Lakhbir Kaur Verma (left) with
her 93-year-old grandmother Ramchameli MakkadA colleague once said that a tribute to the living is greater than a tribute to the dead. I was so inspired by this thought that I decided to pay tributes to my grandmother through a poetry compilation, says Lakhbir Kaur Verma, whose poetry compilation The Roots was released early this month.

Verma is the head of the department, English literature, at Khalsa College.

Speaking about The Roots, Verma says, My 93-year-old grandmother, Ramchameli Makkad, is my inspiration. She is an amazing lady. She started the Sawan chain of stores, comprising two clothes stores and a medical shop, in Chembur, along with my grandfather. She has always been the brain behind the running and expansion of the business. She was and is ahead of her times.

Vermas original plan was to work on a book of poems based on relationships. She was planning to dedicate the book to her late mother.

I thought it was best that I dedicated my first book to my mother but my colleague Dr K Jagjit Singh made me realise the importance of saying thanks to the people who are alive. He even wrote the preface to the book, says Verma, who wrote Roots in 20 days.

I lost my father when I was very young and my mother when I was in college. It was my grandmother who stood behind me like a rock and always supported me. She stood by me when I wanted to go abroad, ignoring the criticism from the conservative Punjabi neighbourhood. She touched my life not just emotionally but intellectually too. This is my way of saying thanks to her, says Verma, whose other inspirations are John Donne and Andrew Marvel.

Donne and Marvel are absolute delights. No one can equal them, she says.

The Roots is bilingual. The first part of the book is in English and the second is the Punjabi translation of the poem. The translation has been done by Dr K Jagjit Singh, who holds the Guru Gobind Singh chair at Khalsa College.

The book will be available shortly at bookstores. It is priced at Rs 125. The Roots has been published by Vermas husband Surendra Kumar Verma and is printed by Angad Publications.

divya.subramaniam@mid-day.com

A true blue Chemburkar

A resident of Chembur since her Class 2 days, Verma is a true blue Chemburkar. She finished her schooling from General Education Academy High School and has graduated in English literature from Ruia College. She later completed her M Phil in the same subject.

Verma has been teaching English literature since 25 years. Her favorite poets are the 19th Century romantics and the metaphysical poets.

Literary society for book lovers

On the day of the book release function of The Roots, on April 2, Verma also announced the inauguration of a cultural and literary organisation, also called The Root; the organisation will be headed by Verma.

I think new writers do not have a platform to express their work. This is the reason I have started this literary circle where like-minded people can get together and discuss literature. The details are yet to be ironed out, says Verma.

Verma says that though a lot of people are interested in reading and writing, they don't really know anything about the industry and the process.
There are many people who write well but don't really have the opportunity to write and talk about their work. So they often give up hope and writing. I hope my organisation will provide them the impetus to write, she adds.
Vermas next book will be out by the end of this month.