Venu Sanon is a doctor who has spent a long time residing in Mussoorie and working among the hill folks. She is also a great poet and writes soul-searching verse. Over the years, she has proved that medicine and poetry can be wondrously woven into one’s life and can spread happiness among others.
“I Will Survive”, her latest collection of poems , bears testimony to this. It is a unique lyrical tribute to the indomitable spirit of the rural hill women of Garhwal. Through her songs in English, Dr.Venu Sanon has captured the finer and lesser known facts of these womens’ lives and in an equally beautiful manner ,Dr.Sunil Sanon (Venu’s husband) has translated these touching poems into Hindi. This has made this volume of verse indeed splendid.
In his foreword to this poetry collection, S.S.Sandhu writes “The essence of Venu’s poems has been remarkably translated into Hindi verse by Dr.Sunil Sanon ,who in his own right, has dedicated his life time to serve the people of Uttarakhand ….He has sensitively and intuitively put Venu’s thoughts into words ,for they have both walked down the same path of service and love.”
He could not have put it in a better way. It is the shared journey of this doctor couple living in the hill region that has made this work possible. Their deep insight into the lives of the hill people ,developed slowly and over long years, has made Dr.Venu Sanon express her feelings about them in such exquisite poetry.Various activities in which these women are engaged in different seasons of the year have been captured in Venu’s verse. The time of the kaphal , the exquisite little red fruit of the hills,the phase of the ‘the harvest of peas”, the ripening of walnuts, grazing the sheep.
In the poem titled “Friends”, Dr.Venu describes the dreams of the young hill girls who are walking along their grazing goats , One addresses the other , her friend, and says “ our goats graze contented ,the sun still waits to set ,Don’t go as yet, sister!...This fair that you went to ,on that distant mountain there ,What all did you seeIJ Tell me fast! ….were there merchants with calico ,the colours of springIJAnd glass bangles in baskets ,our feminine hearts to win IJBalloon sellers , snake charmers , henna packets for sale …Tell me about it sister ! Stay awhile”.
This has been translated aptly by Dr. Sunil Sanon as “ Char chuki’n bakriyan chhak kar, sooraj abhi chhipa nahin..behan ruk ja ,ghar na ja…bata mujhe ,door uss pahad ke mele mein,toone kya dekhaIJbata toh zara..basant ke mele mein ,Holi ke rang liye ,kaise who saudagr thhee /Tokriyon mein saji rangeen churian kya iss mele mein milti thhiIJBikte the kya gubbaare aur mehndi ke packet IJRuk ja behan ..zara batakar ja..kya sapera bhi aaya thhaIJ”
Dr Venu Sanon’s poetry has great depth and breadth of vision. It appeals to the heart as well as the mind.The sorrows and joys , the pain and struggle of these hill women has been a part of the life of the Sanon’s.They have been closely linked to it while watching the day to day life of their patients and others.Many a rural hill woman may have shared her woes with them.Deep philosophy resides at the heart of these poems ,19 in all.
The concluding poem “I Will Survive” tells us the story of a girl child, who is the sixth girl born to her parents, “the sixth in succession –a row of unwanted chances at life..we were destined to be born ..scouring, mopping ,washing ;simple strength fanning the glowing embers of life…and then hope whispered “This too shall pass..” It was enough for me to survive”. The courage and resilience of these women, young and old, could not have been described better.
In the preface to the book, Venu writes,”This book is a tribute to the women of Garhwal ,the unknown mothers who for centuries have kept the forests preserved ,the fields green, the waters cascading and the culture vibrant..my salutations to this Shakti!”
Venu’s poetry on the hill women is a must read for all those who value poetry and appreciate the strength of the sturdy women of the Garhwal hills. It is a tribute that has been written from the heart and from the soul. Dr.sunil Sanon’s Hindi translation has enriched the work greatly.Altogether, an inspiring creation.