Ludhiana poets remember Batalvi, the man who made poetry his muse

Punjabi poets honor Shiv Kumar Batalvi on his 51st death anniversary, praising his rich contributions to language and culture, especially his magnum opus "Loona".

Punjabi poets remembered the rich contributions of Shiv Kumar Batlalvi to the language and culture as they marked the celebrated poet on his 51st death anniversary.

Shiv Kumar Batlavi (HT File)

“Shiv was an encyclopedic poet. The contribution of words through his poetry has made the language very rich,” said noted poet Gurbhajan Singh Gill.

Shiv Kumar Batlavi died at 37 on May 6, 1973.

Gill, while underscoring Shiv’s legacy, brought up his work “Loona”, which is considered to be his magnum opus.

“He engaged with the folklore and presented a fresh interpretation which redeems the maligned character of Loona to someone who had been wronged. He justifies her attraction towards Pooran by critiquing her forced marriage with Pooran’s old father Salwan,” Gill said, delving into the masterpiece’s narrative.

Loona was poetic drama written by Batalvi, which earned him a Sahitya Akademy Award, making him the youngest ever poet to receive the honour.

“Loona is a perennial work. Not only did it make the people at the time question their long-held perceptions, but it still keeps people from looking at things form just one perspective,” Gill added.

Gill pointed towards the sensitivity Batalvi showed in his poetry by writing about the developments in his immediate environment.

“He is remembered as a love poet, but was also equally conscientious about the things happening in front of him. When Gaddar movement veteran Baba Bujha Singh was killed by police in a fake encounter, he was the first to write, through his poem Rukh Nu Fansi,” Gill said.

Punjabi Sahit Academy vice-president Tarlochan Lochi remembered Batalvi as a perennial poet whose work remains relevant even today.

Youngsters to this day find his work fascinating and hum his verses. Adaptation of his poems into Bollywood songs is a strong testimony to the fact that he is still loved and cherished,” he said.