Pravasini ke Bol : A Platform for woman abroad

- Devi Nangrani

             

Music Of my Heart 

Listen to my Heart Beat

I am the singing melody of my Land

That gently tunes in rhythm

Surrounds me with fragrance

My thoughts dance in tune

With the melody of my Heart Beat

Shadows of that fragrance

Dance like the daisies in my memory

Growings with me, where I stand

Sometimes longer, at times shorter

But never I feel without the Source.

The ringing melody echoes

In the ear of my spirit

And dance on the melody

Of my Heart Beat.  Devi Nangrani

A vision Come true atlast in the form of “ Pravasini ke Bol” an anthology of poetry , a landmark in the History of Womens’ world of literacy, edited and compiled by Dr. Anjana Sandhir,  It is bridge creating a link between the East and the West specially for the Indian Women writers residing in USA giving them a platform of recognition and a vast horizon to connect themselves all over the Globe. Words when printed have life of their own and the lovers of literacy effectively express their heart’s feelings and thoughts that stir their minds to put forth in any form that can be expressed with  the finite words to express the infinite concepts through Poems, Sonnets, fiction, prose, story writing, drama, freelance poetry or ghazal.

In Anjana’s own words  “language is a carrier and also a link between one generation to another.” It is the utmost responsibility on the shoulders of today’s youth to cultivate, nourish and cherish the heritage of our National Language Hindi here in the western countries. We survive if the language lives as it is only through the mother tongue that we find recognition wherever we are on the globe. The feelings of  her heart find a solace in words:

“I am close to you, I am away from you

But your thought is always in my thoughts

I am away, in distant land, though happy

Oh motherland, I am never far from you.” Anjana

The yearning that is felt at the deepest core of her heart ignites and illuminates the illusion to become a reality in the form of this Women’s Anthology . The flight of her thoughts did not allow her to choose what seems possible, but resolution to do what needs to be done was her focus. Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-percent perspiration as is stated by Thomas A. Edison justifies Anjana’s sincere efforts and dedicated perseverance, that can be conspicuously seen in the form of the “ Pravasini ke Bol”, an anthology of all Indian women writers residing in the west. A couplet from my poems expresses the same view point:

You measure the expanse of the sky

With the flight of your thoughts

And limitless motivating spirit

That leads to illuminating destination....Devi Nangrani

Dr. Anjana chose the path of her true love and the reciprocating feeling of love for her country, and the folks of that soil to make a connection between the East and west. Anjana’s love for Literacy, the field that occupies her time and efficiency is worth mentioning. Her ceaseless efforts peruse her concept of reviving Hindi has been visualized as a reality.  Lydia M. Child a well known philosopher has guidelined this aspect of intelligence in her immortal words “ Genius hath electric power which earth can never tame.” Truly the inexhaustible and ceaseless efforts of Anjana sandhir that are fruitified in this literary field are not by Chance, but are sought for with ardor and attended with diligence.  Her potential work towards sustaining Hindi Language in the western world is a landmark. A well known philosopher Valdo Emerson has truly said “Don’t tread a simple and a straight path. Walk where there is no way or road and leave behind a labyrinth.”  Anjana reflects the whole idea in a true sense of an educator, a student and a guide. The turmoil of ebbs and tides of experiences, vision of Sustaining Hindi shows that she has not detached herself from the roots of Indian soil, respite her stay in New York with her family....

The anthology has voluminous content of 622 pages, that has  324 poems of 81 women litterateurs  in part I,  33 well known literary women personalities rendering services in the educational field deserve their honorable place along with their pictures and bio data in  part II.  The later and the III part of the book finds the list/Index of literature published by the Indian women writers in staying in U.S.A. The publication of their literary work in form of poetry in the native language itself is a proof that we are away surely away from our motherland us land but the land is not away from us. In the preview of this book Raji Seth from Delhi acknowledged the worthy efforts made by Anjana to present so many women writers living away from their motherland, who don’t see what is going on there, the festivals, the, the ongoing events that they don’t witness, how do they happen to write the facts with the feelings that are so true.”

In this context I have only this to say that we may be away from our motherland but the Motherland is not away from us. Where we settle, we sow the seeds of that soil that flourishes in times to come to be a mini motherland.

I have let the land survive in my Heart

I let myself survive as a heartbeat in it.” Devi

And the heart is a true witness of all doings seen and unseen. Elaine Liner a poet and philosopher has put forth the thought so beautifully, “If writers stopped writing about what happened to them, then there would be a lot of empty pages.”   A Grain of Poetry seasons a century, to the extent that without the flow of thoughts Life is a standstill. The flow reflects life and Anjana being well aware of this reality, does her literary explorations and experiments in connective and constructive ways. Yet some couplets from my Hindi gazal carry the same thought:

When I know myself, I know for sure

I am the Kuraan, I am the Gita.

Ayodhya dwells in my heart

He is the Ram, I am the Sita.  Devi

The well known great poet, Rabindranath Tagore used to always hopefully say that every ardent student of Shantiniketan, shall create a Small Bharat, wherever he goes to settle. I remember having read Kalidas’  “ Meghdoot” many years ago. Megh means ‘clouds’ and doot means ‘messenger’ . The message carried universally in the form of Poetry in “Pravasini ke Bol” justifies the underlying theme of Anjana’s Good intentions to successfully create a Mini Bharat here in U.S.A, and the truth of the statement can be visualized in the true and successful efforts of Anjana to keep the language Living here. To keep the Hindi language flowing through the veins of youngster born and brought up in U.S.A  she has composed a Theme  ‘Learn Hindi through Hindi Film songs’  which has a book with the songs written in Roman Language with simplified meanings with a CD. It is a way of arousing curiosity and inspiration to embibe awareness and love for the Language, popularizing Hindi as it is our Origin.  This book has been published by New York Life Insurance Company. Real success is finding your life work in the work that you love, and that is what her focus is, to attain the goal.

As far as I know Anjana personally, I feel her simplicity does not let her carry the air or aura of success, but to me she seems to be a woman of values, who has courage to illuminate the reality, vitalize the knowledge that has deep roots in her through her experience that she has earned skillfully. It is said if success is not on your own terms, and it looks good to the world but does not feel good in your heart, it is not success,  but can be termed as compromise. The success that has come her way is not an over night achievement, but she has earned it. Simultaneously it has imparted an equal opportunity and honor to all the Indian women,  giving them the privilege of participating in this united victorious event of literary recognition through their creative writings. This is an added colorful feather in her Cap of already acquired awards and achievements for her work and recognition. Mr. Kamal Kishore Goyanka from Delhi writes in the preface of this book complimenting her “The unique presentation of so many poetess with their valuable work in Hindi for the first time is a welcome and worthy step.”

The infinite Ocean of words expressing the Heart’s feelings of joy, sorrow, the aura of festivals with fun and frolic, in this Book are Gems. I choose to quote some great poetess by an attempt to translate their Original writings. Pushp Malhotra expresses her thought so beautifully in poem title  ‘KadiyaaN’  p 271

The race of humanity

Has been shackled

Through hands and hearts

But what a difference!

The helpless situation of humans from my Ghazal in the form of a couplet: p 202

The voice trembles, screaming is breathless

Who do I call, all deaf dwell here?  Devi

The evergreen and everlasting memories of her dedicated work shall be always remembered.

“Pleasure is a flower that fades

Remembrance is the lasting perfume.”

I take an opportunity to thank Anjana on behalf of all the participating poetess and women writers. I appreciate her courage and the motivating drift that has flooded the hearts with love and gratitude for her extremely skillful perseverance that unites us together with one and all.

With my very best wishes to her for trodding this literary path.

Setu November 2017