Pawan Karan


Pawan Karan is an Indian poet, columnist, editor, social and political analyst and “one of the major poets of early 21st century”.He is highly regarded for his realistic depiction of women's life in Indian society. Apart that his poems written against subjects like imperialism, capitalism, religion fanatics, social beliefs of caste based society and orthodox customs are highly appreciated as well, because of them he constantly becomes a target of religious fanatics, orthodox social view and politics and long-established norms of Indian society.

Major works

Pawan Karan's writing career started around 1980, when his poem is published in a local newspaper. This started a fire in him about poetry, after that, he began writing poetry, thinking about poetry, and eventually living in poetry but his poems took 10 long years to be approved by the Indian poet society. His poems started publishing in the leading newspapers and magazines around 1992. Critics and readers started reading his poems seriously. Karan doesn’t have a political understanding at the time, so 1992 introduced him to emergent writing and progressive movement. After that major publication houses of India i.e. 'Raj Kamal Prakashan' and 'Vani Prakashan' published his books and Karan is in their author profiles as a visionary poet.
Born in the Heart of India, Karan worked as government employee,editor in the leading Indian newspapers ‘Nav bharat’ and ‘Nai Duniya’ and wrote a column “Shabd Prasang” in ‘Nai Duniya’ and a regular columnist in "Khabar HarPal". Many of his poems have been translated in various languages like English, Russian, Nepali, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada,Oriya, Gujarati, Assamese, Bengali,and Urdu.
Karan gradually moved away from the religious and social beliefs of his contemporaries, formulating and expressing the philosophy of feminism in his ground breaking work “Stree Mere Bheetar” in 2004.There are very few writers in India, who wrote on the situation of women's in Indian Society. How Indian women's are suffering in the society, by the hands of Men. Condition of women is desolate and distraught, just living under the shadow of man. Karan's poetry shows not only the plight of Indian women but of the women in Asia and Africa as well. His poetry successfully tells us about the half world is not independent anywhere. They are bound by law not of government but of men. Poems written on women's by Karan can indisputably become a part of World women's poetry. Karan is very well respected among the intellectual, and his work has greatly influenced the thinkers, writers and poets of his generation.

Iss Tarah Main

Pawan Karan's first poetry volume was published in the year 2000, which was appreciated by readers and critics as well. Leading poems in this volume mainly based on family, love, nature and objects, incidents, episodes and visuals. Many poems of this volume made permanent vicinity in readers mind like Bharosa, Pita ka Makan, Tapedik, Dollor, Gullak, Budhi Beriya, Dehari, Aamrud, Shangrahalay, Louis Braille. From these Bharosa has been published in wedding cards and posters on a regular basis. This volume awarded “Raza Samman” from ‘Madhya Pradesh Art Association’ which is given in the memory of world-famous painter "S. H. Raza" and “Ram Vilas Sharma Samman” from ‘Madhya Pradesh Sahitya Academy’.

Stree Mere Bheetar

Pawan Karan’s second poetry volume “Stree Mere Bheetar”,published in 2004. This volume stunned critics and readers instead of, poems in this volume based on women’s subject already published in various newspapers and magazines before coming out as a whole, and readers were quite amazed by the poems and astounded by the volume. His poetry becomes a topic for debate between readers and reviewers. Some notable critics were already said in their speeches and wrote about the poems before this volume even published. When all the poems come as a book in front of readers, they all accepted it prominently.
After this volume was published one of the foremost critic in India said, “Poems in this volume will change the course of Indian Poetry”. All the poems in this volume are concerned with women’s,so, this volume has the honor of becoming the first entirely women oriented volume. Poems in this volume made a huge impact on critics and readers because of their new way as in style, thought, chiefly emotions. Poems like Pyar Main Dubi Hui Maa, Ek Khubsurat Beti Ka Pitah, Tum Jaisi Chahte Ho Waisi Nhi Hu Main, Hume Ek Aisi Bahu Chahye, Behan ka Premee, Stree Subhodhini, Purash, Stan made a permanent space in readers heart.
This volume has been translated and published in different languages like – Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Urdu, Punjabi and Bengali. This volume has been interpreted into a play and this play has been staged by Trikarshi group and is scheduled to be play at different centers time to time. A hundred poems from this volume with other poems focus on women becomes a poster portrayal in an exhibition by the state government. This volume is not only a best seller in Indian literature but also accepted as a volume which always remains popular between the readers because of its adequate poems.
Stree Mere Bheetar has received numerous awards like – Vaagishwari Samman, Pushskin Samman, Moscow, Sheela Siddhantkar Samman, Parampara Rituraj Samman. The Marathi translation of this collection, “Stree Majhya Aat” has been included in the syllabus of Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam and ‘Nanded University, Maharastra’ and got an interpreter award ‘Anuvaad Puruskar’ of Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, Nagpur.

Aspatal Ke Bahar Telephone

Pawan Karan's third poetry volume “Aspatal ke bahar Telephone” was published in the year 2009. This volume has been recognized very differently from Karan's earlier published volumes ‘Iss Tarah Main’ and ‘Stree Mere Bheetar’. In this volume Karan's deep knowledge about family and society comes out although some of the poems in this volume were women oriented however this volume has presented society so easily that it fills readers with notion and perception. Unique style of poems made a special place between readers. Some poems made their place in readers and critics speeches. Readers got to read poems like Udhari Lal, Alabama, Ristedar, Mantri, Pahalwan, General Dyer or Main, Ye Rasta Jaha Pahucahta Hai, Hindu, Trianga, Dulhe Ke Dost which was against communalism. This volume has been awarded the eminent Indian poetry award“Kedar Samman”, 2012.

Kehna Nahi Aata

Pawan Karan's fourth volume “Kehna Nahi Aata” was published in 2012. This volume contains the poems against various subjects i.e. imperialism, capitalism, traditional, orthodox and religious fanatics. Karan's resistance has been shown in his last three volumes but not at this level, in this volume it got intensified. In this volume we see poems which support lowest and destitute of the society. This volume shows us Indian society is full of religious fanatics, casters, and people who practice untouchability, also the exploitation done to the lower class by upper class of the society.
Kehna Nhi Aata, title poem of this volume has been included in the curriculum of higher secondary education for student to read as a chief poem in Hindi syllabus of Kerala State, India.Many poems in this volume repeatedly come in converse like Aarakshan Gali Aati Sakri Hai, Jhooth, Nabbe Lakh, Garib Desh,Expression, Uss Photographer Ka Naam Pata Kro, Pithe, Walking the Plank, and Turkana Boy. Some women focus poems also concluded this volume like Vishpala', Surya Savitri', Bhai, Swara, Main Stree Hona Chahta Hu.

Koat Ke Baju Par Batan

Pawan Karan's fifth published volume was “Koat Ke Baju Par Batan” in 2013. Poems of this volume represent Karan's intellectual growth, strong opinions. In this volume Karan beautifully described his thought in brief poems instead off detailed ones. After reading these poems readers find that Karan is trying to give a new style to his poetry, poems like Swapan, Bhulna, Koat Ke Baju Par Batan, Runggye Adak, Narisa Chakrabongse, Qu Yuan, Sonagachi, Baat, Aastha, Bazar, and Sewer Line.
Readers enjoyed the versatility of poems in this volume i.e. Gay Humari Mata Hai, America Ka Rashtrapati Hone Ke Maje, Pradhan-mantri Ke Commando, and Naach. Some poems of this volume fill readers from the feeling of known-unknown i.e. Photo Session, Wah Ab Mujhese Bhi Darne Lagi Hai, Apne Vivah Ki Tayari Karti Premika, Uss Bhale Aadmi Ke Pass Main ApnaSamay Chhod Aayi Hu.

Honors and awards

Poetry collection

Iss Tarah Main (2000)