Stephen Gill: Poet and Protestor for
Peace
John
Paul Loucky
If a literary award
were combined with a Nobel Peace Prize, Stephen Gill would surely be recommended
for it. His writings span poetic works on many topics, a majority of them
sprinkled abundantly with non-violent, pro-peace themes. In addition, his prose
essays delineate the urgent need for protecting the human rights of all.
As a Pakistan- born believer now
residing in Canada, Gill writes from first-hand experience and detailed
knowledge of how the rights of minorities, specially those of women and
non-Muslims, have been systematically suppressed for years by unjust laws in
his country of origin. In such countries extreme religious ideologies have
often been allowed to control so much of society that legal, political,
educational and economic rights and opportunities are prevented from flowering
freely.
Gill’s writings provide a much-needed
moral compass and social conscience for the world in an age torn by violent
fanaticisms and unjust, prejudicial ideologies. They cover such glaring topics
as kidnappings, rapes and forced conversions of innocent Hindus and Christians
by radical groups and other abuses of power by those who want their majority
numbers to rule, instead of allowing reason, fairness, law and conscience to
reign.
On peace, Gill has collected and edited
two anthologies of anti-war poems. One cannot read these, especially in this
Age of Terror, without often wincing at the terrible cost of violence, at the
dreadful price of victory, and at the extravagant cost of freedom. Gill’s own
incisive and insightful poems on this ever-present theme show us his own
heart-beat for world justice and equality. They include such works as The
Dove of Peace and Songs for Harmony, as well as Shrine: Poems of
Social Concerns.
Many published articles about Stephen
Gill and his poems and books have been collected into a work called Glimpses
(1999). Its contents include interviews and works about the writer’s
background, reviews and critical studies of his works, divided into sections on
his Fiction, Poetry and Poetry Anthologies. Other eulogies to his writings and
work for peace are included in its Addendum. It may be the best overall
commentary about his extensive works.
Speaking there of his own poems, Gill
states his overall aim: “I have tried to catch the flame of love in a net of
diverse techniques and forms... with a view to escape the monotony of the
beaten track”. This he does admirably well. Two notable comments about Gill’s Shrine:
Poems of Social Concerns (1999) that bear repeating are these: “Dr. Stephen
Gill, a poet, critic and novelist, is an Indian settled in
A second commentary from these Glimpses
is that of Chote Lal Khatri, who stated that “What is remarkable about Gill is
that he writes verse or prose with a mission to bring peace, harmony and
brotherhood.” As he writes in the Preface ‘The cure to the malady of religious
and racial fanaticism and violence lies in the acceptance of the values of
tolerance, understanding and co-existence.’ This mission has become a passion
for him that keeps
reverberating in his writings and speeches. In this respect, his
poetry may be called a vehicle in aid to his crusades for world peace. But he
cannot be called a propagandist. For he is propagating nothing of his own but
trying to spread and consolidate the most cherished values of humanity which
are universal. (p.188)
Although the poet admires Canada as a
United Nations in microcosm, his overly high hopes placed in federalism and in
human nature may be easily questioned by looking at the incredibly fallen
nature of man, continuous crime, war and violence throughout history, and at
the repeated failures of the UN to solve problems like Rwanda, Iraq, and the
Arab-Israeli conflict, to name but a few. Nevertheless,“Hope springs eternal in the human breast.” May it
ever be so, but may it never be misplaced. Perhaps it is more fitting in the
face of so many intractable world problems and conflicts to recall and compare
these with the Psalmist’s hope that “Some trust in chariots and some in horses
[and some in WMDs and nuclear bombs], but we will
remember the name of the Lord our God.” Who else can change human nature or
rescue it from its degenerating path on this “Eve of Destruction,” as the song
and poem ask?
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John Paul Loucky
is Associate Professor, Seinan JoGakuin
University, Kitakyushu,
has taught all areas of TESOL/EFL
in
vocabulary
learning with Audio-Lingual and Sustained Silent
at www.CALL4All.us provides a
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