O P Bhatnagar is one of the most driving voices of Indian English verse whose assortments Thought Poems (1976), Feeling Fossils (1977), Angels of Retreat (undated), The Audible Landscape, Oneric Visions, Shadows in Floodlight (1984) and Cooling Flames of Darkness (2001) bespeak of political awareness of the writer. As it is obvious actuality that Indian English verse can never avoid the socio-political air of India and artists who don’t compose under a solitary equation but instead start an exchange among ‘man and man’ so Bhatnagar too manages various issues of our general public and legislative issues. Dr. A.N. Dwivedi remarks:
“Bhatnagar’s verse grasps an extraordinary assortment of topics which straightforwardly center around the long ness of his experience and the seriousness of his contribution in the undertakings of life.” (CIE217)
Bhatnagar’s handling of political subject is more firm and bigger than some other Indian English writer for he has contacted practically all the parts of political situation. Dr.V.K.Singh watches:
“We find in Bhatnagar a forthcoming examination of the realities of contemporary life. Bhatnagar comments upon bunch parts of political life as existing as of now. No striking component gets away from his definitely recognizing eye. Bhatnagar tears open the chest of a few political puzzles. He reflects before us what’s going on with everything of every single political issue.” (152)
Subjects like political race, pay off, defilement, criminalization of legislative issues, wild pay off among the pioneers corrupting character of national pioneers, division of society by communalism, castism, linguism, and regionalism and so forth and the articulate loss of qualities in governmental issues are moved by the writer in an amazingly touchy and brilliantly mocking manner which is still not being outperformed by any artist of Indian English Poetry. His affirmation that ‘Indian Poetry in English must be Indian’ can’t be neglected on the off chance that we seek to advance Indian Literature. Only replicating and adapting to the English and English Literature is deficient in light of the fact that Indian reasonableness isn’t enduring with the penury of considerations, feelings and reasonableness and in light of the fact that it has its establishment imperativeness and voice of possibility. Dr. R.C. Sharma is correct when he says:
“The motivation behind why Bhatnagar advocates making Indian Poetry in English is assailed with clashes and concerns; and these contentions and concerns are fundamentally Indian. Bhatnagar is aware of the milieu in which the Indian writer in English lives just as of the obligation which the Indian artist in English needs to perform.”(79)
O.P.Bhatnagar has managed various subjects like social cognizance, political mindfulness, love, nature, reasoning and Indianness. As indicated by Dr. A. N. Dwivedi:
Bhatnagar’s verse fathoms an extraordinary assortment of subjects, which straightforwardly center around the enormity of his experienceand the solemnityof his inclusion in a mind-blowing undertakings. (CIE,217)
Along these lines Bhatnagar comprehends the rhythm and temperature of his occasions and likewise coordinates his verse. Bhatnagar’s managing the topic of governmental issues is heap and genuine. The different social issues that disturb the heart of man are the subjects of his verse and he attempts to toss a decent arrangement of light on every one of them. S.C.Bose watches:
“The verse of O.P.Bhatnagar which has for sure numerous measurements is additionally huge as verse of political cognizance.” (V. V., 29)
The straight to the point investigation of the reality of contemporary life, and the pleasant outline make his verse energetic and engaging. As indicated by Bhatnagar:
“The vast majority of the indispensable territories of the existence today are administered by the nature of political life and air are making and living. Governmental issues today has supplanted our strict method of life. We are quick getting worried about a sort of patriotism that may characterize our job and duties really taking shape of the predetermination of our Nation in future.” (RC, ‘Presentation’, 8)
As per Bhatnagar:
Indian verse in English ought to principally worry to social and political existence of the individuals of India and it, ‘must democratize its interests and relations to society and make it a wellspring of shared expectations…it must illuminate the degeneration and defilement eroding personalities. It must talk about the all out lose of virtues, the unhappiness and the dissatisfactions invading the National scene.” (RC, ‘Introduction’9)
Verse for Bhatnagar is a consistent quest and exertion to represent for a superior socio-political life .to him, it is ‘a reluctant specialty molded and reshaped by steady practice-refined and modified by method for the vision. Like life itself, it is crafted by a planter who in the wake of evacuating all weeds develops it to conclusive development and blooming. As such there is no impact of a specific way of thinking on his verse. It is altogether his own-an individual analysis roused by environmental factors, ages, times or more all by human problem.
The main assortment of Bhatnagar Thought Poems (1976) has great arrangement of sonnets of political awareness. The sonnets wealthy in thought content need feeling like that of sentimental writers however the principal sonnet of the assortment discovers the procedure of wonderful creation. Bhatnagar composes:
“Verse’s significance
Like a god in cherished
Words upon words, the structure fabricate.” (T.P, 5)
Bhatnagar illuminates the inquiry concerning God who can’t be settled out in going round the sanctuary by the admirer. God is a significance and divinity revered in expressions of sonnet, the craftsman alone can elucidate and search Him out:
“We may go all around the sanctuary
However never associate with God.
We may go round and rand a thought
However never be around an idea.” (on the same page. 5)
In one of his sonnets, he predicts the future as miserable as the present:
“The future looks blurred
Like the blooms of desert plants after first light
The holy people from bars, houses of ill-repute and night clubs
Tasting of gambling clubs and black market
Turn ethics, qualities and excellencies to frozen yogurt
Licked by carefree childness in cones.” (T.P, 10)
In the sonnet ‘The new Scale’ Bhatnagar attempts to find some kind of harmony between limited’s meat is another man’s toxic substance. The artist finds the proclamation exhausted in the cutting edge setting ‘a straightforward and legit man estimates life in esteem spoons as he sees unscrupulousness as the meanest lifestyle’. The distinct truth of life can be viewed as:
“A straightforward, legit man
In an exhausted mode
May even now himself find
Estimating life in esteem spoons
Pay off, debasement and fraud
For him, an unpleasant toxic substance be.” (T.P., 12)
Bhatnagar wishes to opine that the person’s who gather riches are the little worry with the enthusiasm with their kindred creatures, nor do they feel any impropriety in acting very in opposition to the implicit rules. In another sonnet ‘A Woe of Wonder’, Bhatnagar communicates our slants and powerless mentality. The writer laments the assorted variety, crumbling that our nation has today. The accentuation of the writer is only Nationality, one feeling and one mentality. This thought is written by the artist as:
“Our is a multiheaded nation
Glancing in no specific area
Trimurti is a comprehensive vision
From here to time everlasting risen
Telling the story of our silliness.” (T.P., 14)
Thus in the sonnet ‘The Bonds of Country Care’ the artist remarks on the dependability and energy of those Indians who have been gathering vanity, riches and egotism by their administrations to the nations to which they have moved. These supposed faithful residents and resolute loyalists visit India for their own motivation:
“Steadfast residents glad for loyalists
Always remember the consideration of their nation
What’s more, fly back home every once in a while
Either to pick a lady of the hour like a sovereign
Or then again purchase of ones nation a gem of a land
Putting their realm in a security of groups
Fixed with the reliable affirmation with a wink
That despite the fact that they don’t have a place with this nation
It sure has a place with their domain.” (T. P., 15)
The subsequent assortment Feeling Fossils has additionally a few sonnets of political intrigue. Bhatnagar notwithstanding treating the legislative issues in a circuitous way barely neglects to stick point remarkable marvels that some way or another stay escaped the eye of even the individuals who have spent significant time in the round of governmental issues. ‘Intersection The Bar’ is reasonable sonnet that lashes on the cutting edge government officials. His remark on the cutting edge government officials merits citing:
“Ethics as thick
As thick woods
Give no light access;
The game is abnormal
Chasing loyalties
For sentiment.” (F.F, 16)
Another eminent sonnet ‘The No Man’s Land’ communicates the possibility that opportunity has gotten no racial change the life of the individuals who are as yet living the dim prison of destitution, lack of education and equity. The development of freedom was raised by the majority yet just hardly any special men approached to control. What’s more, when the endeavors and forfeits of the majority came about progress those advantaged not many caught tossed of the nation and kept decision over the country under the attire of popular government. So the writer feels right:
“Before the British came
The land was not our own:
After they left,
It was not our own as well
The land has a place
To the individuals who rule;
The others only acquire
The dead zone.” (F.F., 19)
The third assortment Angles of Retreat has a few interesting sonnets where the writer investigates the importance of time as is assessed from the occasions rising up out of the cavern of realism married to fraud. The tone of the artist in this assortment is satiric and unexpected. In the sonnet ‘History is A Sorry go round’ the writer wishes to propound that the students of history regularly overlook the significance of the individuals everywhere and they will in general amplify the deeds of a couple of special men. The political doormats have no other method for arriving at the pages of History. The students of history imagine that their work in recording titles and torments serve the reason for National solidarity and security and they are helped by political flunkiies:
“Political toadies are their helpers
On whose overwhelming forecasts
They fire eat and perform
The Japanese fire-walk appears
To astonish the effectively shocked.” (A.R, 4
