TELUGU
People’s poet
SAROJINI PREMCHAND
KALOJI NARAYANA RAO: Pervaram Jagannadham; Sahitya Akademi, Ravindra Bhavan, 35, Ferozeshah Road, New Delhi-110001. Rs.40.
KALOJI STANDS as an icon even today in the minds of the Telangana people as a defiant poet who was several times imprisoned during the Nizam’s rule suffering immensely the inhumane treatment in the jails that ruined his health for life.
The author of this monograph while describing Kaloji’s growing up years has painted a very vivid picture of a socially, religiously and politically vibrant Warangal of the time, the ruthless persecution of its people and oppression of their language and culture by the rulers. He had great love for Telangana, its dialect and the way of life of its people. He spoke in that dialect and composed poems in that dialect.
At every unjust action, at every incident of suppression or exploitation of the poor he raised his pen and lashed out at the perpetrators. He excelled in parody and his style was bitingly sarcastic. The epithet “people’s poet” he earned by his unequivocal representation of the struggle of the masses against subjugation.
Kaloji played a significant role in the Hyderabad liberation movement. As in literature he was not a member of any group or political party.
Some incidents in prison are interesting and touchingly narrated by the author. He was unsparing in voicing his opinions. These and many other facets of his personality make this an absorbing book. The historical background sketched adds merit to this work.
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