Contemporary Poets in Indian English-4
Keiki Daruwala, an IPS officer, has been one of the foremost poets writing in English in India. His poem “Migrations” point out the tragedy involved in migration. People migrate because of drought, epidemics or political turmoil. Passage of time makes them strangers in their earlier places. It is something emotionally unacceptable and hurts any migrant.
Also read: Jayant Mahapatra
Thinking about the past and the place abandoned makes one ‘pensive’. Just as the grandmother whom you loved in childhood faded from memory your mother too will fade from memory in course of time, says the poet. Past is frozen and nobody can get back into the past or relive the events experienced. Time moves on and takes us along whether we like it or not. Twin planes of migration from place and migration of mind in terms of time are well depicted in this poem.
Also read: Nissim Ezekiel
Also read: A. K. Ramanujan
Sri Keki Daruwalla is a living legend. He won Sahitya Akademy award for his collection of poems THE KEEPER OF DEAD, but returned it as some made controversial comments. He is also a story writer. J. P. Dutta’s Bollywood film Refugee is attributed to have been inspired by the story of Keki N. Daruwalla based around the Great Rann of Kutch titled “Love Across the Salt Desert” which is also included as one of the short stories in the School Standard XII syllabus English textbook of NCERT in India.
Personally we are good online friends through LinkedIn. He appreciates my poetry. But snubs me too saying “you slip into 19th century language.,”
One very good advice I received from him is that “you need to know what belongs to poetry and what does not.”