Land and freedom an abandoned tryst: A Study of Agha Shahid Ali’s poems

Abstract

Agha Shahid Ali, the Kashmiri poet, explores the untold miseries of the generations of loss whose plight after independence was no better than before. Most of his poems echo the lament of the land and cultural maladies of citizens of Kashmir, bearing the imprints of Indo-Islamic tradition. He contextualizes poetry in terms of history and passes through the landscape of memories through Ghazals. The major problem a Kashmiri faces is whether to identify himself as an Indian or as a Kashmiri. The unique position of Kashmir intensified the conflict and thus the land has turned to be a space for the othering of Kashmiri self. The present study aims at analyzing Agha Shahid Ali’s poems through defining the land, 77 differentiating it from nation and examining the concepts such as nationalism, regionalism, terrorism etc. with the objective to eradicate the prejudice towards individuals standing on the margins. Problematizing the very notion of unity in diversity envisaged in the Constitution it tries to throw light upon the shadows of poet’s vision, moving deep into its roots. The relevance of the analysis lies in unraveling the predicament of an individual who feels as an outsider inside the broad shelter to which he is supposed to get entangled. The issue addresses not only Kashmiris but also the ethnic, religious, linguistic communities throughout the world who are confined inside the barbed wires of sectarianism. The scope of the reading can be extended to delve deep into the history of India , the idea of freedom and its dimensions and the post-colonial aspect i.e. the dual role that language plays in relation to history, viewed through the looking glass of contemporary existence.