Book:     Yaad Jo Aate Hein Voh Din
Poet:    Adarsh Ajit
Publisher:  Mizgaan Publications,
    Topsia Road, Kolkatta.
Price:    Rs 100/-

Reviewed by: Kalpana Rajput

The present collection under review Yaad Jo Aate Hai Voh Din is Adarsh Ajit’s maiden collection of Urdu poems. Most of the poems in the collection exhibit the horrifying pictures of massacre of people living near the Line of Control. His poems are a memoir of dancing devils celebrating their joy in shedding blood of innocent masses that have no concern with the diplomacy of the governments of both the Pakistan and India or other nations of the world. The victims pictured in these poems are simple and loving mothers, daughters, brothers, friends and fathers gazing the tombs, empty ransacked houses, coffins and homeless children. They are trying hard to maintain their ancestral property amid the chaos when their own existence is at stake. As we read the poems of the collection, the plight of Kashmiri Pandits seems quite intolerable but the people of the valley are no less hopeful for the better days of future Kashmir. The book has ample evidence to prove that the people in valley are leading a hellish life of which no solution is available anywhere. The book exposes the passivity of the Governments of both the nations who seem determined to bathe in the blood of innocent people.
Some poems like ‘Kahin Koi Ghar Tha,’ ‘Barbadi Ka Paigam,’ ‘kya Mein jannat Mein Hun,’ ‘Bigdi Taqdeeren,’ ‘Shamshaan Dukhi Hai,’ Ghar,’ ‘Balatkari,’ ‘Punya Atma,’ ‘Ghao,’ and ‘Riste Zakhm’ mirror the terror stricken lives of the people who ‘move here and there in search of home but find their homes turned into graveyards. The rest of their life has become a naught which lacks their loving ones and their sweet home. The poem ‘Barbadi Ka Paigam, is in two parts which tries to make a bridge between Hindu and Muslim sentiments because the people spreading terror may be of a different religion. And terror which has no religion brings only the message of destruction. The second part of the poem describes beautifully the situation where a Hindu lad is weeping on the death of his Muslim foster mother and the tears roll down from his eyes.

‘jisko jalna hai shashaan mein
voh kyon ro raha hai qabr ke nazdeek’
Dead bodies, blood, ashes, ruined palaces and silence are scattered all-round. The poem ‘Shamshaan Dukhi Hai, also expresses same views where dead bodies and living bodies both are in the same state and most of them are being buried unidentified and the livings ones are groaning.

‘kitne gharib aur laachaar ho
mazhab ki khaatir mazhab jalaaya’
The poem ‘kya Mein Jannat Mein Hun’, shows poet’s utter dejection when he scolds the people lamenting over the ruinous attack on them by terrorists and says that his own home has also been destroyed. He has also seen the naked dance of death. His desires, dreams, reputation---- all are looted but he is still waiting for a hopeful turn without shedding a tear.

‘Ghar to mera bhi jala
Izzat to meri bhi looti gayi…
Mot ka nanga naach mein nay bhi dekha…
Museebat mein agar ho tum
To kya mein jannat mein hoon?’

In spite of  the dark and horrible atmosphere of terror, the poet does not forget the beauty of Kashmir (Jannat on earth) and remembers the golden days when he and his family enjoyed the beauty of nature.
The poems in the collection are optimistic presentation of Kashmir where each moment a new tale of death is heard. Despite several hurdles in the life of these people, they are lovingly colouring their lives with all the bright hues to cross each and every barrier of caste, creed and colour. These poems are the hearty call of Kashmiri Pandits to the world at large.

‘jiska koi ghar nahein hota
uska har ghar, ghar hota hai’
Sweetness of the Urdu language gives the collection more realistic tone; and the picturesque presentation of the Kashmiri life is no less impressive. The contents are suffused with rich imagery, simple Urdu, apt symbols and versification.

Dr. Kalpna Rajput is the Assistant Editor of literary ezine www.creativesaplings.com. Her poems, articles and papers have appeared in different journals of India and abroad.

Lastupdate on : Thu, 13 Oct 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 14 Oct 2011 00:00:00 IST