Vimla Luthra: A poet at 76

Vimla Luthra migrated to Australia in 1993 at the age of 60. Soon after arriving here, she discovered that while Australia has a lot to offer younger migrants in relation to job opportunities and lifestyle options, for senior citizens it can be a daunting task to settle in their new home. Transport and the ease of commuting are a major drawback for seniors who are either thrust into the public transport system or are left at the mercy of their children or grandchildren to take them around. Vimla Luthra refused to let this limit her mobility and at age 61, with no prior driving experience in India, she embarked on a journey to get an Australian driving licence. This she accomplished and is said to be the oldest Indian Australian to pass her Learner’s driving test to become a full-fledged driver.

Fifteen years on, Mrs. Luthra set herself another challenge. She started writing poetry and set herself a goal to have a book of poems published.

She has always enjoyed reading and pursued different genres in literature. From Indian religious writers such as Kabir to Munshi Premchand; from Emily Bronte to Leo Tolstoy; from Vikram Seth to Salman Rushdie, Mrs. Luthra is a voracious reader. But what took her to the other side of literature, from being a reader to a writer, was when she heard of a competition on Indian Link Radio. In this competition, well-known Sydney poet Abbas Raza Alvi gave listeners the starting line for a poem, and then invited them to write a poem for which he would compose a tune and then release a CD.

When she heard about the competition, a spark was lit within Mrs. Luthra.

“I thought that I should try my hand at poetry,” she told Indian Link.

She penned her first poem at 75 and now at 77, Ms. Luthra has just released her maiden book of poetry called Jharna (Stream).

The book was launched at AHIA’s monthly senior citizens get-together at Westmead during the Sydney Writers Festival. The afternoon organised by Abbas Alvi, was a celebration of senior achievement.

“Mrs. Luthra is an inspiration to all of us in Australia,” said Mr. Abbas, addressing the hundred-odd people gathered at the launch. “At her age, to actively start writing poetry and then publish such a gem of a collection is indeed the mark of a person who has a true love for literature”. In her speech, Ms. Luthra acknowledged the inspiration and encouragement offered by Mr. Abbas in bringing together her maiden poetry venture.

“I am also grateful to my family, especially my son Rajan and nephew Saurabh, who were my sounding boards when I was writing these poems,” she said.

“Poetry allows me to express my emotions and gives me an opportunity to share my experiences with other people,” she added, describing her newfound passion for writing.

Congratulating Mrs. Luthra were leading figures in the local Indian community including AHIA-Seniors group co-ordinator Rakesh Sachdeva, Dr Sami Syed from AMU Alumini, GOPIO’s Harry Walia, Gunjan Tripathi from Hindi Samaj, Anuj Kulshreshta from Hindi Gaurav, IABBV Hindi School’s Mala Mehta, Shubha Kumar from India Club, Seniors Group Hornsby’s Dave Pasi, and Mira Raheja and Jay Raman from Seniors Group, Liverpool.

Chief Guest Dr. Ursula Rao from University of New South Wales spoke in perfect Hindi as she congratulated Mrs. Luthra. Reflecting her thoughts about Mrs. Luthra and Jharna, she said, “What I liked about the poems is their experimental character. They come from a hybrid space of a diasporic experience. Mrs. Luthra very effectively put into words how it feels living between the worlds, being and feeling Indian while also being at ease in the new surroundings, in fact, very effectively functioning in these new surroundings. So yes, I think she is a wonderful example of an elderly lady not resting, but keeping her mind active and sharing very effectively her outlook on life.”

Jharna will be on sale for $5 at all AHIA senior citizen gatherings and through friends and family. All monies collected will be donated to AHIA senior citizen’s fund to facilitate their various activities.