POETRY AND SONGS

This page presents the poems of the noted Marathi poet, Narayan Surve (1926- 2010) in his own voice. His work is remarkable for its originality, simplicity, humour and its affirmation of the energy of marginal people. Surve was abandoned as a baby on the footpath and picked up by a mill worker who brought him up in the mill areas of Mumbai. He worked as a child labourer in the mills, became involved in the Left movement and also participated in the freedom struggle. Surve Master, Comrade Surve, Surve the revolutionary poet—in all these avatars, he gave of himself selflessly and freely, carving out for himself a unique niche in the Marathi literary scene.

Poems by Narayan Surve

Shahir Amar Sheikh (1916-1969) was a revolutionary poet singer, whose songs galvanised the working class movement in the 1940s and 50s. The songs presented here are sung by the Shahir Amar Sheikh Kala Pathak (Cultural Troupe). These have been composed by various poets, including Narayan Surve, Annabhau Sathe and Amar Sheikh.