Konkani–Most oppressed Language I have ever seen– Gulzar

By H M Pernal
Pics By John V. Tauro
Bellevision Media Network

Mangalore, 09 July 2012: “There is no definite answer to the question – What is poetry ? It is just like as there is no definite answer to the question what is life ? If you know what is life, you know what is poetry.”  Said Gulzar, celebrated poet, lyricist and filmmaker.

Gulzar was delivering the James and Shobha Mendonca Endowment Lecture on poetry organized by Kavita Trust® at S D M College of Business Management in Mangalore co-sponsored by Rohan Corporation and Plama Developers.

 

The Lecture started With a brief profile of Kavita Trust headed by Sahitya Academy winner Konkani poet, Melvyn Rodrigues by Prof. Kiran Parmar.

 

William Pais, Kavita Trust trustee welcomed the gathering and introduced Gulzar to the audience. In his introductory address he said that he has hit a jackpot an intellectual jackpot  that is  stalwart Gulzar who is known to be the voice of Indian concience. He added Kavita Trust waited for Gulzar for a year or o and there is romance in waiting.

 

Citing  Gulzar’s creations, William Pais said that his songs are liked right from ordinary cabbies to learned intellectuals. They are soothing in nature and for many reasons to live.  He said there may not be a bigger compliment than this to the works of Gulzar from the people.  

 

Gulzar distributed mementos to James and Shobha Mendonca, Rohan Monterio,  Dr K Devraj, Damodar Mauzo and P M A Razak of Plama Developers. Mother of Ms. Shobha Mendonca, accepted memento on behalf of James and Shobha Mendonca.

 

Gulzar released a book of Selected Konkani poems of Melvyn Rodrigues on this occasion.

 

In his lecture Gulzar emphasized many aspects of poetry.

 

He said that initially as there was no means of writing people had to depend on oral transmission which might have led to the rhyme which were easier to remember and as such became an essential aspect of poetry.  There was a time when poetry could not be composed without rhyme.  But later it became difficult to handle rhyme in poetry as such poets started using rhyme by force in their poetry. Rhyme for the sake of rhyme would not manifest the essence of poetry, Gulzar opined.

 

Speaking further, Gulzar said that though blank verse looks like as if it has freed poetry from rhyme, it is not. It has the rhyme and meter as well.

 

“New age poetry is just like prose and full with feel factor. Hence, it is very difficult to mark a border between prose and poetry. Today melody has become the decisive factor to differentiate between poetry and prose.” Said Gulzar.

 

Elaborating further, Gulzar continued, “In total poetry, fine art, music or any other form is just about feel and the expressions. Forms come always later. One can find poetry in a good passage of prose too.  All these forms overlay and compliment each other. Just as looking at sunset one says what a sunset, it is just like a painting and looking at a painting of sunset one says what a natural sunset.”

 

Referring poets as most common and ordinary people, Gulzar said that poetry is beyond physical experience. Just like getting physically hurt and feeling the pain of it are different.

 

During his talk, Gulzar made a special reference to Konkani saying it is one of the highly oppressed language to the extent even its script was snatched away. He compared love of Konkani people to domestic cats. Just like a domestic cat comes back to its original home wherever one  abandons it so also Konkani people come back to Konkani language.

 

 

Referring to the poets who even write in tough situations like riots, Gulzar said that it is the pain deep within that compels them to write.

 

Gulzar answered various questions addressed to him on subjects like why poets use unsaid themes in poetry. Does translation kills original creations? How he copes up with writer’s blocks?

 

Gulzar said that it is totally irrelevant to speak about 1960’s and lyrics of that time. He shot back, if you want Nehru’s democracy please bring back that Nehru age and time. There is a need of updating ourselves to today’s age and we have to give the younger generation things in the language they know and understand. But while doing one has  to scratch the lines to find bigger meaning. Gulzar vouched that he still stands by all his works.  

     
As a token of Love, Kavita Trust gifted Gulzar the Coffee-table book written by William Pais titled “Land Called South Canara”.

 

 The programme ended with National Anthem.

 

As a token of Love, Kavita Trust gifted Gulzar, Coffe table book written by William Pais, Land called South Canara.
 The programme ended with National anthem.