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SUNDAY, AUGUST 8, 2021 INTERNET EDITION : www.dailyexcelsior.com/sunday-magazine Dogri’s Activist Poet Laureate Passes into History ored with the prestigious Saraswati Samman, 2015 for her In the words of late Shiv Nath, Padma ji’s early chronicler Lalit Gupta autobiography "Chitt-Chete", Dinu Bhai Pant Life Time and Dogri’s ambassador at Delhi, During the late 1960s “while Achievement Award, 2017 by D.B. Pant Memorial Trust, In the present times when acts of activism are being treat- studying in the first-year college, she became the first poetess Jammu, J&K, and Sahitya Akademi Fellowship in 2019. ed as sedition by the state, Padma Sachdev’s life and works of Dogri to share the stage with established Dogri poets. The Padma ji, among other things, will always be remembered will serve as inspiration for the generations to come. Unlike poem recited by her on the occasion was published the next for her passion and commitment for Dogri. It was due to her many creative writers, Padma Ji did not restrict the inborn morning in a local Urdu paper Sandesh edited by Ved Pal initiative that Lata Mangeshkar, who treated Padma ji as a spirit of activism to her writings only but wore it on her Deep, a prominent Dogri poet, twelve years senior to her. younger sister and ‘saheli’, gave her voice to the first popular sleeves. Be it the crusade for due recognition and promotion They fell in love with each other and got married against the album of Dogri songs which featured her all-time gem Nikkre- of her mother tongue Dogri or the systemic gender bias in objections of relatives on both sides. Padma Ji was at the Fangru Uchchi Udaan….”, ‘Bhala Shapaia Dogareya’, and lull- Dogra, Indian, and human societies in general, she did not romantic age of 16 then. A few months later she suffered the aby, ‘Toon Mala Toon, Lok Pahnnan Thikriyaan Badam mince words. Infectiously bold and confident, she could talk first bout of her serious illness– tuberculosis of the intestines Pahnne Toon ’ — still hummed today. to high and mighty frankly and equally. and had to remain in a hospital at Srinagar for about three Composed by Padma Ji, the sonorous album with a daily With her passing away at the age of 81 on 4th August 2021 years”. broadcasted of one or two of its songs from All India Radio at Mumbai, Dogri poetry, language and culture have lost a Padma ji in her autobiography ‘Chit Chete’ has recounted Jammu and through affordable audio cassettes reached every those life-altering three years at Chest Disease Hospital, household of the Jammu region. Srinagar. Reduced to a skele- The songs with lyrics in chaste Dogri ton, she got well by the dedi- created a sense of pride in the cated efforts of Kashmiri doc- Dogras across the Globe and added tor Dr. Hafiullah to whom she spark to the ongoing Dogri renais- later came to address as sance movement. “Abbaji”. During those days Padma Ji, along with other she learned to speak Kashmiri writers and activists, pressed hard fluently. “Kashmir has a very for the recognition of the Dogri special place in my heart”, she language. “When Atal Bihari used to say. Vajpayee became PM, I would nag After recovery from illness, him about it as I knew him as a fel- Padma ji returned to Jammu low poet. So he would avoid me and worked as a staff artist knowing what I was going to ask with Radio Kashmir, Jammu. for!” she would recount. When Soon after, she got separated official recognition came to Dogri from her husband Ved Pal in December 2003, Padma says it Deep, and also lost her job. was the happiest day for her as the Lata Mangeshkar, Padma Sachdev She then went to Delhi and language had its own identity and worked as a Dogri newsreader. Chitra Mudgal with Padma Sachdev was not just taken for a dialect. diehard emissary and the national literary scene especially Later, in 1966, she got married “She was to the Dogri language that of Hindi has suffered a setback. to Sardar Surinder Singh (Sachdev)– a Hindustani classical Autobigraphy of Padamsachdev published by Natinal Book Trust. what Mahadevi Verma was to Hindi and Amrita Pritam to Born in 1940, Padma Sachdev (Padma Sharma) was the music maestro (senior of Singh Bandhu duo). Punjabi”. guages, she translated several works from Urdu, Oriya and eldest of three children of Professor Jai Dev Badu, a Sanskrit In 1969 Padma Sachdev published her first collection of The literary corpus of Padma Sachdev includes poetic Marathi into Hindi and Dogri. scholar, who lost his life during the turmoil of the 1947 poems 'Meri Kavita Mere Geet'. The book got her the Sahitya anthologies in Dogri and Hindi, and works in other genres Padma ji is survived by her husband, daughter Meeta Partition. Padma Ji had her early education in the primary Academi Award and she became the youngest recipient of the such as travelogues, memoirs, novels, short stories. A strong Sachdeva and brothers; J&K's well-known sports administra- school of her ancestral village Purmandal, situated on the national award in Dogri. banks of the sacred stream Devaka, about 39 km to the north- votary of translating creative poetry and prose into other lan- tor Ashutosh Sharma and eminent Dogri and Hindi poet “When she moved to Mumbai, she got the opportunity to Gyaneshwar. east of Jammu. “In her traditional household, she grew up spend time with stalwarts like Dharamvir Bharati, Amritlal reciting Sanskrit shlokas and Hindi couplets, and later, Her death has been reported in all major newspapers of Nagar, Harivanshrai Bachchan, Amrita Pritam, Ismat LITERARY WORK INCLUDES: the country, news portals, and other media platforms. singing Dogri folk songs with local groups of women to the Chughtai, Ali Sardar Jafri, and Gulzar among others. It was Meri Kavita Mere Geet (1969) accompaniment of dholak and starting composing simple Messages condoling her passing away have been pouring from during those literary soirees where Poetry was shared, Tawi Te Chanhan (Rivers Tawi and Chenab, 1976) all over. The personalities who expressed their grief include verses on the pattern of Dogri folk songs.” thoughts polished and horizons expanded” and her commit- Nheriyan Galiyan (Dark Lanes, 1982) A delightful, charming person with bubbling liveliness that heads of the national bodies of literature and arts, eminent ment to women-centric poems and prose further blossomed. Pota Pota Nimbal (Fingertipful Cloudless Sky, 1987) writers of different Indian languages, leading artistes, and often burst out as tinkling laughter, Padma ji was fired with Along with Dogri, she wrote poems, short stories, and nov- Uttar Vahini (1992) politicians all hues. an irrepressible lust for life. She also exhibited a positive atti- els in Hindi. She also wrote the lyrics of the song 'Mera Tainthian (1997) Lata Mangeshkar in her Twitter message expressed grief tude, strong willpower, tremendous energy, and a single- Chhota Sa Ghar Baar’ for the 1973 Hindi film by Ved Rahi Diwankhana (Interviews) over the demise of her friend and noted author Padma minded commitment to achieve desired goals. “It was sheer ‘Prem Parbat’ Later, she wrote the lyrics of two songs of the Chit Chete (Memoirs) Sachdev: “ Meri pyari saheli aur mashoor lekhika, kaviyatri willpower that enabled her to survive three serious setbacks to 1978 Hindi film ‘Aankhin Dekhi’. She also wrote the lyrics Naushin (1995) aur sangeetkar Padma Sachdev ke swargwas ki khabar her health, and yet produce a sizeable amount of literature”. along with Yogesh for the 1979 Hindi film ‘Saahas’. Main Kahti Hun Ankhin Dekhi (Travelogue- 1995) sunkar main nishabd hun, kya kahun,? Hamari bahut It was her poem ‘ Ae Raje Diyan Mandiyan Tundian Ne--- She was awarded Padma Shri in 2001 for her contribution Bhatko Nahin Dhananjay, 1999 -’, written at the age of 14 that announced the arrival of the to education and literature. Among her other awards included purani dosti thi, Padma aur uske pati hamare pariwar Amrai (Hindi Interviews- 2000) ke sadasya jaisehi the. Mere America ke shows ka gifted poet. This remarkable soul-stirring long poem Soviet Land Nehru Award (1987), Hindi Akademi Award Jammu Jo Kabhi Sahara Tha (Novel-2003) nivedan usne kiya tha.” impressed everyone for its craftsmanship, content, tone, and (1987–88), Uttar Pradesh Hindi Academy's Soudha Puraskar Phira Kya Hua? (with Jnanesvara, and Partha Acknowledged as the first modern woman poet of texture, and above all “bold shade of progressive and revolu- (1989), Kabir Samman for poetry for 2007-08 by the Madhya Senagupta- 2007) Dogri, Padma Sachdev with a prodigious body of literary tionary thought”. It voiced the feelings of the oppressed and Pradesh government. Krutitava Smarga Samman, Kabir Translations: Where has my Gulla gone (Anthology) the exploited poor. Today, the poem stands included in almost Samman for poetry 2007-08, 2015 by Bharatiya Bhasha A Drop in the Ocean: An Autobiography. tr. by Uma works was a truly colossal personality who has left all the anthologies of Dogri poetry and occupies an important Parishad, West Bengal, Raja Rammohan Roy Award, J&K Vasudev. behind an unmatchable legacy. Adieu to Padma Sachdev place in the repertoire of Padma Sachdev’s works. Cultural Academy Lifetime Achievement award. She was hon- will live forever in her poems. ed gate. The old ambience was lost. Similar was the condi- tions of old houses. The family divisions had changed the texture of front façade. Use of Drama was the best device ‘DES NIKALA' : A Tribute to BOBO Ji to reveal the city, its lanes and by-lanes and citadel, a leisure back attitude of the city but all integral oneness of Duggar Pradesh has the privilege of having Padma Rajeshwar: After watching "Des Nikala", the feeling social fabric.