Tu vida hoiyon

Jasmine Singh

When a reporter asked Shiv Kumar Batalavi what made him a poet, he turned to him and said, “Poetry does not come from any accident. Some people think poetry is born out of love or frustration, but in me poetry came from everything. Actually, I don’t know how I became a poet.”

Even though Shiv didn’t know what turned him into a poet, his works travelled far and wide, with people singing his poems as if they were the folk songs of Punjab. This holds true even till date as many Punjabi singers sing Shiv Kumar Batalvi invariably at live shows and even record his songs in their voice as a matter of pride. Punjabi singer Babbu Mann is one singer who has sung the poet the maximum. JP Randhawa is another singer who has sung Maiye ni maiye main ek shikra yaar banaaya for the Punjabi film Suhe Phull. Shiv Kumar’s songs are as fresh as his first song, making him a poet and a singer whom every artiste would want to match his or her voice with.

However, the new crop of Punjabi singers echo that it is not easy to get the rights to record his songs, and they make do by singing it on stage.

Ki puchde haal fikiraan da...

Singer-actor Jashan Singh, who has sung Shiv Kumar’s Bhathi waliye, feels there can be no greater honour than singing him. “He was the much-loved lyricist-singer; tell me one poet who was loved so much. I bet every singer, young or old, would always want to sing Shiv.”

Ranjit Bawa, the singer from Shiv Kumar Batalvi’s hometown Batala, is all set to sing Shiv pretty soon. “There is so much written about him, through songs, I would try and bring that part out. Since, he has written all kinds of poetry, dard and ashiqui both, and because he is an inspiration for many young artistes, I think it is a matter of pride and also important to sing him.” Ranjit will also be singing Babu Rajab Ali, Sant Ram Udaasi too in the coming months.

From Shiv Kumar Batalvi’s Loona, raat gaye kar taara taara, maye ni, rog bankey reh gya hai pyar tere shehar da, teri yaad has been sung by renowned singers, Jagjit singh, Hans Raj Hans, Surinder Kaur, Mahendra Kapoor to name a few.

Singer actor Nishawn Bhullar doesn’t recall a single live show where he hasn’t sung Shiv. “I don’t plan on singing him, but each time, I end-up doing so. His poetry and words find a place and meaning in every situation.” Popular Punjabi lyricist Babbu of Yaar Anmulle fame has written a song on the lines of Shiv Kumar’s song, Main joban rutey marna. “He is an inspiration, and it is his song that made me find a version of my song that goes...Mera dil duniya ton akk reha oh par atkauna chahundi hai... main joban ruttey marna hai, oh vyah karvauna chahundi hai.”

• Shiv Kumar Batalvi  also known as Birha da sultan, a Punjabi language poet, known for his romantic poetry, noted for its heightened passion, pathos, separation and lover's agony  was posthumously awarded Padma Bhushan in 2001 by The Government of India.
• In 1947, when he was aged 11, Shiv Kumar Batalavi's his family moved to Batala Gurdaspur district after partition of India. 

"He became the youngest recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1967, given by Sahitya Akademi. 

"Shiv Kumar Batalvi's health deteriorated in Kiri Mangial during the early morning hours of May 6, 1973 whereupon he was brought to PGI Hospital, Chandigarh. Shiv Kumar Batalvi died in the 36th year of his life on 7 May 1973 in PGI Hospital, Chandigarh.

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