Reflections

Shiv Kumar Batalvi shone like a meteor in the field of Punjabi poetry. Sadly, like a meteor, he faded away at the early age of 36. Born in undivided Punjab in 1936 (or 1937, as his matriculation certificate testifies) his family moved to the Indian Punjab during the Partition. His father was a minor revenue official and they settled in Batala (thus Batalvi) in the Gurdaspur district of Punjab, the heart of the Punjab as it were. He was a precocious poet, beginning to write songs and poems as an intermediate student. Unlucky in love (twice according to most accounts) he wrote some of his finest romantic poetry in memory of the two women he loved and lost. He was the youngest ever winner of the Sahitya Academy award for his verse play Loona. Shiv Kumar Batalvi  He used to delight in outrageous behavior, often speaking disparagingly about amateur poets who used to abound in literary meetings. Unfortunately he was also an alcoholic and despite his superb literary output, was a s