Nirmala Sitharaman recites Kashmiri poem while presenting Budget 2020

New Delhi: Presenting the Budget 2020 in Lok Sabha, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday (February 1) recited a poem by Kashmiri poet Pandit Dinanath Kaul. Sitharaman recited a few lines from the poem which was in Kashmiri, along with its English translation, emphasising on 'hamara vatan' (our motherland) with references to the spirit of Kashmir. 

The Union Minister, while reciting the poem in the Lok Sabha, stated that the Budget and everything the government does is for this 'pyara vatan' (beloved nation). This evoked thunderous applause from the parliamentarians.

The Finance Minister recited Kaul's 'Myon Watan' (My Nation) poem and then translated it in English. 

"Saun Watan Gulzar Shalamaar Hyur
Dal Manz Pholvun Pamposh Hyuv
Navjavan-an-hund, Vushun KhumaarHyuv
Myon Watan, Chyon Watan
Saun Watan, Nundbony Watan."

The poem roughly translated to, "Our country is like the flowering Shalimar Bagh. Our country is like a lotus blooming in the Dal lake. Like the hot blood of soldiers."

The gesture comes as Kashmir Valley remains on the path to normalcy after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019 and the bifurcation of the state into two union territories - Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Speaking of Kashmiri writer Dinanath Kaul Nadim, he was born in Srinagar in 1916 and passed away on April 8, 1988. He mostly wrote in the Kashmiri language and his first Kashmiri poem in 1942 was dedicated to the valley -- 'Maej Kashir'.

There is a collection of about 150 poems written by Nadim, which includes English, Hindi, Urdu and Kashmiri. His notable poems include: 'Bombur Te Yambarzal' (Opera), 'Trivanzah' (Monologue), 'Gris' Kur' (Peasant Girl), 'Dal Hanzni Hund Vatsun' (The song of the Dal lake boatwoman), 'Lachhi Chu Lakhcun' (Experimentation). He was also honoured with the Sahitya Academy Award in 1986 for 'Shihul Kul', a collection of his poems.

(With IANS inputs)