http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/Why-brand-yourself-as-a-Dalit-poet/articleshow/10776196.cms
Why brand yourself as a Dalit poet?
TNN | Nov 18, 2011, 06.22AM IST
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Dalit poets who met here at a poetry reading
session during the Hay Festival on Thursday looked obviously
discomfited by a question on 'self-branding' from one of the audience.
After all the poets had recited their poems, a listener asked them
quoting from their poems, "If you could write so well in Malayalam,
why do you have to classify yourself? There are a lot of people who
read your poems. So why do you have to brand them as Dalit poetry?
Isn't it like willingly confining yourselves to chains? Why do you do
that?"
The quizzer went on and said, "I ask this intentionally because I want
to provoke you."
The poets just smiled, and the response was subdued. "Dalit poetry has
had strong resonance in the country. You just cannot ignore the
presence of Dalit poetry," said S Joseph.
Dalit poets like MB Manoj, Vijila Chirappad, MR Renukumar and Sunny M
Kappikad were present at the session. Sunny said it was his
disillusionment with revolutionary ideals that had eventually landed
him in the realm of poetry. "I had been an active volunteer of a
revolutionary party. Later I came to realize that the Dalit ideology
was being oozed out from the party. It was this pain that made me
write poems."
Talking about the evolution of her poetry, Vijila said, "My first poem
was a romantic one. I found it insignificant, and so tried to mould
poems around my personal experiences. Whenever I have tried to write
poems for the sake of writing, I have failed miserably. But now I know
that if your poetry is innate, it will always be valued."
Poet Sachithandan said that Dalit literature had completely
revolutionized the entire literary scenario in the country. Renukumar
narrated how he used to give a poetic touch to the love letters of his
friends during college days. "It was strange. But that was the
beginning of my poetry. Today I am a painter and a writer. I believe
that there is poetry in my paintings and vice versa."
The poets who had assembled here read from their poems like Pengalude
Swantham Bible, Swantham, Abhavam, Adukalayillatha Veedu, Pullu
Vilpanakkari and Thudippu.
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