Edward Cummings, an American poet, states “Well, writepoetry, for God’s sake, it’s the only thing that matters.” Having saidthat I have, off late, been reading John Elia, not because his poetry is theonly thing that matters but his poetry places you in a context of life thatmatters and concerns you the most today. John Elia is so idiosyncratic, unparalleled and excitingly engaging apoet that one is exposed to a whole new experience as a reader of his poetry.His poetry is deconstructive and militant because it not only breaks, questionsand splits to pieces traditional modes of thought and experience but ushers aworld where perceptions are new,thoughts are unique and feelings different. His some aspirations and dreams arestrange, his delight and pain is not what is felt by us and his intellectual adventures transcend theboundaries known to us. At the same time his expressions and questions are notonly individualistic but they are cosmic and universal in nature and spirit.John through his poetry puts across a belief that world is a state of existencewhich has nothing to offer than hopelessness, disillusionment, pain, separation, absurdity and loneliness . It is a world where one is made to chant”Dil-e-nakaam mai kahan jawu? / Ajnabi sham mai kahan jawu?”.
His world is a stage where drama of despair, darkness anddesolation of mind and heart is enacted and human beings play as characters forthe same. In this world he has lost his expectations and hope of love, loyaltyand human association.
He writes:
“wo shaks abhi tak kar raha hain wafa ka zikir/ Kaashus zubaan daraz ka munh noch le koi”, .
However John Elia is not ready to surrender his self fullyto this hopeless world and cosmicbrutality affecting people and he is not content in shedding tears and beatingchest as a helpless victim. His job remains to fight back and make the painpleasurable, celebrate separation, beautify ugliness and welcome despairpervading around. His only delight lies in delighting hatred, defeat andtragedy so much so that he desires and waits for getting scattered and beingbroken .He writes,
” Mai khud yechahta hu ki meri halat kharab ho/Mere Khilaf Zehar ugalta phire koi”. Ifworld by nature is made to break up your relationships, puncture the promisesyou make with each other and challenge the unity and associations of life we,as per John Elia, can at least try to keep bitter and possible impacts of itaway from us ,as he states :
“Naya ek rabt paida kyoun karain hum ,
Bichadhna hai to jagdha kyun karain hum”.
Apart from that his poetry also features a satire andcriticism against our social, political and moral corruptions witnessed around.His observations and experiences arouse in him a protest which issimultaneously a lamenting cry on the disorder and corruption of social andmoral life and implicit advice to plug the loopholes existing around. His verse”jo raynayi nighaoon kay liye saman-i- jalwa hain/ Libas-i-muflisi maikitni baikeemat nazar aati hai” , represents how our psychological andemotional aspects are conditioned in a society which is grounded in classdistinctions and economic divisions. It can also be read how class consciousnesdictates our choices and interests furthering the alienation of alreadyalienated or marginalized segments of society. The verse “Nizam-e-daulat kPinjhaye Drasht-o-khonain Sharu He se/Fareebi Qanoon wa Aman ki Aaad Main Chupay Hain, Chupay Rahe Hain”presents a stark revelation howcapitalists and economic masters of exploitation stay hidden under the blanketof law ,democracy and peace in this world. It shows how Superstructure ofsociety comprising laws, politics, culture and education is built as adeceptive tool to cement the building of economically dominating class andexploit the weaker sections. As G B Shaw writes in his essay”Freedom”, “The people who have the power, ‘the master classes’do their best to create a sense of false comfort in the minds of those withoutpower. The institutions like the Parliament, schools and the newspaper areleveraged for the purpose”. John Elia not only depicts how certainsegments of society are subjugated, deceived and forced to exist at the marginsby ruling elite ,he also instructs victims to rise, wake up, decide their fateand fight for their dignified survival. He calls for revolution and encouragespeople to register their role in liberating themselves and breaking shackles ofsocial, politics or economic discriminations. In a typical Faiz way hepowerfully jots down, “Zameen hashar uthaye gi zulum k khilaf/ Ye khoonchup na rahega ,ye khoon bolega”.
John Elia is so comprehensive and broadened in his subjectof poetry that we see in him religious, absurdist, moralist and Marxistcharacter one at the same time. His appeal is diverse and extensively enlargingthat our ailments of intellectual, emotional, moral and political life are dulyexpressed and addressed. The ironical part is John Elia’s readership is growingin contemporary times but his poetry is not explored and evaluated on broaderlines by considering his multi faceted issues that he deals with. There is direneed to see and read him from multiple perspectives and stop tagging him in anyorganized and institutionalised thought process. He has no institution orschool to imprison himself in. He is much more what meets our eye and ears. Iend my colum with these verses from John :
“Kya hain, Ghar Zindagi ka bas nahi Chala,
Zindagi kab kisi k bas mai hain”
Tabish khursheed is a freelance columnist from Anantnag.