By Lipika Bhushan
‘Ek Samandar Mere Andar’ (Manjul Prakashan) is a collection of 75 poems by Dr Sanjeev Kumar Joshi “Nishchal”, Deputy CEO of BrahMos Aerospace.
It was recently released in the presence of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan. Ajay Bhatt, Union Minister of State for Defence & Tourism, Ashutosh Rana, Actor & Writer, Padma Shri awardee Ram Bahadur Rai, President of IGNCA, released the book with NSA Doval and CDS General Chauhan.
The poetry collection comprises 75 exquisite poems and has received praise from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On the occasion, Lipika Bhushan, Founder, TheIndicPen, got talking to Dr Joshi about Ek Samandar Mere Andar.
What inspired you to embark on the journey of “Ek Samandar Mere Andar”, your poetry collection?
My journey as a poet started when I was in school. Like every person from a middle class family of the 80s, life has been a struggle for me too. The not so favourable financial conditions gave rise to anger and discontent about the system around me about which I have already written in ‘Apni Baat’. Initially, the poems remained limited to me as I was not an extrovert person and focus was more on studies, hence it was not possible for me to participate in Kavi Sammelans at that point of time. After joining the Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment as a scientist in 1999 at Manali, I published a few poems in Annual Magazines of my laboratory and, with the arrival of social media, I found an opportunity to reach out to a large number of people. The appreciation I received from my readers and their demand to publish the poems resulted in Ek Samandar Mere Andar.
How do you balance your roles as a defence scientist with over 35 research papers and a poet exploring the dimensions of literature, music, and art?
It’s not about balancing anything. Doing science or current techno-managerial work as Deputy CEO of Brahmos or writing articles or poems, it’s all about what one enjoys. I enjoy my domain expertise and the current job and, in the same manner, I enjoy writing articles or doing poetry. I feel happy when I do my professional work and poetry de-stresses me afterwards. So, it is basically a win-win situation. I live my life without any fears with my best foot forward, which helps me to create my own better self. Probably, this is the right answer to your query, from my perspective.
Could you share a specific poem that holds personal significance for you?
It’s not easy to say which poem is liked by me most. All the poems are the outcome of strong emotional churning and touch my heart deeply. Still, the poem which I find closer to my heart is Kya Badal Gaya Hoon Main, which I wrote when I had gone to my hometown to visit my parents. The night before I was to leave for Delhi, I just introspected about the purpose of my visit and how the very purpose of spending time with my parents got defeated due to my other engagements. This poem touches me deeply as it is the most natural expression of the parent-child relationship. Here I would also like to add that I recited this poem in front of my parents to assuage my guilt and also to reassure my parents about my deep attachment for them. I won’t hide the fact that I was in tears and my voice choked.
How do you see poetry as a medium for capturing and reflecting the pulse of modern society?
Poetry for ages has always been the medium of capturing and reflecting the ethos of society. English poets such as Chaucer, Shelley, Eliot and Stephen Spender, and Indian poets such as Mahakavi Kalidas, Kabir, Rabindranath Tagore, Sarojini Naidu, Rashtrakavi Ramdhaari Singh “Dinkar” and many others, have mirrored the ethos of contemporary society in their works.
Ek Samadar Mere Andar is a splendid amalgamation of literature, music, and art. On the occasion of the Amrit Mahotsav of Independence, Nishchal has beautifully woven 75 exceptional poems in this book, presenting women’s issues, contemporary themes, perspectives, and the emotions arising in life over time in a poetic style.
Each poem is complemented by the emotive artwork of Sanjay Ahluwalia, and some poems are enriched with the musical touch by Rahul Aamath. Readers can enjoy this unique feature by scanning the QR code with their mobile phones, making this poetry collection special.
(Lipika Bhushan is founder TheIndicPen and MarketMyBook and a proud Uttarkhandi with roots in Uniyal Gaon, Tehri Garhwal)
