Padma Sachdev and her 'Raje Diyan Mandiyan'

Doyen of Dogri literature Padma Sachdev came into prominence through her revolutionary poem entitled 'Raje Diyan Mandiyan'. She has been eulogised for her other poems and songs also but nothing to beat the revolutionary socialistic theme in the poem. The poem portrays the pathos of exploited masses under the autocratic rule of the royalty. It is not very common among the Dogra population of Jammu region to criticise the rule of the Rajas and Maharajas in such strong but eloquent words as Padma once did. Rest of her poetry is generally focussed of the Dogri folk traditions, culture and nostalgia. Some of her songs have also been sung by Lata Mangeshkar whom Padma called her didi.

The poem 'Raje Diyan Mandiyan', some say was written by her when she was in the company of well known Dogri poet and her husband to be Vedpal Deep.A poet of high ranking and a journalist of eminence, Vedpal Deep had  socialist leanings. But with his heavy drinking,  Deep made his own and Padma's life a hell and soon they parted their company. She later married known vocalist Surinder Singh of Singh Bandhu classical singer duo fame. The poem Raje Di Mandiyan highlights the exploitation of peasantry and common masses by the ruling class living in palaces. The poem narrates the pathos of a village woman who sits bewildered and anguished near the high walls of the Jammu palace complex that is still called Mubarik Mandi in official as well as common parlance.

Read the poem below:

The woman asks a passerby woman if the high walled royal palaces belong to her. She puts the question through several references in the seven stanzas of the poem each containing nines lines with necessary rhythm and flow of poetry. Padma made it poignant whenever she recited it on public demand. The narrative starts with the woman saying that she had been lost from her home for years. She even had lost her sight since long. She says she was ruined like a small sapling. And then she asks if the sickle that cut and uprooted the sapling belonged to you, or, the owners of these royal palaces.

She continues her remorse saying the rulers snatched even the morsel of foodgrains from her mouth and sucked the blood which wasn't even properly formed. And she asks if the horses that carried away the looted grains from her home belonged to you, o, the owners of these royal palaces.The narrative goes further when the women refers to the high walls of the royal palaces and the treasures therein. She says the red bricks of the walls reminded her of the colour of the blood of her own young men who died working there. And she asks if these memorials like structures belonged to you,or,the owners of these royal palaces.

She reminisces more. "Our blood was used to burn lamps for light in the dark nights. Our bewildered little children watched with awe from a distance the Diwali you celebrated, o, the owners of these royal places". She concludes saying that the autocratic regime perpetuated a system where rights of people like her were snatched by others right from their young days.It is a heart rending saga. And her final question is how the souls with their own promises and dreams could be yours, O! you the owners of these royal palaces?

Padma inspired a whole lot of young Dogri writers to write in their mother tongue. Her melodious rendering of Dogri poems mesmerised audiences in different parts of India. It was due to her and several others' efforts that Dogri as a language was first recognised by the Sahitya Akademi for its annual literary awards and later was given a  status in 8th schedule of the Constitution. It was no mean recognition for a regional language that hardly had about a dozen books prior to 1947.

(Writer is a freelance journalist based at Hisar in Haryana)