Esbaat - 35 (Special issue on Bulldozer Poetry)

'Esbaat' is a book series publishing from Mumbai (India) for the last fifteen years, whose fame is echoing in the literary circles of India and Pakistan. All-important writers and critics of Indo-Pak have acknowledged the literary analysis and potential of this book series.

Bulldozer poems written by Indian poets against government action are included in this issue.

At a time when the indispensable gadget for development and the widely used equipment of peacetime, the Bulldozers eclipse the extermination trail of the tanks and machineguns while actualizing the dictates of a state that relentlessly unleash a reign of terror on the marginalized and dispossessed section of the citizens, poetry cannot be a politically inert act. When the bulldozers, ruthlessly knocking down shanties, flattening land and maiming the helpless occupants, jeered by an enthusiastic crowd, create a carnival-like atmosphere, poetry resists the brutal and unrelenting onslaught.

Eminent Indian poet and author Ashok Vajpai rightly observes that many Hindi poets stand up against lies, cruelty, destruction hate and fear. Their intervention assures us that the literature has not been forgotten; it is recording, speaking the truth and not frightened at all.

This issue also includes a translation of four short stories by Haruki Murakami. Apart from critical essays by critics on contemporary literary issues, the editorial also poses some important questions to the concerns of contemporary Urdu fiction. Also, this issue includes works by senior Urdu writers as well as many works by the new generation, which gives an idea of the current trends in Urdu literature.