History of Garhwali, Kumaoni, Himalayan Literature

Pithai Pairalo Buransh : The Poems of Himalayan Concerns
( Commentary of Dr Govind Chatak on poetry Collection Pithai Puralo Buransh by Veena Pani Joshi)
Translation : Bhishma Kukreti

The poems of Veena Pani Joshi in Garhwali language poem collection Pithai Pairalo Buransh are the verses of a deep thinker, super sensitive to the society and environment, and conscious poetess. Today, wherein , many Garhwali poets are busy in creating poems of jokes and attracting audience in Kavisammelan for a while just by wordings without depth in the subjects; Veena Pani Joshi created poems on the real issues and happenings in Garhwal, India and around the world. The poems of Veena Pani Joshi are not limited to Garhwal but they are related to humanity and international panorama. At one ploe, Veena Pani tells about conventional culture of her motherland Garhwal that is the beneficial wordings of Rishis or sages and at another side, she narrates the pains, joys of new era too. She is conscious about the changes taking place around us specially the emergence of ugly non-humanitarian culture. She is the poetess of big panorama. The is auspiciousness , beneficial demand in her each poem as she demands from goddess Sarswati -- chitan ko diyo banaulun/sardha ko runwan bati chadhoulu/khairi pahad ki ansdari tel jot jagaulun/daina human.
The poems related to Garhwali women are the verses of of mother’s affection and rebellions . The Garhwali women are busy always in hard work and are the axis of Garhwal’s economy and social struture. Veena Pani sees Leonard de Vinci’s Mona Lisa in their hard works. Veena Pani Joshi does not show pity on women’s condition in Garhwal but she tries to make them aware about their super potential in the society.---teen jandari thame/gagri thame/ ganjyali gari thame/tin atp pise/ pani sare/ satti kutani rai/ utth beej-beej siyeen ni rai
Veena Pani Joshi reminds the women that there is tender Bugyal (flower beds) on the steep ascending path. Veena appreciates for never ending hard works of Garhwali women and pleas that she requires Kutali and kalam too (hoe and pen). Whole of Garhwal and himalayn area is facing a gigantic problem. There is problem of girl’s better education but more than that is after education, women are leaving the agriculture . Speedy migration is biggest dilemma in rural Himalaya and the poetess is worried and says---mund mathi bharu ni cha/thanda chullon kharu nee chh/ktali dathi harchi gen /gauna pata harchi gen
The poetess has immense affection for each part of Himalaya , all flora and fauna. In her poems, there is buransh flower ( Rhododendron flower) fuenli flowers colour the land yellow; there are kingoda, hisar, kakadi, gudadi….. There are animals as sensual, gaureya, ghughtee and there are kafu, hilans, kafal in her poems.
The poetess Veena Pani Joshi is super sensitive about wrong ecological changes by the people in Himalayan region and says if there is no water how come frogs will voice? The readers may feel if there is shradh in village the crows will never come in the village , without bride going to her sasural, kaffu bird will never be messenger. Veena Pani Joshi shows the deep relationship between the Himalayan people and flora/fauna of their area. This aspect of sensitivity is new to poetry.
Veena Pani is also insightful for changing happenings around the glob specially in Himalayan society. She narrates the loosing culture , beneficial culture and she also shows us the new benefits of changes but Veena weeps on wrong changes which are dangerous not only for Himalayan people but perilous for whole of humanity too.
In many verses, Veena Pani Joshi shows her ambiguity and shocks for the new unheard, unseen political perplexities and social turmoil by new changes very effectively and those poems are capable for stirring the readers . Veena Pani is shocked the readers when she shows in her poems that that the responsible authorities for Ganges Cleaning Project search for bottled mineral water near the bank of Ganges.
It is always dangerous to write on contemporary subjects because the creative becomes the enemy of authorities and atrocious commanders of society and religions. However, Veena Pani does not hesitate to pen down the contemporary paradoxes of politics, society and religions. Her writings show that she is super susceptible for the society and environment .
There is rhythm, there is complete poetic form, sensitivity, simplicity to understand the meanings, beauty, harmony in her poems as her father late Chakradhar Bahuguna had in his poems.
Pithai Pairalo Buransh is a remarkable collection of Garhwali language poems and is very excellent sign for Himalayan concern and Himalayan languages literature .

Copyright @ Bhishma Kukreti, Mumbai, India