Poet: Messenger of Peace

A. PadmanabanI

am happy to participate in this Symposium jointly organized by four
important Institutions on a very important theme—“Poetry for World
Peace, Harmony and Humanism.” I congratulate them for their thoughtfulness in choosing this subject. To be in the midst of Poets is sheer joy.
In the World Congress of Poets as Vice President for six years, I used tomeet and interact with Poets well versed in their own languages in different countries. We are particularly happy to have with us Dr. KrishnaSrinivas, the outstanding poet, and other eminent persons including
those from Japan, led by the outstanding scholar and thinker Dr. YoichiKawada. We had the privilege of receiving you, Dr. Yoichi Kawada, andSoka Gakkai Youth Delegation in Chennai on 8th August 1995 when
‘World Poet Laureate Award’ was presented to Dr. Daisaku Ikeda. I had
the pleasure of meeting and exchanging views with them in Tokyo a few
years ago. We have also eminent Poets in Tamil Nadu assembled here.
Perunkaviko Sethuraman is an outstanding Poet who has toured theworld and attended several poet meets. We are honouring Dr. Ikeda, thepopular World Poet with ‘World People’s Poet.’
My book of poems ‘Poet and Peace,’ I am dedicating to Dr. KrishnaSrinivas, the gentle giant among World Poets and to Dr. Daisaku Ikeda,
the World Poet for Peace. Let me welcome you all, the Poets, with myPoem—PEACE.
Oh! Poets Messengers of Peace
Patrons of Peace
Oh! Knights of the East and the West
with armour of Peace
Welcome to TheeTo this land of Sages and Seers
this land of Prophets of Peace
Thirumoolar and Thiruvalluvar—Buddha and Gandhi118

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Welcome to Thee!
Welcome to Peace!
And Farewell to Arms!

From the earliest Mesopotamian literature five thousand years ago to
the modern times, we witness poets and writers, sages and seers andleaders of thought in the world waging a relentless struggle for Peace,
Truth, Freedom and Justice.
The Poets know no barriers. They are beyond barriers. Their voice isa voice of universal appeal. It is said poetry precedes prose. Poetry takes
its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility. There cannot be a regulation saying that a poet has to write only this and not that, and a poet
has to write only this way and not that way. In other words, the poets or
poetry cannot be made to order. A poet is a peculiar species, a bundle ofexperience and emotion, inner vibrations and intuition giving out hisoutburst in verses. The real poet has to come out with his experience andemotions. Plato said “a poet is a light winged holy creature and cannot
compose until he is possessed.” The poet in man is a man ‘possessed’and his life as a poet runs along with the life of the man in turns andtwists. It is said ultimately the poet outlives the man. A poet as a man
possessed pours out his inner thoughts, feelings and emotions clothed inpoetry. Several have written to say that the poet in man gives him thenecessary solace and satisfaction which the man as a man in any vocation could not give him. It looks as though there will be Poets and Poetry as long as mankind lasts.
Poetry like art, involves both expression and communication. It
embraces everything that is noble and lasting. In the World to-day, thePoets write on different subjects. They sing the praises of the Lord, thebeauty of nature and the grandeur of the flora and the fauna. Also they
write about the human weakness and failures, the sufferings of thedowntrodden, social ills in society etc. Although the poets may not beable to take the mantle of reformers they have however, a duty to perform in that they have to express what is present in society and what
they feel or they observe. Mother Teresa has in a letter to Navin Chawla
said about writings: “all you do, all you write, do it all for the glory ofGod and the good of all people.”
In India, Vedas, scriptures and epics are in verses. Alwars and Nayanmars have given their divine verses. Saint Thiruvalluvar, Kalidas, Tulasidas, Kamban and others have given their immortal works in verses. Poet
Subraminia Bharathiar, Bharathidasan, Vallathol, Rabindranath Tagore,
Sarojini Naidu, Aurobindo and others have also given their best through120

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poetry. We have Dr. Krishna Srinivas who has been giving outstanding
poetry at the height of Parnassus. Poet Ikeda from Japan has been
spreading his message of love, peace and brotherhood in the world
through moving poems. He and myself have exchanged letters. Dr.
Krishna Srinivas, myself and Dr. Ikeda have common commitment forthe cause of peace through poetry. Dr. Ikeda, Soka Gakkai Movement
and the institutions including the Institute of Oriental Philosophy which
he has founded have been rendering commendable services for global
peace, human values and empowerment. We greet them with great
appreciation.
India for ages has been a land of several religions, co-existing together, preaching harmony, tolerance and brotherhood. Sufism prevalent inmedieval India, also gave the message of secularism. Secularism is an
integral part of the Indian Ethos. “Sarva Dharma Sambhava” is the creedthat sustains Indian secularism. Our saints and sages have all preachedthis. Thirumoolar, the great Siddhar in his Thirmandhiram says,“Mankind is one and God is one.” Saint Thiruvalluvar says in
Thirukkural, “All men are born equal but distinctions arise only on thebasis of performance in the respective occupations they take on”. Gautama Buddha’s message of Dharma spread by Emperor Ashoka and theeclectic faith of Akbar the Great, combining the best in Buddhism,Islam, Hinduism, Jainism, Christianity and Zoroastrianism emphasized
universal brotherhood and co-existence. The concept of Secular State
permeated their rule.
Kabir and Guru Nanak preached oneness, brotherhood and love.
Ramalinga Swamigal spread the message of compassion, universal
brotherhood and Jeevakarunya (great mercy). Saint Narayana Guru said,“all are one with differences none.” Rabindranath Tagore said, “Thereshould be unity in diversity. Unity is not uniformity and only those whoare different should unite.” He also described India’s composite fabric as
the confluence of cultures. All religions and all people with different
faith have their right to stay and serve the society and the country as
equal and free citizens. It is not a question of somebody belonging to
one religion or faith to live or not to live. To-day’s Mantra for the world
should be “Live and let live.” For this, men’s minds have to be cleansed.
“Mental slums are more dangerous than material slums.” Intolerance,
fundamentalism, terrorism and the like emanate from such mentalslums. Education and other sustained efforts from Poets and writers arerequired to do this cleansing.
Dr. Radhakrishnan wrote: “True Religious life must express itself inlove and aim at the Unity of mankind.” The goal of the world Unity

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121

according to him is to be achieved by ahimsa which is insisted on byHinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Christianity, Islam and others.
Humanity and Humanism go together. Humanity combines Humanand Unity. Mankind has as its core Humanism. Humanism is the pathway to harmony. Harmony in individual leads to Harmony in society, innation and in the world. The mind of the man, the individual is important. It is the mind that binds. It is the mind that liberates. If the mind iscontrolled and cleansed, harmony is assured and it would be conducive
to Peace. Swami Vivekananda has said:
How to attain purity living this life? Shall we go to the forest caves?
What good would it do? If the mind is not under control, it is no use living in a cave because the same mind will bring all disturbances there.
We will find twenty devils in the cave because all the devils are in themind. If the mind is under control, we can have the cave anywhere,
wherever we are.
It is our own mental attitude which makes the world what it is for us.
Our thoughts make things beautiful, our thoughts make things ugly. The
whole world is in our own minds. Learn to see things in the proper light.

The Poets have to do their bit to make Man’s mind clean and clear,divorced from evil forces. They have also to expose injustice, inequality,
oppression and violence wherever they are and in whatever form theyexist. If these irritants in society and nations go, the atmospherebecomes conducive for harmony and peace. Social equality and Justice
are cardinal principles which should guide Human action. Dharma isbased on moral strength and social justice.
The World of great hardship and suffering where sorrows pile up andtroubles and tribulations multiply, making the life of the downtrodden
miserable has upset the poet in Rabindranath Tagore. In his poem ‘Ebar
Phirao Morey (Recall me now),’ he appeals to the Poets to espouse theircause.
God has set His face against him,no one would help him,
There’s bravado in his mouth,
he is conscious of his inferiority.
O Poet! Arise—if you have the heart,
Then take it up with you, and make a gift of it today
Piled up sorrows, intense agony,

122

POET: MESSENGER OF PEACEa world of hardships lie ahead,
Abjectly poor, void, utterly small, inclosed and dark.
Food we want, we seek life, light we need,
we hanker for free air
We aspire for strength, health we covet and joyous resplendent life-span,
A chest expanded with courage,in the midst of this destitution,
O Poet!
For once, you import a portrait faith from heaven!

Let us remember Dr. Ikeda’s Clarion call to the Poets.
Poets, arise!
Wait for no one,but stand up resoluteand alone!
With our words
and with our actions,let us till and turnthe sprawling expanse,the desert aridityof people’s hearts.
The voice of the poet
who has chosen to stand alone
calls out to and resounds withthe voice of anotherself-sufficient poet.
A single ripple
elicits ten thousand waves.
When our cries of justiceswell to a symphonyextolling humanity and life
and when its resonant tones
reach all corners of the Earth,wrapping and cradling it…
Then the deep red glory,the dawning sun

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123of peace for all people everywhere,
will rise and lift
into the sky.
(from “Salute to Poets”)

I wrote in an article to Bhavan’s Journal, Bombay, in the year 1991:“Now is the time to consolidate Peace and the Peace Movement all overthe world. Now is the need to ring the bell of Peace to reverberate andreach all corners of the world. It is a working Peace, a living Peace, notthe Peace of the sepulchre, not the Peace of the void. It is the Peace, thefruition of Mankind’s culture and civilization that makes men andwomen all over the world Human and Humane. It is a dynamic stancethat helps Mankind to grow and progress.”
Let us all work to reach these goals, with renewed vigour and dedication.