Vajesinh Pargi

Labani Jangi

Illustration

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Name: Vajesinh Pargi. Born: 1963. Village: Itawa. District: Dahod, Gujarat. Community: Adivasi Panchamahali Bhil. Family members: Father, Chiska Bhai. Mother, Chatura Ben. And five siblings of whom Vajesinh is the eldest. Family’s livelihood: agricultural labour. His inheritance from being born in a poor Adivasi family, in Vajesinh’s own words: ‘darkness from the womb of his mother.’ A ‘desert-full of loneliness.’ A ‘well full of sweat.’ Also, ‘hunger,’ with ‘the blue of gloom,’ and ‘the light of the fireflies.’ There was also a love for words that came at birth.Once, caught off guard in the middle of a fight, a bullet ripped through the then young Adivasi’s jaw and neck. His voice too suffered with that injury from which he never recovered, even after seven years of treatment, 14 surgeries, and an insurmountable debt. That was a double blow. Born into a community that had little voice in the first place, the one he was personally gifted with was also now seriously damaged. Only his eyes remained as sharp as ever. Vajesinh has been the finest proofreader Gujarati literature has seen in a long time. His own writings, however, have never received their due. Here is a Vajesinh poem written in Panchamahali Bhili in Gujarati script, reflecting on his dilemma.

Translated from Panchamahali Bhili by Pratishtha Pandya The poet is presently battling the fourth stage of lung cancer in Dahod&#39;s Kaizar Medical Nursing Home.

An Adivasi writes off the village

شہر میں رہتے اور گاؤں کی آگ میں جلتے…

గ్రామాన్ని విడచిన ఒక ఆదివాసీ కవి

கிராமத்தை மறுக்கும் பழங்குடி

ਸ਼ਹਿਰ 'ਚ ਰਹਿੰਦਿਆਂ, ਪਿੰਡ ਨੂੰ ਚੇਤੇ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ

ଗାଁକୁ ଆଡ଼େଇ ଦେଇଥିବା ଜଣେ ଆଦିବାସୀ

गावावर फुली मारणारा आदिवासी

ഒരു ആദിവാസി ഗ്രാമത്തെ എഴുതിത്തള്ളുന്നു

ಆದಿವಾಸಿಯೊಬ್ಬರ ಹಳ್ಳಿಯ ಹಂಬಲ

शहर में रहते और गांव की याद में जलते…

शहर मं दुविधा मं परे आदिवासी

शहर दुरदुरइलस, गांवो ना अपनइलस

গ্রামছাড়া এক আদিবাসীর কলমে

বিভ্ৰান্ত এখন চহৰত এজন আদিবাসীৰ মনৰ কথা

એક આદિવાસી જો તરછોડે ગામ

Itawa

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An Adivasi writes off the village

A poet writes about his dilemma: should he continue with his suffocating existence on the margins of the city he has been forced to migrate to, or return to his village? A poem in Panchamahali Bhili

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