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Asian Voice - Saturday 27th August 2011
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Celebrating 115th Anniversary of the National Poet Jhaverchand Meghani By Jyotsna Shah Purvi Shah Jhaverchand Meghani was a noted poet, litterateur, social reformer and freedom fighter from Gujarat. He was born in Chotila, Saurashtra. Mahatma Gandhi spontaneously gave him the title of Raashtreeya Shaayar (National Poet). Besides this he received many awards like Ranjitram Suvaranachandrak and Mahida Paaritoshik in literature. He wrote more than 100 books. He was born to the Kalidas Meghani and Dholibhai family. Kalidas was in the police department of the then Kathiawad Agency, and Dholiibai was from a business background. Jhaverchand always loved to describe himself as a child of the mountain, a reference to the hilly Chotila. His father had a job that took the family to faroff outposts in different parts of Saurashtra,at
term at Junagadh and then at Bhavnagar. In 1916, he took his Bachelors degree with English and Sanksrit and became a teacher in Bhavnagar while preparing for his post-graduation. But within a year he gave up studies and went to Calcutta to join Jivanlal's aluminium company, spending three years, starting on a junior post and climbing to that of a Manager. During this period he went with his boss on a visit to England too. The boss was so impressed that he wanted to post Jhaverchand to London permanently, but the young man had different ideas. His stay in Calcutta, far from his beloved homeland of Kathiawad, became unbearable, impelling him to write on September 18,1921 a letter home, giving notice The very place where he took birth in of his coming back. police quarter, Chotila His action did not please his employers and colleagues; they wonDatha, Chamardi, Lakha dered if it was possible in Padar, Paliyad, Bagasara, Gujarat to earn a livelihood Rajkot. It was at this time, by writing. But the call of while living on mountains the inner voice was so irreand rivers, he developed a sistible that he headed back taste for folk literature and for Bagasara. folk culture. Poet Umashankar A renowned folklorist Joshi,who was a fan and a and a pioneering friend of Meghani, has researcher in the field of noted that by that time the folk-literature, he carried young may had hardly any out exhaustive exploration literary achievements to his of the folk-literature of credit.There were one or Saurashtra for many years two poems, penned perby wandering on foot, ridhaps in 1916 or 1918, but ing horses and camels, and these did not show any travelling abroad on ships. signs of what his voice was Meghani has noted that dictating. In 1918 he comhis childhood memories posed his first song “ had firmly imprinted in his Diwado jhakho bale.” psyche, boy Jhaverchand He had a poetic bend of had relished the culture fermind too and would vour and flavour of it all,and attempt writing poetry. His it left a life-long impression interest in the work of on him. Gandhiji too was aroused In his very popular in this period only. He was novel “Sorath tara vaheta one of the first to act for pani”, the charater of abolition of untouchability Dilere Dil white policeman by accepting an invitation is actually the description to break bread the of Shooter Sahib, a brave, untouchables. He also strict and highly discistarted propagating the plined senior police officer. Swadeshi commodities, At age of 2, when he such as the bathing soap went to Rajkot with his etc. Meghani's years in family. They lived in a small Calcutta exposed him to two room police quarter the rich Bengali culture, to and his father used to draw the poetry and prose of a meagre salary of 15 Tagore, to the Bengali rupees for a family of ten. stage,and the He went to a primary Brahmosamaj discourses; school in Rajkot and to a all these helped nourish his high school in Wadhwan cultural moorings. Camp and Amreli and after It brought him back, matriculation in 1912 went but he himself has noted on to join college, first for a that in 1922,"I was direc-
tionless." He persuaded Samatbhai Gadhvi to recite stories to Meghani, giving a direction to his creative urge. In 1922 Poet Meghani got married to Damayantiben. Around 1923-27 Mr Amrutlal Sheth had started a journal from Ranpur, called Saurashtra to which Meghani sent two or three pieces. Sheth recognised the potential in him and invited him to join his paper in the same year. His book publication began with Kurbanini Kathao, and that of his folk-literature with Saurashtra Ni Rasdhar. He wrote almost continuously and got fed up of journalism in 1926, and went away to stay at Bhavnagar. In 1928,he got the prestigious Ranjitram Gold Medal for his research work in folk literature. In 1930, his poetry took a nationalist colour and his poem, were addressed to Gandhi as he prepared to leave for the Round Table. Chhello Katoro Jher No Aa Pi Jajo Bapu, earned him the recognition as poet of the Nation. During the freedom fight, he composed 15
mark for himself not only in literature but also in journalism. Meghani took retirement from the journal in 1945,devoting time to writing only. He wrote Ravindraveena, providing Gujarati with Tagore's poetry and gave the worldfamous Manasai Na Diva, based on the experiences of Ravishankar Maharaj, Sarvoday leader,in reforming the Patanwadia dacoits. He chaired the section of literature in Gujarati Sahitya Parishad conference in 1946 at Rajkot. While he was in jail, he composed his Koi No Ladakvayo was based on an old English poemSomebody's Darling, and the Gujarati version turned out to be far superior to the original written by Mrs.Mary Lacoste. He completed “Sorath Santvani” in 1947, In the same vein,what he sang 65 years ago in the Dhandhuka court, a song titled Viday- farewell, was far more evocative and stirring than the original urdu, Hambhi Ghar Reh Sakate The. It is so hauntingly beautiful and true sounding, especially on the eve of the Independence Day that one might think it would be made a compulsory reciting on all such occasions, when we,as a people,tend to under-estimate what all sacrifices were needed in attaining independence. When he was writing “Kalchakra” novel in 1947, he got a massive heart attack and passed away. At that time Sardar Vallabhai said for him that
When he was an editor of “He was a brave freedom “Janmabhumi” newspaper he fighter, the guts were in had started a column “Kalam his voice and words, he aney kitab” to inspire every left this world only when comman man towards literature.
songs in praise of nation, which awakened and provoked patriotism to the extend that even government was afraid. He was therefore arrested and sent to jail for two years, but was released after serving nine months. He made a distinctive
he sensed that we have got our freedom.” Due to his popularity his grandson Shri Pinaki Nanakbhai Meghani was inspired to publish the collection of 111 folksongs on poet’s 115th birth anniversary. (For more information please see http://jhaverchandmeghani.com/)
Asian Voice, Gujarat Samachar and Sangam Women's Association will pay tribute to Rashtriya Shaayar (National Poet) Jhaverchand Meghani, on his 115th birth anniversary at Sangam Women's Association, 210 Burnt Oak Broadway, Edgware, London HA8 0AP, on Sunday 28th August 3pm for 3:30pm. If you wish to attend the event please let us know by Thursday 25th August at kamal.rao@abplgroup.com.