Ajmal Khan’s poetry poems show a desperate alienation
POETRY COLUMN
POETRY EDITOR ANANYA S GUHA’S COMMENTS:
Ajmal Khan’s poetry takes the direct route of attacking a system, which despite all it’s diversity in religion and culture, does not uphold this truth. The poems show a desperate alienation, where the poet is not able to come to terms with being identified as ‘ category’ or ‘ minority’. Such categorisation has a telling effect on a young and sensitive Indian, who is hurt at community tirades, and wants to come out of a social and political chaos. Such ‘ chaos’ is evident in these poems written in existential lines, which are acerbic, caustic and satirical. But more powerful are the inner pathos and sadness. Ajmal’s is the poetry not merely of protest, but record of trauma of the times, a strong sense and feeling of being uprooted. Read these poems not to detect anger, but sadness and affliction of the soul. A very young mind gives vent to expression of sadness, alienation and isolation, in a country to which he belongs.
ABOUT THE POET
Ajmal Khan A.T is a bilingual writer and activist who writes in English and Malayalam. His Malayalam one line story collection MUSEEBAT(2017) is published by Monsoon publications, Mumbai. His poems have featured in Muse India magazine, Dissident VoiceJ ournal, Bangalore Review, The Sunflower Collective, Peeking Cat Poetry Magazine, India Cultural Forum, Ignite South Asia, Cafedissensus.com among others. His poems have also appeared in anthologies including GOSSAMER; An anthology of contemporary world poetry by Kindle magazine.
Rejected poem
The poem was accused
as anti national
and rejected
like a US visa applicant
from a Muslim country
It wanted to prove as being nationalist
It started with Vande Matharam
the continuing lines were only nouns
of the independence struggle
which the poem was part of
Rest of the lines were written in green,
white and kesari in colour
Signed on the lines which start with J&K
that they are an integral part of a country
it ended with the national anthem
The poem was again rejected
on the grounds that it had
had two names Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan
in foot note,
syntax had no saffron and khaki pattern
Moplah rebellion is included
and instead of 1947
its written Azaadi.
My missing poem
My poem is said to be missing
by the editor
I got a formal letter today saying
“Your poem is missing and we regret to inform you that
we can’t publish missing poems“
I had sent it via registered post
signing on the poem
The editor had to sign on the register
to accept it
and in the records he had signed on it
Still he says my poem is missing
Did any one assault my poem
after the editor singn on it?
This time my poem had a Muslim name
unlike the last time when it had a Dalit name
then the editor didn’t accept it saying
i haven’t attached an original Scheduled Caste certificate
since he found the attached certificate fake
they rejected it
Now i don’t have any Muslim certificate to attach with
but he might be sure of it
from the syntax, adjectives, verbs, rhymes and the voice
that its a Muslim poem, before it was “missed” between the editors
Where do the missing poems go?
To the dust bin of the editors and then
to the dumping wastes ?
Until a new Muslim poem being written and published
the idea of my poem see no light
Unless my poem is found in between by the police
Until then, me the poet will look for my poem
until my eye sight gest faded
looking for my missing poem.
Memory loss
It was like my hand
leg, nose, ears, eyes
or any other body part
Contacts
the list of the people whom i know and
who know me
the list of people
whom you can call if you find my abandoned dead body
Play lists
songs that i played
when I felt alone despite being with many
Videos
hidden porn of passionately fucking couple
that i watched during sleep less nights
and games
What i scribed during my lonely moments
My chats on
Whatsaap, Face book and message box
The evidences of late nights hugs, kisses and love
shared with lovers
Heated political discussions
and arguments in the groups
My lovely Instagram pics collection
Were all lost into a dirty water pool on the road
in this monsoon
I became erased
and handicapped
Now only the Intelligence bureau
and cops will have access to these.
Jai Bheem Lal Salam
Ambedkar and Marx
Sat together over a cup of tea
between the ballet boxes
during the students union election
and smoked Calcutta Beedi
Che offered them a Havana cigar
Spoke on same stage
at a funeral meeting of a suspended reserved category student
and sloganeered
“Bharmanism mudabad”
“Jai bheem Lal salam”
“Jai bheem Neel salam”
Revolutionary programme
and the Constitution
went on hunger strikes
seeing Brahmanical Marxism
and Saffron capitalism
Buddha red the Communist Manifesto
and Marx the Annihilation of caste
De classed comrades tried
de casting
The red faded
and became saffron
blue cotton stitched with saffron flags
When the results came out
Jai beem and Lal salam became two negative sides the same magnet
The image of the category student
who went to stars
on the election campaign posters kept smiling
Another dead body of a category student
found in the hostel room.