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बीच का रास्ता नहीं होता
Pash’s 81 poems edited and translated from Punjabi by Prof Chaman Lal with an introduction by Namvar Singh is published by Rajkamal Prakashan.
189 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
29 people are currently reading
339 people want to read
About the author
Avtar Singh Paash
11 books45 followersPash or Paash (ਅਵਤਾਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਪਾਸ਼; September 9, 1950 – March 23, 1988) was the pen name of Avtar Singh Sandhu,[1] one of the major poets of the Naxalite movement in the Punjabi literature of the 1970s. He was killed by Khalistani terrorists on March 23, 1988.[2] His strongly left-wing views were reflected in his poetry.
He was born in Talwandi Sajjlem, Jalandhar, Punjab, growing up in the midst of Naxalite; a revolutionary movement waged in Punjab against the landlords, industrialists, traders, etc. who control the means of production. He published his first book of revolutionary poems, Loh-Katha (Iron Tale), in 1970. His militant and provocative tone raised the ire of the establishment and a murder charge was brought against him. He spent nearly two years in jail, before being finally acquitted.
On acquittal, he became involved in Punjab's maoist front, editing a literary magazine, Siarh (The Plow Line). He became a popular political figure on the left during this period, and was awarded a fellowship at the Punjabi Academy of Letters in 1985. He toured the United Kingdom and the United States the following year; while in U.S., he became involved with the Anti-47 Front, opposing Sikh extremist violence.
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pash )
He was born in Talwandi Sajjlem, Jalandhar, Punjab, growing up in the midst of Naxalite; a revolutionary movement waged in Punjab against the landlords, industrialists, traders, etc. who control the means of production. He published his first book of revolutionary poems, Loh-Katha (Iron Tale), in 1970. His militant and provocative tone raised the ire of the establishment and a murder charge was brought against him. He spent nearly two years in jail, before being finally acquitted.
On acquittal, he became involved in Punjab's maoist front, editing a literary magazine, Siarh (The Plow Line). He became a popular political figure on the left during this period, and was awarded a fellowship at the Punjabi Academy of Letters in 1985. He toured the United Kingdom and the United States the following year; while in U.S., he became involved with the Anti-47 Front, opposing Sikh extremist violence.
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pash )
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 9, 2017
कविता बहुत ही शक्तिहीन हो गई है
जबकि हथियारों के नाखून बुरी तरह बढ़ आए हैं
और अब हर तरह की कविता से पहले
हथियारों से युद्ध करना बहुत ज़रूरी हो गया है.
My papa bought this collection of Pash’s poetry in 1989. It has 81 of his 130 available poems. This was the first edition of this publication - I am told it is still in print, I have not checked. I had read these poems many years back, probably when I was still in school and had little understanding of either poetry or struggle. Over the years, whatever little experience I have gained and the short journey through various books that I have made to reach back to Pash’s बीच का रास्ता नहीं होता has given the work many new meanings for me.
Pash chooses imagery which is uniquely his own. Many a critic would say he strings together images that do not work together. But Pash has a way of being very direct, he tells you exactly what he wants to - in as little words as necessary. He wants to keep it real, always:
हम झूठ-मूठ का कुछ भी नहीं चाहते
और हम सब कुछ सचमुच का देखना चाहते हैं
ज़िन्दगी, समाजवाद या कुछ और...
This directness is what made him a dangerous poet. They called him India's Lorca. They killed him when he was all of 37 years, just like they killed Lorca. But his directness has made him one of the greatest poets that the world has ever produced. Pash was killed on March 23, 1988. He had even written a poem titled March 23 - about a revolutionary being killed. It isn't just Hemingway who could predict his death:
और सुना है मेरा क़त्ल भी इतिहास के आने वाले पन्ने पर अंकित है.
I would be remiss if I don't mention the one poem of his that, as some of my friends here would know, inspired me to write my own poems. Some directly referencing two lines here:
सबसे खतरनाक होता है
मुर्दा शान्ति से भर जाना
न होना तड़प का सब सहन कर जाना
घर से निकलना काम पर
और काम से लौटकर घर जाना
सबसे खतरनाक होता है
हमारे सपनों का मर जाना.
Also, it is his birthday today. I read the collection in a single sitting just now. His poems are still relevant, I don't think it is because of the power of poetry. It is rather because of the failure of our nation.
जबकि हथियारों के नाखून बुरी तरह बढ़ आए हैं
और अब हर तरह की कविता से पहले
हथियारों से युद्ध करना बहुत ज़रूरी हो गया है.
My papa bought this collection of Pash’s poetry in 1989. It has 81 of his 130 available poems. This was the first edition of this publication - I am told it is still in print, I have not checked. I had read these poems many years back, probably when I was still in school and had little understanding of either poetry or struggle. Over the years, whatever little experience I have gained and the short journey through various books that I have made to reach back to Pash’s बीच का रास्ता नहीं होता has given the work many new meanings for me.
Pash chooses imagery which is uniquely his own. Many a critic would say he strings together images that do not work together. But Pash has a way of being very direct, he tells you exactly what he wants to - in as little words as necessary. He wants to keep it real, always:
हम झूठ-मूठ का कुछ भी नहीं चाहते
और हम सब कुछ सचमुच का देखना चाहते हैं
ज़िन्दगी, समाजवाद या कुछ और...
This directness is what made him a dangerous poet. They called him India's Lorca. They killed him when he was all of 37 years, just like they killed Lorca. But his directness has made him one of the greatest poets that the world has ever produced. Pash was killed on March 23, 1988. He had even written a poem titled March 23 - about a revolutionary being killed. It isn't just Hemingway who could predict his death:
और सुना है मेरा क़त्ल भी इतिहास के आने वाले पन्ने पर अंकित है.
I would be remiss if I don't mention the one poem of his that, as some of my friends here would know, inspired me to write my own poems. Some directly referencing two lines here:
सबसे खतरनाक होता है
मुर्दा शान्ति से भर जाना
न होना तड़प का सब सहन कर जाना
घर से निकलना काम पर
और काम से लौटकर घर जाना
सबसे खतरनाक होता है
हमारे सपनों का मर जाना.
Also, it is his birthday today. I read the collection in a single sitting just now. His poems are still relevant, I don't think it is because of the power of poetry. It is rather because of the failure of our nation.
June 23, 2022
A great collection of poems that scream rebellion. They are bold, they are powerful, they speak the truth in its bare form and do not shy away from being politically controversial. Also, there could've been no better title to the book.
Loved it.
Loved it.
October 2, 2022
I would write more about this genius but I do not think I am worthy. Paash needs to be experienced at least once in our lifetimes. If possible, several times.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews