Govinda Raj Bhattarai
[Durga Dahal, an academic and poet, passed away untimely on 8 January 2021. Besides being a prolific writer, he was also an ardent literary activist. He was advisor to International Nepali Literary Society, Board of Trustees. He was also the founder of INLS Basudev-Malati International Literary Award. Mr. Dahal, who staying in San Francisco, USA, was suffering from diabetes. This article by Prof. Bhattarai is also an obituary to late Mr. Dahal]
In a period of great silence, (forced by COVID 2019) I enjoyed reading these special creations by Durga Dahal. We have been colleagues for a long period of about five decades. We spent many days and nights in the mutiny of life. Having come out of dynamic river of life (teaching university level English courses), we have stepped on its bank from where we visualize how we swam across the stormy river. Now we are together at a point from where we express wonder, surprise, and awe about the trail we covered and about the blind alley, we are heading for. We feel, at this moment, the mystery of creation is revealing to us.
Anyway, Durga’s Sensation of the Soul contains all lyric poems of special structure though the poet’s own. A lyric poem is dominated by feeling and emotion but these are very subtle and more often the poet dwells on the question of existence, the passage of life, and the overall change of life and feels like the leaves changing their colors during autumn. They are more beautiful now and more colorful but it is time to fall. His poem border philosophical hints and many of them define life and talk about the ultimate. But the poet simplifies everything and interprets in simple metaphors such as-
Life itself is a combination of the two
The rain in the sun as pleasure in pain.
These poems reveal the value of love and compassion. Love, being a central theme appeals to us for broad humanity where our desires need to be shed off. Passion, desire, and all emotions like thirst anger, and satiety are just mirages, now it is time for one to travel all empty towards eternity.
In fact, the lyric poems reflect the poet’s physical state and mental plane. Obviously, he has turned into a saint and seer. This can be compared with moments of revelation. I am reminded of Rumi and Omar Khayyam or the great spiritual poems of Khalil Gibran.
From each of these echoes transience of life. Some sense of resignation, some undertones of teaching, and a sense of awe and love rewind here. Ultimately, he reiterates: “One should possess compassion and love.” This has become stronger in my heart when I had just finished His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s magnum opus Toward a True Kinship of Faith where He asserts: Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.”
Currently, Durga Dahal lived in Sacramento California until a short time before. As a diasporic citizen, he contemplates both his homeland and host land in these words:
I must bridge in between the two
so that I can’t forget you both
On his request, I perused his short poems and wrote a brief introduction to his poems and emailed it to him with a note. But to my dismay, I heard in a sobbing voice of Neeta Gurung from the Paltan Bazar of Guwahati on the morning of January 9 that Durga Dahal had left the world nightly and felt deeply grieved the whole day. Then I began to remember some moments I was connected with him. I had met him first 39 years ago as an English lecturer of Damak Multiple Campus, Jhapa.
And I talked to Durga Dahal last of all three mornings ago over phone. He wanted to contribute to literary field through creation and donation. It was not long when he had donated Rupees ten thousand on my request towards building an InternationalWriters’ Guest House at Trifala Rastriya Pustakalaya of Dhulabari, Jhapa, Nepal.
Mr. Prem Prakash Phalahari, the Chair received the amount only last week. He remembers how Durga had shared his desires with him over phone. He wanted to visit Nepal and visit Trifala as well and stay together a few days with the mendicant at the Guest House. In one of his poems he had expressed his desires thus:
My desire
I love to talk to everybody
with much affection and desire,
for I do believe in humanity
and, my heart flies to all
Over the narrow walls and boundaries
I love to touch everybody,
with an abundance of affinity
without any hidden intentions
The blessings I receive from god constantly
want to fountain my love for you all.
He said, he would publish a collection of these poems soon. In the meanwhile, an Interview with Lil Bahadur Chhetry of Assam was published in Online Khabar last week. Upon my suggestion and help, Govinda Giri Prerana, a literary figure now in the US, had framed those interview questions for Lil Bahadur and I had contacted this near centenarian Nepali writer of great repute, a living legend in Guwahati of Assam, convinced him to write their answers with his trembling fingers. Having written the answers, he got those long 24 sheets, sent to me back to Kathmandu through e-mail. I got them typed, sent him to Guwahati again through Pallav, his youngest son, and he pointed out some errors and omissions in those sheets. My secretary corrected over the telephonic conversation with him.
This interview contains a brief introduction to the author Lil Bahadur. Where there is no mention of a great literary prize instituted by Durga Dahal last year. The award (prize) contained two thousand dollars with which Lil Bahadur was honored for the first time at a function organized last year in the town of Guwahati. Durga had had arrived to attend the ceremony.
Durga sent me a message on Wednesday morning saying he would like to share two things with me. Then we had a long talk. He said, “I am surprised why Lil Sir’s interview does not mention the award I had founded and handed over him last year. Only others are mentioned.”
It must not be intentional. Lil sir must have forgotten to mention or Girijee who gave a final touch including introduction, must have forgotten by the way. Or the editor must have made it shorter. None was responsible. But Lil sir is really honored we all know. He also received Padmashree Honor this year. History will mention all these. That is great.
I have taken two decisions—I will stop that award and secondly would like to start another in my parents’ name on music and art. For this, I have already asked him to select members for the Board. Will you kindly give your consent to this? He proposed.
Of course, this is a noble deed. But most awards and prizes in Nepal are polluted by greedy and cunning members. I would lie be away from all such and avoid such teams—I said.
Neither do I. There is Rishavdev Ghimire, too. He will contact you. Please help me to keep it clean.
Then fine. I will suggest some unselfish ones before I do join it.
Fine, I am delighted, Sir, he said.
We had a talk three mornings ago and now Durga Sir is no more. Let me wish an old friend a lasting peace, his family, heart-felt condolences.
[Prof. Govinda Raj Bhattarai, PhD, is a critic, poet and novelist of high repute. He retired as professor of English from the Central Department of English Education, Tribhuvan University. He has several books to his credit, including his creations, translation and editing. He is advisor to The Gorkha Times.]