On 19th May, under the grey clouds of London and a dull day, the evening suddenly brightened up and became magical for me at the House of Lords. On receiving one of the most coveted awards for excellence in poetry and extraordinary achievements from Lady Flather, the Patron, and Divya Mathur, the Chair, of Vatayan International Poetry on South Bank, I felt incredibly challenged to do more to keep it justified. Vatayan mostly honours poets from Hindi literature. I write in mainly in English and Gujarati, and occasionally in Hindi. They made me feel once gain connected to Aligarh where I also began my journey with Skylark magazine and was connected to writers there. At this event, as I was discussing Aligarh to Poet Bechain, writer Shikha Varshney and Dr Shakeb took me down the memory lane as they come from there. Appropriate to those sentiments I read one of my most celebrated Gujarati poems, Dhummas, which I wrote in Aligarh. Granted that Aligarh is associated with the Muslim culture, the writers at the House of Lords reminded me of the place that I knew of as a hub of mixed cultures and tolerance. To be a Gujarati in those days in Aligarh was not a problem as Modi had not yet been invented! The hate University of Modi had not been founded yet with the footing worldwide dragging all Gujaratis in Modi’s hated image. As a British citizen, I have been always a ‘foreigner’ and used to be stopped by police and CID in Aligarh. Nevertheless, it used to be friendly, though cornering in the streets always came at a wrong time. This allows me now to relate to how stop and search must be making the ethnic minority feel here. Yet Aligarh never made me feel as an outsider. The debates around the migrant crisis, racism, UK literary establishment’s shamefully jarred doors ajar doors to our diaspora writers, and government after government having nothing to do with the minority literature are the things still keep reminding me how Britain is still a divided nation where we have to talk as us and them! India has not done much for this ‘Hum Nehruchachake pyare’ child either.
Here is an excerpt from a poem that I wrote about my alienation.
Haunted still by the Rhythm of
Idi Amin’s army boots
Nehru’s absolute claims
Hum Nehruchachake pyare
(We are the children Nehru Uncle loves)
He meets Thelma the Thames whale
Watches in desperation
Her rescue. Then bones.
Wondering in which museum he would
Leave bones of Nehruchacha’s fêted child
The poem is entitled Disenfranchised.
Hate and disenfranchisements are two different social issues. Hate involves a passionate engagement from a negative emotional launch pad, and it can be as extreme as any religious brainwashing. A disenfranchisement is apathy. As long as there are ears, hearts and brains in the equation, the disenfranchisement can be removed with persuasions and arguments. Hate cannot be. Therefore, when it comes to racism and other issues I am hopeful for changes.
However, in consuming hate there is no hope. Loathing removes any rationale and dehumanises individuals without them being aware of it. Those who hate Modi are such uncompromising extremists. Need I say how that defines the British media?
Therefore, I salute Aligarh where a Muslim group, The Forum for Muslim Studies and Analysis, has just decided to institute a scholarship in the name of Narendra Modi. It will support Muslims from the poor background, inspired by one of Modi’s primary goals. The organisation’s director Jasim Mohammad expressed that Mr Modi is genuinely concerned about the problems the minority community faces. The British press and much of Indian media consumed by the hate game will never report such goings on including Modi addressing international Sufi conference. Hence, on the day I received the award I accredited Aligarh for questioning my hope in that if Word Masala Foundation I have established will make any difference. I am not hopeful of the British media consumed by its hate, but I have a faith in the British publishing industry that is listening to what I have to say and responding positively – though not the vast majority.
