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Love in the Time of Nationalism

In the 13th edition of Bards of Resistance, read the powerful verses of Kannada poet Manjula Hulikunte

Manjula Hulikunte|Aug 20, 2017, 10:22:33 IST

Editor's Note: Naked display of dissent straddles the boundary that separates fear from revolution. For India's Dalits, this proclamation of dissent has assumed many forms, both passive and combative. It has mutated over the millennia before BR Ambedkar prodded the word Dalit into mainstream consciousness, and transformed anew since then. Some things have not changed — songs remain the sinew of Dalit protest in almost all its configurations. And the lyrics that sew these together continue to serve as a manifesto of resistance. The poems in this series, drawn from Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi and curated by Krupa Ge, founding editor of The Madras Mag, represent the prosody of contemporary Dalit literature. They are accompanied by Chennai artist Satwik Gade's illustrations.In the 13th edition of this series, meet Kannada poet Manjula Hulikunte. Manjula Hulikunte was born in Hulikunte, located in the Doddaballapur taluk of Bengaluru Rural district. She pursued her Masters in journalism from Baduku Community College. In 2016, Manjula won the Dr CV Vatsaladevi Memorial Award conferred by the Karnataka Lekhakiyara Sangha to an upcoming poet in Kannada. She has edited a book discussing the rights of youths titled 'Heading koDi' and her articles have been published in the 'Subaltern Studies' series published by the Karnataka Sahitya Akademi. Mallika's first poetry collection is scheduled to be released in September 2017.

**ದೇಶ ಹೊತ್ತಿ ಉರಿಯುವಾಗಇವಳು ಸುಮ್ಮನೆ ಪ್ರೇಮಕವಿತೆ ಬರೆಯುತ್ತಾಳೆಂದುಯಾರಾದರೂ ಜಾರಿಯಬಹುದಲ್ಲವೇ...ತಪ್ಪೇನಿದೆ..ಬೆಂಕಿ ಹಚ್ಚುವವವರ ನಡುವೆಬೆಳಕಿನ ಕುರಿತು ಕವಿತೆ ಕಟ್ಟುತ್ತೇನಷ್ಟೆ..ಪ್ರೇಮ ಎಲ್ಲರೆದೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಅರಳಿದ ದಿನಈ ದೇಶದ ಕುರಿತೇ ಕವಿತೆ ಬರೆಯುತ್ತೇನೆ..ಅಲ್ಲಿಯವರೆಗೂಪ್ರೇಮ, ವಿರಹದ ಕವಿತೆಗಳಿಗಷ್ಟೇ ನನ್ನ ಸಾಲಿರಲಿಸತ್ತವನ ಹೆಣದ ಮುಂದಷ್ಟೇ ಹುಟ್ಟುವದೇಶಭಕ್ತಿಯ ಹುಚ್ಚು ನನ್ನ ಆವರಿಸದಿರಲಿಬಡವರ ಮಕ್ಕಳ ರಕ್ತದಿಂದ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠವೆನಿಸುವ ದೇಶಭಕ್ತಿಕಂಡವರ ಅಪಮಾನಿಸಿ ಹುಟ್ಟುವ ದೇಶಪ್ರೇಮಇದಾವುದಕ್ಕೂ ನನ್ನ ಅಕ್ಷರವನ್ನು ಅಡವಿಡಲಾರೆನಾನು ಕನಸುವುದು ಕನವರಿಸುವುದುಪ್ರೇಮವನ್ನಷ್ಟೇ ತುಂಬಿಕೊಂಡಿರುವ ದೇಶವೊಂದನ್ನ...

I write poems of lovewhile the nation is burning.This might anger a lot many…What is wrong?I write poems about spreading lightamidst people who set fire.The day love flowers in every heartI will certainly write about the nation.Until thenlet my words be reserved for poems on love and separation.May I not be filled with the maddening nationalismthat takes wings only before the corpses.Let my words not be at the service ofa nationalism that is valued more thanthe blood of a poor mana nationalism that feeds itselfby humiliating humans.I dream and speak only ofa country whose heart is filled with love.[imgcenter]

[/imgcenter]ನನ್ನ ಮೇಲೆಗುಮಾನಿಗಳಿದ್ದರಬನ್ನಿ ಎದುರುಗೊಳ್ಳಿಅಥವಾ…ಎದುರಾಗದೇ ಗುಸುಗುಸುಗಳಲ್ಲೇಅಳೆವುದಾದರೆನನ್ನ ಅಳೆಯಬಹುದಾದತೂಕದ ತಕ್ಕಡಿ ನಿಮ್ಮಲ್ಲುಂಟೆಂದು ಸಾಬೀತುಪಡಿಸಿ.ಇಲ್ಲನಿಮ್ಮ ಮುಖೇಡಿತನದ ಮುಖವಾಡಗಳಿಗೆನನ್ನ ಉತ್ತರದ ಬೆನ್ನೇ ಆಗಬೇಕಿದ್ದರೆಇಗೋ ಬರೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳಿ...ನಾನು ಧನಿಕರ ಮನೆಯ ಹೆಣ್ಣಲ್ಲನನ್ನವ್ವ ನನ್ನ ಚಂದದತೊಟ್ಟಿಲಿನಲ್ಲಿಟ್ಟು ತೂಗಲೇ ಇಲ್ಲನಿತ್ಯ ಕೂಲಿ ಮಾಡಿಯೇ ಬದುಕುವ ಅವಳಎದೆಯಾಲಿಗೂ ದೂರವಾಗಿಪುಟ್ಟ ಅಕ್ಕನ ಹರಿದ ಲಂಗದಲ್ಲಿಮುದುರಿ ಮಲಗಿದವಳುನನ್ನ ಸಾವಿನೊಂದಿಗಿನ ನಂಟುಹುಟ್ಟಿನಿಂದಲೇ ಹತ್ತಿದ್ದುಅಣ್ಣನೆದೆಯ ಕ್ರಾಂತಿಗೀತೆಗಳೇ ನನ್ನ ಕಂಠಪಾಠಸೂತಕದ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿನಿಲ್ಲದ ತೂತು ಜೋಳಿಗೆಯ ಹಾಡುಕೇರಿಯ ಕೊನೆಯಲ್ಲಿನಿತ್ಯ ಆಳುವವರ ನೋವಿಗೆನಿಟ್ಟುಸಿರಿಡುತ್ತಲೆ ಬೆಳೆದವಳುಹೂ೦ಇನ್ನೂ ಗುಮಾನಿ ಇದ್ದರೆನನ್ನ ರಕ್ತದ ಬಣ್ಣ 'ಕೆಂಪು'ಅವಮಾನಗಳಲ್ಲೇಸ್ವಾಭಿಮಾನದ ಬದುಕು'ನೀಲಿ'ಗಟ್ಟಿದ್ದೂ ಸುಳ್ಳಲ್ಲ.ಹಸಿವು, ನೋವುಖಾಲಿತನಗಳ ತುಂಬಾಬುದ್ಧ, ಬಸವ, ಅಕ್ಕ, ಅಲ್ಲಮಕೊನೆಗೆ ಮಹಾಭಾರತದ ಕೃಷ್ಣೆರಾಮಾಯಣದ ಸೀತೆಯಾವನದೋ ಕಾಮಕ್ಕೆ ಕಲ್ಲಾದ ಅಹಲ್ಯೆಎಲ್ಲ ಎಲ್ಲರನ್ನೂ ಎದೆಗೆಳೆದುಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದೇನೆ.ನಿಮ್ಮ ಧರ್ಮಗಳ ಹಿಂದೆಅಲೆದಲೆದು ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾಣದಸಮತ್ವಕ್ಕೆ ಬೇಸತ್ತುಕೊನೆಗೆ ಅಂಬೇಡಿಗರನ ಹಾದಿ ಹಿಡಿದಿದ್ದೇನೆಇಲ್ಲಿ ಸಮಾನತೆಯ ಕನಸುತ್ತಲೇಬದುಕಿನ ಧರ್ಮಕ್ಕೆ ಮುಖಮಾಡಿದ್ದೇನೆಇನ್ನೂ ಗುಮಾನಿಗಳಿದ್ದರೆ...ಹೌದುಆಳವಾಗಿ ಅದೆಷ್ಟೋ ಬಾರಿ ಒಲವಾಗಿದೆಹೇಳಲಾಗದೆ ಕಳೆದೂ ಹೋಗಿದೆಒಂದಿಷ್ಟು ವಿರಹ, ಪ್ರೇಮನೋವು ಎಲ್ಲವೂ ಇದೆಬೆರಳ ತುದಿಯ ಮೋಹಕಣ್ಣಂಚಿನ ಮಿಂಚುಎದೆಯಾಳದ ಮುಗ್ಧತೆಎಲ್ಲವನ್ನೂ ಕಾಪಿಟ್ಟುಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದೇನೆಬೆಚ್ಚಗೆ ಬದುಕಬಲ್ಲಪುಟ್ಟ ಗೂಡೊಂದಿದೆ ಎದೆಯೊಳಗೆ.ಇನ್ನೂ ಗುಮಾನಿಗಳಿದ್ದರೆಬನ್ನಿ ಎದುರುಗೊಳ್ಳಿ...ಸತ್ಯಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಬದುಕುವ ನನ್ನ ನಾಲಿಗೆಯಲ್ಲಿನಿಮ್ಮಂತೆ ನಂಜಿಲ್ಲ.

If you are suspecting mecome face to faceor…If you want to weigh methrough your gossipsprove it to me that you have a balancethat can measure me.If the mask over your cowardiceneeds an answer thenhere it is. Write down…I was not born in a rich family.My mother did not put me to sleepon fancy cribs.When life supporting daily-wage labourdistanced her from meI slept onthe torn frock of my sister.My affinity with deathdates back to my birth.Revolutionary songs memorisedby my brotherwere the lullabiesin our mourning hut.I grew up sighingfor the everyday criesheard from the corner of the alley.If you are still suspicious…yes, the colour of my bloodis ‘red’.Amidst all the humiliation hurled at melife’s pride turned ‘blue’.To fill the emptiness ofhunger and painI have embracedBuddha, Basava, Akka, Allama,Krishna of MahabharathaSeetha of Ramayanaalso Ahalye who was turned into a stone.Tired of walking on the path of your religionsearching for equality and dignityI finally chose the path of Ambedkar.Dreaming equalityI have turned to the religion of life.Listen if you still suspectyes, I have been love struck many a times.Many a love died in silence.Some love, separation and painremains.Fancies of my fingertip,twinkle in the corner of my eyesmy innocenceI have guarded them all.My heart has sheltereda nest of warmthfor life.If you are still suspiciouscome face to face…My life that seeks truthunlike youdoesn’t spit venom.[Basava, Akka and Allama are Basavanna, Akkamahadevi and Allamaprabhu saint poets from the 12th century Vachana movement in Karnataka who dreamt of and fought for an egalitarian society.]Both poems have been translated from the original by Samvartha ‘Sahil’. Samvartha is an alumnus of JNU, Delhi and FTII, Pune and is a freelance writer these days. He has earlier worked as an academician (Manipal University), journalist (The Hindu) and has been a columnist with Kannada Prabha and Karavali Karnataka. His book of translated poems to Kannada titled ‘rooparoopagaLanu daaTi’ has been published recently and his travel experiences in Jammu and Kashmir during the 2016 uprising is soon going to be published by the Karanatak Sahitya Akademi.

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