Bandi Jeevan Aur Anya Kavitayen

For several months, the manuscript of these poems had been with me, constantly reminding me of my promise to write something as a preface. During this time, Ive written on many subjects, but writing this preface was strangely difficult. Im not a judge or critic of poetry, so there was some hesitation. But I love poetry, and many of these short poems deeply moved me. They stuck in my memory and brought back memories of my prison lifeand of that strange and haunting world in which those ostracized by society as criminals cherished their narrow and limited lives. There were murderers, robbers, and thieves, but we were all together in that sad world of prison; we shared an emotional bond. We would walk in our isolated cellsfive measured steps this way and five measured steps back, communing with grief. Friends and solace were found only in thoughts, and only on the magic carpet of imagination could we soar above our surroundings. We lived a double lifethe confined and restricted world of prison, and the free world of emotions, of our dreams and fantasies, hopes and desires. These poems contain much of those dreams, of the yearning when arms are stretched out for that which is not there and only an emptiness is left. Some of the peace and solace we somehow managed to find even in that sorrowful world. There was always hope for tomorrow, a tomorrow that might bring us freedom. Therefore, I recommend reading these poems, and perhaps they will influence others as they have. Jawaharlal Nehru