By Zile Singh

                                  (October 1912 – September 1989)

“Great poetry has the power to start a fire in a person’s life”.

We are called ‘human beings.  Why? Because we are in the process of ‘becoming’.  Knowingly or unknowingly, we are evolving every day.  We are being made better human beings by nature and by our own concerted efforts.  Nature creates conditions.   Some favourable, some unfavourable.  Favourable we accept, unfavourable we reject. We try through scientific and psychological means to alter those unfavourable conditions. The word ‘psychological’ connotes ‘religious’ as well.  In this way man has evolved from dark ages to the present ‘supersonic or jet-speed age’.   Science, day in and day out, is on its heels to create even more favouravle and cozy conditions for human being to enjoy and be happy.  Religions also have tried to play their role to make man ‘contented, grateful, fearless and friendly’. Today, despite combined efforts of science and religion, man is not happy in its real sense. He is discontented, ungrateful, fearful and unfriendly.  He is living in a state of anxiety and inferioritycomplex. That anxiety can be of his ‘visible minority status’ or ‘caste inferiority status’. Enlightened thinking only can bring a pause to such human traits as negative thinking, feeling of discrimination and left out. Critical thought process empowers man to overcome unfounded belief and suspicion.  In the darkness of ignorance man thinks that he is a sinner for generations and the system is working against him.

Literature also has played a significant role in evoking human sensibilities according to the conditions prevailing at a certain time.  Literature, in the form of prose and poetry has tried not only to make people feel at ease but also create a stir in human mind to agitate and throw away the yoke of anxiety, bonded labour and slavery; political, economic. social or else.  “Great poetry has the power to start a fire in a person’s life”.

Here, poetry of Gurdass Ram Aalam, almost an unlettered brick kiln labourer from Punjab is worth mentioning. He wrote mainly against the oppression of the haves on the haves-not. Not having tasted the taste of freedom or independence of India from the British colonialism, he, in his own satirical style penned a poem entitled “Azadi’ immediately after we got independence.  Azadi is one of his most popular poems. People from Punjab make use of it to play around the significance of Azadi. Generally, a large section of society from Punjab is of a viewthat Punjab has, despite numerous sacrifices during freedom movement, gotnothing from Azadi.  They ascribe that the day-to-day worsening situation of Punjab is due to the policies of the Central government(s). 

Some lines of Gurdass Ram Aalam’spoem are:

Kiewn bhai Nihalia, Azadinahivekhi?

Na bhai bharava, na khadi, navekhi.

Mein Jaggutaunsunaya, Ambalekhari see.

Bari bhidusedeudalekhari see. 

——       —- poem continues.

Unofficial translation runs like –

“Nihale, have you seen Azadi?  He said, “No brother, neither haveI eaten it nor have seen it.  I heard from Jaggu that it was standing at Ambala.  There was crowd around it.   …….”

To celebrate Aalam’s 110th birth anniversary, a poetry programme was arranged on October 9, at 7050, Senior Centre Surrey, Canada by Principal(retd.) M.C. Kaler.  He founded Lok Kavi Gurdass Ram AalamSahit Sabha, Canada in 2018. Speakers spoke about the life of Lok Kavi Aalam and his poetry. Aalam belonged to unprivileged class of society. In comparison, Aalam stood shoulder to shoulder with other prominent Punjabi poets of that era. One speakerkept Aalamon a higherpedestal than that of popular Punjabi singer Gurdass Mann.  Another termed his poem on Azadi as ‘time specific’ only.  Today, after 75 years of Independence of India, many people of unprivileged class occupy a prominent place in politics, economics, and bureaucracy of India.  In today’s circumstances, Azadi cannot be mocked at. It is because of Azadithat one-fourth officers in All India Services and the Provincial Civil Servicesarefrom Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.  Azadi for them has proved a panacea from ‘Servitude to Freedom’. It has a taste of ‘nectar’. So far three prominent Dalits have held the post of ‘The President of India.’  Many have occupied the chairs of Union Ministers, Speakers of Lok Sabha, Governors and Chief Ministers. However, it is a matter of concern that incidents of class-based discrimination stilloccur.  Let us put a stop on that ill mentality of a few disgruntled people here and there.  Let the unfounded anxiety and suspicion that we got nothing from Azadi be wiped out. Lately, the Other Backward Classes also have their hay days.  We are in the process of ‘Becoming’. All have been benefitted from Azadi.  The need of the day is that the rulers also need to protect Azadi with responsibility and answerability because Azadi is the oxygen of the soul. 

Azadi expects all of us to be humble and not haughty.

Before demanding our rights, let us perform our duty. 

Protectors of the rights (Azadi) must be fair and square.

While holding a public post, let us not earn income unfair. 

Today, Aalam must be holding his head high in heaven to see that his poetry has travelled beyond the borders of Punjab.  His voice echoes in countries like. Canada, UK, USA, etc. Also, the privileged class from Punjab to whom Aalam was an untouchable once, are praisinghim proudly. 

Credit goes to the programmeorganizer, PrincipalMalook Chand Kaler, prominent speakers, attendees of both sexes and the management of the Senior Centre, Surrey.

  • Dedicated to Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.

Zile Singh is a well respected Columnist, Writer and a Vipassana Meditater. He has a Post-Graduate Diploma in Human Rights.  He can be reached at zsnirwal@yahoo.ca