Critique Ferozepur Chapter and Philosophical Society, A students discussion forum of the college organized a discussion on the book Poetry, Politics and Culture written by Professor Akshaya Kumar, teaching in the Department of English, Panjab University, Chandigarh.
In the seminar presided by college Principal Dr. Madhu Prashar and chaired by Kuldeep Singh of Punjabi Department, Harpreet, Shaminder, students of BSc. III Year and Veerpal, student of B.A. I Year elaborated the work of Prof. Akshay kumar with over 400 students of the campus.
Veerpal said that, the writer has significantly addressed the questions of poetry in a simpler manner. He has tried to focus on the idea that poetry is a forceful method to bring the social change and it has the capacity to influence and make any common subject, individual heroic.
Shaminder said that “the writer has given a comparative study of the three ‘prominent’ language streams – Indian English, Hindi and Punjabi. Among the Indian English poets Nissim Ezekiel, A. K. Ramanujan, Jayanta Mahaptra, Kamla Das, Keki Daruwalla, Arun Kolatkar, the poets of late 1990s – Rukmini Bhaya Nair, Sudeep Sen, Vikram Seth, Meena Alexander, Sujata Bhatt, Imtiaz Dharkar and others. Among the hindi Poets Kabir, Meera , Bhartendu, Maithilisharan Gupt, Dinkar, Muktibodh, Nirala, Mahadevi Verma, Bharati and Dhoomil, contemporary poets such as Alokdhanva, Manglesh Dabral, Leeladhar Jagudi, Rajesh Joshi, Anamika, Katyayni,, Gagan Gill, Ashok Vajpeyi have also been explored in the context of the ever-shifting configuration of India as a nation. Among Punjabi Poets Amrita Pritam, Shiv Kumar Batalvi and Pash with a number of poets like Lal Singh ‘Dil’, Sant Ram Udasi, Manjit Tiwana, Shashi Samaundra, Sukhminder Amrit and others. The writer has also studied and analyzed the works of Omprakash Valmiki, Namdeo Dhasal, Gurmeet Kallarmajri and many others in the understanding of social problems”.
Harpreet said that, “Professor Akshaya has questioned the nature of poetry. He gave the comparative study of Poetry to understand the diverse issues and concepts towards the social change. The author has explored the issues of feminism, caste, class and gender in the articulations of the spheres of Justice and how poetry has been central to raise the issues and the conflicts which come in the process. The writer has also thoroughly researched the works of poets to understand and reflect on the issues of poetry in Colonial, Post-Colonial phase. Professor Akshaya has questioned the concept of Nationalism and how poets and poetry has been understood under such boundaries. The author seems to have deconstructed the issues of poetry and the poets and issues related to resistance and its different forms with which they are symbolized.
Harpreet added that the writer rightly pointed out that the participation of the poets in political meetings/programmes/rallies suggests that there was never a wedge between the political and the poetical.
Addressing the participants, Dr. Madhu Prashar pointed out that Akshay has tried to portray the image of Meera Bai in more than one narration. He has raised the questions as to how Meera’s Poetry should be understood. She should not only be read as a poet of Bhakti Movement but rather a revolutionary who talks about the women autonomy and freedom. Meera is a woman who raises questions to the existing politics, tradition and culture.
Among others who addressed the participants were Madhu Gautam from Department of Hindi, Rashpinder Singh from Department of Punjabi, Narinder Deora, Namrata Gupta and Shiv Sethi from Department of English, Ambuj Sharma from Department of Philosophy. In the seminar Sakshi, Gurmeet, Harpriya, Harpreet and Rupinder also raised many important questions. Needless to mention Ramandeep Kaur former student of Department of English, Panjab University provided support to update the Blog.
