Khudai Mein Hinsa

In this fraught era of migration of small-town writers to larger centers and the all-consuming spread and dominance of the center in their psyches, Badri Narayans poetry is an extension of the poetic tradition that creates the image of the mushroom in contrast to the rose. This is a time when the center is not only producing its opinions but also spreading them. To some extent, it is eager to swallow even those concepts and poetic postures that seem to differ from its own. Therefore, any other poetic posture has become intolerable to it. It is determined to reject it, whether through logic or fallacy. This is a time of a difficult struggle to preserve the internal democracy of the poetic landscape. Badri Narayans poetry is, in essence, the poetry of the desire to be a communicative citizen in democratic times. It is the poetry of the desire and effort to speak to the sea standing on the border. It knows the expectations and its limits. It expresses the sadness of unfulfilled dreams and aspirations, yet this poem seeks to connect itself with the lineage of the poet whose song is sung by women gathered in a circle outside the fishermens colony. Badri Narayans poetry reaches out to the myths, narratives, and unnoticed historical contexts of the lower classes of Indian society, which conceal their unheard tales of suffering, depression, and struggle. Badri Narayans poetry is almost devoid of popular myths that have been accepted by dominant powers. There is also no attempt to reread obsolete mythical narratives. These poems contain the characters and stories of the narratives and folk histories of those castes and human groups who, despite being involved in productive activities, are condemned to live hellish lives on the periphery of society. Badri Narayans poetry provides a commentary on the dreams, aspirations, weaknesses, and strengths of these numerous human groups. In fact, the poets poetic practice itself bears witness to the politics of this poem. These poems can be said to be the tales of the Bahujan of our society.