KARVAN GUJAR GAYA GUBAAR DEKHTE RAHE
By Acharya S.P.Dwivedi
Gopal Das Saxena “Neeraj” commonly known as Neeraj was a legendry Hindi poet who passed away on July19, 2018. He was the most popular and leading poet of Kavi sammelan. He was born on 4th January 1925 in a village Puravali near Mahewa of Etawah, Uttar Pradesh, India . He was very bright student and secured first division in all examinations. He studied at DAVCollege, Kanpur and obtained his MA degree in Hindi literature.
He experienced dark labyrinth of unemployment and forced to work odd jobs for his living. His discontentment and frustration are reflected in his early songs. He has openly written about his early struggle, love, loneliness, pain and suffering.He became professor at Dharam Samaj College in Aligarh and Chancellor of Manglaytan University, Aligarh.
He wrote several hit songs, such as “Phoolon ke rang se”,”E bhai jara dekh ke”,”Mera man tera pyasa’ and ’Koi jab tumhara hridaya tod de” etc, during his stay in Bombay, for Hindi movies and was given Filmfare Award for best lyricist in the year 1970. He was recipient of Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan for his valuable contribution in Hindi literature.
His songs connect the past with present and search for the bright lights of future. He carried magical touch in his recitation and was credited with incredible memory of his long poems. He was awfully popular in Kavi Sammelan; and young people used to sing his songs.
He assimilated the traditional and classical to express his modern sensibility. There is deep color of diversity of theme, rhythm, sound and imagery. He created new poetic diction to express his emotions, feelings and ideas. The lucidity of language and its musicality has made him a most popular lyricist of Hindi literature. We have to understand his symbols and metaphoric expressions to appreciating his poetry. He knew well the technique of poetic meter and appropriate use of words to express his inner feeling.
He condemned the present religions and asked for creating a new one which will make people more human-“Ab to majhab koiaisa bhi chalaya jaaye, jisme insaan ko insaan banaya jaaye”.He promoted love and compassion-“Nafrat se mitti nahin, nafrat mere yaar’ and criticized the contemporary political situation in India by saying-“Adbhut is gantantra ke adbhut hain shadyantra,sant pade hain jale men,dakoo fire swatatra’.
His love songs are quite touching-“Pyaar karna to bahut aasssan’,Mujhe na karna yaad, tumahra aan. He has poblished 12 collections of his poetrygan geela ho jayega’,and “Aaj ki raat badi shokh badi natkhat hai”. His more than twelve collection of poems have been published and “Prem Geet”, “Sangharsh”, Badar Baras Gaye”, Aasawari”,Neeraj Ki Paati”, “ Nadi Kinare”,and “Antar Dhwani” became very popular.
He composed songs for Hindi movies such as Cha Cha Cha”,”Prem Pujari”, Mera Naam Joker”, Tere Mere Sapne””Kanyadaan,’ Gamblar” and “Chanda Aur Bijli etc.He never suffered from the abundance of words. He did not borrow the feeling but lived and experienced for true poetry.
His poetry has immortalized him. He was the laurel and favorite poet of Kavi Sammelan. His songs have popularized the poetry recital sessions in country and outside where he was invited in the poet’s gathering. Neeraj’s departure has created a gap which is difficult to fill up.
