Legendary poet-lyricist
Gulzar, who had witnessed the horrors of Partition first-hand and has often written on it, has come with a collection of prose and poetry on the subject.
'Footprints on Zero Line: Writings on the Partition', however, does not stop at the events of 1947 but looks at how these continue to affect our lives to this day.
Partition is a theme that Gulzar has gone back to again and again in his writings, publishers said.
"It is not only a collection on a cataclysmic event in the history of our nation by one of our best contemporary writers but also a timely reminder that those who forget the errors of the past are doomed to repeat them," a statement said.
Translated by Rakhshanda Jalil, this compilation marks 70 years of India's Independence.
Born in Dina (now in Pakistan), Gulzar writes in the poem 'Zero Line': "... I am back at the Zero Line/My shadow whispers from behind me,/'When you give up this body/Come back to your home/Your birthplace, your motherland'."
A stalwart of Indian literature and one of the finest poets, Gulzar has a number of poetry and short-story collections to his credit.
He has published two volumes of his translations of
Rabindranath Tagore's poems - 'Baaghbaan' and 'Nindiya Chor'.
He is a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Padma Bhushan.
In 2008, he was awarded an Oscar for his song 'Jai ho' in '
Slumdog Millionaire
'. He received the
Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2014.
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