Kavishala, a national level platform of Poets and Writers in its tributes paid to late Smt Padma Sachdev quoted, “The one who draws noble delights from sentiments of poetry is a true poet, though they have never expressed a verse in all their life.” This line signifies the famous poetess Padma Sachdev and an Indian writer, a Padma Shri awardee of her creative genius, Kavishala said.
In the preface of her first collection of poems, ‘Meri Kavita Mere Geet’, renowned poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar wrote: “After reading Padma’s poem, I should throw my pen away — for what Padma writes indeed is true poetry.”
Academician and former JNU Professor Pushpesh Pant, whose association with Padma Sachdev goes back 50 years, recalls her as a generous person who was “full of life”. “Padma Ji was so young for her age … when I first heard the news of her death, I was more surprised than sad. I realised that even people who are so full of life also have to go away one day,” Pant added.
There is too much that can be attributed in tributes to the great icon of Dogri lyrics and language. Padma Sachdev was born in 1940 in Purmandal village of Samba district in Jammu region. She was the first modern woman poet of the Dogri language.
Born and raised in a small town of Jammu named Purmandal, she was the eldest of three children of a Sanskrit scholar, Jai Dev Badu.
She wrote the lyrics of the song ‘Mera chhota sa ghar baar’ from the 1973 Hindi film by Ved Rahi “Prem Parbat” which had music by Jaidev. But her lyrics sung by the Melody Queen Lata Mangeshker – in Dogri are the best collection which every Jammuite is proud of.
“Her literature depicts the joys and sorrows, mood and misfortunes of Indian womanhood. Even though she is conscious of the social injustices heaped upon women, her woman characters maintain their dignity at all times,” the Sahitya Akademi notes in a short profile of the poet on its website.
Her poem ‘Raje Diyan Mandiyan’ is a scathing attack on the feudal system and portrays the plight of an average poor Dogra woman. “Those who beat our shaking hands … those who emptied out our treasured troves, are those hunched horses yours?”, a woman asks the kings in this poem.
Sachdev also composed the tunes of Lata Mangeshkar’s first Dogri music album, which featured famous songs like ‘Bhala Shapaia Dogariya’, ‘Toon Mala Toon’ — songs still hummed and enjoyed today.
This album includes famous songs like Nikde Fangdu te Uchhi Udan ….. ( wordily meaning flying with small wings in a huge sky) lyrics of songs depict the feeling of love-lore beloved while another a famous lullaby ‘Tu Malla Tu lok Panan Thickriyan te Badam Pane Tu (meaning my love you will be breaking almonds and people will break stone) portrays the feeling of a mother and her deep love for her little child.
She also published several poetry collections, including ‘Meri Kavita Mere Geet’, which won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1971. She was also the recipient of the Padma Shri (2001) and the Kabir Samman for poetry for the year 2007-08 presented by the government of Madhya Pradesh. Padma Sachdev had many contributions in the field of literature.
She was gifted with quality voice also and thus she had worked as a Radio announcer with All India Radio, Jammu since 1961 and also worked with All India Radio, Mumbai.
Her rich contributions to Dogri and Hindi Literature will remain etched as the sweet memories of generations to come. Her departure has caused a void in the national literary spectrum and in her demise; Jammu lost its luminary icon of its Dogri literature, culture and language. We salute the legend!
