Aleksandra Skiba is a librarian at
Pomeranian Library (The Central Library of the West Pomeranian Province) in the
Polish city of Szczecin.
I got an email from her last week, inquiring about my grandfather Harischandra Bhatt (1906-1950), eminent
Gujarati poet credited with introducing western sensibilities in Gujarati
literature and ushering a new post-nationalistic era in Gujarati poetry.
Harischandra’s only major collection of poems – Swapnaprayan – was published
posthumously in 1959. (Incidentally, Swapnaprayan was also
Dwijendranath Tagore's second collection of poems).
He worked briefly at the Polish
consulate in Bombay during the Second World War and translated several Polish
poets into Gujarati in collaboration with his colleague Wanda Dynowska at the Polish consulate. They
published Scarlet Muse, an anthology of Polish poems.
Dynowska subsequently edited an
anthology of Polish translation of Indian poems titled Indian
Anthology. Vol. IV Gujarati Literature The second edition Gandhi – Selected
Writings. (Ed. Wanda Dynowska, Madras, 1960)
Aleksandra translated into English the
Polish preface of the anthology that reveals hitherto unknown (to his family) details about
Harischandra.
Reproduced below is Aleksandra's
translation:
Antologia Indyjska. T. IV Gudżerati. Wydanie drugie znacznie rozszerzone.
Gandhi – wyjątki z pism. Oprac. Wandy Dynowskiej, Madras, 1960, s.
XXIII-XXVIII.
(Indian Anthology. Vol. IV Gujarati Literature. The second edition. Gandhi –
Selected Writings. Ed. Wanda Dynowska, Madras, 1960, p. XXIII-XXVIII.
“Before describing Gandhi’s work and
his influence on the Gujarati culture and literature I would like to say about
Harishchandra Bhatt. I wish India to find among Polish writers as devoted
friend as he was for Poles. He worked many years at the Polish Embassy in
Bombay and was a tireless supporter of Polish affairs that’s why the longer
note should appear in Polish-Indian Library in order
to immortalize his name.
He came from the poor but intellectual
Brahminic family (Surat). His father died early so being the oldest son he had
to take responsibility for the whole family, especially for his younger
brother. Thanks to Harishchandra’s devotion and after 8-year study in France
his younger brother is a professor of French in Bombay now.
Since he was a teenager Harishchandra
was interested in the European literature but mainly the Slavic one. Limiting
drastically his needs he acquired foreign books which were almost unknown in
India (i.e. he subscribed Slavonic Review).
The big collection was gathered in
his flat. There were the books written by French, German, Polish, Czech and
other authors in the beautiful bookbinders because their owner was a
bibliophile (until recently it was unique in India where the beautiful
bookbinders were rare).
His collection gathered numerous writers from Whitman and Verlaine to
Hofmanstahl; from Mickiewicz and Słowacki to Kafka. He was a sensitive aesthete
dreaming about a new way of publishing which would be close to the European
model. Many years it was his unattainable goal but he was aspiring to it
constantly.
He enjoyed his work at the Information Department (Polish consulate) which
enabled him to express his love to Polish culture and literature. The numerous
articles in the newspapers, countless talks about Poland among friends and the
wide correspondence gave him the chance to “serve” Poland and approached it to
India.
Harishchandra prepared monograph on
Marshal Piłsudski. He translated with me Crimean Sonnets and Wojciech Bąk’s
poetry (the last one moved him especially). Working at the embassy he published
(thanks to help of his friends) his anthology of Polish poets “The Scarlet
Muse” and a volume about great people of contemporary India “Among the Great”.
The last one was written by the eminent musician and poet Dilipkumar Roy.
The results of his work was so excellent that some friends decided to
cooperated with him and he established a publishing group Nalanda which was famous in the whole India. The
group published over a dozen books which aesthetic standards were equally to
the Western ones. That time was the intense for his writing as well as the
happiest in his life.
He could create much more but painful
disappointment was a reason of his early death. Harishchandra, a sensitive and
nervous artist, coped with suppression and burdens too heavy for his mind.
Firstly, the family situation made impossible to complete his education and he
was suffering because of that the whole life.
Secondly, his work which was hard and wearisome took so much time that he
almost didn't have chance for own study, meetings with other poets,
writings and the books. What’s more he was in fragile health so heavy work and
daily problems were enervating him slowly. His dreams about creative work were
not achievable for a long time and when they started to become true the sudden
blow broke his spirit completely. He was seriously taken ill and committed
suicide.
Harishchandra was fully engaged in his
publishing house. The results of Nalanda were great but the costs too high. The
only member of the publishing house who had funds began to have financial
problems and was forced to give up this project. Harishchandra suddenly had to
face the breach of obligations. His plans were ruined and he was deprived from
creative work again. It was too hard for his sensitivity. Everybody who knew
him and had observed the happiness of the last three years could understand his
sadness and despair. Not only he lost the goal but also his viability.
Harishchandra’s writing stopped
halfway. He could be among the best Gujarati poet soon. The poems which are
dispersed in the newspapers and the only collection of his poetry which he was
preparing for publishing cannot guarantee him immortality in Gujarati
literature though.
Unfortunately, his best cycle of sonnets titled “For Her” written because of
his platonic love to a young girl was never published. The girl was a Catholic
and worked as a typist in his friend’s office. It was beautiful, fresh love. I
was a witness and confidant of that feeling. The poems about Jesus Christ
written because of her were never published either.
The first could get his wife down whom
he loved deeply too. The second one needed a longer preface for the readers to
explain Harishchandra’s understanding of Christ (Jesus Christ is known in India
and he is not only respected but also worshiped and treated as a one the
greatest prophet and teacher of the world. There are a lot of houses where His
portraits is hanged among other great figures.)
Harishchandra understood Christ particularly and without an explanation about
the context his poems wouldn't be comprehensible for his countryman.
He didn't prepare anything before his death, so it was impossible to
publish them.
In Polish-Indian Library I edited only a one poem from that cycle and some (For
Her) which we translated few years ago.
Let the reader have his opinion about Harishchandra’s poetry but I want to add
that his language was clear and soft and the style full of undertone and
half-light.”
The book also has his biography:
He
is very gifted poet but less known and not so widely-read by his countryman. He
didn't have enough time to flower his talent and died crushed by hard
conditions.
His four year devoted work at the Polish Embassy in Bombay makes him especially
close to Poles.
He was honoured with Order of Polonia Restituta for his
propagation the knowledge about Poland and advocacy of its side (spoken and
written).
Knowing
perfectly Polish literature (he had a big collection of books) Harischandra
informed his countryman about Poland writing numerous articles and having
talks.
He wrote a monograph about Józef Piłsudski which was published in Gujarati and
translated into Tamil.
He
also translated Crimean Sonnets and Wojciech Bąk's poetry. He loved Poland and
dreamt about visiting it. He was a romantic, idealist and enthusiast.
Photos: Aleksandra
Skiba
About the Book: Jack Minyard is a private dick down on his
luck. He’s badly overweight and on the wrong side of sixty; he’s lost his
marriage, and maybe a little of his mind. After narrowly escaping charges in a
money laundering scandal, Jack must count on private contracts, the kindness of
strangers and a pile of prescription drugs to get by. 
