ‘Dhai’ in 1980 from Delhi
Reference:
1- Indian".”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbean_literature
Acknowledgement: The author is indebt to Lalit Keshwan Delhi for posting me this book Dhai . The book was published by Garh Bharti a literature organization Delhi but the organization is no more and book may b e available with Lalit Keshwan 196. Gali number -7, Sarpanch Bada , Mandawali, Fajalpur, Delhi-92
Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti, Mumbai, India, 2010
