Avtar Singh Sandhu
Avtar Singh Sandhu whose pen name was Pash or Paash (September 9, 1950 - March 23, 1988), was an Indian poet. His early, strongly left-wing views were reflected in his poetry.
He was born in Talwandi Salem, Jalandhar, Punjab, growing up in the struggle between the Naxalite movement and the working class, poverty-stricken Punjabs, during the so-called Jujharu (rebellious era). He published his first book of revolutionary poems, Loh-Katha (Iron Tale) in 1970; his militant and provocative tone raised the ire of the establishment and a murder charge was hastily brought against him. He spent nearly two years in jail, before being finally acquitted.
On acquittal, he became involved in Punjab's maoist front, editing a literary magazine, Siarh (The Plow Line). He became a popular political figure on the left during this period, and was awarded a fellowship at the Punjabi Academy of Letters in 1985. He toured the United Kingdom and the United States the following year; while in the U.S., he became involved with the 'Anti-47 Front', opposing Sikh nationalist violence; in retribution, he was murdered at the hands of a Sikh group in 1988.
His Literary works
- Loh-katha (Iron-Tale) (1970),
- Uddian Bazan Magar (Behind Flying Hawks) (1973),
- Saadey Samiyaan Vich (In Our Times) (1978), and
- Khilre Hoey Varkey (Unorganized Papers) (1989)
Khilre Hoey Varkey was posthumously published in 1989 after his death, followed by his journals and letters. A selection of his poems in Punjabi, Inkar, was published in Lahore in 1997. His poems have been translated in many languages including other Indian languages, Nepali and English.
