HIMANSHU GURU, OP
A crusader against poverty, hunger and distress migration, Sanjaya Kumar Mishra uses his writings to bring issues to the fore…
Distress migration is a chronic issue affecting western Orissa. For years, social activists have underlined the need to tackle this phenomenon, but Sanjaya Kumar Mishra has chosen a unique way to highlight this issue. The well-known poet from Bolangir has written a number of poems, a few novels and short stories focusing on the causes and impact of this migration. His creative efforts have brought Sanjaya much public recognition.
Sanjaya started writing poetry when he was in Class VIII. He began focusing on poverty and migration issues in 1998 when he was pursuing his M. Phil degree. His published works include an anthology in Oriya ‘Agantuka’(1999), ‘Bhangi Padiba Agaru’ (2006) and ‘Dhasa’ (2010), and a Koshali poetry collections ‘Maraguda’ (2006) and ‘Chereguda’ (2017). He also writes poems in English.
Sanjay’s writings dwell upon deprivation, poverty, distress migration and other socio-cultural problems. His novel ‘Dadan Sundari’ is a masterpiece. The book, which has been translated by Padmashree Srinivas Udgata and published in Hindi, received rave reviews. Besides, Sanjaya has done extensive research on the folklore and folk traditions of western Orissa, and his PhD thesis is titled ‘Paschim Odishara Loka Gatha’ (Ballads of Western Orissa). He has been awarded a travel grant and fellowship by the Kendriya Sahitya Academy and was selected for the SAARC poetry festival for his literary excellence.
In an interview to Sunday POST, Sanjaya talks about literary activism and how he came to focus on the issue of labour migration. Excerpts:
How did you get interested in labour migration?
I never wanted to live a conventional life. I always wanted to do something for the downtrodden. We often come across reports of hunger and starvation deaths in the newspapers. I wanted to understand the condition of life at the grassroots level. I went to Kantabanji, the hub of distress migration. I started working for the distressed labourers and received both praise and criticism from my well-wishers. But I went ahead doing what appealed to my heart.
What is the present scenario there?
Poverty, malnutrition and drought continue to affect western Orissa. Human suffering is high. Lack of education, poor quality of education and child marriage are some of the endemic issues. Large scale tree felling and climate change have affected livelihoods, and there is a collapse of community level welfare mechanisms. But my focus is on fighting hunger and distress migration. Hunger is the worst form of human rights violation. Ironically, while man has made it to the moon, many people are still struggling to get a square meal. This is quite unfortunate.
Do your literary works reflect these issues?
As a poet, it was always my priority to work for these people and be a channel for their unspoken voices. I write about what I see and experience. My literary works and the characters are the reflections of my own experiences. My interaction with the people gives me literary insights. The plight of women, who are crushed under the torment of distress migration and poverty, always disturbs me and I choose to feature them as my literary characters. I write about the sufferings of the exploited lot in society. I write about them because without that I cannot survive.
I would like to specifically mention my character Urmila, who is the wife of a migrant. She takes care of her old in-laws while her husband and elder-brother-in-law’s family migrate. Her story resembles that of the mythological character of Urmila, the wife of Laxman, who remains at home while her husband, along with elder brother Lord Rama and his wife Sita, goes to the forest.
Can you tell us about your work as the chairperson of the Child Welfare Committee, Bolangir?
In this position, I get the opportunity to work for children in need of care and protection. Since it is a quasi-judicial position, I am able to come to their help. On the whole, this has made me more knowledgeable about children’s issues and has made me far more sensitive towards their problems. This has also enabled me to liaise with other organisations for the immediate as well as long term redress of children’s issues.
Can a person transform society through literary activism?
My priority is to work for the vulnerable sections of the community and highlight their problems. I get support for this from like-minded individuals and outfits. And yes, one man can bring about change in the society. But the problems are so enormous that one man can only sensitise the society but may not be able to change the mindset. When you work for a noble cause, you get support from all quarters. There are people, especially young people from their community or even from the universities, who are trying to maintain the momentum. And maintaining the momentum is quite crucial.
How critical is the issue of migration in Orissa?
We need to differentiate between migration and distress migration. My focus is on distress migration which is a kind of virtual bondage. There was a time when the administration was not prepared to accept this as a problem. But due to continued sensitisation, lobbying and advocacy, also through literature, now this is acknowledged as an issue. This is certainly a big change. Now, the government is at least trying to work for these people and provide opportunities.
How do you help victims of distress migration?
We help them by highlighting their problems. We work for their rescue and rehabilitation, which is often neglected. We also try to provide their children with quality education and health facilities.
How can we tackle the issue?
In my opinion, improving the livelihood base of the people, proper implementation of welfare schemes and changing the mindset of migrants as well as policy makers is always important.
