A voice that breaks through silence
Dr. Chandra Kanta Kantroo’s ‘Songs of Vitasta I Sing’ is not just a collection of 108 poems; it is a journey, a longing, and a deep cry for return to roots. Rooted in the landscape of the rivers, lakes, valleys and mountains of Kashmir, her verses traverse the inner and outer worlds of exile, loss, and resilience. Each poem carries the weight of history, personal sorrow and the undying spirit of a yearning soul. In the poem ‘I Carry My Valley Within‘ while celebrating her childhood memories, she ends the poem on a poignant note:
“thus I carry my valley within,
untouched by any hate or sin “
A distinguished academician, researcher, translator and writer, Dr. Chandra brings a lifetime of intellectual and emotional depth to her poetry. Her voice, often burdened with pain, finds its wings in words, soaring into realms both known and unknown. She does not merely write, but she sings, whispers and sometimes even weeps through her poetry. Her poetry oscillates between deep introspection and sharp social commentary. At one moment, she distills the fleeting nature of life into a single line:
“We run from death while forgetting to live.”
In another, she captures the essence of human imperfection:
“To be foolish is to be human.”
Her poetry does not shy away from critiquing the modern world, where deep emotions once immortalised in verse now struggle to survive in an era of digital consumption:
“The poetry you loved is
fragmented now,
Turned into hashtags
trending on social media.”
Yet, she also finds wisdom in simplicity, in quiet moments of self-discovery:
“Stillness taught me what life forgot.”
These lines showcase the breadth of her thought, moving from existential reflections to a critique of the contemporary society, from personal grief to the universal truths. Dr. Chandra’s poetry is not just a lament; it is a testament to resilience, to finding light even in exile, to seeking meaning beyond pain. With her evocative language and deeply personal themes, ‘Songs of Vitasta I Sing’ is a collection that lingers long after the last page is turned, where the moon unveils herself to the reader, though in passing.
The hardbound book, with its striking and evocative cover design by her daughter, Ms. Vasudhara Kantroo, stands as a visual testament to the emotional and literary depth of the collection. Published by Intech Printers and Publishers, the book was released on February 8, 2025 in a grand and elegant function hosted by the Kashmiri Hindu Sabha, Pune. The occasion was graced by Sh. R. P. Razdan, President KHS Pune, Sh R.C. Shivpuri, Sh Mahesh Dada Landge, Hon’ble MLA Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha, Sh Deepak Bagati, Maj. General R K Mattu, and other distinguished dignitaries of KHS Pune, marking a significant milestone in the poet’s literary journey.
A Poetry of Exile, Longing and Memory
One of the most striking aspects of ‘Songs of Vitasta I Sing’ is the interplay between silence and voice. Dr. Chandra wants her silence to break. She wants her words to echo in the hearts of those who listen. She masterfully captures the paradoxes of existence in poems like Fire, where she writes:
“You are a paradox,
you give warmth,
you consume,
you are light,
you are a warning,
You are a lover,
you are a destroyer,
speaking in crackling tones,
you promise life.”
The theme of exile casts a long shadow over her work. The pain of displacement, the ache of leaving behind a home that still lingers in memory, finds expression in lines such as:
“my suitcase carries
more than things:
A tethered mind,
a piece of home”
These words encapsulate the burden of exile, where home is not just a place but a wound carried within. The imagery in Kruhun Sheen (Black Snow) is haunting:
“Why is the sky in mourning
who brought this black snow?”
Here, she questions the forces that have turned the valley of her childhood into a place of grief and chaos. The poem ‘Hail Storm in Kashmir’ ends on a note of despairing reflection:
“Can an exile last so long?”
The answer, implicit in the depth of her words, is that exile is not just about physical displacement but, it is a condition of the soul, a fracture that time alone cannot heal, without playing the blame-game. Yet, despite this pain, her poetry does not succumb to despair. There are moments of hope, of optimism, and of quiet reassurance. In a profoundly moving poem, she writes:
“Do I give myself to the quiet,
will I lose myself,
disappear into nothing?
You answer softly like a wave
clinging on to the shore,
You tell me I won’t disappear,
I will dissolve only to reform,
like a river finding its ocean.”
Here, we see a poet who wrestles with loss but also embraces transformation. She does not seek to erase the past but to understand it, to carry it forward like a river finding its way home.
Her reflections on the loss of her mother are particularly touching. In one heart-wrenching poem, she writes:
“in that fire I let her go…
I walked back
a motherless child”
It is a moment of immense grief, yet also one of acceptance. The finality of loss is met with the quiet strength of survival.
Truth, Friction and Shared Humanity
Dr. Chandra’s poetry does not just mourn, it questions, provokes and reflects. In her poem Lalded Cries, she captures the rawness of truth with striking simplicity:
“they laughed
so I laughed with them.
truth is a joke until
it splits you open.”
What a profound statement about life, about truth and about bitter experiences! She also meditates on the divisions that exist between people, not as natural barriers, but as constructed walls: “A monster sculpted”, otherwise she feels that we all humans are alike, having the same stories. In another poignant verse, she underscores this idea of shared humanity across boundaries:
“Their laughter like ours,
Tears fall the same,
Their stories Could be ours
With a twist of time.”
Dr. K. N. Pandita, in his foreword, aptly highlights the brilliance of her poetic expressions. He notes that some of her phrases, such as ‘the rhythm of destruction’, ‘beauty in imperfection,’ ‘the dance in stillness,’ or ‘the ache of existence’, stand out as he writes, “fountains of unspoken impressions, hidden within the creative mind.”
Dreams, Flight and the Search for Meaning
Dr. Chandra’s poetry is a testament to the enduring power of memory and the necessity of voice. The imagery of flight recurs in her work, reflecting a deep yearning for transcendence. About life, she poignantly writes: “I flew in dawn through veils of mist where dreams and life coexist.” These lines encapsulate the delicate balance between hope and reality, between the seen and the unseen. She often likens herself to a bird, creeping, singing and dancing through words in an effort to reach millions of hearts.
The drawings by Prof. Dr. Ashok Kantroo add another layer to the journey, visually reflecting the essence of ‘Songs of Vitasta I Sing’. The foreword by Padam Shri Prof. Dr. Kashi Nath Pandita situates her work in a broader literary and historical context, lending further depth to her poetic expressions.
In ‘Songs of Vitasta I Sing’, Dr. Chandra Kanta Kantroo becomes more than just a poet, she becomes a voice of longing, of resilience and of memory. Her words linger, not just as echoes of pain, but as a testament to the unbreakable spirit of those who have loved, lost, and yet continue to sing.
This collection is not merely a book of poems, it is a heartfelt conversation between the poet and the reader, an invitation to listen, to sing and perhaps, to heal. A must read. Available on Amazon in hard bound , paper back and kindle editions.
The author is a renowned academic and former Chairperson JK Board of School Education
