About war poems…

Telugu original: Dasarathi

A poet considers the world his own. When fascism was destroying democratic forces in faraway Spain, writers from many countries went there to fight and be martyred, even though it was not their own country. One among them was Christopher Caudwell.

The famous poet of Spain, Garcia Lorca was killed in broad daylight by the Fascists and thrown into an unmarked pit.

The Telangana revolution was no less than any of these struggles. There are many such writers who did not belong to Telangana but were influenced by the struggle for freedom here and raised their voices, disturbed by the atrocities taking place here. Chief among them were Arudra, Kundurti, Somasundar. Somasundar raised his voice and wrote “Beware Nizam Monarch” (Khabardar Nizam Badshah)  in his “Vajrayudham”.

Arudra went on to write a poetic composition called “Tvamevaaham”: When this poem was published in the “Telugu Swatantra” magazine, it invited some criticisms, counter-criticisms and bad reviews. At that time, Arudra wrote me a letter (1949).

“After my “Tvamevaaham” was published, yours was the only encouraging letter I received. No one knows yet what inspired (me) to write “Tvamevaaham.”

In the July 10^th 1948 edition of “Krishna Patrika”, there was a story about a woman who had been exploited by the Razakars, with the heading “Shame and me? My modesty is long dead”. These are the details of that story. This happened about ten to twelve days ago. The train had just crossed Gudivada and was nearing Indupalli. Passengers in the train were discussing the happenings in Hyderabad. As they talked about Rizvi’s atrocities and migrants’ troubles, the atmosphere turned gloomy.

Meanwhile, a woman in the compartment got up. She shed all her clothes and stood naked. Everyone was aghast at this atrocious behavior and bent their heads in shame. But she stood there unflinching. An old man in the compartment gathered courage and asked her, “What are you doing? You are a girl and are standing here naked. Are you not ashamed?!”

Hearing this, she flew into a rage. “Is it wrong? Is it shameful for me? How can you even say this? Am I a woman? The Nizam monsters tied me up to a tree naked like this and left me there for a week. They robbed me of my modesty that day itself. And you still call me a woman? See these wounds all over my body. Will I regain my modesty ever again? This is our situation! And you are sitting here and listening to stories. I have nothing to be ashamed about any more. You are the ones who need to be ashamed.” Saying this, she went to each passenger and showed him the wounds on her body. Everyone in the compartment bowed their head in shame and shed tears at her tragic story. Then she wore her clothes again and went and sat down.

It came to be known that she was going to all the compartments in the train now and then and spreading the word in this manner.

This was a report sent by a passenger who had seen her plight with his own eyes and had wept on hearing her words.

I started writing “Tvamevaaham” after reading this news.”

“In the train of thoughts, in the train

In the third class gents bogie, in the rain

Of speeches about trees, about rats,

about termites, about tiny ants”

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(English Translation of Chapter 54 from “Yatrasmruti” by Dasarathi Krishnamacharya)