Mahadeep Singh Jamwal
Padma Sachdev, a distinguished Dogri and Hindi writer, poet and scholar, a guiding force and inspiration to thousands of writers in India, a legendary figure and a doyen of Dogri literature and culture left us for heavenly aboard. The demise of legendary first modern woman poetess of the Dogri language Padma Sachdev is such a devoid created in Dogri Language that can never be filled. Padma Sachdev is one of the leading poets of Dogri and is the first woman poet in Dogri language. Dogri is an Indo- Aryan language spoken chiefly in Jammu and Kashmir and northern part of Himachal Pradesh. It is a member of Western Pahari Group of Languages. Apart from writing in Dogri, she wrote in Hindi also. She was a successful writer with a wide readership among a certain class. Writing both in her mother tongue Dogri and the national language Hindi, she has to her credit six collections of Dogri poetry, eight books of Hindi prose including two novels, one collection of short stories, an autobiography, a travelogue and more than half a dozen translations. She had written occasional articles in Hindi for newspapers and journals. Padma Sachdev is known as Dogri Ambassador. She has made remarkable efforts to lead the Dogri to the highest peaks. Born on 17 April, 1940 in a remote but highly spiritual village of Parmandal (presently in District Samba) as first child of Sanskrit scholar and Professor, Jai Dev Bhadu, earned her first critics appreciation just at the age of 14 years for her lyrical poem ‘Raja Diyan Mandiyan’. She is quite an achiever with several awards like Sahitya Academy Award at the age of thirty, Raja Ram Mohan Roy Puraskar, Joshua Poetry Award, and Jammu & Kashmir robe of honor. A recipient of 19 state, nation and international awards, she cherishes having received the Dogra Ratna Award in 2004 besides the Maharaja Gulab Singh Award in 2007. She managed to become one of modern India’s prominent poetesses. She mostly wrote in Dogri language, one of the rare, less popular and unknown Indian languages. She wrote short stories, poems and lyrics. Her several published poetry collections include ‘Meri Kavita Mere Geet’ as her first collection of poems In 1969 with an introduction by a stalwart among Hindi poets, Ramdhari Singh Dinkar. He wrote, ‘Padma Ki Kavita Sun Kar Mujhe Laga Mein Apni Kalam Phaink Doon Kyun Ki Jo Batein Padma Kehti Hai, Wahi Asli Kavita Hai’. (Reading the poems of Padma, I felt I should throw away my pen because the thing Padma says is real poetry.) The book got her the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1971. The Government of India honored her with ‘Padma Sri’ in 2001 for her overall contributions to Indian literature. She is recipient of ‘Sangeet Natak Akademi Award’ for the year 2004. She is also the recipient of ‘Kabir Samman’ for poetry (2007-08) from the Government of Madhya Pradesh. She was also conferred with ‘Dinu Bhai Pant Life Time’ achievement award in 2017, Krutitava Smagra Samman 2015 by Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad West Bengal. Her works of acclaim include ‘Tavi Te Chanhan’ (Rivers Tavi and Chenab, 1976), ‘Nheriyan Galiyan’ (Dark Lanes, 1982), ‘Pota Pota Nimbal’ (Fingertipful Cloudless Sky, 1987), ‘Uttar Vahini’ (1992) and ‘Tainthian’ (1992). Sachdev worked in All India Radio, Jammu as an announcer since 1961 and in following years, she also worked with All India Radio, Mumbai. Her lyrics for the films ‘Prem Parbat’ (1973), ‘Aankhin Dekhi’ (1978), ‘Saahas’ (1979) are always making their dances on the lips of people. Her work is considered among the finest in the Indian contemporary literary canon. She has recorded her life story in the biography ‘Chitt-Chete’ published in 2015 that has earned ‘Sarswati Samman Award’ in 2015. (The Saraswati Samman is an annual award for outstanding prose or poetry literary works in any of the 22 languages of India listed in Schedule VIII of the Constitution of India. It is named after an Indian goddess of knowledge). Padma Sachdev has won a distinct place for herself and for Dogri poetry on the Indian literary scene. She always made a strong plea to the people of Dogra region to respect their mother tongue Dogri by speaking it with the younger generation. In her latest poetry collection, ‘Laladiyan’ (Monsoon insects), Padma had glorified Jammu’s composite culture of love, brotherhood and integrity of yesteryears when the community members used to assemble at various places in the small town of Jammu to discuss various issues, including politics, art and culture. The Legend Lata Mangeshkar has given her golden and melodious voice to the Dogri Song ‘Tu Mala Tu -Log Panan Thikrian Badam Panne Tu’, ‘Odni Ragi De Lalaria’, ‘Nikke Phangdu – Onnchi Udan’, ‘Bhala Sipahiya Dogriya, Rosliyan, Rosliyan Taran Tera Bada Manda Lagda’ written by Padma Sachdev. These songs have been released by H.M.V. and these songs have recorded sales all over the country. After hot persuasion of Padma Sachdev, Lata Mangeshkar sang the songs and it developed great friendship among these two personalities. These ever green Dogri songs sung by melody queen Lata Mangeshkar always dance on peoples lips. In conclusion, I will pay my tribute in words, “Padma Sachdev was a blessing, her memory a treasure, and she was cherished beyond words and will be missed beyond measure”.