urreal Moments is a book of superb verses and fine art work, the first book of its kind, in which
O.N.Kaul | subconscious mind of the poet speaks of the trauma that he is undergoing ever since 1990, the year he was hounded out by militants, at the point of gun, leaving back his home and hearth in the earthly paradise, in which Kashmiri Pandits were living since ancient times.
Many books have been written on the exiled Pandit exodus, driven out by killing and burning their houses but this is the only book in which burning of their hearts has been depicted. The flames of his heart are rising from varied directions, and spread the effect in all directions.
It starts with prayers to the supreme father of light and life with the prayer, “Teach me how to calm life’s storms”, as he feels helpless due to shock of being exiled. Such a state of mind causing many diseases and lack of confidence has been established by the research conducted by one of the most popular Kashmiri Doctors, Dr. K.L. Choudhry. He was moved by observing misery of Kashmri Pandits to the extent that he started a free hospital with the help of his colleagues called Free Shri Bhat Hospital where even medicines are also distributed free to patients.
Similarly, the poet feels terrified in his subconscious mind. In the poem titled ‘Sleeping Bones’, his subconscious mind is reminded of dreadful silence of graveyard where bones of those who once enjoyed delightful life and umpteenth spring seasons are found beneath the soil. The Poet says “the greatest of the great have found place underneath this earth leaving room for shallows to know and understand”.
The poet thereafter gives out a poem of a beggar woman who is weak, crippled and lonely. All passers by move on without showing any sympathy for the dying beggar. The beggar woman is responsible herself for her plight. Whosoever is responsible for his or her plight, even the thrown away paper plate shows no concern.
It is followed by the poem ‘Illusion’.
The poet questions; Is life an illusion which includes the visible and invisible things seen and felt by us?. The concept of life is deduced as dream in a dream! This is what our upnishads explain very lucidly. The artwork illustrates it with a semi nude lady lying down. Trekkers trekking, Castles standing, Bin Laden and eleven September incident, people and buildings falling like ninepins and two lions pouncing over a nude lying lady. The author asks - do you mean that life is a dream in a dream? Poet makes us to feel that every thing what ever is witnessed by us is simply an illusion and there is some supreme Power which makes us to play the game of life in this universe. He has total control over us. Whatever is done by any body, it is not he who does it but, it is He(God).
The poem ‘Other Self’ is illustrated with attractive females and male watching with watchful eyes. This confirms to us that every one of us as felt by the poet is having two personalities. One which he proclaims and the other which he keeps hidden – the other self.
The author has been able to surface the hidden personality of men. Further a lady on roof top during midnight pining for someone in the other verse is mentioned by the poet as strange desires at untimely times. The poet here has been able to peep in the minds of the fairer sex in a way that at the time when she ought to have been in the bed room with her husband, she is at the roof top to make her genuine desires surface in her mind, but due to non availability of space in the single bed room in which all the family members sleep, she has no room to make a room for her. Her genuine desires have become her strange desires.
In the poem ‘love’ poet says love is a natural phenomena and adds that we are born to love, so we must enjoy loving. But, he strikes a sad note that it is God who makes us to play love game and finally culminates in death. The suffering mind of the poet does not get out from the trauma even in the love game. Similar thoughts have been expressed by a great Kashmiri poet – Rahman Dar. He says that he ran after love which shall always remain in this world but, Rahman, shall be no more.
Saddened mind of the poet is reminded of another tragic event in his subconscious mind about, ‘Killer Tsunami’. He is reminded of tragic drama of death where even children, houses, property, boats along with dreams of people got washed away in sea and sand. The paintings add to the sad effect of the poem on the mind. The poet though melancholic by death feels that death is what every one of us has to face one day but aspires for the wanting dreams which he had weaved in the sea and sand, but were washed away.
The poet again in his subconscious mind goes back to his homeland – Kashmir and is reminded of Chinar tree leaves which die in autumn season and fall down on the ground. These are burnt used as Coal for Kangri in a firepot for giving comfort of heat in cold winter season. The poet feels that he is a ramification of Chinar which has been abandoned. The poet says that he is not destined to be useful to his brethren in particular for whom he did a lot earlier. Now, under present conditions in exile even as a Chinar leaf, he is worthless though in the land of Chinar, he has always been helpful and useful even as a Chinar leaf.
The next poem is titled “Desire”, and the same is illustrated with an attractive nude lady in the lap of a darkly dressed male, signifying the great human desire. The poet says that his heart is like an octopus spreading its tentacles in eight directions hopelessly trying to satisfy thousand desires.
‘My road and me’ is the title of another poem. He mentions that his road and he himself are partners of life and he treads on it with a hope of better future. He feels that his road is lonely without him and no one else can be its partner. The poem is illustrated in one of the beautiful art work which leads him to a wavy road full of obstacles. In between, his supposed to be destination and the half tread road is a beautiful spot where he wants to take rest, but feels that the path has to be tread without any stoppage any where and definitely every new day should bring new enthusiasm in him.
‘The Lost Valley’ is another poem worth mention. In this poem the poet reveals his intense agony of having been hounded out by Muslim fundamentalists, without naming them but identifying them by their ‘shouting slogans-Victory’ meaning separation from Indian rule. Finally, he in his subconscious mind feels reconciled to have moved to Delhi where all people are living together without any religious identity or rivalry. He feels that had he left much earlier he would have not faced horrors of communalism in Kashmir and his life would have been free from problems. In today’s world of globalization he would have been global long back.
He further in his poem ‘Hope’ expresses that his world has been brought to a cataclysmic and horrible end by killing of innocent people and even those whom the poet loved and all this misery was inflicted upon them for no fault of theirs. All this has given the poet a hope of having received inspiration of realization of reality.
In the poem ‘Avouchment’, the poet says religion is exaltation of self through transformation. It is spiritual discovery. In genuine religious experience one feels presence of God in every thing and hatred and shallowness of mind disappear. The art work exalts the poets’ ideas.
In the poem ‘Mute Invitation’, the poet describes that he sees many charming faces around, likes some and rejects others. He describes charm of eyes, lips, breasts, which cause turmoil in the heart of the poet. Along side of the poem is portrait of woman matching the poets description. Similar thoughts are contained in a Persian verse of ‘Hafiz Shirazi’ which means that pretty lady has spread her hair like a net and the poet who came out safe and sound all-round got caught in it.
The poem ‘Dilemma’ is expressed in word and art by the Poet. In the Bar a number of young girls dance and entertain the guests from the world of Adam. The married business man has a conflict whether to sleep with Sushma, Shami or Suzane; and whether to take Chivas Regal, Royal Challenge or Aristocrat. As Executive he has a dilemma whether to stay in Taj Mahal, Oberoi or Hans Plaza. As voter he has a dilemma whether to vote for BJP, Congress or CPM. As a politician the poet feels that the politician has a conflict how to win next election. All said & done, he ultimately feels that a poor householder scared of creditors fury and children’s hunger, has the ultimate dilemma – how to end life-by hanging, poisoning or drowning. What an irony?
The Poem ‘Autumn of life’ reveals that even if in old age, the foot steps are slower, eyes are dimmer, yet one is on firm footing of experience of life and wise insight prevails. Instead of leaping in youthful joy, in old age he dwells in peace realizing that God is with him.
The Poem ‘Reflection’ reveals that he through out life got engaged in pleasures, pains, and frustrations of life. And when the realization came and the Poet swiped his mind, he found that he was cause of all this as he had woven a shell of thoughts around him and was not coming out of it. Ultimately, he wants to come out of such a shell.
In the poem ‘Last splash’ the poet relates a story of a young aspirant who went to Mumbai for making his both ends meet. He got engulfed in torrential rains without subsistence and with shivering and suffering, remembering his village and mother, in quest of livelihood, lost his life. The poet makes us understand that Mumbai will be under water one day to communicate to us that it is futile to go to Mumbai to live for good though sans rain Mumbai may provide livelihood. Keeping in view the pace at which global warming is taking place, Mumbai s not a safe zone.
‘Inglorious Iniquity’ mentions unexplained contradictions of Iraq War and asks from war wagers for making the status known. The paintings of the poem show George Bush, Bin Laden, horrors and destruction of the war. This is what I as reviewer felt but after reading and re-reading the poem, the poem draws a life question noble for the war wagers of Pakistan as well and also the proxy war wagers and sympathizers in Kashmir to tell us what they have achieved out of twenty year militancy or the proxy war.
The poem ‘Nostalgia’ vividly brings out poets shocking experience of being scared away at the point of gun to leave his home and hearth. He is reminded of his love making in dales and vales, love letters and murmuring sounds of the gushing steams. Since last eighteen years, when he was forced to flee from the valley, he sees no hope of return to the beautiful home land. He is pained night and day for separation from beautiful Kashmir and he prefers death to such a pain at least to get rid of it.
‘Nostalgia’ also moves the poet through his memory drains of his residential house in Kashmir where his family members, picturespue scenes, forests, majestic mountains of his home land known as heaven on earth haunt him day in and day out. Assessing present situation around him, he sees no hope of his return to Kashmir.
The artist has supplemented the feelings that words can not express. There are paintings of Kashmiri Pandit cultural and spiritual figures. In fact similar feelings are dwelling in the minds of all the migrants who were hounded out of the valley.
In ‘Gulmarg’, the poet like William Wordsworth makes us, to remember the moments of delight and charm of Gulmarg-Kashmir, queen of hill stations and he starts dancing with its delighting remembrance.
The poet mentions his further sufferings and pain in his poem titled ‘Pain’. Under the pain of separation, he finds himself as a living dead body and prefers death to such a painful life. Pain makes the reader feel the pangs of separation. The reader feels extremely pained at the pain of the poet.
In poem ‘Fears’, the poet says that he has no fears left now as he has seen human beings turning into hounds hounding human beings out of Kashmir. He is convinced that one day people shall know the real truth behind sinister designs of ousting out Kashmiri Pandits from Kashmir which was called Reshivar- the valley of saints and savants. The real truth will not come to surface very soon but will take a life time to give results and the same will be disastrous of which the poet gives an indication. In fact, the poet reveals the feelings of all Kashmiri migrants who could never imagine such a treatment meted out to them by their own brethren. A great Muslim poet of Kashmir, Mahjoor in one of his poems said that Hindu is milk and Muslim sugar. One has to mix sugar and milk together to make Kashmir a worldly heaven. Fortunately he was immortalized much earlier, otherwise he would have preferred death to the present position of separating
Hindus from Musalmans by throwing them out of Kashmir. Mahjoor never replied violence by violence, being traditionally a peace loving man.
The last poem of the book is titled as ‘Conspiracy’. The poem reveals that the Kashmiri Pandits were driven out of the valley through a well planned conspiracy hatched by some locals and their mentors across the border, killing them and looting their properties and annihilating them for none of their faults and separating them from their motherland where they lived since times immemorial and contributed to its cultural legacy. They caused pain to Kashmiri Hindus to bring joy to conspirators within Kashmir and across the border beyond Pirpanjal mountain ranges.
The book is an excellent blend of inspired poetry, spiritualism, romance and extreme pain combined with masterly paintings. It brings out condition of extremely tortured heart of Kashmiri Pandits and records their migration and reminds one of the greatest Chronicles of Kashmir presented to us by Kalhan-- Rajatarangni which brings out atrocities on Kashmiri Pandits by Muslim fundamentalist ruler Sultan Sikander who came to the throne in Kashmir in 1394 A.D. and majority of Hindu Kashmir was reduced to mere minority of eleven families by leaving only three alternatives for them, either get converted to Islam or get killed or flee from Kashmir.
The selection of words in the poem is simple and the poems are in blank verse. There is frank and fair expression both in art and words. In totality it is a precious work of art, literature and cultural history. No doubt due to trauma of separation sadness prevails, yet it affords an absorbing study and exciting contemplation and confirms John Keats famous words. ‘Our sweetest songs are those that tell us of saddest thoughts”.
The visual version of verses has been brought out by master artists Mr. Gokul, Dembi, Neeraj Bakshi and Professor Sant Ji Sultan. Visualisation of the verses is a treat to eye and intellect.
I whole heartedly appreciate the work of Mr.M.K. Raina Ratnakar and the Artists who have worked for the verses of Ratnakar to give us a blend of the work of art and literature – ‘Surreal Moments’ in the true sense to be appreciated by all men of intellect.
I humbly request my brethren – one and all to recommend this book to all the lovers of poetry and literature to have a copy. Surreal Moments of Ratnakar will be an un-forgetable read of life for every one.
The book is available from Scansion Publishers and can be had from the poet as well. The same is only a telephonic call away.
Authored by :
O.N. Kaul, 312 Sector-9, Roop Nagar, Kashmir
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*M.K.Raina Ratnakar is an Indian Broadcasting Service Officer, an Educationist and a Media expert.In the realm of education ,his guidance on the matters of education for women and children is highly valued.As a brodcaster he has made striking achievements in making his listeners see through the most delicate experiences and experiments he has made in the field of communication.His gifts of observation with the magical abilities of a timely trained educationist and a communicator have been exhibited by him in the organisations of his work.