Two Minute Silence, C. L. Khatri

Abstract

2 two –minute silence is a wonderful collection of poetry written by an Indian poet in English shedding light upon India’s glorious cultural heritage and its crises -ridden present . This anthology of poetry contains 34 poems and 55 short poems written in traditional Japanese style . This book deals with contemporary issues like the abuse of sex, deterioration in quality in education in government schools, acute poverty driving the mother to sell the baby , the clash between two classes: Aam Adami (common people) and Khash Adami (the elites), the devastation by Tsunami and so on. What lends beauty to the poetry is Khatri’s concern for a better humanity and his silent meditation over the futility , miasma and anarchy of life . The title of the book written in small letters : two minute silence provokes thinking and rethinking when the last line of that poem reads as follows: ‘Can’t we do with one minute….?’(68). Now-a-days the people are so much preoccupied with materialistic obsessions that they cannot afford to muse over the beauty and bounty of the universe . The poet is deeply pained when the Indians are not celebrating their glorious cultural heritage.