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Brijinder "Sagar"
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INTRODUCTION by Khushwant Singh
How I came to know Brijinder 'Sagar' may be of interest to the readers of
his book. My usual post consists of over 100 letters a day. I make it a point
to answer everyone before I get down to my own work. Very often letters
run into dozens of pages and some have manuscripts enclosed. The best I can
do is to read first few lines and write a line or two in appreciation. Brijinder
'Sagar’s' letter and few pages of poetry were amongst one of these daily
floods of mail. Instead of the usual cursory glance at them, I found myself
reading all of them. Without consulting him, I sent them to the 'Shama'
group of magazines saying that I had stumbled upon a new Urdu poet of rare
quality. They accepted his poems and published them. It was only then I
discovered that Urdu was not Sagar’s first language and that having read
Iqbal, Sahir, Faiz and others in Devnagri script, he taught himself Urdu and
began to compose poetry.
Tumse Kuch KahuNga, Na Tumahree kuch sunuNga
No, he asserts categorically:
MaiN To KhwaaboN Ke Geet GauNga
Perhaps what drew me towards Sagar’s poems was that being a fellow-Sikh
he, like me, was devoid of fanaticism-religious or political and was critical
of the way Akalis leaders led the Panth on the path of destruction. Religious
fundamentalism remains an anathema to him:
Dum Tor GayaY Kitne Aziz AankhoN Ke saamnaY
He is equally critical of the government’s callousness in not bringing
criminals responsible for the massacre of November 1984 to justice:
Log Zinda JalaY Kya Fiqr HuqmraanoN Ko
He has no illusions about innocence and guilt in these diabolic crimes against
humanity:
Mazhab-o-watan par_stish ki wahi gaflatshiaariaaN
'Sagar' has no romantic notions of the golden past or utopian future. Without
hazarding to offer solutions, he manages to stimulate controversy by posing
series of question to those who think they have all the answers.
'Sagar' does take liberties with the traditionally accepted norms of Urdu poetry.
I feel he is justified in doing so because when form becomes a straightjacket
in which new ideas do not fit with ease, a poet has every right to break out of
them.
Hindu da_ir JayaY Ka_aba jagah-e-musalmaN hai
'Sagar' is by no means a modest man, but as they say he has a lot to be immodest
about. When judging him, do not look for rhyme or jingle of words, but ideas
that stimulates, provoke and are yet poetry of high order.
(for Sagar's book Khayaal se Kalam tak)
A new poetic persona emerged-that of a man in quest of sense in an ostensibly
insane world. He is essentially a poet of ideas who uses words as his means of
communication. With the urge to communicate is the desire to be understood.
To wit:
Kyaa aisaY Hi Uth jauNga Is jahaN Se MaiN?
Neither say (to you) nor hear anything (from you)!
Would I, then leave this world just like that? (Trans.)
Aur Wus_at-e-Afqaar Se SjauNga
Tum MeiN Himmat Ho Aa janaa
Varna akelaY Hi GungunauNga
I will turn my dreams into songs
And adorn them with the pearls of thoughts
If you have it in you, join me
Or I shall hum them on my own. (Trans.)
Wahshat ga rahi thi kyoN ki Mazhab Ke naam Se
With my own eyes I saw so many loved ones die
(Because) such savagery was let loose in the name of faith. (Trans.)
Intikhabaat Mein Inki Jeet BanyaiN Yeh mazhabi DangaY
Let people be burnt alive
Rulers give a damn
These very riots, the killings
Assure them victories at polls. (Trans.)
Koi Kesri LiyaY Firta hai To Koi JhandaY TirangaY
Religious frenzy and Patriotism
The same cesspools of ignorance
Ones, who carry the Saffron (flag)
Or waive the Tricolor (are the same) (Trans.)
He finds himself treading a lonely path:
MaiN To Faqat insaaN huiN Meri Jagah kahaN Hai?
Hindu has his Temple
The Muslim (has) his Mecca
I am merely a human being
What place can I call my own? (Trans.)
---- Sd/
(KHUSHWANT SINGH)
