SPECIAL FEATURE
Meet Rajat Mishra the new poet in this old literary world. He has a Bachelor Degree in Electronics and Communication engineering and currently, he is a Research Scholar at Centre for Studies in Science Policy, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. His anthology of poems Kuchh Naya Kahne Baitha Hoon is the talk of the town. Glad that he agreed to talk about it to us.
Q.There is a saying, ‘Every Romeo becomes a poet at one point of time,’ do you adhere to such saying?
Rajat- I agree, people in love write good poetry on love at least, at one point of time. But for becoming a poet one does not have to become a Romeo. I have never fallen in deep love but I have been writing since childhood. I sometimes write on love and heart breaks but that too are more related to my crushes or taking inspiration from other stories. On subjects of love sometimes I feel my poems lack the “feel” which I find in that of the Majanu(s)’.
Q.What exactly your anthology of poems is about?
Rajat- It is “Kuchh Naya Kahne Baitha Hoon” which literally means, “taking a seat to write something new.” It is a collection of some of my poems, written since school days. So I did not write poems specifically for this. The book talks about a very wide variety of topics ranging from socio-political issues, religion, riots, women issues to break up, sadness, inspiration, child-like innocence, nature etc. The main idea of my poems is to look at the things which are not visible at the first sight. Poems are not just about emotions and heart; rationality and mind play very important role. All these thought processes form the crux of my book. Sometimes these poems try to put a mirror in front of a person and society.
Q.How serious are you about poetry? Is it just going to be a hobby or you are planning to take it up as a career?
Rajat- I am serious about poetry but it can’t be a career option for me, for the simple reason that it is not lucrative (and my father will kill me). Demand for Hindi books are going down and poetry books are further poor in sales.
Q.Any particular poet you grew up reading and who has inspired you so much that you ape his/her style?
Rajat- Mathilisharan Gupt and Ramdhari Singh ‘Dinkar’ are the two poets who have inspired me a lot. The love started with Hindi text books and never stopped afterwards. I try to ape their styles at times.
Q.Your poems are written in Hindi, but for my blog readers who can’t read Hindi would you mind translating one? Please!
Rajat- Ohh yes. I would love to.
बदला या माफी
मेरे जिगर का टुकड़ा लेटा
अपने ही हाथों से खाक करूँ.
बता मेरे धर्मांध शिकारी
कत्ल करूँ की माफ़ करूँ.
जीवन की इकलौती पूंजी,
निज हाथों बर्बाद करूँ.
बता मेरे धर्मांध शिकारी
कत्ल करूँ की माफ़ करूँ.
धर्म तेरा पछताव कहे है,
मेरा भी माफी का आशिक़.
नफ़रत को विष घोल उबालूँ
या दिल अपना साफ करूँ.
बता मेरे धर्मांध शिकारी
कत्ल करूँ की माफ़ करूँ.
भूल गये उसे उसके बंदे,
राह छोड़ किस ओर चले,
मेरी नही तो उसकी सुन ले
किस ईश्वर को आगाह करूँ.
बता मेरे धर्मांध शिकारी
कत्ल करूँ की माफ़ करूँ.
English translation
Revenge or Pardon
A mother has lost her only child in riots. She is talking to the killer, a religious fanatic.
A piece of my heart is lying dead,
making it dust with my own hands.
tell me o my fanatic killer!
should I kill you or forgive you.
Only wealth of my life,
I am destroying it myself.
tell me o my fanatic killer!
should I kill you or forgive you.
Your religion talks of remorse
mine is a lover of absolution.
should I boil my hatred with poison;
or cleanse my heart.
tell me o my fanatic killer!
should I kill you or forgive you.
His children have forgotten him,
and lost their path.
if not me, listen to him;
which God should I caution?
tell me o my fanatic killer!
should I kill you or forgive you.
Q.When can we expect your next anthology of poems?
Rajat- If all goes well,then probably in one or two years.
Thank you!
***Interested reader(s) can order his anthology of poem from Amazon. Kuchh naya kahne baitha hoon (Hindi) Paperback – 2016 by goo.gl/7Np4uW
Thank you so much Ayang for giving me this opportunity and it was so great talking to you. indeed a pleasure..
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