लोक कवि स्व घनश्याम शैलानी जी के जन्मदिवस पर आयोजित विचार गोष्ठी

लोक कवि स्व घनश्याम शैलानी जी के  जन्मदिवस पर आयोजित विचार गोष्ठी

Vichar Goshthi organized in the memory of Swami Ghanshyam Shailani jee on the occasion of his birthday

…….was scribbled on the white board at the radio station.

Organized by Raghu Bhai Jardhari; (journalist Dainik Bhaskar newspaper and a co-founder of Henvalvani) this meeting was called to celebrate GhanShyam Shailani jee’s 76^th birthday.

Ghanshyam Shailani

Ghanshyam Shailani was a celebrated poet of the Chipko movement in Garhwal. The Chipko andolan began in the early 1970’s in this region as a non violent per formative tree hugging movement that arose from concerns over the severe deforestation in the valley.

I was introduced to the life and work of Ghanshyam Shailani through the group of fans/ followers/ devotees who has come together today, to commemorate this legend’s ideologies.

Rajendar Negi

Seated on the floor around Sahilani’s photograph were local politicians, teachers, activists, and journalists….

Somvari Lal Saklani, (a teacher at the inter college & a poet)

Somvari Lal Saklani and Virendra Negi

………began by reciting an original composition he has written about the decrepit condition of the local ecology and went on to listing one by one various local legends/ activist who have spent their lives fighting against deforestation, against the caste system, for women’s rights. Namely: Sunderlal Bahuguna, Vijay Jardhari, Ganga Prasad Bahuguna, Pratap Shekhar, Shikhar, Ghanshyam Shailani, Kuwar Prasoon, Sridev Suman, Vishveshwar Dutt Saklani.

(It was like tracing the anthropological history of an initiative like Henvalvani. I am bowled over by the number of progressive activists, intellectuals, poets who have grown out of this soil.)

Vijay Jardhari, (farmer and social activist Jardhari was at the forefront of the chipko andolan and in the late 1980’s started the ‘Beej Bachao Andolan‘ (Save the Seeds Movement).

Vijay Jardhari

………. recited in the most soulful voice renditions of Ghanshyam Shailani’s original compositions. I thought I saw a few moist eyes at the end of one of the more poignant couplets. Jardhari reiterated the fact the word “chipko” was infact shailani’s concept….. the true identity of the andolan was granted to it by shailani.

Ganga Prasad Bahuguna (this octogenarian environment a one of the leaders of the chipko andolan.)

Ganga Prasad Bahuguna

………..worked closely with Sahilani and drew a vivid picture of him as a kurta clad man with a harmonium strung around his neck singing sonnets to trees and wandering the villages of Garhwal calling for a social awakening. Shailani means wanderer in Garhwali.

Where are you from young girl he asked me?

Rajasthan I said.

Did you know that the first recorded event of Chipko took place in a village in Rajasthan?. in 1730 AD… 363 women sacrificed their lives while protecting trees by hugging them, and braved the axes of loggers sent by the local ruler.

Jagdish Prasad Nautiyal

Jagdish Prasad Nautiyal (politician and PTA (parent teacher association) president at the Sri Dev Suman Government Inter College).

…………. Was reminiscing the good old days when youth like Shailani were motivated. Suddenly pointing at Pradeep (volunteer at Henvalvani) asked accusingly: what do the boys in your class find so amusing, why are they never serious? Pradeep mumbled some defence, later admitting he was the one laughing loudest during Nautiyal’s speeches at school.

Somvari Lal Saklani and Raghu Bhai Jardhari

Raghu Bhai Jardhari (journalist and cofounder of Henvalvani)

……….began by announcing his disapproval of the environmentalist Vandana Shiva and the Sydney Peace Prize that has recently been awarded to her. how can she claim the chipko andolan as her own? she only came here as a researcher to study the andolan later. She was not the one to fight the battle.

About Shailani he said: With a harmonium slung over his shoulder this man made daring per formative actions living and working with the lower caste dalits..

Suraj Rana

Nagarpalika Adhyaksha Suraj Rana declared the goshthi closed with a typical politician’s speech about saving the Indian culture and heritage and worrying about the inequitable distribution of monies for building roads, the garbage dumping problem etc.. etc..

What a day!! I celebrated the birthday of a complete stranger and at the end of the day I know so much about him through the people whose lives he touched….. and his poetry. ….and his passion that kept this room full of people locked together in conversation for 5 straight hours

~ by radiokhirkee on 18/05/2010.