Minute Unmasking of the Contemporariness

in
Adhiakris Kranti ra Kabita
[Published in KMC Journal (ISSN- 2091-1599), Vol. 3, Issue 3. Kathamndu: Kathmandu Model College,
January, 2012]

Atindra Dahal
Gray turned hairs and white grown beards are not always necessary and mandatory indicators of an
individual to have height in profession and expertise in literature. Perhaps, Dipendra Adhikari is a solid
example as the exceptional on the notion about the established rod of maturity defined with hairs and beards.
The poet, Adhikari has grown up with new qualities and competence in poems despite being in late twenties
only. Having earned the degrees: M. A. in English, M. A. in Nepali, and B.A. in Sanskrit, he has enriched his
level of understanding and intuition in a newer dimension; and those are clearly reflected in his poems. Even
during his studies time, he had outvoted his contestants in many of literary and oratorical programmes. The
skills he acquired through those programmes are ripen in his poetry Kranti ra Kabita. Besides all, the
experience garnered during his involvement in sphere of communication and journalism, translation works,
writing, editing and teaching created strong foundation which succored him purify the masteries in literature.

Dipendra Adhikaris poems are unique blends of facts and fiction, innocence and experience, generalization
and assertive specialization, maturity and deep intuition and insight. More powerfully, going in contrary of
established literary figures and canonized texts, he has paid due interest and focus on marginalized,
peripherialized, and isolated parts as well, of the society. Thus subaltern consciousness can be truly noticed
and acknowledged in his writing. The wide range of consciousness in detail as well as deeper understanding
of the poet can be easily sensed since his anthology encompasses poems on all types of social issues and
feelings. Mass hatred and deep abomination at the politics, which has been heading as full swing decay than
developments, worst and nil responsible or negligent leaders, passive and submissive institution of power
and dominion, dwindling economy, deteriorating social progress and security, decaying humanity,
transcending adulteration of the world, contaminated love and affinity, corruption and impropriety,
unemployment and anarchism, poverty and social evils, all critical and ground-holding issues, are adequately
addressed in his poems.

The unique and virgin experiment of styles and structuring of the poetic devices is the next solid attribute
that each reader has to duly notice and acknowledge while going through his poems. The property was
possible because of his intensive studies of languages and literatures in three mediums: Nepali, English, and
Sanskrit, respectively.

Even the topic of his first poem = += + () suggests that he is to explain about evils, perversions,
bad dealings and regressive social reformation and development in the nation those are about to question the
life of nation. Nations heading at decay than development is an idea his poem hints for. Situation of our
nation in an inescapable death supports the readers understand how seriously the poet is aggrieved because
of ongoing nastiness and perversion in the nation caused by objectionable politics.
-- -= ===
- == ===
= +- =+
-= -: =+ ()
Saying this, the poet exhibits the reality that at least the nation has to remain in existence in order to lodge
the hopes and expectations. Making an end on the existence of the nation, no hopes and expectation can be
cultivated. The last line, the powerful symbol with coining of the bone and bamboo stands for an ineffectual
and unpropitious -rather risky and prone to accidents or collapse- attempt that we are trying to apply for
improvement or healing of the problems that our nation has had. As like the bone of bamboo does not go
durable and efficient for the related or pertinent uses; similarly the current applications for remedies of the
problems in our nation are not more efficient and effective.
- c =+ --c =
=-c, -c - =
= --s s =
+| a += = () soberly attacks on our leaders substandard ethics, zero accountability, sheer apathy and
serene distraction on and from duties or onus towards the nation and national responsibility. The poet makes
note of dissent on complete distraction of leaders from severe problems, which are engulfing the citizen and
their lives. Attempts of leaders and executives to oppress, suffocate and chain people than to emancipate,
empower and immune them is what the poet has strikingly raised with intoned resentment. Being aggrieved
with the situation, = +-- +c =-, = =:- +c == - (), poet awakens people to combat against of
such nasty trends. Powerful refusals and refutation or rebellion on behalf of people on such despotism and
negligence of rulers is subject of appeal to people. He expects the nation be evacuated form the terrible death
trap, as he has explained in the title. It succinctly insinuates that the poet has deep feelings for improvement,
advancement and prosperity of the nation; and for the same he expects a powerful revolution, and appeals
people for it through his poems. So the title too seems and sounds a deliberate match to the poem.

c +== +: =
c + -+ =-- + () makes strong claim that the eastern sphere of the world contains and holds the
domain of knowledge. Despite being somehow successful in material progress, the western has full of pains,
rivalry, feud and other types of ruffles in themselves. Like Edward Said, the founder of oreintalism says:
Also for the first time, Asia acquired a precise intellectual and historical dimension with which to buttress
the myths of its geographic distance and vastness (77) then hints the profound intellectual and historical
understanding was in east basically in Asia . even the poet Adhikari too focuses on the similar issues. He
regards the East having honour, great legacy and store of knowledge of entire human systems. It truly
matches with what orientialism abridges for.

The poet equally makes a string note of dissent and objection against of war. Various people and even some
notable figures have aestheticized the war sometimes. Winston Churchill romanticizes and fantasizes war a
lot saying You ask, What is our policy? I will say: it is to wage war [] I can answer in one word: Victory-
victory at all cost, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be (33). He
regards war as instrumental and integral aspect of measuring national success and capabilities. But, saying,
c -=+ =:+
c ==+ ::+ () poet strongly focuses on negative aspects of the war. No way will the war be excusable.
None of achievements and properties are associated with war or acquired because of it. War is the siren of
degeneration and passport to decline or demolishment only. Only it offers pain, anxiety, anguish and troubles
to the society. Thus he is making an urge to all his readers to bypass war and maintain peace and stability in
society. Here poet makes his stand as an expectant of peaceful and harmonious society as well. World Bank
report says Development has not been easing to those countries prone to civil war (World Bank report
03). So, poet can be said that he strongly aspires for development since he has deep interest to sweep the war
away as like the report of world bank has mad the hint.

The poet is equally expert in terms of using other poetic devices too. Besides competence on grounding of
sound thematic contexts and contents, his art in using various poetics attributes make his poems of better
height then make him create a stand of a poet of an early blossom.
- -= -: -- - () is vary sound example of alliteration. Similarly he has so many other good pieces of
alliterations in his anthology.

The zeroing in on the humanity is very wonderful surreal noticing in his poems. Human beings have been
enjoying the peak of civilization and ace of the advancement. Science and technology, which is assumed to
be the gift for this miraculous change on the humans lives and world scenario, is paid profuse eulogy and
panegyric for this outstanding success. Throughout the globe, there has been given an overwhelmingly warm
response to the pace of civilization and to science which has caused a life of the paradigmatic shift to the
people.

But together with positive advantages and some remarkably notable outputs of science, it has generated some
disgustingly and harrowingly detrimental outputs too. Human evils, crimes, and perversion are rife and being
facilitated a lot with the misuse of science.

The more objectionable and deplorable outcome of the science, which has outraged the world and ravaged it
totally or crushed, destroyed and wrecked it a lot, is the way it has been dehumanizing the people. Because of
materialistic life and love towards so called prosperity and success, humans have been growing
uncompromisingly selfish and self centered. The humanity, love, cooperation, justice, virtues, truth,
conviviality, amity, affability, brotherhood, fraternity, which are supposed to be human qualities, are in sheer
null and void. Candidly speaking, human values and quality of being humans are being eroded. We are
growing by zeroing in the humanities. Only aggression, discord, disharmony, boastfulness, inclemency are
critical benchmarks of todays people. Stressing on the depletion of the moral qualities, Aivanhor writes,
Century after century, the church has been telling the world that man is contaminated by original sin and
can never be pure again, nor ever transmit anything sin from generation onto generation, man is covered in
sin, born in sin, and there is no remedy (143). Comparing the latest American generation with engine and
rocket machine Simpson writes: As the tip of the fly rod, and their sons were as smooth as a V-8 engine
[.] found the heart misplaced, and seeds as black as death, emitting a strange odor (33). He means
humanity and machinity have had a blur now. There can be drawn a lot of similarities between humans and
machines. These facts are very truly highlighted in his poems. The topic =-+- =- () succinctly
explains what poet wishes to explain. He feels the humans without love, kindness and cooperation in
between each other. They are rather equal to machine, where soul does exist not.
c -: -: --=
c - -- == () explains about selfishness cruelty, arrogance and self-centeredness of people. Such
situation too promotes for the state of nil humanity or zeroing in the humanity.
The use of similar sounding words at the end of line, which causes the rhyme, in poetry is usual and staple
practice. But poet Adhikari has come across with a new practice of starting each line of the poetry with the
same letter. c = -==, - c = +==, - -c a -=, - +c : +-= () are few out of
plenty examples where he has experimented of initial rhyming of the lines in same way. More carefully,
poet has avoided negative structure of sentences. Even for the negative meaning, he has used positive
structures; and it informs people that he has good linguistic sense as well as profuse positive feelings in mind
and heart.
- : - --=, - : - --= () is another example where poet has accomplished to articulate
the surreal fact of the world. The present world is embroiled in fight, feud, anarchy, ruffle and nowhere the
peace is sensed. The degree of violence has gone so extreme that human can hardly sense and learn about
peace. Each child inherits the violence in his or her gene.

The poet is even too worried about artificiality in love, and use of humans. The ongoing complex world has
traded the love, counted it in terms of money or materiality. So there is scarcity of people who exhibit love,
cordiality and brotherhood by heart, with soul and from mind. So poet writes, -+ == += ().
People are misfocsuing the love and their interest. Love for material success, love for rivalry, love for
amassing properties, love for disbursing the national treasure for personal benefits are not what the poet
wishes to notice; but in fact those are happening. = c +=+ () clearly explains the poets wishes
that he longs to see the people who have true love for the nation and nationality. Patriotism and dutifulness
toward the motherland are qualities he aspires to notice in people as indication of their love.

The poet not only acknowledges the critical issues and crucial matters taking place in the nation. Besides
politics, history, fashion, commerce, the most noted trend of historiography, subalterns consciousness is
explicitly acknowledged in his text. Generally history or victory and records are named only after leaders,
great people and awarded only to them. But challenging the notion of only such high profile peoples role in
records or history, subaltern theoreticians raised question and proposed a different way of historiography.
Ranjeet Guha writes For it fails to acknowledge, far less interpret, the contribution made by the people in
their own, that is, independently of the elite to the making and development of nationalism. In this particular
respect the poverty of historiography (39). His statement explains that the changes and civilization in any
epoch of time are possible only with equally appreciative participation and contribution of all people of
society irrespective of classes, groups and other difference. So, role of such people is to be acknowledged
and well subsumed in history or other texts are the gist what they claim. Similarly the poet with composition
of lines: t, =- =+, =-- +- -=+ , =s =-- =--, - = =- -=+ () , duly realizes the role
and significance of all types of people irrespective of age in revolution and changes for civilization. Those
who are often negated and isolated from mainstream historiography despite having significant support and
succor for it are with justice, given position by the poet. In this way, he has seen with good sense of subaltern
consciousness in historiography.
Similarly the poet has made an untested use of words in order to construct a poetic stanza.
=a- =a-
=a- =a-
==-- ----
---- ==-- (=) highlights the new experimentation of words for constructing a stanza. Only four words
have been used and reversely used to develop a stanza of the poem. It hints readers to understand the fact that
the poet has great interest and boundless art in terms of playing with words for variation in use and joy of
playing with language.

Education is the chief and decisive defense of the nation. Until and unless education makes sound
development in the nation, other parts are impossible to set track. But our nation is suffering with
substandard education. The nature of both: people to educate and to be educated are being spoilt and
depraved. Educational institutions are rather regarded as very fertile ground for futile politics which has
defamed and marred the entire educational norms and systems of the nation. The rivalry, feud between
students and teachers in issues with interest of political motives are in rife. It has made all people worried
who believe on ethics of education and its standard. All educational dealings and all daily or regular
procedures i.e. students admission to teachers recruitment should mandatorily entertain the politically vested
interest in our nation. It has totally wrecked the quality of education we should have gained and retained.
Poet is no longer different to it; neither he is indifferent towards inadmissible activities going. - =- =
-+ =+, - - -= | + (-) highlights the same problem we are reeling.

Practicing new types of poetic devices are clearly and frequently noticed in his poems. Somewhere he has
even used last two words of each line same in order to make them rhyming. Despite seeming unusual, this is
a bold attempt made on behalf of the poet, to experiment the new strategies in course of playing with the
language.
== + = +- +-
=+ =+ = +- +-
= = -= +- +-
-= = -= +- +- (-).
The stanza holds very solid meaning being contextualized to contemporariness of present society. Going a bit
in distance than meaning, the way he has made rhyming with same two words in all lines represents his
quality of using words and making a poem of even in few words. The notion of using lot of words and
complicated feeling as more is to be used to say more is tactfully refuted.
The poet has maintained wonderful variation in use of language in terms of its syntax, which indirectly
alludes his boarder way of thinking and expertise on making command in all types of the uses. Somewhere
he uses a bit longer structures like == -c= += ==-+ --= = , == =c= +=- =+ - = - =
== (--). At the same time, the line is a proportionate indicator of mothers love on children. In order to
enumerate mothers never ending love, long-lasting and prejudiceless and perennial care and efforts on
children, he has used similar type of sentences pattern.
Even the feelings and wishes of sound and functioning state come very apparently in his poems. The state of
equality and equity is what he expects all people to have.
== a --: = -- +| - -=
+= c= --+ +-- +| - -=
+: - =+- =-= =a +| - -=
+ -: =+- =-= = +| - -= (-=) is clear picture of the state that the poet wishes to see where
there will be equity between all. No one suffers from problems of foods, security, clothes and right of
freedom, which are in fact fundamental rights to all. He wishes to have a better and salubrious society where
every citizen could feel life of value and beauty. In the same poem as the next new practices, he has used the
word -= as rhyming word in 28 lines out of 34 in the poems. ==- + t==- poem is another
panoply in terms of explanation for the extremely unbeatable pollution that the city is facing for long. How
the pollution has been an agent of natural adulteration of the city view and sanitation is the major line of the
thought in the poem.

Being quite broader in thought and themes, he has even commanded leaders and executives of the nation to
come to people and observe reality before building any notion for the development of the nation. == --
= =:+= == -= +=, == = = = - -: == () orients well to the leaders about their
responsibility and duty to cement keep in touch to people. The objectionably nasty culture of leaders and
king being lavish in lives and away from or apathetic at people is concern of abject worrisome to the poet.
So he has enjoined them visit people and develop clear picture about lives of the citizens. That could be a
more solid and propitious drive to formulate plans and polices for the developments. The same time it is
honoring the voice of people. He has represented and raised the voice of suppressed people to the elite. So he
has been able to bridge the socially created dichotomy of rich and poor, center and periphery. The same
poem =-= is the longest in his anthology. Deliberately he has given many lines and more of thoughts
to people who were not able to speak and whose feelings are not voiced till the date. Managing the longest
poem on this issue and title makes every reader understand the fact in easy way that he loves much to
represent the suffocated, suppressed and marginalized. To empower others by taking their feeling to
concerned authority and mainstreaming them is his interest. So he is poet of all voiceless and victimized
people. Rather than being a single individual, he represents big and huge class or group through his poetry.

The flourishing and mushrooming NGOs and INGOs is an area of attack in his poems. Of course there are a
lot of such; nonetheless the targeted people whom they claim of making services are still living with same
fate and condition. So the artificially created paper reports on behalf of those organizations and institutions
are clearly marked. =c -:c- +--+ - = = =-+, - -= = =+= =+ +: c |+ ()
represent the pain and social blight of lives of street children, despite there are assumed to have many
institutions to work for them.

-= = =- =-+ - -|
= +: =+= + = =+ -| () explains the violence and bloodshed hype that our society is
facing. The cruelty, inhumanity and polluting the others strength are indicated with the lines. Leaving the
anthropomorphic attitude, poet has been equally conscious of others world and kingdoms of wild animals
and environment. Poem +-= - and +- are example of paying focus on animals and
environment. Like Barry says, they re-read major literary works from an ecocentric perspectives, with
particular attention to the representation of the natural world (264), talking about literary people who make
greening of the text, poet Adhikari too has attempted for it. Poet has been equally capable to make justice to
all types of issues and subjects of society. And the same time, the anthology too comes to be a well balanced
anthology from view point of the encompassment of issues. The poet even uses a brand new practice in poem
by using same initial spellings and phone in each word in each line i.e. =c =+ == =+ = ==|
(-). Each word here begins with the initial phone =, and so is the case throughout his this poem +-=

The bitter reality and acrimonious fact of human beings, especially difference between works and words, are
clearly given feelings in his poems. People and their speech mania is point of focus in some poems.
Strikingly objectionable verity of goodness in words and deviations in works are paid due focus and clear
representation in his poems.
- - - - --- == =c |-,
s- t=- ++= -= == -- |-,
=s - +- +- | == -- - -,
-+ =+ =- =-:= =r + = -,
= =-- c=++=+ =-c +-- -== () projects the core reality of leaders being indulged in unfair and
iniquitous activities. They are only good at lips services and for promises or words. But in action, they are
only to bamboozle or swindle to people. Cheating, dishonesties and inebriates are in rife everywhere.
Highlighting the similar mismatching in words and works of leaders and their negligence towards, Dahal
writes: - = =+ =--+- =- =-+ --- - =, - =+ | =--- --- =|+, =-+
:= -+==+ === ++- |+ -++ c- =--+ = =-- = |+ -+= :==
= ==- c- . And even Adhikaris indication towards the leaders is quite same.

The assimilation of youth and internalization of their strength for better society is the next aspect that the
poet rightly respects.
== == +- = +- =- -,
t = +: = == ++ - =- - (-) infallibly acknowledges the capability and energy the youth have.
Since youths are powerhouse for the changes and civilization of the nation, he compares them with good
metaphor as the flower sprung out form the rock.

Outright and surreal position of constituent assembly or the negligence towards issues of public concerns and
its duties are clearly talked in poem. They are making rather unsolicited activities and huge negligence.
= -- +s= =:+= +: c --c,
-- =- +s= =-= c: - --c,
+ = =- c == ==+ + -= +c (-) stands to represent the surreal explanation of negligence that
our members of constituent assembly have paid; and mockery they have created over the public mandate.
Similarly the next line rightly explains the no difference in real life of people and progress or prosperity of
the nations despite having a lot of changes in political systems or mechanism. Politics has been having
frequent changes nonetheless the outcomes in people is almost nil and the same.

Being an agricultural nation, he has well assimilated the need of agricultural movement and reformation for
the foundation of solid state.
+=, +-, -= -== + -=-=
-= - =- - =a == -= (-) aware people to have better and modern farming for
strengthening the economic and entire development of the country.


Finally the poet has even raised the note of dissent against the domination and violence the super powers of
the world have initiated. Basically the threat in entire world and its citizen because of Americas invasion in
Iraq has caused fear and terror of possibility of the next global war however the case is only between two till
the time. Such feelings are clearly represented in his poems:
| = = = - =+ +==,
+-- a c == = == +-- = --=,
=+=+ = --+ =- =- =,
=c - +- = === =-+ :- =- = ()

Beside his heart touching subjects with insightful observation and wonderful articulation of the issues, his
poems are exemplary; and those are imitable enough in terms of frequently unique uses of poetic devices and
attributes. His exquisite art of using a symbol is clear in += + - =+ +--= =- - == () where
the black snake stands for despot, cruel and anti national element which is trying to exacerbate the political
stability and play in wrong for foul advantages.
Similarly arts of personification, alliteration, metaphor, and meter are other specialties well sensed in his
poems. Once we agree with Eubankss idea the study of narratives and figures might enhance other kinds
of textual analysis is almost certainly a worthwhile direction for research (53), poet Adhikaris all these
uses should be independently studied to know what richness do these all embody in the anthology.
Even issues of Maoist insurgency and its positive and negative aspects have drawn his limelight in different
pages of his text. Similarly he seems to seek progressive peace, which aims for the formation of prosperous
and inclusive nation; and that is clearly noticed in his poems.
Thus, poet has very correctly given space to a lot of issues of the society in his anthology.
Conclusion:
With these, Mr. Adhikari is a poet with wider understanding about contents, higher justice in terms of
representing them and prolific in terms of using poetic devices and constructing virgin benchmarks. He is
sure to have an advanced success in literary career; and literary store of nation is rightful to expect
considerable contribution on his behalf.
Works Cited:
Aivanhor, Omraam Mikhael. Hope for the World: Spiritual Galvanoplasty. Frnace; prosveta; 2001.
Barry, Peter. Beginning Theory. New York: Manchester University Press; 2007.


Breaking the Conflict Trap: Civil War Development Policy. A World Bank policy research report.
Washington DC; 2003.
Churchill, Winston. Speech to the House of Commons, 13 may, 1940. Reading Between the Lines. Ed.
John McRae and Roy Boardman. India: Foundation Books, 2004.
Eubanks, Philip. Poetics and Narrativity. What Writing does and How it does it. Ed. Charles Bazerman
and Paul Prior. UK: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates; 2003 P+32-56
Guha, Ranjeet. On some Aspects of the Historiography of Colonial India. Subjectivity and Social Change.
Course packet IACER, POkhara University. 645.2 2007.
Siad, Edward. The Scope of Oreintalism. Non-western Studies ..
Simpson, Louis. The Inner Part: Generations. Thematic Anthology of Poems. Ed. Shreedhar Lohoni,Padma
P. Devkota. Nepal: Educational Enterprises; 2001. P+32.
=++, + +- +-- +- +-- +- +-- +- +-- -+=: +- ++-; ---
-=, =- +-== =-- = =+-, -= +++, -+=: +s=: ; -, --=, +s