On Monday, the city's who's who and around 500 other Amadavadis gathered at Karnavati Club to listen raptly to an IAS officer, who is now known more as a poet.
Jivvano Riyaaz, a collection of Gujarati poems written by Harsh Brahmbhatt was today unveiled at a gala function at Karnavati. The bureaucrat is joint secretary in the General Administration Department of the state government, and has recently won this year's prestigious Indian National Theatre Award for his literary contributions.
The book was formally inaugurated by Morari Bapu, in the presence of dignitaries like Vinod Bhatt, Suresh Dalal and Rajesh Vyas-Miskin. This Gujarati gazal collection is Brahmbhatt's fourth contribution to Gujarati literary lovers. Besides Jivvano Riyaaz, he has written three other Gujarati poems, Andar Divadandi, Ekalata ni Bhid ma and Maun ni Mahefil. He has two Hindi-Urdu gazal collections to his name.
Speaking on the occasion, prominent poets and writers like Rajesh Vyas, Vinod Bhatt and Suresh Dalal mesmerised the audience with their wit and command over the language and subject. Rajesh Vyas, aka Miskin, thanked Brahmbhatt for adding such a fine collection to Gujarati literature. He said he knows Brahmbhatt from 1972, and he also feels that the latter's writings have surpassed all expectations.
Miskin felt that there exists a dearth of good poets after Mareez.
Famous writer Suresh Dalal made a memorable speech full of punch lines and satire on the current state of poetry in Gujarat. "I receive many letters every day, majority of them are gazals, but after you open the 'cover', you can't 're-cover' after reading them," said Dalal, who hailed Brahmbhatt for creating such a fantastic collection amidst his files and workload at the GAD.
As expected, well known comedy writer Vinod Bhatt created a laughter riot with his speech. He made a satire of many a poet by saying that every poet can't become human, and every human can't become a poet!
He praised Brahmbhatt in his inimitable style. "I am Bhatt, where as he is Brahmbhatt, so he is one step ahead of me," said the 72-year-old writer, who compared his own habit of "talking too much," with George Bernard Shaw.
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