Adam Gondvi's India

Kaaju bhune hain plate pe, whiskey gilaas mein;

Utraa hain ramrajya vidhayak niwaas mein

[Roasted cashew on the plate, the finest malt in the crystal; It is as if the Lord Ram’s reign has descended in the MLA (member of legislative assembly) residence]  

— Adam Gondvi

The farcical, and deeply hypocritical, debate about what our politicians eat before going to work, reminded me of this couplet by Ramnath Singh, or, as he was better known, Adam Gondvi. Of course, India has worse things to be ashamed of. For instance, the alleged rape of woman by an MLA in Unnao. Or indeed, the alleged repeated gang-rape and murder of an 8-year-old girl in Kathua.

It is indeed difficult in such times to speak intelligently about anything; the anger about who we have become as a society just refuses to go away, blurring one’s ability to put together any thoughts in a cogent fashion. The enervating effect of news is perhaps best captured by Jigar Moradabadi’s words:

Fikr-e-zameel khwab-e-pareshan hai aaj kal;

Shayar nahi hai woh jo ghazalkhwan hai inn dino

[Thoughts are lost in nightmares these days; One who can still write poetry today can’t be a poet] 

Coming back to Gondvi, the more I read him, the more he seemed relevant. As the name suggests, he belonged to Gonda district in Uttar Pradesh. He was not an educated person but he was as sharp in his observations and as biting in his choice of words as any poet can be. He was born just after India’s independence in 1947 and died in 2011 — well before the present government took oath to uphold the Indian Constitution. So, it is obvious that none of his poetry was directed towards the present lot of politicians, especially those who are in power. But, even today his poetry resonates just as loudly as it ever did. And while that reflects well on his ability as a poet, it presents a shameful account of the state of politics in this country.

Gondvi wrote extensively about the ever-widening gap between the haves and the have-nots in our society. He often targeted the political class for being insensitive to the most heartfelt demands of the people. He also repeatedly accused the politicians of fooling the people. 

Tumhari filon mein gaon ka mausam gulaabi hain;

Magar yeh aakde jhooten hain, yeh daave kitaabi hain

[Your (the government’s) files project a rosy picture of the village; But official data lies, and these claims are out of sync with the ground reality]

He also hit out at the duplicity in the political discourse, wherein the leader says what is unexceptionable in a democratic set-up yet, away from the public glare, approves of tyrannical and decadent behaviour.

Udhar jamhuriyat ka dhol peete ja rahe hain woh;

Idhar parde ke peeche barbariyat hai, nawabi hai.

[Publicly, they drum up support for democracy; But, in private, it is the same tyranny, the same decadence]

In a similar light — and assuredly without knowing the vote share of the incumbent BJP government — Gondvi once asked:

Sau mein sattar aadmi filhaal jab na-shaad hai;

Dil pe rakh ke haanth kahiye desh kya azaad hai?

[When 70 per cent of the people are dispirited; Ask yourself in all honesty, are we really a free country?]

Gondvi was quite concerned about the threat that communalism posed to India’s present and future. He was scathing in his criticism of politicians that stoke communal fires for political gains. 

Hum mein koi Hun, koi Shak, koi Mongol hai;

Dafn hai jo baat, ab uss baat ko mat chhediye

[Among us, there are some who have descended from Huns, some from Sakas, and some from Mongols; Don’t dredge up differences that have long been buried]

Gar galtiyan Babar ki theen, Jumman ka ghar phir kyun jale?

Aise nazzuk waqt mein halaat ko mat chhediye

[If emperor Babar made some mistakes centuries ago, why are you burning poor Jumman’s home today? Things are already on a brink, do not make them worse]

Gondvi also wrote about the crushing reality of casteism. A must read is his longish poem titled “Main chamaron ki gali tak le chalunga aapko”, in which he describes the way a Dalit girl is raped by upper caste Thakurs of the village and when the Dalits resent, the Thakurs, aided by the local police, beat up the Dalits and burn their homes. Does it ring a bell?

Even though, for the most part, his poems described the depressing reality of India, I admire how Gondvi, instead of pleading, often fired a warning shot at the rulers. Like the rest of his poems, these too remain very relevant. Sample this:

Hain kahan Hitler, Halaku, Tsar ya Changez Khan;

Mit gaye sab, qaum ki aukaat ko mat chhediye

[Recall what happened to Hitler, Halagu, the Tsar and Genghis Khan; All of them were obliterated, so don’t question the status of the people]