A Memon's engagement in Tamil Poetry
By K.S. Sivakumaran
Even if we forget the fact that quite a few people belonging to various minority
communities have contributed to the Lankan mosaic of varied cultural webs, the
world outside knows that we are not a homogeneous nation. Invariably we speak
of only the Sinhala, Thamil and Moor communities as important segments in our
society. However, there are Muslims, Christians and others belonging to different
religious beliefs.
We have for instance the Burghers (descendants of both the Dutch and the
Portuguese), the Malays, the Farsis, the Borahs, the Sindhis, the Memons, the
Bhaiis, the Goans, the Anglo-Indians, the Malayalees, the Telugus, the
Kannadigas, the Kafirs, the Veddhas and others. The Memons have a spoken
dialect but it is not a written language. They speak a language akin to a mixture of
Gujarati, Sindhi and perhaps Persian. However, the younger generation among
those remaining in Sri Lanka is knowledgeable in either Sinhala or Thamil.
Two prominent Memons in Colombo are very fluent in Thamil as they have been
educated in in that language. One of them is a well-known and much
photographed philanthropist Hashim Omar and the other is Memon Kavi.
Memon Kavi’s real name is Abdul Razak Lacarna. He loves universal art and
culture and in particular contemporary writing in Thamil. He is a voracious reader
and a keen student of mediums like film, theatre, and music. I have seen him
browsing the libraries in Colombo even when he was an adolescent. He had an
irresistible urge to gather knowledge on as many things as possible as fast as he
could, even to the extent of being obsessed in learning many things at the same
time.
For the past three decades he has been writing poetry, beginning with free verse
in Thamil. With his newest publication, he has authored six volumes of poems. His
collections are: Yuga Raagangal (The “Ragas” of the Age) in 1976, Hiroshimavin
Herokkal (The Heros of Hiroshima) in 1982, Iyanthira Sooriyan (The mechanical
Sun) in 1984, Naaluya Noakkiya Intril (Today Towards Tomorrow) in 1990,
Meendum Vasipathatkaha (To Reside Again ) in 1999.
His new collection is titled Unakku Ethirana Vanmurai (The Violence Against You).
There are notable verses and long poems, supplemented with black and white
photographs on each page in this 146-page book published by Duravi
Publications at 85, Ratnasothi Saravanamuthu Mawatha, Colombo 13. Memon
Kavi is at once a humanist and a politicised anti-imperialist. His faith is Islam but he
doesn’t write on religious themes.
He has dedicated his book to Dominc Jeeva, the vanguard writer and editor of
literary magazine, "Mallikai". Emeritus professor in Thamil,
Karthigesu Sivathamby has suggested that the "poet" should be approached with
an understanding of his background that is not Thamilian.
His free-verse from the beginning of his writing career as a young poet inspired by
what they called "Puthu Kavithai" as practised in Thamilnadu and Sri Lanka is not
much to my liking.`A0Most of his "poems" were merely rhetoric statements devoid
of any poetic sensibility. This was evident in his previous collections which were
more like political slogans. This stuff is used as fillers in Thamil newspapers in the
country under the title Poetry. Despite that some poems are also published
intermittently in such newspapers and literary journals.
One should not deny the fact that Memon Kavi was sensitive to most social
happenings. The absence of feeling and thought embedded in poems that
contained figures of speech and rhythm discouraged me from receiving his writing
with immediacy then. Now, he writes more meaningfully of his observations of an
imbalanced society that is riddled with corruption and exploitation. Memon Kavi
has a leftist stance and he is progressive in his outlook. That he is a lover of
humankind is evident in his later poems, which have philosophical undertones.
Over the years he has naturally matured into a deep observer of the world,
society and human beings.
These are verses he has written between 2000 and 2004. Let’s look at the titles to
get a rough idea of what he is writing about: Anarchical (Feelings), Ether Nichol
(Swimming Against the Current), Our Thalaimuraiyin Mattam (The Change in a
Single Generation), Malai Kaalam (The Rainy Season), Paeykal (Ghosts), Avarkal
(They/Them), Veli (The Space), Naaliya Thatha Solla Poakum Kathai (The Story
Tomorrow’s Grandfather is going to Narrate), Oru Thoalanin Kavithaikal (A
Comrade’s Poems), Poarukkana Anjali (A Prayer for War), Intraya Moontru
Kavithaikal (Today’s Three Poems), Maranangalin Neremuha Varnanai (A
Running Commentary of Deaths), Oru Pirakadanam (A Proclamation) Poaril Naan
(Me in War), Unakku Ethirana Vanmmurai (The Violence Against you), Thalaikal
(Heads), Tsunami 26.
I must quickly add that as a person Memon Kavi is still an affable, joyous and
enthusiastic individual with much feeling and caring for others.`A0If he had been
only a free versifier careless in chiselling his lines and thoughts with a sense for
rhythm and syntax then, he can still pay attention to these elements of poetry in
consonance with his deep social consciousness.
Let me "transcreate" some lines, As he has written as early as this year into
English. These I like very much for the irony that pervades them. The following are
from his 26 verses on the tsunami:
Tired of repeatedly looking at the coast, the eyes of the waves desired to see the
city. The nation became hell`85
The hands of the foamy flowers of the waves turned into murderous hands.
The tremor is for you the sea, then why did you destroy us?
If those are from his verses on the tsunami, I would consider the following as
"poems" that are remarkably forceful and evocative. Take for instance the poem
"Poaril Naan" (Me in the War). It’s surrealistic and imaginative to the level of
fantasy. The poet gives a quotation from Jiddu Krishnamurthy on the subject of
war. It is also a narrative poem.
There again is a fantastic poem in the sense that it is a fine deduction of the idea
of dictatorship masked as democracy. I liked it for its essential truism. This is the
title of the book as well.
Another sensitive poem I appreciated very much is titled "Veli" (The Space.) It’s an
indictment on consumerism. Some of the images he uses are strikingly original in
contemporary Thamil poetry. He concludes this poem on this manner:
At the footsteps of human master lies the poor Space like a thankful dog that
doesn’t forget
Memon Kavi carries on his family business which is not lucrative, yet he has a
found love and compassion for humankind.
The book also carries a beautifully written introduction on the poet by A. Abdeen,
who also writes well in Thamil although he is Malay. Attractively designed by the
author and A. Azeez Nizaruddeen, this book is published by Raj Praasad who
manages Duraivi publications. This is their 14th publication. Raj Prasad’s father
the late Durai Visvanathan was a philanthropist engaged in encouraging local
writers to be honoured and published. He was particularly interested in promoting
hill country Thamil literature.
What I noticed in Memon Kavi was that though he has Marxist leanings, he is not
dogmatic and reads widely on non-Marxist writings as well.