Presidential Address delivered by Adv.Lakhan Singh Katre at 2nd All India Powari dialect Literary Conference held at Nagpur on 19th December 2021.

*Presidential Address delivered by Adv.Lakhan Singh Katre, at the 2nd All India Powari/Pawari Language Literature, Art & Cultural Conference at Nagpur on 19th December 2021.*

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*Powar Community, Powari Language-Literature, and Powari Culture: An Assessment*

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By @Adv. Lakhan Singh Katre, 

         Borkanhar-441902, (M.S.)

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      We are Powars, and according to our mythological story, our community originated from the Abu mountain, from the fire pit, and hence we are also called Agnivanshi Kshatriyas. However, due to various reasons, our community spread across undivided India, and thus our culture reflects unity, harmony, and similarity, as well as diversity, multiculturalism, and multiplicity.

       Therefore, "we should respect our internal culture, along with preserving our culture." We should understand and empathize with each other's opinions and thoughts. We should acknowledge and appreciate the differences in the lifestyle of our Powar community living in various regions in and outside India.

       I firmly believe that this conciliatory, understanding, and respectful ideology will be complementary and beneficial to our community, our language, and our culture.

*Change and Human Nature*

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     In reference to an eternal truth, it is said that the only thing that remains constant on this earth is change. Anyone who gets stuck in this change and cannot move forward becomes obsolete in history. Recently, author Vivan Marva has published a research-based book in English titled "WHAT millennials WANT: Decoding the World's Largest Generation". Published by Penguin Viking Publications, this research-based book states that the average age of Indians in 2021 is just 28 years. In comparison, the average age of people in America, China, and Japan is 38, 37, and 47 years, respectively.

     This means that India currently has the largest population of young people. This young generation is now called Millennials. The Oxford Dictionary also defines the term Millennials. According to it, Millennials are the generation that became aware in the early 21st century. In other words, people born after 1980 are Millennials.

     If we have to define Millennials in the current context, we can say that they are the first generation born in the internet age and synchronized with globalization. It is estimated that the population of Indian Millennials born between 1981 and 1996 is around 45 crores. This class is the actual earning class and, consequently, the consumer class. This class also plays an active role in the Indian cultural fabric. This class is predominantly established in the mainstream of the country's economic, political, social, and cultural background. The ideology of this class also determines the present and future of the country. That's why author Vivan Marva has conducted a survey of this class. The Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) has also conducted such a survey. The findings of this survey reveal that 84% of the Indian Millennial generation still prefers traditional arranged marriages. Moreover, it is estimated that this Millennial generation is also rigid about its caste and religious identity. This gives an idea of the overall social and cultural perspective of this Millennial generation.

         One historical fact is that the population of intellectual revolutionaries is always a minority. The conclusion of Vivan Marva's survey, mentioned earlier, also reveals this fact. Based on Vivan Marva's data, it can be said that only 16% of the minority population is responsible for bringing about intellectual revolutions. The remaining 84% of the majority population are always contemporary opponents of intellectual revolutions or remain neutral.

      However, another historical truth is that the names of minority revolutionary societies are always immortalized in history, while the names of the majority societies opposing intellectual revolutions are never found in history. This is because, after the passage of time, the majority society accepts the ideology of the intellectual revolutionaries and rejects the ideology of the majority opponents.

      Understanding this historical and proven reality is an important need and necessity for every society today. No rigidity can last for a long time. Liberalism, tolerance, coexistence, and acceptance of new ideas are the ideologies that endure. Such ideologies help in the overall, comprehensive, and sustainable progress and development of any society, as well as in determining the present and future of that society.

     In the 1910s, for the first time in most of the societies, only our Powar community established its organization, and subsequently, people from other communities also established their own organizations, following our example. This is how the history of Indian community organizations is narrated. However, it appears that our community organization did not pay sufficient attention to the establishment, promotion, re-narration, and re-creation of the Powari language, literature, art and culture.

      This does not mean that the importance and credit of our pioneering community leaders are diminished. On the contrary, we are grateful to those ancestors because they showed us the direction for community development. We are extremely thankful to those ancestors! Our current work is being established on the foundation laid by them.

      Now, our goal should be to revive our nearly extinct Powari language and make it immortal. This is because a community's language is the true guardian, transmitter, and creator of its culture. Keeping this crucial aspect in mind, we must commit ourselves to the revival, reconstruction, and re-narration of our language.

      Our Powar community is now becoming economically prosperous. (Although there may have been some deficiencies in certain areas in the past, they are now gradually disappearing.) However, if economic prosperity is not accompanied by cultural prosperity, then the direction of our (or any society's) overall progress and development may remain incomplete.

     For this cultural prosperity, good literature is essential. This is because good literature makes the reader introspective, satisfies their curiosity, and fulfills their desire for dialogue. It presents various lesser-known aspects of human life to the reader, expanding and deepening their awareness. This makes the reader uneasy and excited. Through these contrasting effects, literature gives the reader's emotional world complexity and their experiential world meaning, creating a beautiful expectation of positive change in society.

     Now, a question arises: what is culture? In this context, I would like to quote a note from the late renowned linguist Dr. Ashok Kelkar. The note is as follows:

"Some Indians wanted to introduce the Western concept of 'culture' into Indian languages. Bengali speakers used the word 'Krishi' (agriculture) to describe it, trying to maintain its original connection to agriculture. However, Rabindranath Tagore was not satisfied with this word. He consulted Dr. P.L. Vaidya, a professor and scholar of Sanskrit at Fergusson College in Pune. Vaidya told Tagore that the word 'Sanskruti' (culture) coined by the renowned historian and thinker Vishwanath Kashinath Rajwade had become widely accepted and was satisfactory. Tagore liked the word and used it, paving the way for its acceptance as a common term at the all-India level.

      Rajwade's genius did not simply translate the word 'culture' but instead took a thread from its meaning and used the well-known concept of 'Sanskar' (impressions) from our tradition. The impressions created by Sanskars are what constitute Sanskruti. Whether these Sanskars are good or bad, conscious or unconscious, personal or external, they are the imprints left on an individual by their environment, especially the human environment. According to Indian tradition, these imprints can remain accumulated, disappear, or become established over time. Culture is the repository of such Sanskars.

      This is the history of the creation of the word 'Sanskruti', and this is the complete definition of the concept of culture.

       Proper care is being taken of our culture through literature. However, unfortunately, our community's attention was not sufficiently focused on creating independent and neo-conceptual literature in the Powari language. Until now, there was no independent literary book written entirely in the Powari language.

      However, in the last three to four years, around 50-60 Facebook and WhatsApp groups, such as Powari Sahitya/Kala/Sanskriti Mandal and Powari Itihas/Sahitya/Utkarsh Samuh, have been actively working at their respective levels.

       The Powari Sahitya/Kala/Sanskriti Mandal organized the first All-India Powari Language Literature Conference in February 2019 at Ghumadavad/Tiroda, Gondia. As a result of the Mandal's efforts, two independent books of Powari poetry by Deven Chaudhari have been published. And Dr.Dnyaneshwar Tembhere's five books of poetry and stories have also been published.

      The Mandal has also published two annual magazines, organized 170 poetry competitions, and continues to promote poetry through various Powari groups. The Utkarsh group has also published a beautiful magazine this year. They have also organized several major programs related to the Powari language through digital media. Chhaya Surendra Pardhi's book of poetry has also been published, which I consider a concise encyclopedia of Powari culture. Deven Chaudhari has created history by presenting Powari language poetry at two consecutive All-India Marathi Literary Conferences in Yavatmal (2019) and Osmanabad (2020), thus hoisting the flag of Powari language in the Marathi literary world.

      Our Powari language poetry competition has also discovered two hidden literary gems, Dr.Prahlad Harinkhede (Prahar) and Er.Govardhan Bisen. The Powari poetry of these two emerging poets is truly exceptional. I thank these two poets for their contributions.

Additionally, Dr.Dnyaneshwar Tembhere's two important articles on the Powari language have been published in renowned Marathi magazines, 'YugaVani' (Nagpur) and 'Pratishthan' (Aurangabad). Dr. Ashok Rana's detailed article has been published in the Marathi magazine 'Sarvadhara' (Amravati).

      My own articles and Powari language poetry have been published in notable Marathi magazines such as 'Aksharayatra' (Nagpur), 'Pratishthan' (Aurangabad), 'Think Maharashtra' (portal), and 'Khel'(खेळ) (Pune), 'Lokmat: Deepotsav 2020' (Nagpur). I have also contributed to various state-level online programs.The e-book version of my Powari language book is available for free on Amazon, and around 10,000 people have downloaded it.

*"Genuine dissent is the voice of progress."*

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There's an English phrase that goes, "Dissent: The Voice of Progress. 

Dissent. 

Encourage Dissent. 

Manage Dissent - 

but with a sense of Responsibility, 

with Imagination, 

with Honesty, 

with the Confidence that things can be Better."

     In simple terms, this means that dissent or disagreement is like a stepping stone and voice for progress and development. However, such dissent should be responsible, honest, wise, and imaginative. It's essential to avoid ill feelings or malicious anger in dissent. Only then can dissent truly fulfill its role as a voice for progress. This phrase has always guided me, and I've tried to follow these principles.

     That's why when some WhatsApp groups and social media elements of our Powari community express genuine differences of opinion, I see it as an indicator of the community's progress and development. I always respect such genuine dissent.

     Genuine dissent can provide new direction and ideas to community leaders. However, when dissent is driven by malice, prejudice, immaturity, or selfishness, it can harm the community's progress and development.

     Therefore, I believe that we, as a Powari community, should recognize and reject immature and biased dissent. We should not encourage any opposition that is driven by negativity, bias, and dishonesty. In general, every community should respect genuine dissent without suppressing or denying it. They should think positively about it, which can lead to the community's overall progress and development.

     Regarding this topic, I would like to clarify that our community's original and widely accepted name is "Powar", as supported by historical evidence. However, on this subject, an article by Dr. M.R. Joshi, a renowned researcher and historian, in the Marathi quarterly magazine "Pradnyaalok", is worth studying carefully. According to Dr. Joshi, "India is a multilingual country, and it is essential to consider this fact while dealing with language, literature, and regional issues. Renowned poet Rajashekhara has discussed the relationship between Sanskrit, Prakrit, and Apabhramsha languages, and their literature. Indian literary critics have not only acknowledged these languages and their literature but have also given them due importance in the study of literary theory." The significance of this quote is that, according to Rajashekhara, a prominent Indian linguist, languages have three primary dimensions: Sanskrit (or standard language), Prakrit, and Apabhramsha. Assuming Sanskrit was the standard language in the past, it is impossible for 100% of the people in any community to be proficient in the standard language. Therefore, the natural evolution of Prakrit language occurs in the everyday conversation of the common people.

      Linguistic scholars say that the origin of Prakrit language dates back from the 3rd century BCE to the 8th century CE. During this period, our community's original name "Paramar" (or Pramar/Pramar?) changed to its Prakrit form "Powar". This name has been in use until the present day. However, in modern times, the Apabhramsha form of the name has also started to take shape. For example, the commonly used phrase "Kuthe Raja Bhoj ani kuthe Gangoo Teli" is actually a corrupted form of the historical statement "Kuthe Raja Bhoj ani kuthe Gangey Tailang", according to linguists.

     Similarly, other names might have also undergone corruption, which is a topic that requires in-depth study and research. We often come across many examples of such corruption. For instance, the English word "slope" becomes "sulup", "first class" becomes "fasakilas", and "ten on ten" becomes "tanatan". Similarly, in Sanskrit, "sukshma" becomes "suchcham", and "prana" becomes "paryan". 

      Likewise, it is possible that the original name "Paramar" (or Pramar/Pramar?) changed to its Prakrit form "Powar", and then to its Apabhramsha form "Panwar/Pawar". However, a detailed study and socio-linguistic research are necessary to confirm this theory.

       However, I believe that we should give priority to the Prakrit name "Powar" that has been in use for centuries, rather than the Apabhramsha form. Nevertheless, it is essential to acknowledge the fact that in Maharashtra, particularly in the districts of Yavatmal, Akola, and Amravati, a significant number of people from our community have been writing their caste as "Pawar" for the past hundred and fifty years. The Maharashtra government and the central government also recognize both "Powar" and "Pawar" as valid names for the OBC category.

      Additionally, in the districts of Kolhapur and Sangli, some people from the Maratha community write their surname as "Powar". Therefore, it is crucial to conduct an in-depth, accurate, and socio-linguistic study of the changes in the pronunciation of this name, which has resulted in three forms: Paramar (Sanskrit/standard), Powar (Prakrit/common/majority), and Panwar/Pawar (Apabhramsha/minority).

      I humbly request our community leaders to be vigilant and proactive in creating a system for this purpose. I also request them to avoid unnecessary conflicts, malicious statements, writings, propaganda, and arguments, and instead adopt a synthesizing approach that promotes dialogue, coordination, and coexistence.

        In this context, I am looking at the organization of the second All-India Powari/Pawari Language Literary Conference. I express my gratitude to the Powari/Pawari Literature, Art, Culture Association and its dedicated members.

      I also extend my heartfelt thanks to the directors of the association for entrusting me with the presidency of this conference.

Long live Powar!

Long live Powari!

Long live Raja Bhoj!

Long live Goddess Gadkalika!

Victory to all!

¤¤¤ (#2600)

@Adv. Lakhan Singh Katre

Borkanhar-441902, Dist. Gondia, 

(Vidarbha-Maharashtra)

(05.12.2021)

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