Editor:contemporaryvibes@gmail.com
Contemporary Vibes July-Sept 2013,Chandigarh
A.K. CHOUDHARY
in an interview
with Prof. NDR Chandra ,
Vice Chancellor, Bastar
University, Chhatisgarh .
Arbind
Kumar Choudhary, the prominent
poet, renowned reviewer,
celebrated critic and
the eminent editor,
has been glittering
at the literary
horizon with his
more than 1200
piercing poems in
English including nine
poetry collections and
two refereed literary
journals - Kohinoor (ISSN
0973-6395) and Ayush (ISSN 0974-8075) known
globally amidst the
writers. His poems have
been published in
U.K, Canada
, Malta, Cyprus, Greece, Mongolia and
a number of
foreign web journals. His interviews appeared thrice
in Malta and
Poetcrit,
Kafla-Intercontinental,
Mandakini, All Round, Literati, Notions, Voice
of Kolkata, Indian
Ruminations, Research Vistas,
Literary Jewels, and many others
in India. What is
the unique poetic
aspect of his
works is description of
his philosophy of
life in ‘Melody’,
theory of nature
in ‘Nature’, philosophy
of love in
‘Love’ and philosophy of
poetry in ‘The Poet’. The critics
have presented their
research papers and
critical views in
a number of
UGC sponsored National
Seminars. Poetic Pigments
of A.K. Choudhary,
a critical anthology
on his poetical
works, brings to
light many dark
and hidden aspects
of his poetic
world. Teresinka Pereira, Kurt F Svatek, Joy Rainey
King, B.M.Jackson, Patrick J Sammut, Prof SCDwivedi, Prof Mahendra
Bhatnagar, Prof DTKDutta, Mahashweta Chaturvedi, B.K.Dubey,
Biplab Majumdar, Shujaat
Hussain and many
others including myself
have evaluated his poetry books
from various angles.
Shujaat Hussain justifies
his poetic personality in
toto:“If we
go through the
quatrains of Dr. Arbind,
by power, theme and
temperament he is
the most Arbindian
soul and spirit. He is Arbindian
in his conception, style and
structure of the
kingdom of poetry.”
His innovative Arbindonian style
will continue to
ring in the
womb of time.
He has been
honoured with a
number of titles – Indian Keats,
Phrasal King, Quatrain
King, Indian sonneteer,
Poets’ poet, bard,
poet of the
soul, editor of the
editors, poet of
the paupers and many
others that speaks
volumes about his
poetic charismatic personality. Dr Choudhary
has been awarded
with Life Time
Achievement Award , 2010
by International Poets
Academy , Chennai, Mandakini
Award, 2011 by International Poetry
Society of Bareilly
and Editor of
the Best Literary
Journal, 2011 & 2012 by International Writers
and Artists Association , USA
and W.P.Q, China. His
name has been
enlisted in Cambridge Dictionary of
English Writers (2009),
World Poetry Almanac (2008) , Mongolia, Contemporary Poets, 2011 and
English Poetry in India,
2012.
Excerpts
:
Q.1.NDR: What are the dominant and recurrent themes of
your poems?
AKC:
Ecological disorder, environmental pollution, emotional exploitation, discrimination, suffering, nature, life, love,
death, friendship etc are the main
themes of my
poems. The capital idea of my
writings is to
arouse literary sensation
to Tom, Dick and
Harry across the
globe. The social hypocrisy,
exploitation,
deforestation, dehumanization
etc. are the main
contents of my
creative world.
Q.2.NDR:What
are the reasons
that cultivated your
spirit towards the
poetic world?
AKC:
Poetry is my
passion and it
germinates and grows
as naturally as
the child to
a mother. It is
the result of
the inner urges
that takes shape
in black and
white. The suffering society ,
the paling pauper
, discrimination, exploitation , humiliation , emotional
exploitation , and natural
disaster are
the things that not only
haunt my mind
time and again, but
also stir to support
the deprived voices against
these evil
forces. Creation needs neither norms
nor privileges.
It germinates
every where in
all circumstances .
Q3.
NDR: How do you
get inspiration from
Nature? What is your philosophy
of nature? Comment.
AKC: Nature is the universal code of conduct
and all human
beings must honour
and
embrace it for
the sake of better
future of our peeping generations. It is Nature that sends the musers in the seventh
heaven for the ecological
music on this ailing
earth where tempestuous
wind of the materialistic
nebulosity overwhelms the human
beings. The sun spins a yarn of Darwin.
The starry fays
stirs the mays for gala
days. The sun is the stallion while
the moon is the
matron. The staring
spring, wintry cheese, summer’s honey
breath, menstrual flood
etc are the
things that tickle
my poetic heart
for literary sensation
in life. Natural sanctity
is the prime
wealth of this
world and all
living beings are
the adopted child
of nature.
Q.4.NDR: What
is the philosophy
of your life ?What
is the ultimate goal
of your poetic
life? Explain in few lines.
AKC :
Life that is
the blossomed flower
is ever
beautiful and fragrant. The main motive
of my life is to spread
the message of peace,
brotherhood and friendship
amidst all living
beings on
this ailing earth. Secondly, to arouse the world through
my creative works
is the part and
parcel of my life. Thirdly, the proper
utilization of the
precious time for the sake of
the common masses is the part
of my life.
Poetry is my passion
in life. As a
result I try
my best to
spread the
fragrance of my
poetic garden for Tom, Dick
and Harry. In a nutshell I
want to see
life spiritually prosperous
and divine amidst
the stormy earthly
winds blowing across
the continent.
Q.5.NDR: What is your
philosophy of suffering ?Give your comment if any.
AKC :Tribulation is
a curse for
them who believe
in the carpe
diem theory. The treasury
of the misery
is an infantry for the
corking time of the
sophistry. Suffering is the
spiritual vision of the
saintly life for
the exploration of
the new vistas
of knowledge. God is
a saving grace
for those burning
in furnace. Struggle is
life, idleness is death.
“Paupers are not the time’s fool,
But
time’s best jewel.
The
palmy days of life
Is the felicity of
strife.”(My Songs, p.26)
Q6. NDR: What
is your concept
of Love? Elaborate
it.
AKC :Love is the
spiritual feeling of the living
beings that lies in pure
heart and sound
mind. It is the
fragrance of life
that blooms only
in perfect psyche. The immortal love episode of Radha and Krishna, Sita and Ram, Laila
and
Majnu, Heer and Rangha and many others
spread the fragrance of the love’s nectar for the generations
next to them. Love
is the jewel
of the amative,
for the amative
and by the
amative. It is
universal gift for
all living beings
in general and
human beings in
particular that sends
only in the
seventh heaven. Modern
men are deeply
influenced from the
power of wealth,
money and ego.
People seek love
in women, in
wealth and in
sheath of the
sword. Those human
beings who are
really in love
love whole beings
of the
earth . The climax
of love lies
in spiritual union
with the divine.
The sensuous pleasure,
lust for wealth,
the world of
earth hunger and
marriage try its
best to robe
the beauty of
love on the
name of Love .
Those who are
in love are
the most lucky
men of this
world. Here is a rhymed quatrain
that spreads
the fragrance of the spiritual
love.
“ The incense
of Mary’s sight
Is a vital
feelings of delight
Over the fatal
feelings of delight
For the embroidered
Knight.”(Love,p.46)
Q.7. NDR: Whom
do you consider
better capital idea or
style ?
AKC:
Capital idea is
the bride and
style is her
ornaments that enhances
the blooming beauty
to its climax.
Style is to
enhance the poetic
beauty of the
capital idea the
poet implies in
the poems. Style may
change, but capital
idea needs sensation
rather than alteration .
Q. 8. NDR:
What does literature
mean to you ?
Do you think
it has relevance to
our day to day lives ?
Does it have
anything to do
with all that
is happening around
us.
AKC: Literature
is the call
of nature for
the florescence of
the humanity on
this strife-stricken earth.
It is to
fire the imagination of
Tom, Dick
and Harry in
general and poetry
lovers in particular for
the divine message
of universal brotherhood and
tranquility. Literature is
the soul of
my fleshy life
that keeps me
ever in the
seventh heaven. The
poetic paysage shapes
the materialistic fellows
for the spiritual message
of the sages.
It reflects not
only the ups
and downs of
the day today
lives but also
stirs the spirits for
spiritual sanctity. It
is only the
literary world through
which the shaping
spirits frame of
minds of all
those suffering from
viper thoughts for
a counsel of
perfection.
The pulp
literature that spreads
like wild fire
gives heart failure
to the sensitive
souls. It is
also one of
the root cause
of the immorality
of the existing generation across
the globe.
Q9. NDR: What
is the purpose
of your creative works?
AKC:
Creation unlocks
the mystery of
the universe that
is the most precious
wealth of the
society. Creation goes on as
naturally as the
fragrance to the
flower. All poetical devices
are secondary. The intense joy
that the creator enjoys goes over the head of the critic and
the general readers. This ecstasy can be
realized, not expressed in
black and white. To
sooth the ailing
hearts through the
crack of Nature’s
lock is the
main motto of
my poetry . It is clearly
sung here :
“To unlock
Nature’s lock
Is the wisecrack
Of the flock.”(The Poet,p.12 )
Q10. NDR: How do you comment upon the mythical
characters of your
poems?
AKC :I have
gone through western
mythical world in
general and Greek and Roman
in particular. I have been reading
about Indian mythical
and historical heroes/heroines from
my childhood. The Indian and
western mythical characters
bloom side by side across
my poetic grove. All
these mythical characters
enrich my poetic
beauty to a
great extent. I am
indebted to all
these Indian and
western classical writers
who added fuel to my creative
flames for the
poetic perfection in
life.
Q.11. NDR: How do you rate the present day poetry/ fiction?
AKC :
Creative writings has
come of age
now a days
because Indian English
poets in general
and novelists in
particular have established their
credit at the global
level though they
are deprived of
required privileges in
comparison with their
western counterparts. However,
Indian English writing
has to do
a lot for
its upgradation, globalization and
perfection.
Q12.NDR: What
are the most tormenting things
for Indian English writers?
AKC :
Surprisingly government aided
statuary bodies such
as The UGC, Sahitya Academy,
and many others
take little interest
in helping the
peeping poets/writers nor
can they arrange
proper platform for
assessment of them.
Q.13.NDR: How
do you react
about North Eastern
Indian English Writers ?
AKC: North-
East India has
produced a galaxy
of English writers – Mitra Phukan ,
Mamang Dai, Dhruba
Hazarika, Ananya S Guha, Rupanjali
Baruah, B.R.Barman, Temsula Ao, T.
Bijay Singh, Hare Krishna
Deka, Bipin Patsani,
and many more.
Penguin, Rupa , and Harper
Collins have published
many of them,
but they are
little known in
the popular psyche
of the masses
inside and outside
region . Even North –East based
Universities take little
notice of their own
sons/daughters of the
soil so far
curriculum is concerned . North –Eastern English
Writers are the
most neglected voices
of this region.
Q.14.NDR:Can
you claim that
natural beauty is
blooming in this
N.E. Region ?
AKC: North
–Eastern Region is
the heaven of the
earth so far
natural beauty is
concerned that blooms
beyond vision.
Unfortunately this heavenly
land is bleeding
due to terrorism,
regionalism and demographical disorder .
Q15. NDR: What
is The Satra ? What
is its significance ?
AKC :
The Satra is
the pious place
for Vaishnavite cult
and centre of
wisdom in Assam
in general and
Majuli in particular. To propagate
the message of universal
brotherhood amidst all
living beings of
this planet is
the message of
all Satras. It is
mandatory for all
living Bhagats (monks) to
remain ever bachelor
so long they
are in the Satras.
However there are
few Satras that
allow the Bhagats
to do double
duty at a
time. It is also
memorable that nuns
( female priests) are not
allowed to observe
their duties as
the nuns in
the Satras.
Q16.NDR: Quote
a quatrain that
brings out your
autobiographical materials?
AKC: ‘The Ganga’ is one
of my best
autobiographical poems. Here
is an autobiographical quatrain:
“The Ganga's odour
Is a good humour
For the Vidur
Of
Sirajpur.”(Nature Poems,p.23)
Q.17. NDR: Some
critics call you
Indian Keats? How can
you justify it ?
AKC: I am
neither critics’s critic
nor Indian Keats.
Romantic elements in
general and Keats’
in particular run
throughout my poetic
veins that makes
my poems fragrant
worldwide. My poetic
heart lies in
romantic rather than
classical world.
Q18. NDR: Some
critics call you
a phrasal king in English
poetry. Give an example
if any:
AKC: I
have nothing to
do with phrasal
king or queen.
But the phrasal
words are found
in plenty across
my poetic works
besides compound, explored,
proverbial and mythical
words. Here is a quatrain
in which three
phrases are wreathed
artistically.
“The fancy
work
Is a high water
mark
For the donkey work
Of the shirk.”(Love,p.20)
Q.19. NDR: Do
you have a
specific writing style?
What is your
innovative style ? Give an
example of it.
AKC:
Rhymed verse is
my favorite poetic
style. However, you can
find many of
my poems in
free verse too.
Apart from rhymed
verses there are a
number of other
poetic qualities such
as plenty of
the phrasal words, and
the proverbial sentences,
mythical blending, compound
words and many
others all through
my poetic grove. To
maintain the ascending
order of the
alphabets in a
stanza is my
innovative racy style
across my poetic
works.
“The liven
moon
Is the
noon
For the
osculation
Of the
helion.” (Nature,P.23)
The ascending
order of l
(liven)-m (moon)-n (noon)-o
(osculation) in a
quatrain is my
explored style to
the literary world. Here
is a stanza
that is quoted
from ‘The Poet’ (2011) :
“ The enigma, facetiae and
genre
Heal the
infidel’s conjecture
That enrich
the oeuvre
Of the
father- figure.” (The Poet,p.43)
One can
find the sequence
of the alphabet-
e, f, g, h and I in a
single stanza besides
the rhymed quatrain.
Q.20.NDR: What
has been the
response from readers
and reviewers so
far to your
poetry collections are
concerned?
AKC: I got
myself interviewed for
21 literary journals
and anthologies besides
more than 100
criticisms and reviews
published on my poems
in journals, books, websites and
anthologies by prominent
poets, professors, philosophers and
critics. Is it
good or no?
I do not
know.
Q.21.NDR:As a writer, do you see
yourself belonging to some tradition ?
AKC :Creation
rarely invites categorization or literary
similarity nor is
it mandatory to be in the
line of some
traditions / movements of writings.
Majority of my poems
are in meter, but few
of them are
also in free-verse.
I don’t want
to be the
mere puppets of
the writers writing
in any styles
now a days.
However
I leave the answer
of this question
for the critics
who will go
through all my
works and will
assess of belonging
if any.
Q.22.NDR:How
do you paint
the contemporary political
scenario ? How much do you expect from
them for literary
prosperity?
AKC:
You can
take an example
of our modern
leader who is the product
of caste, creed
and compromise. Everyone can
enjoy his/her caricature
described in my poem ‘Leader’. What can one expect more
from such sorts
of people?
A wolf in sheep’s clothing
Sheds crocodile tears for the suffering.
O Blood sucker of the sufferer!
Your name is Leader.(My Songs,p.18)
Q.24.NDR: Do
you have any
advice for other
writers?
AKC:
The writers are expected to
be impersonal while
dealing with the
subjects and harsh
critical comments. They
must be true
to their inordinate
passion of writing.
Ignore comments of
those who lack
proficiency in their
respective fields. Be
voracious reader and
highly sensitive. Fortune will
embrace your poetic potion;
if writing becomes
your passion rather
than profession.
His Famous Works:
1. Eternal Voices (2007), 2.Universal
Voices (2008),
3.My Songs (2008), 4.Melody
(2009),
5.Nature
Poems (2010), 6.Love Poems
(2010),
7. Love (2011), 8.
Nature (2011),
9. The Poet (2011),10.Leader (Press),
11.Haiku (Press), and 12.Majuli
(Press)
Editor of the
Journals:
1.Kohinoor(ISSN
0973-6395)2.Ayush (ISSN 0974-8075)
+part..JPG)
