My first introduction to Shiv Batalvi came when I chanced upon the song “Mai Ni mai main ik shikra yaar banaya” sung by Pushpa Hans. The song was so poignant, and Pushpa Hans' crystal clear voice added to the pathos of the lyrics. We were intrigued by the word “Shikra”. Research indicates that “shikra’ is a bird that, once it abandons its nest, never returns there to nest again. Of course, the initial curiosity about understanding the song led inevitably to the man who had composed it – and that man is Shiv Batalvi.
Shiv was born in 1936 into a Brahmin family in Pakistan. The family moved to Batala after partition. Shiv died in 1973 at the age of 36 and his young life encapsulates tremendous talent nurtured in an otherwise ordinary Punjabi life. Shiv’s father was a “patwari” – the lowest ranking, but not the least powerful, revenue official in the hierarchy of Government officials. Shiv passed the matriculation (grade 10) exam from Punjab University but never finished college. His father managed to get Shiv a job as a “patwari”but it didn't last long. Shiv moved to Chandigarh where he worked in the State Bank of India but his main focus remained his poetry.
Shiv was fond of drinking and, according to one of the many legends that surround his young life, he would recite his poetry, in a state of drunkenness, at the traffic round-about in Madhya Marg, Chandigarh, for the benefit of anyone who was willing to listen.
Shiv’s poetry is characterized by an overwhelming sense of loneliness and loss. Some of his finest love poems are believed to have been written to lament his love for the daughter of Gurbaksh Singh “Preetlari” who was married off to someone in the United States . The poem “mai ni mai main ik shikra yaar banaya” is said to refer to her leaving India for the US .
Shiv Batalvi has emerged as a major Punjabi poet and has been likened to Waris Shah. His epic poem, Loona, is now recommended reading for Punjabi literature courses in both Punjabi and Punjab Universities. Don’t miss out on this great Punjabi poet! Even if you do not know how to read Punjabi you can listen to some of his finest poetry in the album titled "Birhan Da Sultan" by Jagjit and Chitra Singh. My personal favorites on this album: Eh Mera Geet Kise Na Gaona, Rog Ban Ke Reh Gaya Pyar Tere Shehar Da and, of course, Mai ni Mai.
Shiv often recited Asaan taan joban rutey marna – was it a death foretold? or the expression of a death wish stemming from some deep sorrow that found expression in his poetry? Although the image of Shiv as the eternally suffering lover heightens the aura of tragic love around Shiv's poetry, Shiv himself denied any connection between his personal emotions and his poetry and was supposed to have been happily married.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Punjab shocks on child malnutrition and stunting.
Here is a SHOCKER! Punjab, the breadbasket of India, a state we are so proud of, has devastating statistics on the health of women and children.
The Tribune, the English daily published out of Chandigarh, reports that over 80 per cent of infants in Punjab are anemic, every second child is stunted and every third child is undernourished.
The article quotes the state wise reports from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3) 2005-2006 that became available recently. According to this article, the NFHS survey conducted under the stewardship of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare government of India, shows 80 per cent of the children in Punjab in the age group six months to three years are anemic. Surprisingly in both Punjab and Haryana more than 60 per cent of the children of educated mothers have been found to be anemic and 37 per cent of the children under 5 are stunted, one in ten is wasted and almost one fourth are underweight. Thirty-eight percent women in Punjab suffer from anemia. The child mortality rate (1-5 years) is particularly high for girls in Punjab. While 6 boys (per 1000) die before they are five years old, as many as 16 girls die before they are five.
The bias against the girl child also shows up in the vaccination trends ascertained by the surveys. In Punjab, only 54 per cent of girls between the age of one to two years, compared to 65 per cent boys in the same age group, are fully vaccinated.
What can be done to correct this? Why do we, who pride ourselves on being such a progressive community, allow this to happen in our midst? Clearly this situation has not arisen due to shortage of food, or poverty. Is it a result of ignorance and social bias against women who as care givers of infants and children do not have free access to food for themselves or their children? Whatever be the reasons it is a shame for all Punjabis. What does this say for the future of our community?
The Tribune, the English daily published out of Chandigarh, reports that over 80 per cent of infants in Punjab are anemic, every second child is stunted and every third child is undernourished.
The article quotes the state wise reports from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3) 2005-2006 that became available recently. According to this article, the NFHS survey conducted under the stewardship of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare government of India, shows 80 per cent of the children in Punjab in the age group six months to three years are anemic. Surprisingly in both Punjab and Haryana more than 60 per cent of the children of educated mothers have been found to be anemic and 37 per cent of the children under 5 are stunted, one in ten is wasted and almost one fourth are underweight. Thirty-eight percent women in Punjab suffer from anemia. The child mortality rate (1-5 years) is particularly high for girls in Punjab. While 6 boys (per 1000) die before they are five years old, as many as 16 girls die before they are five.
The bias against the girl child also shows up in the vaccination trends ascertained by the surveys. In Punjab, only 54 per cent of girls between the age of one to two years, compared to 65 per cent boys in the same age group, are fully vaccinated.
What can be done to correct this? Why do we, who pride ourselves on being such a progressive community, allow this to happen in our midst? Clearly this situation has not arisen due to shortage of food, or poverty. Is it a result of ignorance and social bias against women who as care givers of infants and children do not have free access to food for themselves or their children? Whatever be the reasons it is a shame for all Punjabis. What does this say for the future of our community?
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