Syed Merajuddin

Poem and Text

Labani Jangi

Illustration

PARI Desk

Editor

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“History, whether of a country or language or religion, is filled with actions of kings, chieftains and leaders. Ordinary people don’t have much space in that, though history can hardly exist outside of them. It is the people who create nations, build languages and popularize religions. But with the passage of time powerful elites come to own it,” says Merajuddin, who now lives on the edge of Kuno National Park. Working closely with the communities in and around the park, he has been a witness to disenfranchisement of the people of the forest and felt the pain of the ordinary people that he expresses in his poems.

Translated from the original by Pratishtha Pandya

Reclaiming the past, the present and the prophet

கடந்தகாலத்தையும் நிகழ்காலத்தையும் நபிகளையும் மீட்டல்

ਆਪਣੇ ਇਤਿਹਾਸ, ਆਪਣੇ ਵਰਤਮਾਨ ਤੇ ਨਬੀ ਨੂੰ ਹਾਸਲ ਕਰਾਂਗੇ ਹੀ

ଅତୀତ, ବର୍ତ୍ତମାନ ଓ ପୈଗମ୍ବରଙ୍କ ପୁନଃସ୍ଥାପନା

सुन लो के अभी मैं ज़िंदा हूं!

ഭൂത-വർത്തമാന കാലത്തെയും പ്രവാചകനേയും തിരിച്ചുപിടിക്കുമ്പോൾ

ಇತಿಹಾಸ, ವರ್ತಮಾನ ಮತ್ತು ಪ್ರವಾದಿಯನ್ನು ಮರಳಿ ಪಡೆಯುವೆವು

‘सुन लो कि अभी मैं ज़िंदा हूं’

મારા ભૂત, મારા વર્તમાન, ને મારા પયગંબરની વાત

सुन लौ जी अभी मंय जीयत हंव

अतीत, वर्तमान आउर भविष्य जनता के बा

হুঁশিয়ার, আমি আজও বেঁচে আছি হেথা

অতীত, বৰ্তমান আৰু ভৱিষ্যত ঘূৰাই পোৱাৰ কবিতা

سن لو کہ ابھی میں زندہ ہوں

Agara

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Reclaiming the past, the present and the prophet

A poet and a teacher, who has dedicated his life to displaced children of Dalit and Adivasi communities gives a voice to their collective anguish

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