Heera Dom

Heera Dom was a Bhojpuri poet from a lower caste who contributed to Dalit Literature.[1] He is credited with creating the first poem about the Dalits.[2] The poem was Acchut Kee Shiqayat, which was printed in the "Saraswati" published in Allahabad in 1914.[3]

Heera Dom
Born1885
Danapur, Bihar
Occupation
  • Poet
Notable works

Life

He was a Dalit poet from the Domra or Dom caste which is one of the lowest ranked caste in Hindu caste system. He was born in 1885 in Danapur in Bihar.[4] Some scholars also claim that he was from Varanasi.[2]

"Acchut Kee Shiqayat"

"Acchut ki Shiqayat" (Bhojpuri: 𑂃𑂓𑂳𑂞 𑂍𑂵 𑂮𑂱𑂍𑂰𑂉𑂞; IAST: achūt kī śikayat; transl. The compliant of an Untouchable) is written in Bhojpuri.[5] It was published in the Hindi magazine Saraswati in 1914 from Allahabad.[3] In this poem, Dom has expressed the trauma of his Dom community in literary form.[6]

The first and second stanza of the poem are as follows:

Kaithi Alphabet Devnagari script IAST transliteration

𑂯𑂧𑂢𑂲 𑂍𑂵 𑂩𑂰𑂞𑂱 𑂠𑂱𑂢 𑂠𑂳𑂎𑂫𑂰 𑂦𑂷𑂏𑂞 𑂥𑂰𑂢𑂲,
𑂯𑂧𑂢𑂲 𑂍𑂵 𑂮𑂯𑂵𑂥 𑂮𑂵 𑂧𑂱𑂢𑂞𑂲 𑂮𑂳𑂢𑂰𑂅𑂥𑂱

𑂯𑂧𑂢𑂲 𑂍𑂵 𑂠𑂳𑂎 𑂦𑂏𑂫𑂰𑂢𑂋𑂁 𑂢 𑂠𑂵𑂎ऽ𑂞𑂰 𑂞𑂵,
𑂯𑂧𑂢𑂲 𑂍𑂵 𑂍𑂥𑂪𑂵 𑂍𑂪𑂵𑂮𑂫𑂰 𑂇𑂘𑂰𑂅𑂥𑂱

𑂣𑂠𑂩𑂲 𑂮𑂯𑂵𑂥 𑂍𑂵 𑂍𑂒𑂯𑂩𑂲 𑂧𑂵𑂁 𑂔𑂰𑂅𑂥𑂱𑂔𑂰𑂁,
𑂥𑂵𑂡𑂩𑂧 𑂯𑂷𑂍𑂵 𑂩𑂁𑂏𑂩𑂵𑂔 𑂥𑂰𑂢𑂱 𑂔𑂰𑂅𑂥𑂱𑂔𑂰𑂁

𑂯𑂰𑂨 𑂩𑂰𑂧! 𑂡𑂮𑂩𑂧 𑂢 𑂓𑂷𑂚𑂞 𑂥𑂢𑂞 𑂥𑂰 𑂔𑂵,
𑂥𑂵-𑂡𑂩𑂧 𑂯𑂷𑂍𑂵 𑂍𑂶𑂮𑂵 𑂧𑂳𑂁𑂯𑂫𑂰 𑂠𑂱𑂎𑂅𑂥𑂱

 हमनी के राति दिन दुखवा भोगत बानी,

हमनी के सहेब से मिनती सुनाइबि

हमनी के दुख भगवानओं न देखता ते, हमनी के कबले कलेसवा उठाइबि

पदरी सहेब के कचहरी में जाइबिजां, बेधरम होके रंगरेज बानि जाइबिजां

हाय राम! धसरम न छोड़त बनत बा जे, बे-धरम होके कैसे मुंहवा दिखइबि

hamanī ke rāti din dukhawā bhogata bānī
hamanī ke sāheba se minatī sunāibi

hamanī ke dukhawā bhagawanao nā dekh'tā te
hamanī ke kabale kalesawā uthāibi


padarī sāheba ke kacaharī me jāibijā
bedharama hoke raṃgreja bani jāibijā

hāya rāma! dhasarama nā choḍata banata bā je
bedharama hoke kaise muhawā dekhāibijā

(Bhojpuri)

References
  1. Kumar, Akshaya. Poetry, Politics and Culture: Essays on Indian Texts.
  2. Kumar, Vivek (2006). India's Roaring Revolution Dalit Assertion and New Horizons. 148: Gagandeep Publications. ISBN 8188865079.CS1 maint: location (link)
  3. Dalit Literature - A Critical Exploration. pp. First poem on Dalits in print was 'Acchut kee Shikayat' (The Complaint of The Untouchable) composed by Heera Dom in 'Saraswati' published from Allahabad in the year 1914.
  4. दलित साहित्य के प्रतिमान,Dr. N. Singh, Vaani Publications, New Delhi, Paperback Version-2012,page-91.
  5. The Caravan July 2019. Delhi Press. 2019.
  6. Sharma, Pradeep (2006). Dalit Politics And Literature. Shipra Publications. p. 110. ISBN 8175412712.
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