Rajiv Mohabir
∞
Click below to listen to Rajiv read his essay.
This essay is written in what I have pieced together of my Aji’s Guyanese Bhojpuri from records that I made during the days surrounding my brother’s wedding. We sat in my mother’s dining room drinking tea and I bombarded my Aji a barrage of questions. What was it like to live in Guyana? How od were you when you were married? How long did it take to get mehendi done on your arms and legs? Why was your mother angry that you married Aja when your father is the one who arranged it? Can you tell me a story in Hindustani? Why did people stop speaking it? She spoke of Guyana, fishing trips with her mother, cooking crabs for her husband that she ate secretly with him. The most heartbreaking thing that I learned was that my Aji and Aja did not teach their children Guyanese Bhojpuri—called Hindustani by my Aji—because she believed it was a “broken” language and she wanted her children to get an education which meant to Speak English, dis English Country. That in order to get an education they had to unbecome chupid coolies and learn the ways of the British.
As I wrote this essay, what Guyanese Bhojpuri I did not know with one hundred percent certainty I added from Indian Bhojpuri (Benaras wala) and Western Standard Hindi. I have heard some loan words in Fiji Hindi for things like “lawyer” and “request.” But while the first part of this essay is a kind of folktale that I constructed to reflect colonization, patriarchal suppression of women, and diaspora, I have chosen to err on the side of regularity. Surendra Gambhir makes the same point in Guyanese Bhojpuri that verbs are regularized and that there are no gendered conjugations in The East Indian Speech Community in Guyana: A Sociolinguistic Study with Special Reference to Koine Formation. Incidentally, the village where the Indian (not West Indian or Guyanese) Gambhir conducted his study was in Crabwood Creek in Berbice—that very village where my father is from. He interviewed my great uncles and other family members in his dissertation.
There is a certain political orientation to this writing in Guyanese Bhojpuri as I write this essay, story, and original poetry in that I see it as a decolonial project. My ancestors were traumatized by the hegemonic powers of the Englishes of Guyana—taught instead that everything that they knew was wrong, their medicine, their languages, their foods, and finally their religions. This is my small way of reclaiming a language that was born on the plantations, a language that has died in my parents’ generation. All of my grandparents spoke Guyanese Bhojpuri and it is a great humiliation and travesty that our lifeways are being forgotten.
I acknowledge that some of my phrasing is awkward and that this is a language that may not all together be completely felicitous. It is, however, the language that I used to speak with my Aji before she died in Brampton, Ontario in 2010. Most people pretended that she did not speak Bhojpuri and called her langauges “Broken.” “Broken English.” “Broken Hindi.” What indeed was “broken” was the colonized ways of looking at non-standard dialects. Creolese in Guyana is a language with its own grammatical rules as is Guyanese Bhojpuri. These are complex languages that had vibrant speech communities but have now started to be forgotten in my own home space.
The story “Saampin” is about a woman who is of the snake people and who rejoins her clan. The mini-essay that follows is my manifesto on why we are NOT “broken.” The last part of this writing is a grammar and language lesson for cultural fluency in Guyanese Bhojpuri. I invite you to read and to critique; to argue over the positioning of each and every word. I invite you to learn as much of the different kinds of overseas and Caribbean Bhojpuris as you can and to start to use them again. I invite you to invite our language back into your mouth.
***
Saampin
bahut puraan ke baat hai. ham ii kahani sunis ham jab chhota rahe. hamar guyanwa mein aaye ke pahile baat hai. puraan ka matlab jab ham log muluk mein rahe.
gaun mein ekgo laiki rahe jaun ke bibah bhaile. hath mein mehendi, gorwa mein mehendi, naak mein nathiya, hath mein churyia, gorwa mein payaliya—etna jewar phene ke chalat samay lage rahe ke koi sangeet bajawe rahe. chan-chan kan-kan chan-chan kan-kan. char oriya sangeet phelat rahe aur jhopriya ke koi raja ke darbaar bhaile.
laiki niche dekhis aur baiya bahiya par janam ke ekgo nisanwa dekhat rahe. ii nisanwa gunhara saamp jaise lagat rahe aur lorde lagal barkha ke mausam rahe. badaryia aapan jhoom behe lagal. laiki akhiya jhapal—ii saamp sa daag lordela ka? laiki ke mardwa bahut aacha nahi rahe aur laiki se bolis ke ekgo ratiya bistar par unkar chhota saamp ke dikhayi deis aur unkar jaban par katal.
laiki ke mardwa bolis, “tohar daag hamke katal.”
“chach,” sochal laiki. “agar hamar daag jinda rahe aur toke kate uu toke khaybe.” baki unkar man mein ii soch rahe ke sayad mardwa ke nahin kate agar kar sake—uu aapan saasuiya ke katke khaye.
laiki ke saas bahut kharab aur dust rahe aur subere subere taja taja paani piye mange rahe. am tor par kal ka pani surahiya mein rakhal rahe, unkar saas laiki ke pani layeke bhejat rahe kaheki uu ghare mein akela hoye mange rahe. uu bole rahe, “ham kaise jhutha paani piyab? bahuriya, jaa hamar khatir nadiya ke kinare se paani leke aao. nahin ta ham toke mar jaib.”
laiki ke ka kare jai? thapparwa khaye ke man nahin rahe ta uu jhopariya se nikalis.
jab laiki path mein gujare sasuiya aapan betwa se bole rahe, “jaa beta, dekho ke uu kidhar kidhar jaihai. hamke lagela ke uu saampin hai aur unkar khopar mein naag-mani hai. cutlass leke jaa aur tohar stri ke khopar se unkar mani nikaale. osie mani paiye ta ham aamir ho jaib.”
ii samay gaun wale kehe jaila ke nariya log kabhi kabhi gayab bhaila. laiki ke ekgo mitra rahe jaun ke nam bitiya rahe. kal raat ke ii ghare se bhittar se koi cheej ke khoj mein nikalis aur nahin lautal. ghar wale ka sochat rahe? uu sochat rahe ke uu bewafa nari koi nar ke pajare gayal hoi aur koi aur nar ke stri banis. par koi unkar haal chaal ke bare mein nahin jane rahe. agar log kuch na kuch jane ta uu log kuch na kuch bole aapas mein. baki laiki ke mardwa sach jane rahe.
laiki sochis, “sayad uu arkotiya log oke hare uukar kophariya ke tel nikaale khatir.” kehe jaila rahe ke britis wale arkotiya kiraye se desi logan harne khatir dur bhejela lekin uuhi khali dhire gungunahat ba.
laiki ke ekgo parosin jaunke nam bitiya rahe ek din ghare se nikalis aur vapas aaile nahin. uu laiki ke eklauta mitr rahe. bitiya ke saas bahut aacha rahe aur ii baat se laiki kabhi kabhi jal gayal. uu sochis rahe ke, “agar hamar akhiya per ke patte ke rang rahe ta hamar saas hamke dam se nahin mare.” lekin uu abhi kahin nahin dikhayi deis.
“koi bhag oke khayal hoi,” saas muskarat bolis jab uukar patohiya ghare se nikalis. bechari laiki dar gayal.
“ka ham nadiya kinare jaye, aaj? hamke saaf pani ii surahiya mein bharke nahin laute saasuiya hamke marijai.” sach mein uu laiki bare logan se dare rahe—aapan bachapan mein unkar mai-baap bole rahe ke tohar saas, sasur ke baat mano. uu tohar mai-bap bhaye. ma bhaile ta aapan bitiya ke daraye? “chach. uu hamar mai thore na ho sakela,” uu surahiya leke aapan se bolis.
jangal mein bahut andhera phelal rahe. bhoot-sa aur pisach-sa awaj sunayi deis. par unkar path saaf rahe. ret sunhara rang ke rahe. laiki sochis ke agar ham nadiya kinare sidhe jaye ta sab teek bhaye. chalat chalat uu thak gayal aur koi perwa ke pajare baital rahe. per ke sakhe mein se koi gaana gawat rahe.
tohar daanth mein bishwa
tohar khal mein tarajuwa
tohar andar saktiya
kophar mein maniya
laiki yahan vahan dekh dekh ke na jane ke uu awaj kahan se aaile rahe. uu bolis, “Eh eh! ka bhaile ba yaha? kaun ii gaana gawela? hamke daraye ke kosis karat hoijai!” ka uu koi sapna dekhis? uu soch ke per ke niche se hatke uthis aur nadiya kinare chale lagal. phir awaj aaile dubara.
tohar daanth mein bishwa
tohar khal mein tarajuwa
tohar andar saktiya
kophar mein maniya
laiki yahan vahan dekh dekh ke na jane uu awaj kahan se aaile rahe. uu bolis, “kaun gawela? jara hamar aage aake gawo taki ham khule se bol sakeli.” koi jawab nahin aaile. laiki dar gayal ke koi oke dekhat rahe lekin ii oke nahin dekh payal. “darpok! ham ekgo laiki hai. hamar samne aake gawo gaana tohar.”
ab nadiya ke kala pani ke laheriya hile lagal. kala pani se safed safed jhaag aa nikalis. aur pani ke niche se ekgo barka saamp aapan kophar uthayis aur bolis, “laiki, tu yah-so aaile aur baat kare ke time aa gayal. ho sakela par tohar andar jaduwa ba jyada.”
“tu kaise janela ke hamar andar ka hoi jai?” laiki chilayis. “tu hi hai jaun sab hamar gaun ke aurat log jab nadiya ke kinare pajare aaye paani laye khatir katke nigalela?” laiki gussa se bolis. bolat hi dui aur saampin paani ke niche se uupar aaile. egko ke akhiya per ke patta ke rang rahe—laiki ke dost ke jaise.
“ka tu bitiya hosakela?” laiki sochis. “tohar aakhiya ham janeli saampin—tohar hamar sakhi ke tarah aakhiya hai.”
saampin hanse lagal, “bitiya ke tarah nahin—ii bitiya ke akhiya hi hai.”
“ka bole hai?” laiki ke aakhiya dui bare bare chand jaise rahe. “bitiya? tu hai bitiya?” uu puchis.
“haan, ham bitiya hai.”
“ham sochal ki jangal mein koi bhaag toke khaye, ya britis waale toke haarke chinidat-guyana bhejal rahe.”
“koi bhaag, koi arkoitya nai na rahe. ham nadiya ke kinare aa gayal kaheki ii ke jaduwa hamke bulayis. aur yahso ham dussar saampin se milis jaun aapan sasural se bhagal. ham ikkat hai yahan, nadiya mein kaheki hamar andar kuch alag jaduwa ba. hamke lageli ke tohar andar ii jaduwa bhi ho.”
“hamar andar khali naukrani ke kaam hai.”
“nahin—haath, bahiya par dekho, jewariya chordke ka lagal ba?”
laiki aapan bahiya par dekhalis aur bolis, “ii daag hamar janam se lagal ba.”
hansat hansat bolis bitiya, “dekho sakhi—tu hamar jaise ba. uu daag ham logan ke nisanwa hai. paani mein aaye ta janibe tu.”
“paani mein aa jaye ta hamar saas ke ka bhaye? aur hamar mardwa ke ka bhaye?”
“je sakat tohar aandar ek makanwa mein bande rahe bhala kaise rahebe? ii nadiya samandar tak jaila aur andar aaye ke baad tu koi ke naukaraniya nahin hoi. tu adami log ke sanchal se ajaad bhaye.”
kahin badara bole lagat rahe. tin saampin sange mein gaaye lagal,
tohar daanth mein bishwa
tohar khal mein tarajuwa
tohar andar saktiya
kophar mein maniya
“tu bolela ke hamar muh mein mani rahela—ii ke ka matlab ba?”
“tohar khopriya mein kuch mahenga aur aacha mani rahela ke sab log mangela. koi mard toke marke churaye, koi log toke dhoka mare ke kosis kare. aadmi sochela ke je hamar anadar rahe unkar madad karbe aur aurat log kachra jaise hai je phenk sakela.”
“ii sach nahin hai.” laiki bolis.
“na? batao, jab saas toke marela tohar var ka karela? ka uu roke ke kosis karela ya kamra chordela? uu tohar rowe sunke ka karela? ka uu ohi samay bhojan karela?”
“jab saas hamke marela ham na janeli var kaha jaila…tu sach bolela.” laiki ke aakhiya mein bhar aaile.
“uu log sochela ke nari ke ichha aacha nahin hai. darasal hamar anadar sakti hai bahut. hamar sange aao aur dekho.”
“ham tohar saath aaye ta ka ham laut sakab?”
“nahin. tu hamar sange aaye ta hamar sath hamesa khatir raheba. tu ajadi payiba. hamar jingi aise jiye samjhaa na sakeli, pinjara mein bandhe pachhi ke hawa mein urde kaise samajhaye? manlo ke ham sab gaawat gaawat samundar tak jaili. samundar mein aur log hai hamar jaise jaun aapne aapne jingi jiela araam se, bina koi niyam. aakhiya band ke socho.”
laiki aapan aakhiya band karis. ka ii jiyara kaafi hai? ka unkar mard etna aacha hai ke uu sab jaduwa chord sake? laiki aapan saas ke yaad aaile—“ii mangela ke ham oke akela chorde. hamke aapan ichha kare ke agya thore na deila.” surahiya mein kal ka kuch baki pani rahe. laiki ii paani ke dekhis. samundar mein ka ba? sun rakhal ke koi rakshas-pret-pisach nari log ke harela baki ii sach nahin rahe. aurat aapan ichha se aapan sasural chordela. laiki dasta ke beriya ke tore khojale.
jharde mein laiki ke mardwa chipal gayal sab natak dekhlis. jabtak uu na bole tabtak uu jharde se nikalat bolis, “he pagal laiki. tu ka bolela?” uu laiki ke bahiya pakaris aur bolis, “ii bakwas chord do, hamar sange ghare lauto abhi abhi.”
laiki ke jiyara jard gayal aur uu bolis, “chordo hamar haath. jaa aapan mai ke pajare, tu ab tak mai ke dudh piyela.”
mardwa hansat bolis, “nahin—tu hamar ghar ke bahu hai, hamar ghulam ban gaile. tu ka sochela, ke paani mein jaye ke ajadi mile? chuppid.”
“tu kahe aaila?” laiki puchhis mardwa se.
“ham aaili kaheki hamar mai hamke bhejhis tohar mani nikaale aur oke de deyi,” mardwa ke aakhiya mein lalach ubalat rahe. sun rakhal hai ke kai ichhidari naagin ke khopar mein ekgo anmol mani rahela. agar uu mani ke paa sake ta aamir mard hoijai. laiki ke kaam karat dekhis gayal uu pata chalis ke uu mein kuch jaduwa ba, ke khal-chamri ke niche taraaju jaise nisan rahe, ke unkar janam ke daag je lagal haath par kabhi kabhar lotela.
laiki ke mardwa ekgo churwa, ekgo cutlass nikalis aur uupar utahais laiki ke khatam kare khatir.
laiki ke gala laal bhaile aur bahut naraj bhaile. unkar mardwa ke haath aapan muh mein uthais aur dam lagake katal. unkar daatwa mein bis rahe. jahan uu mardwa ke katal oije khoon nikale lagal.
“ham mattie hai, ham koi ke gulam nahin hoi mangeli,” laiki bolis.
“hi hi, tu hamke mar dies dust laiki—maiya sach kahelas: sundar stri bairi hai!” aur laiki ke mardwa mar gayal kaheki laiki ke kate mein bahut jaher rahe.
laiki aapan surahiya giral deis aur unkar pati ke sab sringar-jehwariya chord deis nadiya ke kinare par. uu aapan baal khulis aur khopriya hilayis.
pahile kadam unkar pairwa bhigal. dussar kadam kamarwa. tissar kadam se laiki ke koi bhi nisan dikhayal na deis. char saampin ke khopriya paani se uupar gaaye lagal,
hamar daanth mein bishwa
hamar khal mein tarajuwa
hamar andar saktiya
kophar mein maniya
aur sab ke sab paani ke niche gayal, samundar ke pajare jaye khatir.
*
Ham Tutal Nahin Bati
hamar ghare mein angrej log jit gayal. roj roj ham chai piyali. ghare mein angreji bole jaila ii ham aapanse ii orhan petaiye ke paroswa pardes se jyada bhar gayal. haanse ke baat ba kaheki ham hindustani hai, ganne ke kuli ke bansi hai. ham angrej log ke kaam kare rahe mehenat karke. amerika aaye ke baad hamar mai-baap dharm ke pariwartan karis aur ab yishua ke khoon piyela aur unkar khal-chamri khayela.
jab ham ii naya jamin par aili ham bharat ke gareeb aur dehat sankhya mein rahe. ham kai bhasa bole rahe jaise tamil, telegu, adivasi ke bhasa, punjabi, maithili, awadhi, bhojpuri, aur urdu. gaane ke khetan mein ham jab logie mein rahe jaun magistrate-malik hamke deis, ham aapan bhasa banayis. ham naya ajaad wale kaare log ke jagah mein kam kare khatir aali. hamar aaike kaare log ke dukh pahunchaaile kaheki uu kafi paise kamaye mange rahe muskil kaam kare khatir. hamar sasta sram oke dhoka deis. ham amerindian logke churayal jamin se bandhe rahe.
bad mein ii bhasa ke ham “tutal bhasa” ya “tutal hindustani” bolab. ii batiawe ke hamar andar, gehere ghere mein rakhis, koi tutalpan ba. ham ekgo “tutal log” banis bati. hamar bachpan se mai-bap bolis rahe ke jaun cheej ham hindustani samajeli, uu galat baat hai. uu sochis ke indiaman hamke indian na manela.
guyana wala creolese jaun samaj se nikalis oise nikalis: gore malik (bakra) log pigin bhasa mein hamke aadhikar bolis rahe aur ham aapan contract par anguri chhap lagal. uu log creolese mein ganne ke khet mein aise aagya deis ke ham samajh sake ke ghare hamke kabhi nahi pahunchaibe aur ham jingi bhar uu jaminwa par jiye jaib.
jaun bhasa mein ham abhi likat hai oke jab “tutal” boleli ham manjur kareli ke angrej log ham se aacha hai. ham jab aapan bhasa ke “tutal” boleli ham aapanke neech samjheli.
ham britis ke soch andar rakheli aur khud aapan ke mitaili. ham aapan bhasa chord deis britis bhasa bole lage rahe. sach mein hamar aji bhojpuri bole rahe jab jinda rahe aur hamke kuch kuch sikhal deis. ii hamar barka kismet ke baat ba.
ham aapan bhasa “tutal” na bole ab se. ii ekgo bhasa hai. ii ham log ke bhasa hai. hamar bhasa ekgo pura bhasa hai, “tutal” kaise ho sakela? ham aapan bhasa hamar andar rahe bulawe. hamar muh aur jigarwa mein rahe khatir bulawe. ham aapan ke change kare jai.
tu ka kar sakela?
- bujurg logan ke sange baitke aapan gaana aur kahani sikho. iike record karo.
- jetna ho sake parho tohar itihas ke bare mein. jaanch karo internet se, bahut cheej milbe oije ya library mein.
- aapan bhasa mein likho aur bolo, jaha bhi tu ho. galti jaroor aibe aur koi baat nahi. hamar bhasa yaad kare aasan thorde hi hoi aur manlo ke ii kare se tu khusi payibe.
- bhasa ke kaksa mein baito. hindi bhasa sikhe tohar madad karbe.
- tohar sangeet suno aur jor se! Sundar Popo, Babla aur Kanchan, aur Rikki Jai. uu bhojpuri mein gaawelan aur hamar kavita bahut bahut sundar hai.
*
Guyana ke Boli Mein Siksa
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I. Lesson 1: Greetings
ram ram/sala’am w’aleikum
Hello.
tohar jiw kaise hai?
How are you?
hamar jiw achcha hai, dhanyavaad.
I’m fine, thanks.
hamar haal bahut bura hai.
I’m not well at all.
tu ka karat hai?
What are you doing?
kehar jaila?
Where are you going?
hamlogan aapan ghare mein creolese bolela.
We speak Creolese in our home.
hamar favorite/manpasand machchi hassa hai.
My favorite fish is hassa.
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II. Lesson 2: Ramayana
ajodya ke yuvraj ram rahe
Ram was a prince of Ayodhya.
ramke baba ke tisri rani mange aapan betwa yuvraj hojai hai.
his father’s third wife wants her son to be ki coronated.
ram, sita, aur latchman banbas jaila.
Ram, Sita, and Lakshman go into the forest.
ram, sita ban mein chordeke, dharma bhul gayal.
Ram, abandoning Sita in the forest, forgot his duty.
pandit-log ramine ke use kare ii sabit kare khaatir ki jati aur jativad dono achche hai.
Religious people use the Ramayana to justify caste oppression and racism.
ham kabhi ramine likhe ta ham queer aur mahilavaadi walla likhe.
If I write a Ramayana it will be a queer and feminist one.
ham jaati aur jaativad nast karab.
I will smash caste and racism.
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III. Lesson 3: Me Guyanese Na India-man
ham bihar se nahi aili.
I do not come from Bihar.
hamar pariwar crabwood creek aur georgetown ke hai.
My family is from Crabwood Creek and Georgetown.
hamar baap chandrnarine mohabir aur hamar mai anjani prashad hai.
My father is Chandrnarine Mohabir and my mother is Anjani Prashad.
hamar ekgo bhaiya hai aur ekgo bahin hai.
I have one brother and one sister.
ka tu chai piye khojela?
Would you like some tea?
ham chai aur phulowri khaye khojeli.
I would like tea and phulowri.
tu mangela ke ham besanwa leke awe?
would you like me to bring some ground daal for you?
na, ham besan na mange hai.
No, I don’t need it.
hamke peppah sauce mangeli.
I would like some pepper sauce.
ham na jaib sasur ghare mein, baba.
Papa, me na go go a me faddah-in-law house.
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IV. Lesson 4: History
hamlogan coolie-blackman ek jaisan hai.
We coolies and black folks are all the same.
kaare log ke khetwa mein bahut bura mehenet kare pardal magistrate ke mange se
Black folks were forced to punish bad in the fields because the white folks made them.
jab ham hindustan se aili hamlog oise kaam kare lage.
When we came from India we had to work those very fields too.
magistrate-backra mange rahi ke coolie aur blackman mitra na hoi
The British didn’t want the Indians and Blacks to come together as friends.
alag alag rehe jai
Kept us far from one another.
aur uu gore-gore log hamar hirday mein bahut lal-lal aag jala deis.
And all the white folks set red-red fires in our hearts.
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V. Practice
Translate into Guyanese Bhojpuri
I want to learn Bhojpuri.
My name is ________.
My mother is from Skeldon.
My family came to America because of hegemonic international pressures of global
capitalism.
The British wanted to keep Indians and Black folks separate so they stoked a hatred like fire in our communities.
In America people think we are Indian, but we are not.
White people say fucked up shit to us all the time and we laugh and want to be more like them.
Translate into English
ab se ham aapan ghare mein hindustani bole lageli.
aisan baat bole bahut political hai.
uu logan hamke na hatai jaihai.
ham ameriki aur guyanese bhi—dono ho sakeli.
agar tu ii pustak pakare ta ii ka matlab hai ki tu hamar baat mein dilchasp hai.
dekho, gore log hamar “niche bhasa” print karis.
british walle nahi jital, hamar sakti barka hai.
jo bhaye so bhaye.
∞
Rajiv Mohabir is the author of The Cowherd’s Son (Tupelo Press 2017, winner of the 2015 Kundiman Prize; Eric Hoffer Honorable Mention 2018) and The Taxidermist’s Cut (Four Way Books 2016, winner of the Four Way Books Intro to Poetry Prize, Finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Poetry in 2017), and translator of I Even Regret Night: Holi Songs of Demerara (1916) (Kaya Press 2019) which received a PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grant Award. Currently he is an Assistant Professor of poetry in the MFA program at Emerson College, translations editor at Waxwing Journal. Visit his website at www.rajivmohabir.com