Paper 202: Indian English Literature -Post Independence
Class Assignment Explain"Laughing Buddha"by Pravin Gadhvi. Introduction “Laughing Buddha” is a short but powerful poem by Pravin Gadhvi, a Gujarati poet known for his socially conscious and thought-provoking poetry. The poem deals with the contradiction between peace and violence, spirituality and modern science, and human welfare and the desire for power. Gadhvi uses the image of Buddha and his laughter to comment ironically on India’s first nuclear test conducted on 18 May 1974, which happened to fall on Buddha Purnima, the full-moon day associated with the birth of Gautama Buddha. Historical Background The poem refers to India’s first nuclear test at Pokhran in Rajasthan in 1974. The test was conducted on Buddha Purnima. The event became associated with the name “Smiling Buddha” because of its connection with Buddha’s birthday. Gadhvi takes this historical event and looks at it from a completely different perspective. Instead of presenting the nuclear test simply as a s...