Mechanical engineer-turned-poet launches Hindi poetry anthology

Vinod Khanna, a mechanical engineer by profession, launched his poetry anthology in Hindi, ‘Chalo dhoonde Bahar Ko’ at a function in the city on Monday evening.

Vinod Khanna, a mechanical engineer by profession, launched his poetry anthology in Hindi, ‘Chalo dhoonde Bahar Ko’ at a function in the city on Monday evening.

Vinod Khanna (HT File Photo)

The book was launched by eminent Hindi scholar Dr Ramesh Kuntal Megh and the former bureaucrat and writer NS Rattan presided.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Megh said that this anthology which touches the struggles and misery of the common people even after years of independence represents a new class of poets. He described this class as that of engineers, doctors, IT professionals and other professionals who were concerned about the inequalities in the Indian society and penned their views in an unconventional manner. He gave this category of poets a new label of ‘Desi Diaspora’.

Appreciating few poems of Khanna, Rattan said that some of the poems used the structure and syntax of well-known poets like Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Sahir Ludhianvi and Meena Kumari. He raised the question whether this practice was justified. Khanna replied that despite the similarity in structure and syntax, the thoughts are original. No one can pose a challenge for poetic theft.

the evening in a lively and poetic manner.