Rajeshwar Singh ‘Raju’
Book Name: RAMJAAN
Poet: Khajur Singh Thakur
Language: Dogri
Cost: Rs 400
Publisher: Highbrow Publications,
78/11 Near Pahalwan Food Mall,
Bari Brahmana, Jammu (J&K)
Dogri is a sweet language and its sweetness may be felt from Dogri literature which has enriched in all genres. If we talk of Ghazals then Ved Pal Deep, Kishen Samhailpuri, Shivram Deep, Susheel Begana, Darshan Darshi, Deepak Aarsi, Vijay Verma, Bishan Singh ‘Dardi’, Dr. Yash Raina and others have contributed to such an extent that Dogri Ghazal is not far behind Ghazals being written in other regional languages. It is said that Dogri is more friendly language for Ghazal writing. There are many poets who are enriching Dogri literature with more and more anthologies of Ghazals and Khajur Singh Thakur is one among them.
About Author
Khajur Singh Thakur is an eminent name as a folk artist hailing from village Nagrota Prehta, Tehsil Basohli of District Kathua. He was born in the family of Thakur Chandu Ram and Morni Devi and has experienced life in its true colours having faced all ups and downs. He had to skip academics in the midway but again joined studies and did M.A. in Hindi & Dogri and completed B.Ed also before joining education department as a teacher. He continued his childhood passion for cultural traditions of Duggar region and succeeded in establishing himself as a folk artist with all hardships. He like a truly dedicated man never succumbed to pressures let down by circumstances and with a focus stepped ahead firmly to invent new ways to express his innermost through singing, dance and poetry. It is pertinent to add here that while exploring all opportunities to perform as a folk artist, he has also proved his immense potential as a Dogri writer. He has ten books to his credit prior to this one that include collections of poetry KAINTH KAKOHE, REHL BEHL RELNU, BEEBA PAINSHI, KITTAR – KITTAR KALJA, CHOORI, MAALTI, THAKUR SATSAI in addition to DUGGAR DE LOK MANTR and monograph of Krishan Kumar Kerni. RAMJAAN is his eleventh book and is 2nd collection of Ghazals after SUCHHIYAN SAMHALAN.
About Book
RAMJAAN is a collection of 109 Ghazals. Every Ghazal is different from the other thus covering all aspects of life and carries a vital message for the society. As he belongs to that belt of Duggar Pradesh which still has strong roots of mother tongue Dogri, he has made ample use of typical dogri words which are seldom found in use in cities these days. The following lines of a Ghazal speak volumes about the depth of verses;
” PEENDEN BIND BASONDA KI NEI
LAHU MERA NAJRONDA KI NEI.
PHATT BATHERE JHALLI BATHE
EKA PACHCH JHALONDA KI NEI.”
Mohan Singh Slathia, Padmashri awardee dogri litterateur has written in the preface of the book that Thakur is a writer, grounded to his roots and his creative works reflect the strong bond with his belonging to his mother tongue and cultural heritage. He has fascination for folk singing and playing on flute from an early age, which became first ladder of his advent towards poetry. His innovation and experiments make him a poet of a class, which is proved with following lines from one of his Ghazals;
” KAVTA TAIN KHWAB SAJJANAN
KOMAL-KOMALBHAV BANANAN.
CHETEN AAHLI SEEKHA CHADHI
DIL DA ROJ KABAB BANANAN.”
Khajur Singh Thakur like a true artist has all emotions flowing through the words marking their impressions on his poetry and sensibility reflecting in the thoughts knitted around the burning issues and threats faced by mankind like;
“MAANVTA GI SOOL CHUBANDA KUN AE
NIRDOSHEN DA KHOON BAGANDA KUN AE.
JISDI UPMA PHULLEN-KALIYAN HONDI
US DEVI PAR JULM KAMANDA KUN AE.
KHOON BGANEN KANNEN HOORAN THOUNGN
SOCHEN AESE CHASKE PAANDA KUN AE.”
Thakur advocates humanity through his writings. He admits that for an artist or a writer the only religion is work and an urge to serve mankind through their innovations.
” MITHA-MITHA BOL JARA
LAAD PHANUKE JHOL JARA.
CHAEN DA TUN SEHRA LAYEE
MANG HAAN HIRAKH TAMOL JARA.”
Khajur Singh Thakur has been writing in dogri for a long time and his major works are lyrics and Ghazals. He is a very humble man and is of the opinion that an artist and a writer is always through a learning process. He himself observes and tries to grab from wherever possible to improve in future performance or writing. He pleads that seeking advices from the veterans of the field should be our habit. He is never shy of learning from youngers or seniors as perfection like word never exists in art as even those who have reached the peak of glory like to be decorated with the words ‘Near to Perfection’ only.
He feels indebted to Padmashri Narsingh Dev Jamwal for all guidance and support in writing RAMJAAN. He says that although he had some more titles in consideration but when he shared those with his fast friend, well known dogri poet and Sahitya Akademy’s Bal Sahitya Puraskar awardee Bishan Singh Dardi, the unanimous choice was RAMJAAN. The cover page of the book is very artistic and attractive. This 128 pages book dedicated to his wife Neelam Kumari who has always encouraged him in his journey as a folk artist and poet carries such Ghazals which are written in a style that will not only be interesting for the readers but will enrich and inspire the writers to learn new words used in these Ghazals.
Ghazal writing is a tough task because it’s more than use of words to match the meter within the prescribed format. The thought behind every couplet has to have universal appeal and the making of a couplet should touch the innermost of every reader. It’s a fact that a good Ghazal may bring laurels to poet with standing ovation and ‘repeat’ requests emerging from the audience but on the other hand if it’s a mechanical or technical one missing the soul then what will be the fate of poet is beyond imagination because in Mushiaras, there is audience who is intelligent enough and the poet should know how to hold their nerves and captivate them with recitation. Khajur Singh Thakur has the capabilities as a Ghazal writer and knows these tricks.
RAMJAAN is welcome as yet another addition to rich Dogri literature with the aspirations of getting more from a poet who is so close to folk traditions and has a treasure of typical dogri words waiting to be penned down in future endeavors also.
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