Narayan Surve

I will put the cosmos behind me
And unravel the knots of spacetime.

The universe plays in my yard
And knock the sun’s lagori off.

I will tie the cloud elephant to my door
And fill pitchers with ambrosia.

The wind’s top spins in my yard
And the spires of heaven (??)

I will straighten a sky bent over
And punish he who persecutes it.

The mountain and the mustard seed
Are both within me.

Such is my prowess, the prop of the universe
But am lacking for a room to my name.

 

Narayan Surve the name that inspires any one who has lived in Central Mumbai amngst mill wrkers of lalbaug and parel.I have read nly selected poems but am spellbound by the intrinsic power of his word selection.He with Namdeo Dhasal formed the backbone of ‘Vidrohi Poetry in Marathi’ which means Anti-establishment Poetry.Narayan lost his father who was a mill worker in Lalbaug area at an young age.He was brought up by his mother in dire poverty.who did petty jobs and sold vegetables.Narayan  felt that there was tremendous strength in poverty and sufferings and hoped for a social revolution which will give justice to the toiling labourers and mill workers.He although stuck and imprisioned by his fate wrote poems of ultimate freedom not only for himself but for the Marathi working classes.

 

What he desired happened only for him.He became a celebrity and recieved Padmashri Award from Government Of India and many,many more from various organisations.But is Narayan happy ?NO he saw the Mills shut down one by one.The unemployment ,the mill land being sold with no stake of the workers and the area which he adored transform into swanky business hub.

 

Narayan lost to the establishment.Although he kept writing he grew a cyniic and ultimately relocated to the small town of Neral at the foothill of Matheran.He lives there for last 3 years.On 1st May 2009 ,he was conferred the Sahayadri Navratna award.Addressing the gathering he said that he feels honoured as 1st happens to be workers Struggle day and maharashtra day as well.He had celebrated by putting toran (Garland of leaves and flowers) at his place .He said the entire riches of mumbai have been lost to the emerging culture of towers and that pains him.He said he had taken up to write about the story of poetry’Katha Kavitechi’ but may not complete it as his words have frozen.On the consistent invtation from poetry lovers from Nasik he said he is planning to move to Nasik