Main Wo Shankh Mahashankh

I, That Conch, the Great Conch, the poems in this fifth collection by the renowned poet Arun Kamal are a harbinger of many voices. The original, all-pervasive voice is that of the poet himself, but that voice is not solitary but a collective voice formed by the voices of the conch and the great conch. No poet is merely his own spokesperson; indeed, he is not anyones spokesperson; but within him, all people, all living beings, and the universe find a place. That is why he speaks not just on behalf of a section or category, but on behalf of everyone. He speaks for everyone. I, That Conch, the Great Conch is meaningful in this way. Furthermore, it is worth noting that the conch, the great conch, is beyond counting. The ultimate count, the great conch, is also beyond this mountain. Arun Kamals poems are those very conch-like peoplethose who have been excluded, left out of the countthe poor, the weak, yet self-respecting, and the struggling. This entire collection is filled with such characters, themes, and images. Therefore, this collection, like all of Arun Kamals collections, certainly has a clear political overtone. In this terrible era of globalization, privatization, and capitalism, Arun Kamal stands with those who are being pushed out of life. These are the poems of those people. Such diversity, such a spectrum of voices, such a rich variety of speech and dialogue are rare elsewhere. Once again, Arun Kamal explores life and creates unexpected beauty. Such intensity, such a multitude of images, and such a blossoming of the inner music of words are rare. These poems, filled with deep poignancy and intimacy, are easily accessible to every sympathetic reader, while on another level, their synthesis may also aspire to additional attention and effort. Arun Kamal mines life, discovering new ores, and then refining them. Thats why his poems compel us to talk about life, its meaning and value. Another characteristic of these poems is their openness, a photo-negative openness, both uncertainty and possibility. This is why Arun Kamal sees the world as a negative photo.