Prem Vij's poetry collection Kaath Hota Aadmi is inspired by everyday struggles

Yathesht Pratiraj

Prem Vij, an author and poet who has written many books in the Hindi and Punjabi language, recently launched another one with the title, Kaath Hota Aadmi. This collection of poems is Vij’s 20th book. In his poems he captures the small details of life.

Vij, who was born in November, 1947, has received multiple awards for his work, including a state award by the Punjab government in 2004, Lifetime Achievement Award by the Chandigarh Sahitya Academi in 2013 and another one from The Readers and Writers Society of India in 2014.

Talking about Kaath Hota Aadmi, Vij says, “When I started writing, I could not stop. Stories about our daily life that we generally miss in our day to day existence found an expression in my verses. Life is extremely hectic now, so it’s important to sometimes sit back, relax to look and enjoy the little joys of life. Our daily struggles, social issues, and things that one might face in the cruel world are some of the topics I have tried to address through the verses.”

He adds, “There are multiple poems where I have tried to address the significance of a mother in a house as well as tried to pose a question to viewers as to why society still lacks respect for mothers who take care of the household and their children. In my household, there was no domestic help when I was growing up. My mother took care of everything, from cooking and cleaning to taking care of me. Even though she worked tirelessly throughout the day, I felt like my father didn’t give her the amount of respect, love and care that she deserved. This thought has bothered me throughout my life and that is why I have respect for every mother who goes through life with a smile on her face.”