FROM THE EDITOR
How can we continue with our literary work? 2020 has
pushed us beyond our wildest nightmare. It is sheer chaos everywhere. Millions
of people have lost their jobs and earnings. A handful of selected elites are
increasing their personal wealth and becoming new billionaires. Leaders in
power are consolidating their strength. Voice of dissidents are being targeted
labeling anti national conspirators. Countries are engaging into military wars
and battels along the borders. Men and women do not know what to do. Where to
turn around for shelter and survival. Is this any time for us to write down
poems? Is this? Aren't we all in a state of confusion right now?
At the time of writing this editorial, the total Covid-19
infection has risen to 41,486,432 and total deaths up to 1,136,335 around the
world.
In America, lawyers appointed by a federal judge to
identify migrant families who were separated by the Trump administration say
that they have yet to track down the parents of 545 children and that about
two-thirds of those parents were deported to Central America without their
children, according to a filing Tuesday from the American Civil Liberties
Union. The Trump administration instituted a "zero tolerance" policy
in 2018 that separated migrant children and parents at the southern U.S.
border. The administration later confirmed that it had actually begun
separating families in 2017 along some parts of the border under a pilot
program. Now what will be the future of these children separated from their
parents? And separated by whom? None
other than the great super power of this world United States of America who is
the self-proclaimed custodian of human rights around the world.
On September 27, a new regional war in South Caucasus
arose from the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over the contested
Nagorno-Karabakh region. Civilians as well as soldiers are also dying every day.
What sort of world we have created? In Indian subcontinent war between India
and Pakistan or India and China can be an everyday reality in near future. Political
activities are gearing up aiming war conflicts between regional powers. So, we
the people remain in constant risk of war and regional conflicts.
Now how can one concentrate his or her mind to work on
poetry in this disturbing time of pandemic and regional conflicts and wars
between neighboring countries. With sufferings and deaths everywhere either due
to the pandemic or war, we the people without power remain just helpless and at
risk of destruction. Either economically or physically. If we start to ponder
over all these, if all these background noises keep on disturbing our sensibility,
in a constant manner; how can we maintain our sanity to keep us literarily productive?
I think this is a vital question of this present time. If we can keep us
insulated from these ground realities of everyday disturbances, and go on with
our usual literary activities, we may live in pseudo peace. But our literature
will remain void of substance. So therefore, we have to maintain a balance in
between. To keep our sanity and to synchronize our poetry or all the literary
creativities with our time. Yes, I know it very well, it is easier to preach
than to practice. Still we have to evaluate our position in this tumultuous era
of our time and form our own languages accordingly with pure honesty. Otherwise
all our literary activities will end up in a wastage of time.
COVID-19 is a wake-up call for human civilization. We
have to rethink about the present world order of political structure and
economic imperialism. We have to cross-check the pros and cons of the hegemony
of one superpower. We have to reconsider the world trend of military spending.
At this point, let’s not deny the fact that we are spending the lion share of
our G.D.P in our defense budget. This is the ongoing norm around the world.
Even in the foremost countries of the first world economy, the states are
channeling more expenditures to build up a robust military power. They are
funding more in research and development of deadly military equipment than in
the social health care system and education. One may argue that these military
arm industries are fueling economic development in many countries. I think it
is high time that mankind should accept the fact, that to focus on these
military industries more, it has made itself defenseless against natural
calamity such as corona pandemic.
If you ask me how should mankind manage itself to
overcome these present situations of natural catastrophe, manmade economic
collapse, and war burdens everywhere; I’ll strongly suggest that we have to
focus on co-operation instead of focusing only on competitions. Competitions among
human beings, nations, races, cultures, military forces, business industries,
economic models have contributed colossal catastrophe everywhere. Only a world
order based on co-operations in-between each factor can save the civilization in
a true civilized manner. Not in the uncivilized way of the present world order.
With the ultimate goal to acquire more military and economic power to rule the
world, we will bring the end of the human civilization. No, the world leaders
will not realize this truth. Not only that, they’ll block every road and keep
the common people ignorant of these essential truths and fact. So, we the custodians
of arts and literature have a huge responsibility upon our shoulders to arouse
the human conscience through our creativities so that common people can realize
their time in its true essence. Only then our literary works of today will have
any truthful meaning.
We, through our continuous endeavor to publish high quality
literary works in every issues of Our Poetry Archive, has arranged yet another
volume of poetry collection this November. Our readers can enjoy this
particular issue also just like the previous numbers as well. With this edition
of OPA, we are glad enough to introduce poet EELISABETTA BAGLI of Italy as the
poet of the month. Let’s hope our readers will enjoy both her interview and her
poems along with the whole issue consisting of more than hundreds of poems of
the poets all over the world. So thank you once again and I welcome everyone to
this newest issue of OPA.
From The
Editorial Desk
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Dear Editor,
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU for another excellent EDITORIAL write. And CONGRATS to EELISABETTA BAGLI as poet of the month. CONGRATS also to all contributing poets on this OPA issue.