The Role of Harivansh Rai Bachchan in Nayi Kavita Literary Movement

“Saans Chalti hai tujhe Chalna parega hi musafir….” are the words that are imbibed in the school curriculum very early for the students to help them understand the meaning of determination and strong grit. Such is the power of poetry gifted by the popular poet late Harivansh Rai Bachchan, a prominent figure in the Nayi Kavita literary movement that happened in the early 20th century Hindi literature.

Harivansh Rai Bachchan was born on November 27, 1907, and was an Allahabad resident. He studied at Allahabad University and Banaras Hindu University, learnt Urdu and, under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, as well as the influence of the independence movement. While he taught in the English Department at Allahabad University, he was also part of the External Affairs Ministry as a Special Officer for 10 years.

Nayi Kavita Literary movement

In the early 20th century, the movement gained momentum. This literary movement started with Agyeya (1911–1987) along with the seven poets whose collection was published in Tar Saptak. This collection's title denotes the musical term, "higher register" and the other poets involved in this were Nemichandra Jain, Bharat Bhushan Agrawal, Prabhakar Machwe, Girirajkumar Mathur, and Ramvilas Sharma. 

As Bachchan was also writing in what is called a blend of Hindi and Urdu vocabulary, his contributions are significant for the movement. Some of his popular poems that garnered attention were Agneepath and Madhushala, which were published in 1935. Leaving the original surname, 'Srivastava', the poet also adopted the pen name, "Bachchan" (meaning "child") when he started writing Hindi poetry. 

Bachchan's poetry ranged through the human experiences from birth to death including situations, circumstances, relationships, thoughts, feelings and actions, all of which were essential in the writings to call it a "Nayi Kavita Literary movement". He also incorporated Hindustani and Awadhi languages into his poetry, which enriches his verses with a diverse vocabulary. Reportedly, even though he was not able to read Persian script, he drew inspiration from Persian and Urdu poetry, especially from the works of Omar Khayyam.

In 1976, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan for his contributions to Hindi literature. During a time when literature was shifting towards romanticism and breaking away from traditional poetic forms, it embraced more modern themes, language, and styles. Amidst this evolution, Bachchan has always been recognised for his notable efforts, writings, and contributions.