I am delighted to be interviewed by the Grand sire of Indian Literature Dr Jernail Singh Anand for the insightful publication "21st century critical thought". It has been included in volume 3 with the subtitle- A dialogue with post modern voices.
1 .JSA: Poets have a long tradition of being rebels.
Is it that governments and society look upon them, less as prophets and more as
saboteurs?
RM: Well, not all poets can be held rebels nor
can all governments be termed as opposed to hearing contrary voices. However,
it is true that most poets echo the thoughts and feelings of the circumstances
around them. To that extent, when times are peaceful and in a state of
abundance, poems on romantic love, admiration, beauty of nature etc can be
expected to bloom.
When there is unrest, disharmony or oppression in
society, poems would reflect a desire for just and harmonious ways of living.
Of course, each poet has a natural inclination for writing what appeals to him
or her.
As an example of my take on the differences in the responses
of Governments, I would like to draw attention to the fact that our first Prime
minister Jawaharlal Nehru, when made fun of about his Government’s omissions and
commissions in the cartoons of the Shankar’s weekly, used to appreciate the
humour and congratulate the editor Mr Shankar.
2. JSA: Why is the poet suspect in the
eyes of the state?
RM: I would
like to reiterate what I said in answer to the first question- not all
governments treat poets as suspects.
Yet, the fact that poets have a tendency to tell
the truth as it is, can be uncomfortable to a dictatorial government. It fears
that the poetic thoughts may be caught by many more people leading to
increasing dissenting voices.
3 JSA: Every state gives Awards to poets and
litterateurs. Are these awards given to only those who do not wag their tongue?
RM: It is clear from this question that not all
poets are rebels or prophets. In fact many with poetic abilities may like to
use it to praise the government in power. Those who do this and the ones who write on neutral subjects
are likely to be preferred by
governments over dissenting voices when it comes to bestowing awards.
Yet, there will always be the courageous poets with
spine who do not care for recognition or refuse to toe to the whim of those in
power. Here, I am reminded of an instance involving the eighteenth century Malayalam satirist poet, Kunjan Nambiar.
The king invited poets, showed them a temple pole
(Deepa Stampam) and asked them to write poetry on it. The best poems would win big
cash prizes. Translated in English,
Nambiar wrote” Deepa stampam is a big wonder. I also should get my money.”
4. JSA: Do you think poetry is inspired?
Or is it sheer hard work and training?
RM: I would
like to believe that poetry is inspired. If it is a just a lot of hard work, it
is bound to show up as just that. Remove inspiration and what remains can be
called anything but ‘poetry’. In fact all work done from a place of inspiration
becomes poetry!
5. JSA: I often see a hundred training shops for
wrestlers, welders, turners, and stenos, and even to teach arts and painting,
but not one for Poets and Poetry. Why?
RM: There
has always been this desire of man to replicate success and science has been quite
helpful in this regard. In respect of art also some knowledge can be helpful.
Yet as we discussed earlier, art is all about inspiration. Too much focus on
the ‘How’ of poetry tends to kill it. Perhaps this is the reason there are
hardly any school to teach writing poetry.
6. JSA: Great scientists who made innovations and
built up business empires were great dreamers. Why are poets dismissed as
dreamers and good for nothing?
RM: Nobody is dismissed as “Good for nothing” if
they are successful. For the successful scientists that we know, there may have
been thousands who experimented and failed. To their friends, family and acquaintances,
they may have been mere “dreamers”.
It is the same with poets. Successful poets like Wordsworth, Keats or our own Kabir or Amrita
Pritam are revered and not held mere
dreamers. The learning here is that it is great to ‘dream’. It is the first
step to achieving great things, whether innovations or insights through poetry!
7. JSA: Dreams are often found to be in conflict with
reality. Don't you think dreams lend romance to a life which is dreary? And
poetry is an embodiment of that romance?
RM: Now that
is a leading question. But then, being a
poet I cannot agree with you more! Ordinary folks have a life to live. They
have responsibilities of feeding their families, to plan for future of their
children. Why even the rich folks have to focus on building their businesses
across states and countries. No wonder, they feel that there is no time to
dream - “Let us focus on the essentials”.
Yet as pointed out in your question, the routine,
dreary, repetitive nature of day to day life is pepped up by the romance that
poetry offers. Many are yet to notice it and if and when they do, I am sure
they would happily embrace it- read poetry and enjoy what it has to offer, even
if not writing it.
8. JSA: Will you accept people (read poets) who appear
similar in look, but aliens in outlook?
RM: To my
mind a ‘real’ poet would love to listen to different voices and viewpoints.
When we get to know more about those whom we have never known, we realize that
they are not “Alien” any more.
Yes, I would love to know the culture, viewpoints,
priorities and yearnings of various groups of people. I am blessed to be born
in a country that has citizens with so many diverse geographical and cultural
backgrounds. With Zoom and poet groups
on face book, we are now connecting and interacting with the thoughts of poets
across the globe.
9. JSA: The workaday life of an ordinary
person and dream a day life of a poet: which one you prefer?
RM: By now
it would be clear that it is the latter I would prefer. However, quite a bit of
the material for poetry itself, is offered by day to day life. I do not see
myself exclusively as a ‘dreamer’. I would like to connect the dream to day to
day life as well. While I enjoy sailing along with wonderful enchanting dreams
that some fellow poets are capable of conjuring,
my own writing is more about gaining insights about our daily life and how we
can live it better. I am also drawn towards spiritual poetry and tend to dabble
with it myself, now and then.
10. JSA: How you look upon this world?
Poets' mainstay is love. But world believes in a thousand things other than
love
RM: People
tend to think “Busy as we are, when we don’t have enough time to devote to/ for
loving our immediate family, how can we pay attention to concepts such as
“universal love”?
However, in the East, we have been told since ages
that we are all connected. Poverty or distress in any corner of the world
affects the well being of people anywhere else- that the world is a big universal
family. The new age movement in the West is also in line with these thoughts.
While seemingly a lot of hate is being spread these
days, more and more people all over the world are beginning to recognize the
power of love. Therefore the role of poets, the bards of love is bound to increase
in the coming years.
I cannot end this discussion without admiring your
profound, probing and insightful questions Jernail Singh Anandji. Only an
experienced, wise and noble soul such as you could have asked them! It was a privilege and pleasure engaging in
this conversation with you!
