A KAVI SAMMELAN, a mushaira, an Awadhi literary fest and a Bhojpuri feast, all rolled into one, made for a heady poetic cocktail for connoisseur’s delight on Wednesday evening at Rai Umannath Bali auditorium.
The novel effort to blur regional and linguistic divide while highlighting that each dialect has a flavour of its own was made by UP Bhasha Sansthan’s new head, renowned poet and film lyricist Gopal Das Neeraj.
Dr Suman Dubey was invited for the customary ‘vani vandana’ by the compere Sarvesh Asthana, who began in Bhojpuri, Vinti karee kar jor ho maiyya, Sharda Bhawani … and was followed by Shashank Prabhakar in Hindi.
But the audience started enjoying the moment when well-known Awadhi poet Farookh Saral stood up to recite his verses musically. “Baure sasura hain jab to guhaar ka kari, sasu bahree hai jab to pukaar ka karee, dewra natkhat paaji hai, dulaar ka karee, sayya andharey hai jab to shringarka karee” (No point calling as parents-in-law are deaf and dumb, affection towards wayward brother-in-law is waste and why put on make-up when husband is blind). Saral transported the audience to Awadhi regions as his poetry effectively portrayed the dilemma of the poor village housewife.
The stage was soon taken over by Hari Narayan ‘Harishji’ in Bhojpuri. He touched upon the ill effects of divisive politics and poetically advised thus: “Agar baat le chahat baanta, inkar bhookh pyaas baant la, ped na baanta, phal na baanta, ekar mahaj mithaas baant la, ghaam baant la, chaanh baant la, patjhad a madhumaas baant la, yugan yugan kai saathi, eh footpath ka upvaas baant la” (Don’t divide. Share the sweetness of fruits, the harshness of sun, phases of penury that poor often go through and pangs of hunger of those less privileged.)
{{/usCountry}}The stage was soon taken over by Hari Narayan ‘Harishji’ in Bhojpuri. He touched upon the ill effects of divisive politics and poetically advised thus: “Agar baat le chahat baanta, inkar bhookh pyaas baant la, ped na baanta, phal na baanta, ekar mahaj mithaas baant la, ghaam baant la, chaanh baant la, patjhad a madhumaas baant la, yugan yugan kai saathi, eh footpath ka upvaas baant la” (Don’t divide. Share the sweetness of fruits, the harshness of sun, phases of penury that poor often go through and pangs of hunger of those less privileged.)
{{/usCountry}}Now it was the turn of Urdu to regale the audience. Dr Kaleem Kaisar’s “safar to shart hai, lekin safar accha nahin lagta, bahut din ghar par rah jao to ghar accha nahi lagta” and “khairiyat ki chaah mein sab apne begane gaye, shaakh phal dene lagi tab ped pahchane gaye” held the attention of the audience. So did the verses of Dr Bekal Aalmi and Sarvesh Asthana. Dr Suresh then mesmerized the audience with his lyrical rendering of “toot-tee hui shankhey, shankhon mein do aankhein, aankhon se jharti barsaate, baate, kab tak baatein?”
Gopal Das Neeraj spoke last in keeping with the poetic tradition and despite failing health held the audience captive. “Jitna kam samaan rahega, utna safar asaan rahega, us-sey milna namumkin hai, jab tak khud ka dhyaan rahega.”
Need one say more? For the record, LU V-C Prof RP Singh, former HoD of LU’s Hindi department Prof SP Sixit, chairman of Urdu Akademi, Malikzada Mansoor, secretary of Hindi Urdu Sahitya Award Committee Athar Nabi were present at the function.