All the Stories in The Untold Stories of War and Peace attempt to catch the spirit of human struggle, its emotions, actions and reactions, each one of which, according to a distinguished film director, could form the basis of first class films. Conceived while the author served in uniform both in war and peace and in 'no peace - no war' scenarios that the Indian Army has traversed through independence, their bias is basically war and war-like situations with a few exceptions. In sum they are a medley of shattering experiences and some hilarious situations, as well. Added to the collection are the adaptations of two great ancient literary pieces:
1) Shakuntalam - Reviving Memories of the Indian Golden Past.
2) In Search of His Soul: Nachiketa at the Trail of Death god
It was a Poem Road Not Taken, by Robert Frost that I read in my grand-daughter Medhavi's English book which encouraged me to compile my poems. Frost, it would be recalled, had failed in turning his American readers as poetry-lover and he made his name only after he migrated to England, where an enlightened audience heard him recite his works and applaud him, all through. Thereafter even the capitalistic Yankees began to admire his poetic worth and he returned to his native land to churn out more creative and enduring pieces. Even, Jawahar Lal Nehru kept his famous line: 'I have miles to go...' under the glass of his table. I don't know if luck would favour me but I venture to include them as part in my book-The Literary Works of a Soldier.
This, of course, is not to self-denigrate my other works, which are well received for their merit.
These two dozen poems originated-as all poems normally originate-at the spur of the moment, giving expression to feelings conveyed through simple poems. They fall within within the meaning of 'Free Verse'exhibiting feelings and even anguish and pathos at the scene. Some generated from scenes of war such as 'Those Ruins', 'The Jhelum Shall Flow', 'The Human Rights', 'On Oinam', 'On Death of Lohar' and 'An Elegy' that I wrote at Chhamb-Jaurian when my Battalion consecrated a War Memorial to the martyrs of the 1971 War. There were others written out of sheer disgust excoriating the opprobrious values we have encouraged. 'The Suffering World', 'Evil Thou be Glorified', 'Ferozabad Rail Accident', 'God will You Answer'. 'The Sinner and the Saint', 'The Dying woman', 'Prayers of a Tormented Heart', 'This Luck', 'This Ear' and 'DHQ Post Office' fall in the category.
Some others have been written out of pure observation such as 'Hubris of Power', 'Failing Milestone to Summit'. 'Walking with Grandchildren' and 'The Spiritual Light' originated in circumstance of tranquility and heavenly bliss. There are also those written as object of humour generated out of an 'off the cuff feeling' and include, 'Dangerous Liaison' and 'On Being Current'.
