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| Brian reads from Jasmine City: Poems from Delhi |
-Brian Mendonca
I just realized that eight years before I began my stint in Delhi in school publishing in 1997, theatre activist Safdar Hashmi was attacked while performing near Delhi on 1 Jan 1989 and died the following day.
This was brought home today by Sudhanva Deshpande, comrade of Hashmi, who took us through the street theatre of Jan Natya Manch at the 12th edition of the Goa Arts and Literature Festival (GALF) in Goa. His book Halla Bol (2020) recounts the incident. So moved was I by his testimony that I offered him a copy of my book of poems on Delhi. I ordered his book later.
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| Sudhanva narrates Hashmi. |
Delhi in the late nineties filled me with wonderment. Those plays at NSD, the majesty of India Gate, and the avenues of Aurangzeb Road were part of an experience which beguiled time. Later a road was named after the legend. It was called Safdar Hashmi Marg and it took NSD and Sree Ram Centre auditorium in its ambit.
Jasmine City: Poems from Delhi, my third book of poems, from which I read today, is framed by 'Bhairavi' (2002) written after the Gujarat riots and 'Ramzan' (2020) after the CAA agitations in Delhi.
Selecting a kurti with an Ajrakh hand-block natural dye print, emanating from Kutch and Barmer, I was in my element. Sported on blue jeans I could just be attending lectures at JNU.
What made it special were my students who were there in full strength. At the outset I distributed copies of my book in the audience asking them to select which poem they would like me to read - instead of me choosing them.
'Call Me' was the first request. Instantly, I sensed the connect this student had with this love poem, and I called on the house to enunciate the poem with me - like in class. John Samson - with whom I shared the dais - also joined in.
Another voice asked for 'Bhairavi' which we all read roiling in the imagery of the aftermath of Godhra. '3 A. M.' was the next request which we all read, lingering in the solitude of a lonely night on my barsaati in Delhi, transiting between Byron and Ghalib. 'The value of living / is experienced in encounter/ With oneself, the Heavens / the earth, the spirit' - edified us after repeating these lines which conclude 'November Moon. '
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| Anarkali |
Anarkali made her presence felt at GALF in the historical fiction on her life in the book by the same name by Sumant Batra. Set in Delhi Batra details the love of Anarkali for Emperor Akbar's son Jahangir aka Prince Salim (1569-1627).
The session brought Delhi alive in Goa. As Neruda puts it, 'Entre labios e labios e cuidades.' / Between lips and lips, are cities.
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Pic courtesy Sameeya Memon (top) and Brian Mendonca (bottom). Updated 29/2/24.
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