Poet Sushil Shukla, during a workshop for students of Chitkara University, said children need to be treated as equals

Saumya Singh

Students at Chitkara International School, Sector 25, were given tips on the art of poetry during a workshop organised by Begum Iqbal Bano Foundation, which was started by renowned Bollywood lyricist Irshad Kamil’s mother. The young lot even managed to impress poet Sushil Shukla of the Ektara Trust, who was the guest at the workshop, with their innovative verses.

Shukla, himself the editor of three children’s magazines, said, “The key is to provide kids with interesting books, which they may find worth reading, and they will never resort to seeking entertainment from their mobile phones.”

About how the workshop managed to bring the creativity inside the students out on paper, Shukla added, “It is all about the rawness of their thoughts, which can be brought about when you treat them as intelligent beings and not just naïve creatures; treat them as your equals and see the results.”

These ideas by him clearly worked out well because his pupils were quick to recite profound poetry written by them on various beings and objects surrounding us, such as flies, lizards, chairs, tables and much more. With his focus being completely on promoting children’s literature, he shared, “Through my work with Ektara Trust, I have organised a number of workshops and started academies in the past as well, promoting children’s illustrations, literature and magazines.”