Deben Sapcota

As an educated person what is your relation with poetry?
Poetry resides in my subconscious mind. It always waits for an opportune moment to come out and express naturally. I feel that poetry is the best media to express my emotions and feelings. I wish to interact with others through the use of interesting and unique words in the form of poetry. I become mentally satisfied only after completing the poem. According to me whatever I know and feel, should be communicated with others and for this the apt medium is poetry. 


Why do you read poems if you read poems at  all? 
To satisfy my soul. The poet has a characteristic way of expressing his/her feelings through the words of poetry. I try to grasp the theme of the poems entering through his/her words. Sometimes I try to learn the art of expressing the feelings adopted by the poet. Often, the poet expresses an ordinary thing in an extraordinary way. I love it and wish to feel like the poet. Poetry, at first, gives us pleasure and then unveils the truth lying within. It also contains hidden messages in complex imagery, but with a meaningful philosophy. Its language is vibrant, charged, intensified and sophisticated.


What type of poems do you like best? 
Eco –(Ecology) poems. Because this is the need of the hour. So far we have given sufficient space for the natural poems. Now it is time for eco (green) poetry, which is a form of applied literature. Uptil now our earth has already passed the 5th phase of mass extinction (ME). Such extinction wipes out about 75% of the plant and animal kingdom. At the moment the earth is passing through the 6th ME. Scientists have speculated that this destruction has increased from 1000 to 10 thousand times. Due to this, many species of the plant and animal kingdom are dying. 

What is the reason behind ? The reason behind is apparently the anthropocentric activities. About 99% of the environmental destruction is man-made. Human beings have forgotten that this earth is not only for them but also other creatures as well. The ants, caterpillars, fishes have equal right for existence on this earth as that of elephants, whales and anthropoids. The present situation of the earth is absolutely alarming akin to that of a patient facing multiple organ failure. . Therefore, the mass people have to realise this crisis. Thus, ecopoetry is an effective medium to make the issue understandable for the common people.  Presently, environmental science has been taught in schools and colleges as a subject. But the students read it only to score in their exams and no practical application seems to have taken place thereafter. Therefore, initiation has to be taken to educate one and all about the present happenings. The matter, thus taught, ought to penetrate the subconscious level of the mind so as to remain there permanently.  This will definitely reflect in their thoughts and actions to save our mother earth.


What is your opinion on contemporary Assamese poetry? 
Contemporary Assamese poetry reflects progressive thinking. Assamese poetry is growing and flourishing well. The famous poet, Mr Nilim Kumar had once said somewhere that there are only 200 serious poets in Assam, the others being non-poets -- this statement was vehemently criticized. However, I go with the observations of the great literary person, Late Homen Borgohain. He said that in a forest there are big as well as small trees. The contribution of small trees/bushes are also significant in making the forestry green and beautiful. In the context of Assamese poetry, the contributions of the budding, unrecognized poets are also equally important. 


Do you have any suggestion for the young poets today? 
They should focus more on Eco–poems because it is the need of the hour considering the reasons mentioned above.

Deben Sapcota is a poet and writer, based in Guwahati, Assam, who writes in Nepali language. He has one collection of ecopoems to his credit.