The centenary of Tamil Haiku poets was celebrated recently. A bunch of poets, led by octogenarian writer and novelist Vaiyavan gathered at the Adyar Gandhinagar Library hall. Time flew as Mu. Murugesh, who has published several volumes of his haiku verses, traced the history of the genre in Tamil.
“It was in October 1916 that Mahakavi Subramania Bharathi wrote a brief article on Japanese Haiku in Swadesamitran and that became the launching pad,” said Murugesh. Fifty years later, Sujatha, C. Mani, Chandralekha and others translated a few English haiku poems into Tamil and published them in Kanaiyazhi and Nadai . Then it picked up momentum and in the 1980s several collections came out. Particular mention must be made of Erode Tamilanban’s Suriya Piraigal and Prof. T. Leelavathi’s Japanese Haiku with the foreword from Kaviko Abdul Raghuman. “With a few anthologies which followed later, Karanthadi a magazine exclusively for haiku was published from Puducherry. In 1991, Kanaiyazhi brought out a special issue when at the same time Sujatha published a book, Haiku – A New Introduction, expressing his ideas and opinions,” said Murugesh.
Pushkin Literary Forum announced a contest in which the prize winning poems were edited by Salauddin, Pazhani Bharati and M.S. Thyagarajan for the anthology titled Innum Makkal . In July 1992, for the first time, a Haiku Kavi Arangam was organised in Thanjavur, by Sugan magazine. In the same year, poet Sajjad Bukari’s Urdu Haiku poems were translated into Tamil, titled, Speaking Fingers . With these developments, it was time to evaluate the haiku poems in Tamil and Nellai Su. Muthu, who specialises on science subjects, brought out the book with analytical views.
In February 1994, a special workshop on haiku was arranged in the Madurai Kamaraj University. Haiku, My Friend, containing Sanjeev Batla’s poems in Tamil was published by poet Mithra. In the eighth World Tamil Conference, many notable poets presented their papers. In March 1999, poets from different regional languages participated in the symposium conducted at the Asian Institute at Chemmenchery.
Amudhabharati, artist-cum-poet published Hundred Moons (Nooru Nila) based only on moon. In 2005, Kannikovil Raja brought out his SMS poems in a book form. There were a number of events, book release functions, including Thisai Ettum magazine marking its 51st issue as a centenary special on the genre. Capping it all, on December 24, 2017, the readers’ circle of Adyar Gandhinagar Library organised a colourful event to mark the centenary of haiku, with the co-operation of the librarian Akilan.
Sample lines
Murugesh, who presided over the function, has won several awards including State Bank of India Award, Tiruppur Tamil Sangam Award and Best Children’s Writers Award. He is the author of more than 30 books and has visited Karnataka, Kerala, Singapore and, Sri Lanka propagating the haiku genre. In the collection of poems brought out by Murugesh on the occasion, he had included the works of several poets. Sample these:
‘I am a man with self-respect’
said Appa, dhoti slipping from hip
in front of Tasmac outlet’ (Nandakumar of Aranthangi)
‘Roja seller endures
daily pricks of thorns.
Poverty’ (S.K. Bharati Raja)
‘Life or death
Fisherman’s life is in
deep sea’ (Megalaivanan)
‘She, who carried firewood,
is burnt in
electric crematorium’ (Durai Nandakumar)
‘Heirs of Seethakaathi even
today. Donate bodies after
brain-dead’ (Kudanthai Balu)
‘Child burnt in school.
dolls wait for her
at home’ (Amudhabharati)
Appa in hospital
Amma’s Thaali in form of
soiled pawn shop receipt (Mu. Murugesh)
Look at these shorter ones:‘Sparrow on the sword of Ayyanaar; sits casually’, ‘Squirrels, cut your nails; scars in the face of flower’, ‘Look woodcutter, this is the last drop of rain’, ‘Ant climbs the shoe; finding it not suitable, moves’ and ‘In the deep sea, they cast their nets; the oars rest.’
What about the demand for the publications? Murugesh says that his book Sky on the Finger Tips (Viral Nuniyil Vaanam) was sold out within three months of its release. Dharini Pathippakam, Chennai, has brought out Murugesh’s ‘Haiku Nandavanam’ in commemoration of the centenary function.
