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STEPHEN GILL'S IMMACULATE ARTICLES

Dr. S. Samal

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*Appeard in Kafla International (India)

No. 20, Sep. Dec. 1998, pages 39-47

In the backdrop of huge piling of arms and ammunition, nuclear tests and warfare, growing tension, gloom and fear, mankind needs to listen to one sane voice, that of Stephen Gill, a world renowned Canadian writer whose voice percolates wisdom, sanity and prudence. Stephen Gill is basically a dreamer, minstrel of oneness, a prophet of peace and a poet of humanity. He is a crusader against war and injustice, violence and disparity and a die hard activist and champion of one World Government. He is a man who not only expresses his thoughts and ideas candidly but also through his most vibrant aesthetic mode.

His peers esteem his pen and dedication. In preface to The Dove of Peace, John B. Lee, a prominent award-winning poet of Canada, calls Stephen Gill "a compassionate and intelligent writer."¹ In preface to Songs for Harmony, Dr. John Gorman, a poet and professor at University of Houston-Clearlake, Texas, says that "Stephen Gill is a soul with a mission."² And Robert Durrell commends Stephen Gill as "an adept and versatile writer."³

Stephen Gill, born in Sialkot, Pakistan, and settled in Canada, is a multi-talent and multi-dimensional individual. He stands out for his versatility as a creative writer, and a mobiliser of things and events. He is a teacher, writer, thinker, speaker, publisher, leader and organiser. As a writer, he is a poet, novelist, critic, an essayist, editor and a short fiction and juvenile writer.

There are several strands and under‑currents in his sensibility, like the immigrant consciousness, the conflict between his Indian ethos and the forces of marginal existence, the feeling of being alien in the country of adoption and the nostalgia for homeland. Gill has ultimately overcome these disconcerting pules and tensions. His distinctive qualities include a pleasant blend of assimilation, adjustment, and synthetic approach to life and reality. He has hailed Canada most effusively as his motherland:

My Canada

in thy lap

lies alI nations

human ….

(Song of a new Canadian)⁴

For him, Canada is the microcosm and macrocosm, the universe in miniature. He has achieved a complete acceptance, reconciliation and integration of life and surroundings. Like his expatriates Bharati Mukherjee and Rohinton Mistry, Gill has evolved from the crucible of socio‑cultural pressures, barriers of race, religion and nationality. He has made creative writing and federalist movement the fulcrum of survival. He has successfully forged ties with the new surrounding, social structures, values and politics. Today, he is neither Indian nor Western but international and cosmopolitan in stance and temperament. His concerns are primarily human and contexts extensively global.

Through his prose, poetry and fiction, he has agonizingly voiced the gloom, despair and danger at the prospect of man's annihilation. His major anxieties that weigh heavily on his psyche and consciousness relate to terrorism, genocide, military expedition, escalation of violence and tension, human rights violation, religious radicalism and vicious nationalism and ecological imbalance. Time and again he has urged the need to look after our dear planet, Earth.

The more I read the works of Stephen Gill, the more I am overwhelmed with feelings of admiration and regard for the man. An original incisive article like AThe Writers and Race Relations@ that is a classic of its nature will at once reveal that he is a serious and provocative writer. He knows how to tease, shock and shake his readers out of lethargy, complacency, hollow euphoria and platitudinous presumptions.

Whatever he does, thinks or writes, he has only one major concern i.e. peace and understanding, better relations and harmony in Canada, Asia, Europe and the rest of the world. He presents a harrowing picture of the world devastated and pilfered by pogrom, genocide and killing. In one of his editorials in The Canadian World Federalist newspaper he says:

"Perpetration of atrocities on a colossal scale has been besetting mankind from time immemorial... we will certainly have more atrocities in the future if nothing is done to stop them. Countries after countries will commit crimes against humanity in the garb of domestic matter and the proliferation of nuclear weapons will make these tragedies worse."⁵

After diagnosing the ills of the present day world in the manner of a true physician, Gill comes out with a proposition : "we certainly need a world authority to check them, to make the world a better, safer, saner place to live "⁵. There is both cogency and clarity in Gill=s remarks and conviction when he says in the preface to The Dove of Peace:

"I believe that hunger, terrorism, armaments, nuclear threat and pollution are global problems and therefore they need a global authority to solve. I believe that a world government is a matter of evolution, like any other human institution. Countries were evolved slowly out of tribal living or family units, passing through the stages of villages, cities and countries. The next step from countries is a global unity."⁶

Gill's article, AHunger and World Peace@ makes a logical and rational analysis of the problem. "A hungry man always an angry man... Hunger robs individuals of their peace of mind ....AlI those people and countries which face hunger will do anything to feed themselves...

Therefore to create a permanent peace in the world, it is imperative to solve the problem of hunger first"⁷.

In articles after articles, Gill has not only underlined the need for peace and harmony but also has examined the very conditions on which world peace hinges. He fervently pleads that hunger, starvation, racial discrimination, nuclear arms and proliferation should be stopped. As a matter of fact, his observation, diagnosis and prescriptions are based on realities rather than on any theorisation.

In his article, AThe Impact of multi‑culturalism on Literature of Canada with Special Reference to South‑Asian Writers@, Gill focuses on the implication of multi‑culturalism on Canadian Literature. A host of immigrant writers of English language in Canada, include Michael Ondaatje, Bharati Mukherjee, Stephen Gill, Uma Parameswaran and Rohinton Mistry. Others, Iike Ravinder Ravi, and Moin Asraf, write in their mother tongues-- Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi etc. Gill observes, "One strong element that can be found in most Canadian writers of South‑Asian origin is the racial tension that their characters feel."⁸ Gill's novel Immigrant portrays the plight like language barriers, cultural discrepancies, longing for mother country, disillusion and adjustment pangs of an immigrant or new Canadian.

Gill further observes, "most ethnic writing is a protest against the conditions in the country of birth as well as of adoption of these writers. The element of prejudice is the main thread that unites these writings. Most Canadian writers of South Asia are also myth‑breakers. There have been myths in India and Pakistan that in Canada money is in abundance as if it grows on trees and sex is free and plentiful. But the immigrants find a different way of Iife here. Stephen Gill's mythical concept about Canada is described in his novel, Immigrant".⁹ He reproduces the same myth differently in a poetic way in his several poems, including "Go Back" and "Immigrant Complains."

Most ethnic Iiterature is in the form of conflict between newcomers and the main stream; between the values of charter groups and new Canadians. Gill comes out with a sane and sensible suggestion: "Canada is also a cosmopolitan society, alive and vibrant. It is a United Nations in microcosm....This mosaic nature has and will enrich Canadian Literature giving it a universal dimension that it Iacks at present."¹⁰

Gill points out in one of his best articles, A Writers and Race Relations in Canada@ :

"Writers have played a vital role throughout the ages. We know how Garcia Lorca, Lord Byron, Gorki Tolstoy and H. B . Stowe changed the social consciousness and the way of thinking of people.

"It is a healthy sign that writers in Canada are active .. Unfortunately Canadian writers, on the whole, are not concerned with the mosaic nature of the country... Topics as peace or improvement of race relations are not favourable topics with publishers and editors of magazines and newspapers," Gill laments. "Consequently, there is an acute shortage of Iiterature which will awaken the moral conscience of readers and improve race relations."¹¹

Gill stresses a need for "writers who will convey that message through novels, poetry and plays, articles and media that the only thing in life that remains unchanged is continuous adjustments and that Canada does not belong to one or two races or groups, but to alI those who have chosen to Iive here permanently, and who love this nation."¹¹ Thus basically, Gill emerges as a lover of peace and Canada, a peaceful country of his choice and adoption.

In his beautiful article AWriters and World peace@, Gill posits, "Writers throughout the history of humankind have been trying to promote peace by speaking out against injustice and oppression of their fellow beings..Even today, we have several writers held as prisoners in countries of the world. The PEN, an international association of writers, has been trying hard to get their release...

"In the social and political fields, the writers who reflect the spirit of their ages are still remembered and read. For instance, Maxim Gorky, H.B. Stowe, Shelley and others have been behind many social or world revolutions. Writers and poets can influence people because they are involved with every aspect of life.

"To promote world peace and to condemn war", Gill says "I have edited two volumes entitled Anti‑War Poems. Each anthology expresses the hopes, the dreams, the fears and frustration of the people."¹²

In the same article, Gill brings out his convictions that "people alI over the world have the same dreams and aspirations and are beset with the same fears and suspicions... In spite of their religious and geographical differences, they think and behave alike. In every corner of the world, there are souls who are worried over the future of humankind. "

Gill expressed the same views earlier though in a different way in an interview to a daily newspaper in Canada: "human beings are the same everywhere in the world. If I just change the names of the people and the cities in my stories, I can place a character in any world setting. People are people, and that was a big lesson I had to learn."¹³

Gill's observations are pertinent and poignant. Only discerning minds can realise the full implications of these prophetic statements. His humanitarianism is warped and challenged when he sees a colossal waste and destruction around.

In AWriters and World Peace@, Gill maintains, " a poet can not live in an ivory tower forever."¹⁴ He has the moral obligation and commitment to society. He is the voice of society, the unacknowledged legislature of mankind. Literature rightly said Eliot, expresses "the soul of a nation, the true ideals of its civilization, and the real message of the people's inner self."

AThe Black Godmother@, another article of Gill, focuses on disarmament. There is a need to curb the world's fatal and suicidal military expenditure which amounts to more than 400 billion dollars per year. Gill argues, "Arms control and disarmament are matters of the survival or demise of man and yet no country is willing to reduce its military expenditure.

Fear is the black godmother of many of our problems. Many nations are suffering from paranoia and fear psychosis. In the name of defence, they are busy in multiplying their arsenal to annihilate their supposed enemies...

"The greed for money and power and the sense of jealousy, fear and suspicion have boosted the arms trade and has compelled the starved or semi‑started nations to buy sophisticated weapons. They are wasting money on piling arms and developing their nuclear capabilities instead of using their meagre resources on health, education or feeding their countrymen properly¹⁵ ".

This maddening race must be stopped forthwith. "We need a parliament of nations which will have the authority to enforce its decisions on elements which endanger mankind's security.¹⁶" How sane and authentic rings the voice and advice of Gill in matter of dispelling the present

climate of fear, hatred and suspicion among nations.

Global Partnership is a much befitting and revealing piece in the context of present scenario. Gill explicates that "Partners as I understand, is a voluntary association of individuals to achieve a common goal...

"A World Government will have to be a partnership of national governments...Politically the idea of partnership maybe as old as democracy, but ethically, socially and religiously it is rooted in the very origin of human civilization...

"Under the present system of sovereign states, most of finite resources are being consumed by the super‑powers for their own interests." The world federalists and other organisations are opposed to the use of force and domination of one nation over another.... Naturally global partnership will foster a sane equal use of these finite resources. Otherwise, their continuous exploitation by a few rich, powerful nations will lead the world to serious catastrophes."¹⁷

In his articles after articles Gill has focused on several issues and problems that beset the world today. It shows his concern for global peace and order and the well‑being of mankind. I fully agree with Manjula Parakot when she says in The Canadian Indian Times that "One of the preoccupations in Mr. Gill's poetry as well his prose is the contemporary social concerns."¹⁸ Rick Gamble, staff writer of The Expositor is right in his conclusion that "Stephen Gill builds bridges with his books."¹⁹ Mr. Pritam Singh, a Punjabi poet and retired ICS officer, quotes Stephen Gill in Advance as follows :

"Art is beauty and I see real beauty in peace and I strive to bring it out in my writing, whether it is poetry or prose. No sensible person will deny that we are living on the mouth of a volcano. It took millions of years to build human civilization, which nuclear warfare can destroy in minutes. No sane reader will endorse barbarity, and condemn peace and world unity, which are basic for human survival. Peace allures me as does any beauty. To get one step further, peace and beauty are identical terms for me... One of my obsessions is the danger imposed by the sophisticated engines of destruction, which have the capability to destroy the world many times over. Man seems to exist only on this earth throughout the whole universe. It will be catastrophe-- an irreversible step-- if man annihilate himself."²⁰

That is what Gill's articles are about. He clinches his arguments logically and comes out with a warning when he says :

"Today, the world is torn asunder with fear and hatred. There is still a grave danger of another war which may annihilate our civilization . There is need for harmony and oneness of humankind. True writers can not turn their backs to this reality, like the Lady of Shallot"²¹.

In addition to writers, Gill approaches educators in the same vein for global awareness. In AUniversities and International Understanding@, he says, "In order to build this nation of humans, the world needs the help of education. He argues:

" It is not possible to have national schools or universities for international understanding. For international understanding, we need international schools, where courses are directed to

cover humanity; where the teachers come from different nations; where focus is on human culture; where knowledge is given about the value of cooperation, tolerance and respect for other tastes and beliefs; and where teachers and students from different cultures and backgrounds break the neck of ethnocentrism."²²

Among several, Dr. Bobbie Drake, a poet from the United States, is worth quoting about his dream.. She recalls in India Globe :

"From the first time I heard Dr. Gill read his poetry, I knew he was a sensitive, intelligent man who spoke eloquently of his concept of a world free from social injustice. His vision of world peace blazed itself on my mind and heart and I could see the possibility of the dream. As the world around me grew smaller, I could see the feasibility of such an idea coming to fruition²³."

Gill has taken writing seriously as his celebrated mission and goal. He is not only a great writer with genuine human awareness but also a visionary, futurist, pacifist, philanthropist and lover of humanity. The approach that he takes in his prose to convey his message is simple, powerful,

convincing, and to the point. His accounts and observations are apt and authentic. Those who care for the survival of life on our earth and care for human rights will find Stephen Gill refreshing and enriching.

Although Stephen Gill is known internationally primarily as a poet, he deserves to be known widely also as a writer of articles and essays. They are immaculate, impressive, cogent and persuasive-- neat and clear exposition of his ideas. Through examples, he puts forth his views logically to reach an irrefutable conclusion, building his thesis powerfully and plausibly. Stephen Gill handles his prose competently executed with the cogency of thought and argument, clarity and force of conviction and lucidity of exposition. The articles of Stephen Gill are free from the clutter and clumsiness of the complexities and pyrotechnics of rhetoric.

WORK CITED

¹Dove of Peace, The (poems). Stephen Gill. Preface by John B. Lee. M.A.F. Press, New York, 1993.

²Songs for Harmony (poems). Stephen Gill, Vesta (Canada), Dec. 1992. Introduction by Dr. John Gorman.

³Canadian India Times, The. Robert Durrell, "Review", March 4, 1976, page 5. .

⁴Writer's Lifeline (Canada). Stephen Gill, "Song of a New Canadian", No.2, 1992, page 11.

⁵Canadian World Federalist, The (newspaper). Stephen Gill, "Stop Atrocities", 1979.

⁶Dove of Peace, The (poems). Stephen Gill. Preface by John B. Lee. M.A.F. Press, New York, 1993.

⁷Muskurahat International (Canada). "Hunger and World Peace", Page 3, Dec. 1993

⁸Des Pardes (Canada). Stephen Gill,"The Impact of Multi‑Cultural ism on Literature of Canada With Special Reference To South‑Asian Writers", No.3, Spring 93, P.7‑8.

⁹---------- Stephen Gill,"The Impact of Multi‑Cultural ism on Literature of Canada With Special Reference To South‑Asian Writers", No.3, Spring 93, P.7‑8.

¹⁰---------- Stephen Gill,"The Impact of Multi‑Culturalism on Literature of Canada With Special Reference To South‑Asian Writers", No.3, Spring 93, P.7‑8.

¹¹Des Pardes (Canada). Stephen Gill, "Writers and Race Relations in Canada", Fall 1993, Vol. 15, No.5, P.9‑10.

¹²Writer's Guideline Magazine (USA). "Writers and World Peace", Feb, 1991, P.3‑4.