Siar Da Pattan – a collection of poems – Kisan Andolan

 

Siar Da Pattan – a collection of poems – Kisan Andolan

We all are aware that an important phase of the farmers struggle, popularly called Kisan Andolan, came to close honourably  on the announcement of PM Narendra Modi on the auspicious day of the Gurpurab of Guru Nanakdev ji on November 19, 2021, towards the close of the difficult year of 2021, to repeal the three allegedly ‘black laws’ on agricultural reforms. Accordingly, on completing the constitutional and procedural process to repeal the laws and assurances to address the demands of famers in due course, by the Government, Kisans suspended the Andolan on December 9, 2021. Kisans won the important battle and, obviously, they were delighted and rightly so. The entire country was also happy and welcomed the healthy developments concerning all of us.

It is a matter of great satisfaction that some of the well-meaning and serious academics, intellectuals, activists were following these developments with great care and concern. While following and participating in the Andolan by way of writing poetry and supporting the Kisans, who were braving the vagaries of weather on the borders of Delhi and standing firm against the highhandedness of the authorities democratically and constitutionally, they were keeping
the powder dry to fire their pent up sentiments by printing their poems and stories in books and magazines to preserve the matter for the generations to come and assess the epoch-making struggle of Kisans by the historians. One such outfit was Punjabi Sahitya Sabha
Admpur Doaba in Jalandhar working under the stewardship of Roop Lal Roop, a retired educational administrator, District Education Officer and his young colleague Prof. Hardip Rajaram.  In the first week of January of the New Year, 2022, they came out with a well presented book Siar Da Pattan – a collection of Punjabi poems, pertaining to the long drawn Kisan Andolan – a befitting New Year gift.

Courtesy my classmate in the high school, Madan Bolina, Roop Lal Roop came into my contact and very kindly invited me to the launching of Siar Da Pattan in the first week of January but due Covid restrictions the function was postponed to February 6, 2022. The honour to release the book fell on me and I fully enjoyed and benefited from the occasion organized at the premises of a girl’s government school at Adampur. I must say at the first instance that it was a well conducted function with a discerning audience

comprising of poets, story tellers, academics, intellectuals and social activists. Before, the formal release of the book, the poets regaled the spell bound audience with their both fiery and comic recitals with regard to the Kisan Andolan and other social and cultural issues.  Some of the poets were really in their sprits with the poems like; Tera Todna Punjabian Garur Hakma – Balle Balle Hundi Aimein Nahin Kisan Di – Govind Da Farzan Kisan. One of them with the Takhalus of Kartarpuri was really good in depicting the scene when we retire the books to our well maintained shelves of our libraries without reading them. My friend Madan Bolina really gave a surprise with his very thoughtful and emotionally romantic Ghazal and that too recited in Taranum. It was really good and I was happy. The book, Siar Da Patttan, was formally released as a tribute to the warriors and martyrs of the Kisan Movement. The collection of poems comprises of contribution by 81 poets from 8 countries of the world. It is a bouquet of emotion, toil and sweat, insensitive attitude of Delhi i.e. the Sarkar towards the Kisan Andolan and also a sense of elation in the wake of Fateh in getting the so-called three black laws repealed – the opening entry of Roop Lal Roop sets the ball in motion – Eke Naal Jitia Kisan Morcha, with a sound piece of advice by Dharampal Paul – Bas Tun Josh Te Hosh Rakhna, Khushi Mohamad Chatha is confident – Aj Nahin Te Kal Hoyega; Passa Sade wal Hoyega. For this labour of love, there was a bonus also. It was the release of yet another well presented and compiled bouquet of poems of a young writer, Gurinder Gill of Malaysia, Uljhe Suljhe Akhar.  There are many more books in her credit and the name itself of her forthcoming book “Faqiri Ramjan’ gives the taste of the book.

Roop Lal Roop has rightly called her as “Khialan Di Malika” I will read the book and revert: Inshalla. In my brief remarks, while thanking my hosts, Punjabi Sahitya Sabha Adampur Doaba, a socio-cultural outfit of literary talent in and beyond Punjab, I registered my sense of relief and ease in the wake of governments’ decision to repeal the controversial laws on agriculture and sit with the Kisan leaders to find the way ahead. Referring to blogs on the subject that ‘Reconciliation and not confrontation was the way out’ I said that as a layman I felt that that in  the wake of increasing industrialization and urbanization, the agricultural sector also be developed as an industry on commercial lines and not only as a ‘subsistence activity’ to protect Kisan from remaining  on the fringes of the main economic set-up. I added that it was good to hear the slogan of ‘Kisan – Majdoor Ekta Zindabad’ during the Andolan. It was a good gesture to associate landless labour with the agricultural sector as stake-holders. But a real change of heart on the part of the society was very much called for to ward off the dangers to the system and the society to resort to the cries like:

उठो मेरी दुनियां के गरीबों को जगा दो;

जिस खेत से दहक़ां को मय्यसर नहीं रोज़ी,

उस खेत हर गोशे गंडम को जला डालो। 

I was over-whelmed by the respect and honour bestowed upon me by my gracious hosts and the well-meaning participants in the function. Prof. Hardip Raja conducted the proceedings of the function with great ability and understanding which was concluded with the Vote of Thanks by Roop Lal Roop followed by a piping hot lunch of Cholle-Bhature on the partially cloudy afternoon – a good and productive day.