Kanwal Krishan
Book : Hatheli Ke Aayeene Mein
Author : Ramesh Marahatta
Publisher : Ayan Prakashan
Price : 160
Books these days seem to be appearing like the ones from Assembly line. In this era of Face Book and Twitter etc. books are still considered to be the ultimate statement of one’s having arrived on the creative scene. Matters little whether one is a celebrated, controversial writer or simply a novice. The application of literary parameters for analysis may be a thing of the past but what matters is the voice that presently forms the individual or the popular expression. Speaking of fans (marginal or huge) associated with persons who by dint of being in the public eye the former in relation to the later will always try to peep into the world of the person of their interest.
Ramesh Maratha is one such person who is placed in a position of advantage by being in the broadcasting scene at Kathua where he has gathered a sizeable fan following by being the eyes and ears of people in remote and far flung areas of the District. Maratha’s migration from valley and his settlement at Kathua where he invested his body mind and soul for twenty long years culminated in a recently released book “Hatheli Ke Aayeene Mein’’.
The book in a way personifies him. He is a child of destiny. Destiny however has extracted a price for whatever gorgeous it has offered. It may have given him the love of his friends, it has also given him loneliness. The words are simple but have a muscle element. There may be no coherence in what he presents, but then reveling in the time with his muse is what ultimately matters. He has no interest in satisfying the egos of the critiques. Besides he says ‘’lonely souls always enjoy the incoherence’’.
The poems in free verse are not bound by any one particular theme but present myriad emotions that love, nature and human helplessness evoke. Going through the poems one gets transported to the world of Fifties and Sixties Hindi films when everyone had a laid back approach. The poems present no philosophy and may be more a self indulgent exercise but at the same time is sort of an announcement that he has finally arrived, definitely portraying the environment he breathes, eats sleeps and wakes up.
The landscapes he traverses are beyond time and space. The space is his own pain and pleasure. He is a man of old world charm who intends to recline in a chair and value poetry like sumptuous food. This food is in the tradition of years gone by. The poet is aware of his weaknesses because his narrative if any lacks poetic finesse, experience and maturity of an accomplished poet. Nevertheless the literary merit if any can’t be ignored. Since this is his first compilation, he can be given license to be heard.
Ramesh Marahatta finds present times obnoxious with fast dwindling values system and established order. Like all those who have a modicum of awareness he is suffering the times. But the catharsis that he has undergone has indirectly opened a window to his inside. And lo, there is a world out there where a flood of emotions erases the pain having been inflicted by the circumstances.
On a personal level, Ramesh Marahatta was brought up as a pampered child by his father late Durga Nath Marahatta who wanted his son to possess the tough qualities of a police officer like him, while his mother was a contrast to all this. Naturally, the child was attached to his mother more and no wonder when the book was released before a highly distinguished audience of Kathua and Jammu his mother was all through by his side. The cynosure however was MP Choudhary Lal Singh. He regaled the audience with his earthly charm and outspokenness.
To sum up, it can be said that Ramesh Marahatta may have miles to go he however has been bold enough to announce himself.
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