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| कृष्ण बल्लभ सहाय |
Sahne ki bhi seema hoti hai bolo kitna aur sahe
hum?
Khud se kama-kama kar bolo kisko-kisko diya kare
haum?
Kaheen jagat mein kya aisa bhi nyaay dekhane mein
aaya ?
Lutein pountein koote humko tab bhi unko kuch na
kahe hum
Bahut hua hum moun rahe par moun nahin ab
rahnewala
Sambhalein we meri kamaayi ko ab tak jo the
khaanewaale
Gaya zamaana jab khilwad hua karta tha hum logon
se
Jag gaye ab jeeva aaya aur nahin hum sahnewaale!
(From the poetry ‘Kisaan Ka
Kathan’ by Kamata Prasad Singh ‘Kaam’)
सहने की भी सीमा होती है बोलो कितना और सहे हम?
खुद से कमा-कमा कर बोलो किसको-किसको दिया करें हम?
कहीं जगत में क्या ऐसा भी न्याय देखने में आया?
लूटें पौटें कूटे हमको तब भी उनको कुछ न कहें हम?
बहुत हुआ हम मौन रहे पर मौन नहीं अब रहनेवाले।
संभलें वे मेरी कमाई को अब तक जो थे खानेवाले।
गया ज़माना जब खिलवाड़ हुआ करता था हम लोगों से।
जाग गए अब जीवन आया और नहीं हम सहनेवाले
-कामता
प्रसाद सिंह ‘काम’ की कविता ‘किसान का कथन’ से
साभार
58
years back on this day (25th January) Bihar lost one of its illustrious
sons at a tender age of 46 years. Kaamta Prasad Singh ‘Kaam’ was not only a
gifted writer and poet but a fierce freedom fighter, a seasoned politician and
above all a noble soul. His poetry portrayed the agonies of millions of farmers
on the one hand and the helplessness of a nation fighting for its freedom on
the other. Probably it was this pathos in his poetry, which described the plight of farmers in a very emotional manner that brought him close to K.B.
Sahay who was equally concerned with the welfare of farmers even during the
freedom struggle. This closeness brought two families close to each other and this
friendship percolated to next generation as I vividly remember the frequent
visits of Dr. Shankar Dayal Singh, former Member of the Parliament, to our place
in Jhumri- Telaiya on his way to Ranchi from Patna or during his return
journey. Dr Shankar Dayal Singh was an orator par excellence and an accomplished
writer in his own right.
As
Revenue Minister in the Government of Bihar K. B. Sahay had in 1947 introduced
the Bakasht Dispute Settlement Act. Bakasht was such lands which were taken
over by local zamindars due to the failure of the raiyats to clear land
revenue dues. Zamindars made use of such Bakasht land by deploying their farm
labour or at times by allowing the same raiyat to continue, albeit as a
landless peasant. The Act provided for an out of court settlement of such
disputed land through a government-approved constituted committee in each
district which was entrusted with the responsibility to review all such Bakasht
lands and settle the dispute. In case the Committee held the occupation of land
by zamindars illegal, it restored the Bakasht land to the peasant to whom it
originally belonged. In such cases, it was open for the Zamindars to approach
Court for the redress of their grievance. However, in Court, the case was
contested by the Government and not the poor peasant. This effectively shielded
the poor peasants from the wrath of zamindars. Even though Zamindars belonged
to the forward caste, K. B. Sahay chose Kaamta Prasad Singh as Chairman of the
Bakasht Committee of Monghyr district. K. B. Sahay had full faith in his poet
friend who was a farmer at heart- ‘Kaandhe par hal aur juath hai, aage
hai bailon ka joda, haathon mein hai chhota paina, aur bagal mein hai sattu
thoda’ (‘कांधे पर हल और जुआठ है, आगे है बैलों का जोड़ा। हाथों में छोटा पैना है, और
बगल में है सत्तू थोड़ा’)
There
are many instances when Krishna Ballabh Babu and Kaamta Prasad Singh ‘Kaam’
worked together in political as well as official matters. Often K. B. Sahay was
dependent upon Kaam who he considered his most trusted friend.
In
1942 when K. B. Sahay was released from jail, Kaamta Prasad Singh organized a
cultural function in which he and his poet friends recited patriotic songs to
strengthen their resolve to fight an alien rule. Every year Kaamta Prasad Singh
‘Kaam’ used to organize a ‘Kavi-Sammelan’ on 31st December to
celebrate his friend’s birthday. In a letter dated 8th December
1955, addressed to his son Shankar Dayal Singh, who was then studying at the
Benaras Hindu University, ‘Kaam’ asked him to invite a couple of poets for the
‘Kavi-Sammelan’ to be held on 31st December. He wrote ‘A
cultural function is being organized at a place called Giridih in Hazaribag
district on 31st December. I have been entrusted with the
responsibility of organizing this function. I want you to rope in some poets
from Benaras. You may look for young poets in the case established poets not available
at such short notice. I assure you that I will take their complete care and
also bear all expenses including their to and fro journey expenses. Write back
as early as possible.’
Kaamta
Prasad Singh ‘Kaam’ was elected member of the Bihar Legislative Council in
1952- a post he held till his death. He shifted to Patna in 11-M.L.A. Flats and
stayed in this flat till his death in January 1963. Binodanand Jha was the
Chief Minister of Bihar. In January 1963, Kaamta Prasad Singh Kaam’s health
deteriorated. On 23rd January Dr. Shankar Dayal Singh, who was at
his bedside throughout this period, wrote ‘Babuji had a premonition of his
death as he often spoke in English so that Dadi and Ma may not comprehend what
he spoke about. He often called for two persons who were close to him- Krishna
Ballabh Sahay and my father-in-law Dr K. M. Singh’. Krishna Ballabh Sahay
frequently visited him during this period and they spent hours together. Such
was their bond of friendship.
Kaamta
Prasad Singh ‘Kaam’ was also quite close to his younger brother Lalskhman
Prasad Singh which reminds one of the closeness between Krishna Ballabh Babu
and his younger brother Dr. Damodar Prasad. On 25th January, hours
before his death, ‘Kaam’ had confided before Lakshman Prasad Singh ‘that when
he hears their mother wailing, I find myself failing in my duty as a son to
complete the last rites of my mother on the banks of river Ganges. Unfortunately,
I now find myself in a state that I may precede her to the River Ganges. I want
you as my younger brother to complete my resolve when the time comes’. Lakshman
Prasad Singh further writes that ‘Bhaiya lamented that he could not live to
see Krishna Ballabh Sahay become Chief Minister of Bihar.’
Kaamta
Prasad Singh ‘Kaam’ passed away in the early hours of 25th January
1963. Krishna Ballabh Babu was simply inconsolable at his friend’s death, and
this was one of the few occasions when people saw tears rolling out
uncontrollably from the eyes of this ‘Iron Man of Bihar’.
Ten months later Krishna Ballabh Sahay did fulfil the last wishes of his friend when he took oath as the Chief Minister of Bihar on 2nd October 1963. The curtain was thus drawn on the saga of a long-cherished and selfless friendship. Krishna Ballabh Babu treated Dr Shankar Dayal Singh as his son and extended him the same love and affection due to a son.
(Source: Kaamta Prasad Singh ‘Kaam’ by Dr. Rashmi Singh and Dr Vyas Mani Tripathi)
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