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READ … TO RISE ABOVE MEDIOCRITY

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Copyright@shravancharitymission

    Chinese writer and scholar Yu Qiuyu says the biggest reason we read is to rid ourselves of mediocrity. Mediocrity is an attitude that passively seeks ways of survival. Mediocre people do not store anything. They are just nonchalant about the excitement in this world, the length of human history, the sacredness of ultimate justice, or the profound meaning of life. They are missing out on something that no one can ever gain in their limited life experiences.

    Chinese scholar Huang Shangu once said, “A mind without the enrichment of ancient and present experiences will in the long run become vulgar. One’s reflection in the mirror will look repulsive, and their speech will sound tasteless in front of people.” This is the face of mediocrity.

    Only books can bring the expansiveness of space and infiniteness of time in front of you; only books can direct the already flying signals of the noble life towards you; only books can present to you the profound wisdom in that wonderful contrast against ignorance and hideousness. For a five-foot-tall being to be able to course through time and extend beyond the spaces within just a few short decades, such a miracle should be attributed mostly to the action of reading.

    What is the joy of reading throughout the four periods? The Song Dynasty 960-1279 was culturally the most brilliant era in later imperial Chinese history. Scenic mountains shine upon railings while water encircles the corridors; Upon returning from the prayer for rain I recite poems as I bathe in the fragrant spring breeze. Birds sitting atop branches are also friends; while fallen flowers on the water are all literary works. Waste not the prime of life, for youth, will fade into old age; the greatest pleasure in life is to read. How is the joy of reading experienced? It is like the uncut green grass that fills up your window scene …. Manuscripts of Yipiao.

    But how do you use books? Zhang Chao, born in 1650, during the Qing dynasty said that collecting books was easy, but reading them was difficult. Reading books is easy, but studying them is difficult. Studying books is easy, but applying them is difficult. Applying it is easy, but remembering is difficult.

        You Meng Ying (Quiet Dream Shadows) is a collection of miscellaneous sayings of the early Qing writer Zhan Chao. There it’s mentioned those who have skills for reading, are fortunate. Those who have the power to aid others are fortunate. Those who have the knowledge to write, are fortunate. Those who remain unaffected by gossip, are fortunate. Those who have famous, honest, and forgiving friends, are fortunate.

***

Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Like it and Share it

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety in content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause? The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

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Kamlesh Tripathi’s Publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

(The book is about a young cancer patient. Now archived in 8 prestigious libraries of the US which include Harvard College Library; Harvard University Library; Library of Congress; University of Washington, Seattle; University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; Yale University, New Haven; University of Chicago; University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill University Libraries. It can also be accessed at MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in libraries and archives of Canada; Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai; Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida, India; Shoolini University, Yogananda Knowledge Center, Himachal Pradesh and Azim Premzi University, Bangalore).

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi; It is also available for reading in the Indian National Bibliography, March 2016, in the literature section, in Central Reference Library, Ministry of Culture, India, Belvedere, Kolkata-700022)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity, which is the undying characteristic of Lucknow. The book was launched at the Lucknow International Literary Festival in 2014. It is included for reading in Askews and Holts Library Services, Lancashire, U.K; Herrick District Library, Holland and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library, Mecklenburg County in North Carolina, USA; Black Gold Cooperative Library Administration, Arroyo Grande, California; Berkeley Library, University of California).

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

(Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. It was launched at the Lucknow International Literary Festival in 2016).

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

(Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his way through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10th February 2018 at Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available on Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

RHYTHM … in poems

(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day-to-day life. A few poems from the book have been published in Shillong Times, Bandra Times and Bhavan’s Journal. The book is available on Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

MIRAGE

(Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)

AWADH ASSAM AND DALAI LAMA … The Kalachakra

(The story of the man who received His Holiness The Dalai Lama and his retinue in 1959 as a GOI representative when he fled Tibet in 1959. The book was launched on 21st November 2022 by His Holiness The Dalai Lama at Dharmshala. The title is archived in the library of the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) Government of Tibet, Tibet Policy Institute (TPI) and the personal library of His Holiness The Dalai Lama. The title is also archived in The Ohio Digital Library, USA. It was recently included in the digital library of the world-renowned company APPLE).

BHAVANS JOURNAL

Short stories, Book reviews and Articles published in Bhavan’s Journal: 1. Reality and Perception, 15.10.19; 2. Sending the Wrong Message, 31.5.20; 3. Eagle versus Scholars June, 15 & 20, 2020; 4. Indica, 15.8.20; 5. The Story of King Chitraketu, August 31 2020; 6. Breaking Through the Chakravyuh, September 30 2020. 7. The Questioning Spouse, October 31, 2020; 8. Happy Days, November 15, 2020; 9. The Karma Cycle of Paddy and Wheat, December 15, 2020; 10. Power Vs Influence, January 31, 2021; 11. Three Refugees, March 15, 2021; 12. Rise and Fall of Ajatashatru, March 31, 2021; 13. Reformed Ruler, May 15, 2021; 14. A Lasting Name, May 31, 2021; 15. Are Animals Better Teachers? June 16, 2021; 16. Book Review: The Gram Swaraj, 1.7.21; 17. Right Age for Achievements, 15.7.21; 18. Big Things Have Small Beginnings, 15.8.21; 19. Where is Gangaridai?, 15.9.21; 20. Confront the Donkey Within You 30.9.21; 21. Know Your Strengths 15.10.21; 22. Poverty 15.11.21; 23. Top View 30.11.21; 24. The Bansuriwala 15.1.22; 25. Sale of Alaska 15.2.22; 26. The Dimasa Kingdom 28.2.22;27. Buried Treasure 15.4.22; 28. The Kingdom of Pragjyotisha 30.4.22; 29. Who is more useful? 15.5.22; 30. The White Swan from Lake Mansarovar 30.6.22; 31. Bhool Bhulayya 15.9.22; 32. Good Karma 30.9.22; 33. Good Name vs Bad Name 15.10.22; 34. Uttarapath—The Grand Trunk Road 1.12.22; 35. When Gods Get Angry 1.1.23; 36. Holinshed’s Chronicles 15.1.23; 37. Theogony 15.2.23; 38. Poem: Mother 14.5.23; 39. THE NAG MANDIR 30.6.23; 40. The Story of Garuda 30.7.23; 41. Janmabhoomi vs Karmabhoomi 31.8.23; 42. The Ghost Town of Kuldhara 15.9.23; 43. The Tale of Genji 15.10.23; 44. The Soul Connection 1.12.23; 45.Book review: Jungle Nama … a story of the Sundarban 16.3.24; 46. Book review: A Forgotten Chapter 16.5.24;

THE SHILLONG TIMES

ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: HAPPY NEW YEAR 8.1.23; 2. POEM: SPRING 12.3.23; 3. POEM: RIGHT AND WRONG 20.3.23; 4. THE GUSH OF EMOTION—WRITING, 26.3.23; 5. THE NAG MANDIR, 7.5.23; 6. POEM: MOTHER 7.5.23; 7. POEM: RAIN RAIN 9.7.23; 8. POEM: YOU COME ALONE YOU GO ALONE 6.8.23; 9. RAIN RAIN (SECOND TIME) 10.8.23; 10. POEM: GURU TEACHER 1.10.23; 11. POEM YOU COME ALONE YOU GO ALONE 8.8.23; 12. POEM: AUTUMN … THE INTERIM HEAVEN 15.10.23; 13. POEM: HAPPY DIWALI 12.11.23; 14. OVERCOMING BLINDNESS: LEARN IT THE JOHN MILTON WAY 10.12.23; 15. THE HAPPY PRINCE AND THE HAPPY MAN’S SHIRT 31.12.23; 16. ANNUS MIRABILIS 2024 7.1.24; 17. GANDHI TO MAHATMA GANDHI- Incidents that Shaped Gandhi in South Africa 28.1.24; 18. POEM: TOGETHER BUT NOT MADE FOR EACH OTHER, 11.2.24; 19. THE BIRDS BEES AND THE SPIDERS OF NICHOLAS GUILDFORD AND JONATHAN SWIFT 25.2.24; 20. THE OVERCOATS OF NIKOLAI GOGOL AND RUSKIN BOND 10.3.24; 21. THE ETHNIC COLOURS OF HOLI 24.3.24; 22. A LESSON FROM DALAI LAMA, 21.4.24; 23. POEM: MORNING WALK 28.4.24; 24. TRIP TO RHINE FALLS, SWITZERLAND, 19.5.24; 25. POEM: HURT 2.6.24; 26. POEM: YOUR CONSCIENCE WAS MY SIGN ON 16.6.24;

THE ASSAM TRIBUNE

ARTICLE: 1. THE MAGIC OF READING 11.12.23; 2. GANDHI TO MAHATMA 29.1.24; 3. GEOGRAPHY OF SOLITUDE 8.4.24; 4. A LESSON FROM DALAI LAMA, 22.4.24; 5. A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION, 29.4.24; 6. THE FOUR-LEGGED LIBRARY, 12.5.24; 7. AGE AND ACHIEVEMENT, 10.6.24;

THE ARUNACHAL TIMES

POEM: 1. HOPE—IN THE ARC OF TWIGHT; 2, SPRING 3.3.24; 3. POEM: THE MORNING WALK 10.3.24;

    BANDRA TIMES, MUMBAI

    ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: SPRING, 1.4.23; 2. POEM: MOTHER, 1.6.23; 3. POEM: RAIN RAIN, 1.8.23; 4. A LESSON FROM DALAI LAMA 1.6.24;

    ARTICLES IN THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE ESAMSKRITI

    29.12.2020: INDICA BY MEGASTHENES; 14.3.22: ABOUT THE DIMASA KINGDOM ASSAM; 10.12.22: GRAND TRUNK ROAD-UTTARAPATH; 5.10.23: THE GHOST TOWN OF KULDHARA NEAR JAISALMER;

    (ALL THE ABOVE BOOK TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE ON AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

    *****

    THE STORY OF BHISHMA PITAMAH

    ARTICLE SPIRITUAL, moral lesson, mythology, parables, short story, shravan charity mission, spiritual, spiritual article, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

    Copyright@shravancharitymission

            Long ago, the capital city of Hastinapur was ruled by the great King Shantanu. Once, while he was walking along the banks of the Ganges River, he met a beautiful maiden. Shantanu asked if she would like to marry him. She agreed, provided Shantanu was ready to fulfil certain conditions: ‘She desired that he should not interfere with what she does whether he likes it or not and he should address her respectfully. The moment these conditions are broken she would leave him forever.’ Shantanu agreed and married the maiden and started living with her happily.

        Each time a child was born, the maiden would go and throw the child into the river. This disturbed the king. But he didn’t dare to ask her why because he was bound by his promise and feared she would leave. But when their eighth child was born, King Shantanu couldn’t hold himself. He advised her to desist from the cruel act of throwing the infant into the Ganges.’ The maiden replied, ‘You have broken your promise.’

        She spared the child but revealed her identity, ‘I am Goddess Ganga and the children born to us are the eight ‘Vasus’ cursed to suffer human birth. Your reproachful words freed us from the curse. My time has come. I will leave now.’ And she disappeared with the child.

        Years passed … Once while chasing a deer on the banks of River Ganga, Shantanu noticed the river was abnormally shallow. He began to look for the cause. He saw a boy checking the river’s flow. He looked Godlike. The boy knew that the king was his father, but Shantanu failed to recognise him. The boy clouded the king’s mind with his mystic power and disappeared. Shantanu realised the boy was his son. He pleaded with Ganga, ‘Please be merciful and give me back my son so that my dynasty lives.’

        Ganga appeared with her son. She said, ‘He is Gangeya, our eighth child. He has mastered the Vedic Knowledge and knows the duties of a king. Hereafter, he will be known as Devavrata. Take care of him, for he will perform wonders.

        King Shantanu returned with Devavrata. Devavrata was declared the heir apparent to the royal throne. Once while riding along the banks of the River Yamuna, Shantanu saw a young woman. He enquired about her identity.

        ‘I’m Satyavati, the daughter of the chief fisherman.’ Enchanted by her beauty, the king desired to marry Satyavati. He approached her father for consent. The father said, ‘Maharaj! I can never find a more suitable husband than you for my daughter but the son born to her should only be the successor to the royal throne of Hastinapur.’

        The intense desire for Satyavati wanted King Shantanu to accept, the condition of the chief fisherman but his deep love for his son Devavrata stopped him from doing so. This depressed Shantanu very much. He returned to Hastinapur and started suffering in silence. Seeing his father in this condition, Devavrata enquired about the reason.

        The King replied, ‘Devavrata you’re my only son. But what if you’re slain in a war, the great Bharat Dynasty will come to an end’. Devavrata understood this wasn’t the real reason for his father’s sorrow. From the king’s charioteer, he came to know about the inner story and the king’s desire to marry Satyavati. Devavrata approached the chief fishermen and begged on behalf of King Shantanu. He even promised he would never accept the royal throne.

        ‘But what about your sons? They might claim the throne despite your refusal.’ Pointed the fisherman. Devavrata knew where this was heading, so he took another oath.

        ‘I vow to observe Brahmacharya (celibacy) all my life.’

        Happy, the demigods showered flowers on Devavrata and exclaimed, “Devavrata is worthy of the title ‘Bhishma’ (mighty) for taking such a vow for the sake of his father.”    Delighted, Satyavati’s father agreed to marry his daughter to Shantanu and Bhishma escorted her to Hastinapur.

        Pleased, King Shantanu granted Bhishma a vardan (blessing) of not dying against his own will. Shantanu married Satyavati and had two sons, Chitrangada and Vichitravirya. Chitrangada died in a duel with the king of Gandharvas, leaving Vichitravirya as the successor to the throne.

        When the King of Kashi held a Svayamvara (self-choice marriage) for his three daughters- Amba, Ambika and Ambalika, intending to marry them to his step-brother Vichitravirya, Bhishma abducted them by force and challenged the other kings in combat. He defeated them all. After that, he set out for Hastinapur with all the three princesses in his chariot. On his way back, Salva the king of Saubala, who was in love with Amba, fought with Bhishma but he was defeated. At the request of the princesses, Bhishma spared his life.

        After reaching Hastinapur, Amba pleaded with Bhishma, not to force her to marry Vichitravirya, as she had chosen Salva as her husband. Bhishma pondered and then let her go.

        Vichitravirya was married to Ambika and Ambalika. Amba went to Salva and told him what had happened but Salva wasn’t happy. He decided not to accept Amba. Helpless she returned to Hastinapur and explained the situation to Bhishma.

        Bhishma tried to convince Vichitravirya to marry Amba but he declined. Nowhere to go, Amba asked Bhishma to marry her. But since the oath of Brahmacharya bound him, he refused Amba. Enraged, Amba approached sage Parashurama and implored him to slay Bhishma and avenge her. Parashurama directed Bhishma to marry Amba.

        Parashurama was Bhishma’s guru. But Bhishma desisted from heeding him because of the oath he had taken for his father’s sake. Parashurama challenged Bhishma. They fought for several days, but neither could defeat the other.

        Amba held Bhishma responsible for her misfortune. She undertook penance by jumping into a funeral pyre and was granted a boon by Lord Shiva—that in her next life, she would be born as Shikhandi, the eunuch child of King Drupada.

        Meanwhile, Dhritarashtra and Pandu were born to Ambika and Ambalika. Their sons were the hundred Kauravas and the five Pandavas respectively, whom Bhishma looked after as his own. From childhood only Kauravas and Pandavas were rivals. The enmity thus continued.

        Bhishma advised the cousins to distribute the kingdom amicably amongst themselves to avoid conflict but the Kauravas were not happy with the idea and the great war of Mahabharat broke out for eighteen days. Bhishma was constrained to fight from the Kauravas’ side.

        Though the two armies fought furiously the Pandavas were one up. They struck terror in the heart of Duryodhana. He spoke harshly to Bhishma that he was not fighting to his full potential and that he was letting the Pandavas win. The accusation pricked Bhishma’s heart like a dagger. Infuriated, he took a wow that he would kill Arjuna the next day. The third day of the battle between Arjuna and Bhishma was very fierce.

        Krishna observed how Bhishma was strategizing his moves on that day. Arjuna was unable to stop him. Just then Bhishma’s arrow hit Arjuna’s chariot and he fell. This angered Lord Krishna. Despite his vow not to wield a weapon in the war, he took out his divine disc to attack Bhishma. But before Krishna could make a move, Arjuna clasped Krishna’s legs and begged him not to do so. He vowed he would kill Bhishma very soon. As a result, Krishna retracted the disc.

        On the tenth day of the battle, Arjuna rained arrows on Bhishma, while taking cover behind Shikhandi. Bhishma realized Shikhandi was none other than Amba in her previous life. So he allowed himself to be attacked by them knowing fully well of the consequences. Soon he fell from his chariot. On seeing Bhishma the commander of the Kaurava army fall, both sides halted the war as a mark of respect and circled him.

        Bhishma, the descendant of King Bharat, lay on a bed of arrows, now preparing to leave his body. With tearful eyes, the family members gathered around Bhishma Pitamah. Bhishma was a great devotee of Lord Krishna. Thus Krishna bowed down before Bhishma and everyone followed.

        By the skill of his archery, Arjuna gave support to Bhishma’s head and also created a water fountain to quench his thirst. Bhishma had promised his father King Shantanu that he would live until Hastinapur was secure from all directions. To keep his promise Bhishma used the boon of Ichcha Mrityu (self-wished death) granted to him by his father. After the war ended, and when Hastinapur had become safe from all sides and after giving lessons on politics and occupational duties to Yudhishthir (eldest Pandav sibling), Bhishma died on the first day of Uttarayana. He was finally relieved of his oath of perpetually serving the Kuru King.

        Bhishma meditated and chanted the thousand names of the Lord Krishna, now known to us as Vishnu Sahasranama and stopped breathing.

    ***

    Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

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    https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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    Like it and Share it

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    Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety in content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause? The bank details are given below:

    NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

    Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

    IFSC code: BKID0006805

    *

    Kamlesh Tripathi’s Publications

    GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

    (The book is about a young cancer patient. Now archived in 8 prestigious libraries of the US which include Harvard College Library; Harvard University Library; Library of Congress; University of Washington, Seattle; University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; Yale University, New Haven; University of Chicago; University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill University Libraries. It can also be accessed at MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in libraries and archives of Canada; Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai; Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida, India; Shoolini University, Yogananda Knowledge Center, Himachal Pradesh and Azim Premzi University, Bangalore).

    ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

    (Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi; It is also available for reading in the Indian National Bibliography, March 2016, in the literature section, in Central Reference Library, Ministry of Culture, India, Belvedere, Kolkata-700022)

    AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

    (Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity, which is the undying characteristic of Lucknow. The book was launched at the Lucknow International Literary Festival in 2014. It is included for reading in Askews and Holts Library Services, Lancashire, U.K; Herrick District Library, Holland and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library, Mecklenburg County in North Carolina, USA; Black Gold Cooperative Library Administration, Arroyo Grande, California; Berkeley Library, University of California).

    REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

    (Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. It was launched at the Lucknow International Literary Festival in 2016).

    TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

    (Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his way through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10th February 2018 at Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available on Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

    RHYTHM … in poems

    (Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day-to-day life. A few poems from the book have been published in Shillong Times, Bandra Times and Bhavan’s Journal. The book is available on Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

    MIRAGE

    (Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)

    AWADH ASSAM AND DALAI LAMA … The Kalachakra

    (The story of the man who received His Holiness The Dalai Lama and his retinue in 1959 as a GOI representative when he fled Tibet in 1959. The book was launched on 21st November 2022 by His Holiness The Dalai Lama at Dharmshala. The title is archived in the library of the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) Government of Tibet, Tibet Policy Institute (TPI) and the personal library of His Holiness The Dalai Lama. The title is also archived in The Ohio Digital Library, USA. It was recently included in the digital library of the world-renowned company APPLE).

    BHAVANS JOURNAL

    Short stories, Book reviews and Articles published in Bhavan’s Journal: 1. Reality and Perception, 15.10.19; 2. Sending the Wrong Message, 31.5.20; 3. Eagle versus Scholars June, 15 & 20, 2020; 4. Indica, 15.8.20; 5. The Story of King Chitraketu, August 31 2020; 6. Breaking Through the Chakravyuh, September 30 2020. 7. The Questioning Spouse, October 31, 2020; 8. Happy Days, November 15, 2020; 9. The Karma Cycle of Paddy and Wheat, December 15, 2020; 10. Power Vs Influence, January 31, 2021; 11. Three Refugees, March 15, 2021; 12. Rise and Fall of Ajatashatru, March 31, 2021; 13. Reformed Ruler, May 15, 2021; 14. A Lasting Name, May 31, 2021; 15. Are Animals Better Teachers? June 16, 2021; 16. Book Review: The Gram Swaraj, 1.7.21; 17. Right Age for Achievements, 15.7.21; 18. Big Things Have Small Beginnings, 15.8.21; 19. Where is Gangaridai?, 15.9.21; 20. Confront the Donkey Within You 30.9.21; 21. Know Your Strengths 15.10.21; 22. Poverty 15.11.21; 23. Top View 30.11.21; 24. The Bansuriwala 15.1.22; 25. Sale of Alaska 15.2.22; 26. The Dimasa Kingdom 28.2.22;27. Buried Treasure 15.4.22; 28. The Kingdom of Pragjyotisha 30.4.22; 29. Who is more useful? 15.5.22; 30. The White Swan from Lake Mansarovar 30.6.22; 31. Bhool Bhulayya 15.9.22; 32. Good Karma 30.9.22; 33. Good Name vs Bad Name 15.10.22; 34. Uttarapath—The Grand Trunk Road 1.12.22; 35. When Gods Get Angry 1.1.23; 36. Holinshed’s Chronicles 15.1.23; 37. Theogony 15.2.23; 38. Poem: Mother 14.5.23; 39. THE NAG MANDIR 30.6.23; 40. The Story of Garuda 30.7.23; 41. Janmabhoomi vs Karmabhoomi 31.8.23; 42. The Ghost Town of Kuldhara 15.9.23; 43. The Tale of Genji 15.10.23; 44. The Soul Connection 1.12.23; 45.Book review: Jungle Nama … a story of the Sundarban 16.3.24; 46. Book review: A Forgotten Chapter 16.5.24;

    THE SHILLONG TIMES

    ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: HAPPY NEW YEAR 8.1.23; 2. POEM: SPRING 12.3.23; 3. POEM: RIGHT AND WRONG 20.3.23; 4. THE GUSH OF EMOTION—WRITING, 26.3.23; 5. THE NAG MANDIR, 7.5.23; 6. POEM: MOTHER 7.5.23; 7. POEM: RAIN RAIN 9.7.23; 8. POEM: YOU COME ALONE YOU GO ALONE 6.8.23; 9. RAIN RAIN (SECOND TIME) 10.8.23; 10. POEM: GURU TEACHER 10.8.23; 11. POEM: AUTUMN … THE INTERIM HEAVEN 15.10.23; 12. POEM: HAPPY DIWALI 12.11.23; 13. OVERCOMING BLINDNESS: LEARN IT THE JOHN MILTON WAY 10.12.23; 14. THE HAPPY PRINCE AND THE HAPPY MAN’S SHIRT 31.12.23; 15. ANNUS MIRABILIS 2024 7.1.24; 16. GANDHI TO MAHATMA GANDHI- Incidents that Shaped Gandhi in South Africa 28.1.24; 17. POEM: TOGETHER BUT NOT MADE FOR EACH OTHER, 11.2.24; 18. THE BIRDS BEES AND THE SPIDERS OF NICHOLAS GUILDFORD AND JONATHAN SWIFT 25.2.24; 19. THE OVERCOATS OF NIKOLAI GOGOL AND RUSKIN BOND 10.3.24; 20. THE ETHNIC COLOURS OF HOLI 24.3.24; 21. A LESSON FROM DALAI LAMA, 21.4.24; 22. POEM: MORNING WALK 28.4.24; 23. TRIP TO RHINE FALLS, SWITZERLAND, 19.5.24; 24. POEM: HURT 2.6.24;

    THE ASSAM TRIBUNE

    ARTICLE: 1. THE MAGIC OF READING 11.12.23; 2. GANDHI TO MAHATMA 29.1.24; 3. GEOGRAPHY OF SOLITUDE 8.4.24; 4. A LESSON FROM DALAI LAMA, 22.4.24; 5. A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION, 29.4.24; 6. THE FOUR-LEGGED LIBRARY, 12.5.24; 7. AGE AND ACHIEVEMENT, 10.6.24;

    BANDRA TIMES, MUMBAI

    ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: SPRING, 1.4.23; 2. POEM: MOTHER, 1.6.23; 3. POEM: RAIN RAIN, 1.8.23;

    ARTICLES IN THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE ESAMSKRITI

    29.12.2020: INDICA BY MEGASTHENES; 14.3.22: ABOUT THE DIMASA KINGDOM ASSAM; 10.12.22: GRAND TRUNK ROAD-UTTARAPATH; 5.10.23: THE GHOST TOWN OF KULDHARA NEAR JAISALMER;

    (ALL THE ABOVE BOOK TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE ON AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

    *****

    AGE AND ACHIEVEMENTS: 5 LIT LUMINARIES

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        What is the right age to achieve something in life? Is 40 years, too little time, or adequate time to achieve something in life? Let us consider the lives of five lit luminaries of the 19th century who were more or less contemporaries and who became world-renowned figures in their short lifespans. Let’s start with Swami Vivekananda a Hindu monk, a spiritual guru and a literary-luminary, lifespan 12 January 1863- 4 July 1902, a total of 39 years. Then you have the American writer Edgar Allan Poe, who was born on 19 January 1809 and died on 7 October 1849, a life span of 40 years, followed by the French writer Guy De Maupassant, born on 5 August 1850 and passed away on 6 July 1893 a life span of 42 years. On the rostrum, there is also Nikolai Gogol, a Russian writer of Ukrainian origin, who was born on 20 March 1809 and died on 21 February 1852, a life span of 42 years. And last but not least we have Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, a Russian playwright and short-story writer born on 29 January 1860, and died on 15 July 1904, at the age of 44. They all left behind a phenomenal legacy of success and heaps of lessons for future generations within the ebbs and flows of their limited lifespan.

        The mean life expectancy in the 19th century was 40-45 years. Global life expectancy today is around 72 years. There are two off-shoots to this. One, the subject authors lived for around ninety to hundred per cent of the average life expectancy of those times. Two, they only lived for around forty years – a period, perhaps, too less for any milestone achievement, barring sports and maybe some other careers. When we compare 40 years with today’s life expectancy, it is only 55% in terms of years. The point then is: Does life expectancy have anything to do with your major achievements in life? The case study of the quintet doesn’t say so. There are authors, poets, and literary figures from other countries too, who gained fame but died very young, prominent among them is John Keats to cite an example who died at the age of 25. So, isn’t it ironic that some in a short lifespan of 25 to 40 years made gigantic strides, while others couldn’t manage to do that even in a century?

        In the 19th century, these five authors witnessed watershed changes in their countries. Some major events were as follows: India had the First War of Independence in 1857. British East India Company was replaced by the British Crown in 1858. Russia had the Crimean War between 1853 and 1856; the Caucasian War, between 1817 and 1864; and the capture of Tashkent by the Russian Army in 1865. In addition, Alaska was sold in a sale in 1867; the Russian-Turkish War happened in 1877, and the Russian famine in 1891. Alexander III the emperor of Russia passed away in 1894, and the first congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) was held in 1898 in Minsk now in Belarus. In America and Europe, slavery was abolished through an act; the First and Second Industrial Revolutions which overlapped with the 18th and 20th centuries respectively led to massive urbanization. Construction of the Suez Canal commenced in 1859, linking the Mediterranean Sea with the Indian Ocean through the Red Sea, providing a more direct shipping route between Europe and Asia. The Islamic gunpowder empires (Ottoman Empire, Safavid and the Mughal) were formerly dissolved and the European imperialism, brought much of South Asia, Southeast Asia and almost all of Africa under colonial rule. It was also marked by the collapse of the Spanish, Zulu Kingdom, First French Empire, Holy Roman and the Mughal Empire.

        Even with all the hullabaloo in their country and continent, there was calm and composure in these five lit luminaries. They had a single focus, just like the Arjuna’s concentration – the eye of the fish and that was – to keep writing till their last breath. Though born in a Bengali Kayastha family in Calcutta, Swami Vivekananda was inclined towards spirituality. He was influenced by his guru, Ramakrishna, from whom he learnt that all living beings, were an embodiment of the divine self. Therefore, service to God could only be rendered by service to mankind. Anton Chekhov even when he fell sick in 1885, kept writing till he died of tuberculosis in 1904. Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, the second child of actors David and Elizabeth Poe. His father abandoned the family in 1810, and his mother died the following year. He became an orphan yet he fought back to become one of the most formidable writers of short stories. When Maupassant was 11, his mother, an independent-minded woman, divorced her husband. Afterwards, Maupassant lived with his mother, who was the single biggest influence on him, but that entailed hardships. Gogol lost his father at the age of fifteen, yet he aspired to become a writer.

        The short lifespan of these great writers only teaches us that achievements are not a function of a long lifespan.

    Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

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    https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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    Like it and Share it

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    Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety in content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause? The bank details are given below:

    NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

    Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

    IFSC code: BKID0006805

    *

    Kamlesh Tripathi’s Publications

    GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

    (The book is about a young cancer patient. Now archived in 8 prestigious libraries of the US which include Harvard College Library; Harvard University Library; Library of Congress; University of Washington, Seattle; University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; Yale University, New Haven; University of Chicago; University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill University Libraries. It can also be accessed at MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in libraries and archives of Canada; Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai; Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida, India; Shoolini University, Yogananda Knowledge Center, Himachal Pradesh and Azim Premzi University, Bangalore).

    ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

    (Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi; It is also available for reading in the Indian National Bibliography, March 2016, in the literature section, in Central Reference Library, Ministry of Culture, India, Belvedere, Kolkata-700022)

    AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

    (Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity, which is the undying characteristic of Lucknow. The book was launched at the Lucknow International Literary Festival in 2014. It is included for reading in Askews and Holts Library Services, Lancashire, U.K; Herrick District Library, Holland and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library, Mecklenburg County in North Carolina, USA; Black Gold Cooperative Library Administration, Arroyo Grande, California; Berkeley Library, University of California).

    REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

    (Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. It was launched at the Lucknow International Literary Festival in 2016).

    TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

    (Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his way through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10th February 2018 at Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available on Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

    RHYTHM … in poems

    (Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day-to-day life. A few poems from the book have been published in Shillong Times, Bandra Times and Bhavan’s Journal. The book is available on Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

    MIRAGE

    (Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)

    AWADH ASSAM AND DALAI LAMA … The Kalachakra

    (The story of the man who received His Holiness The Dalai Lama and his retinue in 1959 as a GOI representative when he fled Tibet in 1959. The book was launched on 21st November 2022 by His Holiness The Dalai Lama at Dharmshala. The title is archived in the library of the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) Government of Tibet, Tibet Policy Institute (TPI) and the personal library of His Holiness The Dalai Lama. The title is also archived in The Ohio Digital Library, USA. It was recently included in the digital library of the world-renowned company APPLE).

    BHAVANS JOURNAL

    Short stories, Book reviews and Articles published in Bhavan’s Journal: 1. Reality and Perception, 15.10.19; 2. Sending the Wrong Message, 31.5.20; 3. Eagle versus Scholars June, 15 & 20, 2020; 4. Indica, 15.8.20; 5. The Story of King Chitraketu, August 31 2020; 6. Breaking Through the Chakravyuh, September 30 2020. 7. The Questioning Spouse, October 31, 2020; 8. Happy Days, November 15, 2020; 9. The Karma Cycle of Paddy and Wheat, December 15, 2020; 10. Power Vs Influence, January 31, 2021; 11. Three Refugees, March 15, 2021; 12. Rise and Fall of Ajatashatru, March 31, 2021; 13. Reformed Ruler, May 15, 2021; 14. A Lasting Name, May 31, 2021; 15. Are Animals Better Teachers? June 16, 2021; 16. Book Review: The Gram Swaraj, 1.7.21; 17. Right Age for Achievements, 15.7.21; 18. Big Things Have Small Beginnings, 15.8.21; 19. Where is Gangaridai?, 15.9.21; 20. Confront the Donkey Within You 30.9.21; 21. Know Your Strengths 15.10.21; 22. Poverty 15.11.21; 23. Top View 30.11.21; 24. The Bansuriwala 15.1.22; 25. Sale of Alaska 15.2.22; 26. The Dimasa Kingdom 28.2.22;27. Buried Treasure 15.4.22; 28. The Kingdom of Pragjyotisha 30.4.22; 29. Who is more useful? 15.5.22; 30. The White Swan from Lake Mansarovar 30.6.22; 31. Bhool Bhulayya 15.9.22; 32. Good Karma 30.9.22; 33. Good Name vs Bad Name 15.10.22; 34. Uttarapath—The Grand Trunk Road 1.12.22; 35. When Gods Get Angry 1.1.23; 36. Holinshed’s Chronicles 15.1.23; 37. Theogony 15.2.23; 38. Poem: Mother 14.5.23; 39. THE NAG MANDIR 30.6.23; 40. The Story of Garuda 30.7.23; 41. Janmabhoomi vs Karmabhoomi 31.8.23; 42. The Ghost Town of Kuldhara 15.9.23; 43. The Tale of Genji 15.10.23; 44. The Soul Connection 1.12.23; 45.Book review: Jungle Nama … a story of the Sundarban 16.3.24; 46. Book review: A Forgotten Chapter 16.5.24;

    THE SHILLONG TIMES

    ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: HAPPY NEW YEAR 8.1.23; 2. POEM: SPRING 12.3.23; 3. POEM: RIGHT AND WRONG 20.3.23; 4. THE GUSH OF EMOTION—WRITING, 26.3.23; 5. THE NAG MANDIR, 7.5.23; 6. POEM: MOTHER 7.5.23; 7. POEM: RAIN RAIN 9.7.23; 8. POEM: YOU COME ALONE YOU GO ALONE 6.8.23; 9. RAIN RAIN (SECOND TIME) 10.8.23; 10. POEM: GURU TEACHER 10.8.23; 11. POEM: AUTUMN … THE INTERIM HEAVEN 15.10.23; 12. POEM: HAPPY DIWALI 12.11.23; 13. OVERCOMING BLINDNESS: LEARN IT THE JOHN MILTON WAY 10.12.23; 14. THE HAPPY PRINCE AND THE HAPPY MAN’S SHIRT 31.12.23; 15. ANNUS MIRABILIS 2024 7.1.24; 16. GANDHI TO MAHATMA GANDHI- Incidents that Shaped Gandhi in South Africa 28.1.24; 17. POEM: TOGETHER BUT NOT MADE FOR EACH OTHER, 11.2.24; 18. THE BIRDS BEES AND THE SPIDERS OF NICHOLAS GUILDFORD AND JONATHAN SWIFT 25.2.24; 19. THE OVERCOATS OF NIKOLAI GOGOL AND RUSKIN BOND 10.3.24; 20. THE ETHNIC COLOURS OF HOLI 24.3.24; 21. A LESSON FROM DALAI LAMA, 21.4.24; 22. POEM: MORNING WALK 28.4.24; 23. TRIP TO RHINE FALLS, SWITZERLAND, 19.5.24;

    THE ASSAM TRIBUNE

    ARTICLE: 1. THE MAGIC OF READING 11.12.23; 2. GANDHI TO MAHATMA 29.1.24; 3. GEOGRAPHY OF SOLITUDE 8.4.24; 4. A LESSON FROM DALAI LAMA, 22.4.24; 5. A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION, 29.4.24; 6. THE FOUR-LEGGED LIBRARY, 12.5.24;

    BANDRA TIMES, MUMBAI

    ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: SPRING, 1.4.23; 2. POEM: MOTHER, 1.6.23; 3. POEM: RAIN RAIN, 1.8.23;

    ARTICLES IN THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE ESAMSKRITI

    29.12.2020: INDICA BY MEGASTHENES; 14.3.22: ABOUT THE DIMASA KINGDOM ASSAM; 10.12.22: GRAND TRUNK ROAD-UTTARAPATH; 5.10.23: THE GHOST TOWN OF KULDHARA NEAR JAISALMER;

    (ALL THE ABOVE BOOK TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE ON AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

    *****

    THE PEOPLES’ MOVEMENT CALLED DARRANG COLLEGE

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        The 1976 movie ‘Manthan’ by Shyam Benegal was based on India’s White Revolution and the importance of milk. The movie was funded by 500000 farmers who donated Rs 2 each. Manthan is the first crowd-funded Indian film. Not many outside Darrang district would know that the citizens of the district too funded the construction and commencement of Darrang College in Tezpur, Assam. A passionate movement to establish Darrang College started around the Quit India movement in 1942, the undercurrents of which began in 1941. The sad part is no commercial movie was screened on this great movement for education in India. Why it escaped the attention of so many distinguished filmmakers remains a mystery. Maybe the story of this remote district never reached them.

        The beginning of Darrang College takes you back to the age-old colonial British Raj when there was no college in the Darrang district. Darrang, a remote place in Assam, became a district with Mangaldai as its headquarters. In 1835, the headquarters was shifted to Tezpur. Tezpur as we all know came into the limelight during the Indo-China conflict in 1962 (https://darrang.gov.in/history.htm).

        When India was struggling for independence, Darrang district was striving, both for India’s independence and for a college that would have heightened the literary levels of the students in the district. The citizens had foreseeable ambitions for a college but lacked resources. The British Government was not inclined to help the citizens, especially, after the announcement of the Quit India Movement in 1942 by none other than Gandhi Ji himself.

        World War II was at its zenith and the Japanese threat loomed large in the east. Time was not suitable. But even then a few prominent citizens of Tezpur headed by Kumud Dutta, Kamakhya Prasad Tripathi and Jyoti Prasad Agarwala made a bold decision to start a college in Tezpur. A public meeting was called on the 9th of February 1941, and a committee was formed to raise funds to implement the decision.    

        Meanwhile, the Allied Troops occupied strategic places and Assam became the battlefront. In Tezpur, foreign troops occupied all school buildings and available public and private places that they could lay their hands on. Simultaneously, the Indian revolution for freedom flared up from one end of the country to the other. Tezpur and adjoining areas became the scene of bitter struggle. Many freedom fighters lost their lives and many suffered brutal assaults and severe injuries. Many leaders were jailed. Nothing could be done under these appalling conditions. The idea of starting the college receded to the background, while the war continued till 1945 with unabated fury. The prospect of opening the college thus appeared bleak.

        Later, the atmosphere cleared up with the release of national leaders, the war coming to a close and the prospect of political settlement in sight. On the 11th of November 1944, at a meeting in the municipal office in Tezpur, it was finally decided to start the college by July 1945, both in the Arts and Science stream. A drive to raise donations from the public was thus undertaken. It was decided that contributions would have to be sought from none other than the citizens of Darrang district themselves. Accordingly, a communication was drafted in which it was spelt out that all citizens needed to contribute to the cause to realise their dreams.

        Soon a brochure was also published. It emphasised the need for a college in Tezpur, the headquarters of the Darrang district. To make the idea more understandable to the general public, a sentence was added in the brochure which stated ‘If every family in the district contributed the amount of paddy consumed by a parrot in a year, it would be sufficient to establish a college’. That was the spirit of those times because a college in the district was an absolute must, just as India’s independence, as without education, the citizens of the district would have remained behind. Soon, volunteers started visiting the citizens for donations and the people of the Darrang district contributed munificently. Can anyone think of such a novel campaign now? Perhaps not because there are alternate resources available now to realise one’s dreams in independent India. But that apart, the spirit of camaraderie, bonding and the oneness of Indians were much more intense under the colonial British Raj than it is today.

        Soon volunteers started a door-to-door campaign. Citizens who could not contribute money contributed in kind such as building materials or any other item required for the college or got involved in plain Kar-sewa or any other leg-work. The campaign at its crescendo became a personal swansong of every citizen of Darrang district. Every morning volunteers made a milk run on defined routes of the Darrang district to collect money and communicate the progress of the project to the citizens. ‘Darrang College’ was now a movement alongside India’s Independence Movement. The campaign’s intensity induced even the poorest of the poor to contribute for the college.

        Donations were made extensively by the public and the business community. It crossed rupees sixty thousand which was a big amount then. The highest contribution came from a villager by the name of Shri Prabhu Ram Karki Chetri for what he called the ‘Temple of Education’.

        An Italian-born citizen of Tezpur, by the name of Mr Duchi, offered his beautiful residential building to start the college. The building was mortgaged to one prominent merchant, the late Sohanlal Dugar. He readily agreed to forego the interest. The building was purchased. Shri M.N. Phukan played the leading role in this transaction.

        The college opened in July 1945 with 112 students and 8 professors. Shri K.P. Tripathi became the founder-principal. It was a red-letter day for Tezpur and everybody rejoiced the reward. The college applied to Calcutta University for affiliation. Such was the flow of visitors that even American Soldiers and Airforce Men (white and black) flocked to the college campus to see to their surprise how fluently the professors lectured in English without the aid of any notes. They organised a boxing contest in the Bengali Theatre Hall in aid of the college fund. This gesture of goodwill was gratefully acknowledged by the students. ‘Be the Jewel Among Men.’ became the motto of the college. A few years later Mahatma Gandhi blessed the college when Tripathi and Agarwalla met him in Harijan Colony Delhi.

        I still wish someone could make a film on this public movement called ‘Darrang College’. Is someone listening?

    ***

    Written by Kamlesh Tripathi

    *

    https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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    Like it and Share it

    *

    Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety in content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause? The bank details are given below:

    NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

    Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

    IFSC code: BKID0006805

    *

    Kamlesh Tripathi’s Publications

    GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

    (The book is about a young cancer patient. Now archived in 8 prestigious libraries of the US which include Harvard College Library; Harvard University Library; Library of Congress; University of Washington, Seattle; University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; Yale University, New Haven; University of Chicago; University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill University Libraries. It can also be accessed at MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in libraries and archives of Canada; Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai; Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida, India; Shoolini University, Yogananda Knowledge Center, Himachal Pradesh and Azim Premzi University, Bangalore).

    ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

    (Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi; It is also available for reading in the Indian National Bibliography, March 2016, in the literature section, in Central Reference Library, Ministry of Culture, India, Belvedere, Kolkata-700022)

    AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

    (Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity, which is the undying characteristic of Lucknow. The book was launched at the Lucknow International Literary Festival in 2014. It is included for reading in Askews and Holts Library Services, Lancashire, U.K; Herrick District Library, Holland and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library, Mecklenburg County in North Carolina, USA; Black Gold Cooperative Library Administration, Arroyo Grande, California; Berkeley Library, University of California).

    REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

    (Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. It was launched at the Lucknow International Literary Festival in 2016).

    TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

    (Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his way through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10th February 2018 at Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available on Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

    RHYTHM … in poems

    (Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day-to-day life. A few poems from the book have been published in Shillong Times, Bandra Times and Bhavan’s Journal. The book is available on Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

    MIRAGE

    (Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)

    AWADH ASSAM AND DALAI LAMA … The Kalachakra

    (The story of the man who received His Holiness The Dalai Lama and his retinue in 1959 as a GOI representative when he fled Tibet in 1959. The book was launched on 21st November 2022 by His Holiness The Dalai Lama at Dharmshala. The title is archived in the library of the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) Government of Tibet, Tibet Policy Institute (TPI) and the personal library of His Holiness The Dalai Lama. The title is also archived in The Ohio Digital Library, USA. It was recently included in the digital library of the world-renowned company APPLE).

    BHAVANS JOURNAL

    Short stories, Book reviews and Articles published in Bhavan’s Journal: 1. Reality and Perception, 15.10.19; 2. Sending the Wrong Message, 31.5.20; 3. Eagle versus Scholars June, 15 & 20, 2020; 4. Indica, 15.8.20; 5. The Story of King Chitraketu, August 31 2020; 6. Breaking Through the Chakravyuh, September 30 2020. 7. The Questioning Spouse, October 31, 2020; 8. Happy Days, November 15, 2020; 9. The Karma Cycle of Paddy and Wheat, December 15, 2020; 10. Power Vs Influence, January 31, 2021; 11. Three Refugees, March 15, 2021; 12. Rise and Fall of Ajatashatru, March 31, 2021; 13. Reformed Ruler, May 15, 2021; 14. A Lasting Name, May 31, 2021; 15. Are Animals Better Teachers? June 16, 2021; 16. Book Review: The Gram Swaraj, 1.7.21; 17. Right Age for Achievements, 15.7.21; 18. Big Things Have Small Beginnings, 15.8.21; 19. Where is Gangaridai?, 15.9.21; 20. Confront the Donkey Within You 30.9.21; 21. Know Your Strengths 15.10.21; 22. Poverty 15.11.21; 23. Top View 30.11.21; 24. The Bansuriwala 15.1.22; 25. Sale of Alaska 15.2.22; 26. The Dimasa Kingdom 28.2.22;27. Buried Treasure 15.4.22; 28. The Kingdom of Pragjyotisha 30.4.22; 29. Who is more useful? 15.5.22; 30. The White Swan from Lake Mansarovar 30.6.22; 31. Bhool Bhulayya 15.9.22; 32. Good Karma 30.9.22; 33. Good Name vs Bad Name 15.10.22; 34. Uttarapath—The Grand Trunk Road 1.12.22; 35. When Gods Get Angry 1.1.23; 36. Holinshed’s Chronicles 15.1.23; 37. Theogony 15.2.23; 38. Poem: Mother 14.5.23; 39. THE NAG MANDIR 30.6.23; 40. The Story of Garuda 30.7.23; 41. Janmabhoomi vs Karmabhoomi 31.8.23; 42. The Ghost Town of Kuldhara 15.9.23; 43. The Tale of Genji 15.10.23; 44. The Soul Connection 1.12.23; 45.Book review: Jungle Nama … a story of the Sundarban 16.3.24;

    THE SHILLONG TIMES

    ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: HAPPY NEW YEAR 8.1.23; 2. POEM: SPRING 12.3.23; 3. POEM: RIGHT AND WRONG 20.3.23; 4. THE GUSH OF EMOTION—WRITING, 26.3.23; 5. THE NAG MANDIR, 7.5.23; 6. POEM: MOTHER 7.5.23; 7. POEM: RAIN RAIN 9.7.23; 8. POEM: YOU COME ALONE YOU GO ALONE 6.8.23; 9. RAIN RAIN (SECOND TIME) 10.8.23; 10. POEM: GURU TEACHER 10.8.23; 11. POEM: AUTUMN … THE INTERIM HEAVEN 15.10.23; 12. POEM: HAPPY DIWALI 12.11.23; 13. OVERCOMING BLINDNESS: LEARN IT THE JOHN MILTON WAY 10.12.23; 14. THE HAPPY PRINCE AND THE HAPPY MAN’S SHIRT 31.12.23; 15. ANNUS MIRABILIS 2024 7.1.24; 16. GANDHI TO MAHATMA GANDHI- Incidents that Shaped Gandhi in South Africa 28.1.24; 17. POEM: TOGETHER BUT NOT MADE FOR EACH OTHER, 11.2.24; 18. THE BIRDS BEES AND THE SPIDERS OF NICHOLAS GUILDFORD AND JONATHAN SWIFT 25.2.24; 19. THE OVERCOATS OF NIKOLAI GOGOL AND RUSKIN BOND 10.3.24; 20. THE ETHNIC COLOURS OF HOLI 24.3.24; 21. A LESSON FROM DALAI LAMA, 21.4.24; 22. POEM: MORNING WALK 28.4.24;

    THE ASSAM TRIBUNE

    ARTICLE: 1. THE MAGIC OF READING 11.12.23; 2. GANDHI TO MAHATMA 29.1.24; 3. GEOGRAPHY OF SOLITUDE 8.4.24; 4. A LESSON FROM DALAI LAMA, 22.4.24; 5. A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION, 29.4.24; 6. THE FOUR-LEGGED LIBRARY, 12.5.24;

    BANDRA TIMES, MUMBAI

    ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: SPRING, 1.4.23; 2. POEM: MOTHER, 1.6.23; 3. POEM: RAIN RAIN, 1.8.23;

    ARTICLES IN THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE ESAMSKRITI

    29.12.2020: INDICA BY MEGASTHENES; 14.3.22: ABOUT THE DIMASA KINGDOM ASSAM; 10.12.22: GRAND TRUNK ROAD-UTTARAPATH; 5.10.23: THE GHOST TOWN OF KULDHARA NEAR JAISALMER;

    (ALL THE ABOVE BOOK TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE ON AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

    *****

    A PEEP INTO NATIVE AMERICAN LITERATURE

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        The term “Native American Literature” relates to the stories of the natives of the New World. North and South America are known as the “New World”. The term originated because of the European voyages across the Atlantic Ocean. The Europeans discovered the two continents in the late 15th century. The expression “Native American Literature” in the real sense is a misnomer since the natives of the “New World” didn’t have writing traditions. There was no established alphabet or language in which the native tribes across the continents could write their stories.

        On the contrary, the Native Cultures had oral traditions. A story would be passed down from one generation to another orally. It would be told by a storyteller, usually around a campfire at night. The stories were often tweaked while storytelling, with each storyteller adding, his or her spin to it with unique gestures such as tone and other alterations to make it more interesting and spicy and even more probing in terms of the story details. The central theme of the story however remained intact and was given a new look and feel with each generation of storytellers.

        Umpteen parallels are available in history about oral traditions, later adopted into scripts. For example, scholars have debated if ‘Beowulf’ an old English epic poem in the tradition of Germanic heroic legend was initially transmitted orally. Beowulf was written mostly in the Late West Saxon dialect of Old English. In the 13th century, Genghis Khan did not permit military information to be written down; it had to be delivered orally. The messengers therefore had to learn to compose and recite military orders through “rhetorically ornate rhyming words and cryptic expressions”. Concurrently, the government used the Mongolian language written in Uighur script for non-military mundane affairs because they had no script of their own—so even borrowed scripts were in vogue. The Uighurs had extensive libraries of hand-copied manuscripts translated from Sanskrit, but under the Mongols, many Tibetan manuscripts were also translated into Uighur script.   Since the beginning of the 13th century, the Uighur script was adopted as the official script of the Mongol empire.

        Some cultures did have a system of written traditions like the Aztecs, now more or less an extinct language. Some cultures used hieroglyphics and pictographic drawings to record important stories and messages.

        The native nations across America shared no common language at the time of the Europeans’ arrival. In fact, no unified Native American culture existed at that time or any other time. The tribes and nations across the continents organised their societies in various ways. They had different economic and political systems, linguistic structures, and customs. The better-organised tribal societies co-existed along with hunter-gatherer societies. So, it was a genuine mix of cultures.

        The Europeans had comedies, tragedies, sonnets, and lyrics and the native cultures developed their own storytelling methods.

        Trickster tales were common across Native American cultures. A “trickster” was usually a rowdy, childlike prankster who created trouble wherever he went. He didn’t behave by the rules and had little respect for authority. But he had magical abilities. He could change his gender on his whim- to avoid getting caught or to cause mischief. A trickster was commonly associated with an animal. In the West, he was a coyote, in the Southeast a rabbit, and in the northern Great Plains a spider. A trickster would cause trouble, but at the same time he would convey an important message through a parable. Through the disorder that he caused, he pushed people to reflect on what they valued and knew. Tales of a familiar trickster character were usually strung into “cycles” of different episodes.

        Coyote is a major mythological figure for most Native American tribes, especially those west of the Mississippi. Like the real coyotes, the mythological Coyote is well known for his crafty intelligence, stealth, and voracious appetite.

        In a Clatsop Chinook trickster tale, the trickster Coyote learns about certain fishing taboos regarding fishing salmons in the river. After each failure, he angrily consults his excrements, who reveal another secret about properly catching, cutting, and cooking the fish. The Clatsop are a small tribe of Chinookan-speaking Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest of the United States.

        Like Europeans, Native American cultures had their own stories about how they came to be. The creation of Native American stories helped cultures understand their role on planet Earth. The stories were usually set in nature and had anthropomorphic characters, supernatural events, and complicated storylines. Many native cultures also had stories of the ‘great flood’, like the Judeo-Christian and other religious traditions worldwide.

        Like other cultures, Native American cultures too had specific rituals to welcome new life, celebrate rites of passage, and bury the dead. Information about conducting important rituals was shared through song, dance, and music. Stories about how the rituals came to be were often woven into long song cycles. One Mojave song cycle, composed of 525 songs, tells a creation story. The song cycle is sung over several days after someone dies. The cycle helps the deceased on his or her journey to the afterlife.

    kamleshsujata@yahoo.com

    ***

    Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

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    https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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    Like it and Share it

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    Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety in content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause? The bank details are given below:

    NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

    Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

    IFSC code: BKID0006805

    *

    Kamlesh Tripathi’s Publications

    GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

    (The book is about a young cancer patient. Now archived in 8 prestigious libraries of the US which include Harvard College Library; Harvard University Library; Library of Congress; University of Washington, Seattle; University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; Yale University, New Haven; University of Chicago; University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill University Libraries. It can also be accessed at MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in libraries and archives of Canada; Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai; Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida, India; Shoolini University, Yogananda Knowledge Center, Himachal Pradesh and Azim Premzi University, Bangalore).

    ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

    (Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi; It is also available for reading in the Indian National Bibliography, March 2016, in the literature section, in Central Reference Library, Ministry of Culture, India, Belvedere, Kolkata-700022)

    AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

    (Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity, which is the undying characteristic of Lucknow. The book was launched at the Lucknow International Literary Festival in 2014. It is included for reading in Askews and Holts Library Services, Lancashire, U.K; Herrick District Library, Holland and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library, Mecklenburg County in North Carolina, USA; Black Gold Cooperative Library Administration, Arroyo Grande, California; Berkeley Library, University of California).

    REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

    (Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. It was launched at the Lucknow International Literary Festival in 2016).

    TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

    (Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his way through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10th February 2018 at Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available on Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

    RHYTHM … in poems

    (Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day-to-day life. A few poems from the book have been published in Shillong Times, Bandra Times and Bhavan’s Journal. The book is available on Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

    MIRAGE

    (Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)

    AWADH ASSAM AND DALAI LAMA … The Kalachakra

    (The story of the man who received His Holiness The Dalai Lama and his retinue in 1959 as a GOI representative when he fled Tibet in 1959. The book was launched on 21st November 2022 by His Holiness The Dalai Lama at Dharmshala. The title is archived in the library of the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) Government of Tibet, Tibet Policy Institute (TPI) and the personal library of His Holiness The Dalai Lama. The title is also archived in The Ohio Digital Library, USA. It was recently included in the digital library of the world-renowned company APPLE).

    BHAVANS JOURNAL

    Short stories, Book reviews and Articles published in Bhavan’s Journal: 1. Reality and Perception, 15.10.19; 2. Sending the Wrong Message, 31.5.20; 3. Eagle versus Scholars June, 15 & 20, 2020; 4. Indica, 15.8.20; 5. The Story of King Chitraketu, August 31 2020; 6. Breaking Through the Chakravyuh, September 30 2020. 7. The Questioning Spouse, October 31, 2020; 8. Happy Days, November 15, 2020; 9. The Karma Cycle of Paddy and Wheat, December 15, 2020; 10. Power Vs Influence, January 31, 2021; 11. Three Refugees, March 15, 2021; 12. Rise and Fall of Ajatashatru, March 31, 2021; 13. Reformed Ruler, May 15, 2021; 14. A Lasting Name, May 31, 2021; 15. Are Animals Better Teachers? June 16, 2021; 16. Book Review: The Gram Swaraj, 1.7.21; 17. Right Age for Achievements, 15.7.21; 18. Big Things Have Small Beginnings, 15.8.21; 19. Where is Gangaridai?, 15.9.21; 20. Confront the Donkey Within You 30.9.21; 21. Know Your Strengths 15.10.21; 22. Poverty 15.11.21; 23. Top View 30.11.21; 24. The Bansuriwala 15.1.22; 25. Sale of Alaska 15.2.22; 26. The Dimasa Kingdom 28.2.22;27. Buried Treasure 15.4.22; 28. The Kingdom of Pragjyotisha 30.4.22; 29. Who is more useful? 15.5.22; 30. The White Swan from Lake Mansarovar 30.6.22; 31. Bhool Bhulayya 15.9.22; 32. Good Karma 30.9.22; 33. Good Name vs Bad Name 15.10.22; 34. Uttarapath—The Grand Trunk Road 1.12.22; 35. When Gods Get Angry 1.1.23; 36. Holinshed’s Chronicles 15.1.23; 37. Theogony 15.2.23; 38. Poem: Mother 14.5.23; 39. THE NAG MANDIR 30.6.23; 40. The Story of Garuda 30.7.23; 41. Janmabhoomi vs Karmabhoomi 31.8.23; 42. The Ghost Town of Kuldhara 15.9.23; 43. The Tale of Genji 15.10.23; 44. The Soul Connection 1.12.23; 45.Book review: Jungle Nama … a story of the Sundarban 16.3.24;

    THE SHILLONG TIMES

    ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: HAPPY NEW YEAR 8.1.23; 2. POEM: SPRING 12.3.23; 3. POEM: RIGHT AND WRONG 20.3.23; 4. THE GUSH OF EMOTION—WRITING, 26.3.23; 5. THE NAG MANDIR, 7.5.23; 6. POEM: MOTHER 7.5.23; 7. POEM: RAIN RAIN 9.7.23; 8. POEM: YOU COME ALONE YOU GO ALONE 6.8.23; 9. RAIN RAIN (SECOND TIME) 10.8.23; 10. POEM: GURU TEACHER 10.8.23; 11. POEM: AUTUMN … THE INTERIM HEAVEN 15.10.23; 12. POEM: HAPPY DIWALI 12.11.23; 13. OVERCOMING BLINDNESS: LEARN IT THE JOHN MILTON WAY 10.12.23; 14. THE HAPPY PRINCE AND THE HAPPY MAN’S SHIRT 31.12.23; 15. ANNUS MIRABILIS 2024 7.1.24; 16. GANDHI TO MAHATMA GANDHI- Incidents that Shaped Gandhi in South Africa 28.1.24; 17. POEM: TOGETHER BUT NOT MADE FOR EACH OTHER, 11.2.24; 18. THE BIRDS BEES AND THE SPIDERS OF NICHOLAS GUILDFORD AND JONATHAN SWIFT 25.2.24; 19. THE OVERCOATS OF NIKOLAI GOGOL AND RUSKIN BOND 10.3.24; 20. THE ETHNIC COLOURS OF HOLI 24.3.24; 21. A LESSON FROM DALAI LAMA, 21.4.24;

    THE ASSAM TRIBUNE

    ARTICLE: 1. THE MAGIC OF READING 11.12.23; 2. GANDHI TO MAHATMA 29.1.24; 3. GEOGRAPHY OF SOLITUDE 8.4.24; 4. A LESSON FROM DALAI LAMA, 22.4.24; 5. A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION, 29.4.24;

    BANDRA TIMES, MUMBAI

    ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: SPRING, 1.4.23; 2. POEM: MOTHER, 1.6.23; 3. POEM: RAIN RAIN, 1.8.23;

    ARTICLES IN THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE ESAMSKRITI

    29.12.2020: INDICA BY MEGASTHENES; 14.3.22: ABOUT THE DIMASA KINGDOM ASSAM; 10.12.22: GRAND TRUNK ROAD-UTTARAPATH; 5.10.23: THE GHOST TOWN OF KULDHARA NEAR JAISALMER;

    (ALL THE ABOVE BOOK TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE ON AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

    *****

    TWO HUNDRED YEARS OF TEA IN ASSAM

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         After Captain Welsh’s expedition into Assam in 1792 and his commercial treaty with Ahom King Gaurinath Singha, the East India Company saw some possibilities of agro-commercial opportunities in the region. In 1823, the journey of tea began in Assam and gradually developed into a household beverage. No one could imagine a day without one’s morning cuppa. The discovery of an indigenous tea plant in upper Assam by a Scottish adventurer Robert Bruce in 1823 convinced the British of the possibility of turning the region into a ‘tea ground’ after the Burmese invasion. The Singpho and Khamti tribes knew about the benefits of the tea plant and drank the brew made from its leaves long before the British discovered it. Robert Bruce’s insights into the existence of the tea plant in upper Assam were acquired from a Singpho chief.

         In 1826, C.A. Bruce who commanded a gunboat division in upper Assam during the first Burmese war, collected some specimens of the indigenous tea plant. These specimens were sent to the Botanical Gardens in Calcutta. The Governor General of India, William Bentinck, then deputed Francis Jenkins in 1832 to Assam to evaluate her resources leading to plantation of tea.

        After tea was introduced in 1835, it became a stimulant of economic growth towards the latter half of the nineteenth century. Several tea gardens were opened in different parts of Assam between 1856 and 1859. The liberal grant of ‘wastelands’ enabled the newly formed ‘Assam Company’ to foray into the profitable venture of growing tea. Following the footsteps of the Assam Company, some more companies entered the turf of tea plantation. The Assamese noble Maniram Dewan was the first Indian who started two tea gardens in Chenglu and Chenimora. But due to his alleged complicity in the revolt of 1857, he was hanged and his gardens were confiscated.

        The introduction of the steamer service in the 1860s and the construction of railways by the British in the 1880s boosted the tea industry in Assam. It established closer geographical, economic, political and cultural relationships between the region and the world.

        Initially, tea planters imported Chinese labour, but it proved to be a costly affair. Even experiments with local labour were challenging due to their difficulty in adjusting to a time-work-discipline regime. Local Kacharis and Nagas were willing to engage in plantation work temporarily. Although a few gardens imported labour from Bihar and Chota Nagpur, it was only from 1859 onwards that tea gardens began to recruit labourers on a wide scale from Bihar, Orissa, Bengal, Central Provinces, United Provinces and Madras Presidency.

        Tea plantations attracted Marwari traders to Assam to start business ventures. They provided the necessary trade and finance services to the tea gardens.

        A planter’s wife Iris and her son Alan MacFarlane titled their book ‘Green Gold’ meaning ‘Tea’. They opined that the tea we drink is a product of the British Empire. While Assam tea has been able to cast its spell over different parts of the world, its impact closer home was also par excellence. Several noted Assamese were either sons of tea garden owners or were owners of tea plantations themselves. Apart from making significant contributions to the development of Assamese society during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, they played a useful role in the politics of their time, some of them being active Congressmen.

        ‘Without the tea industry, a stable middle class would not have come into existence in Upper Assam. Through tea, they secured business links in Calcutta and London. With the arrival of the tea planters in Assam came the capitalists. Tea was the only force of ’embourgeoisement’ in the economy of Assam. It offered the Assamese middle class a channel for professional self-expression. It increased the size of the middle class, with some working in clerical jobs and others involved in cultivation, trading, and selling of tea.

        The tea story is incomplete unless we acknowledge the contribution of some pioneer planters who turned the plantation industry into a flourishing enterprise in the Barak Valley. Planters from north Bengal also made huge investments in the tea plantation industry of Assam.

        The tea industry was key to the urban growth of Assam. It contributed towards the construction of roads, hospitals and the development of towns like Dibrugarh, Jorhat and Tezpur. It also helped Assam gain global prominence as one of the major producers and exporters of tea in the world.

        Despite several welfare activities and attempts to create employment opportunities for the locals, the management of the tea industry very often became the target of insurgency. The Indian National Congress brought tea garden workers under their umbrella after independence. The All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) also attempted to spread its influence in the tea gardens. To counter the communist influence of AITUC the Congress formed The Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC).

        The Assam Branch Indian Tea Association (ABITA) was a pillar of strength and support to the tea industry in Assam. The history of the ITA goes a long way back to 1879 when the first association of tea producers known as the Indian Tea Districts Association was formed in London. Considering the geographical distance from London, an association which could be easily accessible became the need of the hour to regulate matters at home. In 1881, a discussion was initiated in Calcutta by representatives of Jardine Skinner & Co., and Begg, Dunlop & Co. which led to the birth of ABITA on 29 October 1889 in Jorhat. James Buckingham of the Amgoorie Tea Company was elected chairman of the association. Due to his meritorious service to the tea industry, he was later known as Sir James. In 1904, he was appointed secretary of the ITA, London. Known as the ‘Father of the ABITA’, Sir James Buckingham contributed towards the development of tea science in India. The CTC machine introduced by another chairman of the ABITA, Mr. William McKercher revolutionised the manufacturing process of tea. India exports large quantities of CTC tea produced in the tea gardens of Assam. The world’s biggest auction market of CTC is located in Guwahati. Lt. Col. W.D. Smiles, chairman of the ABITA was later conferred the honour of knighthood for his valuable contribution to the tea industry and development works in Assam. ABITA’s contribution towards the development of road and railway communication in Assam is noteworthy. Many airfields in Assam were built with the help of tea garden workers during the war. The ABITA has been closely associated with the research and development of tea in Assam since its formation in 1889.

       The oldest and the largest tea research institute in the world – is the Tocklai Tea Research Institute located in Jorhat. It was only with the establishment of the Tocklai Experimental Station in Jorhat in 1911 the systematic research on tea was initiated. The Tocklai Experimental Station was established in collaboration with the Governments of Assam and Bengal by the Indian Tea Association (ITA).   

        Although the tea industry has significantly contributed to the development of the state’s economy and provided a livelihood for many, it has also led to the growth of trade union activities.

        The trade union movement in Assam was led mainly by two fronts- the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) led by the Congress and the Hind Mazdoor Sangh led by the Socialists. The Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangh (ACMS) was established as a branch of the National Mazdoor Congress in 1947 through the efforts of Bijoychandra Bhagwati (1905-1997), Robin Kakoti (1910-1996), K.P. Tripathi (1910-1984), Mahendranath Sarma and many others.

    ***

    Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

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    https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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    Like it and Share it

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    Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety in content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause? The bank details are given below:

    NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

    Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

    IFSC code: BKID0006805

    *

    Kamlesh Tripathi’s Publications

    GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

    (The book is about a young cancer patient. Now archived in 8 prestigious libraries of the US which include Harvard College Library; Harvard University Library; Library of Congress; University of Washington, Seattle; University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; Yale University, New Haven; University of Chicago; University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill University Libraries. It can also be accessed at MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in libraries and archives of Canada; Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai; Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida, India; Shoolini University, Yogananda Knowledge Center, Himachal Pradesh and Azim Premzi University, Bangalore).

    ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

    (Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi; It is also available for reading in the Indian National Bibliography, March 2016, in the literature section, in Central Reference Library, Ministry of Culture, India, Belvedere, Kolkata-700022)

    AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

    (Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity, which is the undying characteristic of Lucknow. The book was launched at the Lucknow International Literary Festival in 2014. It is included for reading in Askews and Holts Library Services, Lancashire, U.K; Herrick District Library, Holland and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library, Mecklenburg County in North Carolina, USA; Black Gold Cooperative Library Administration, Arroyo Grande, California; Berkeley Library, University of California).

    REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

    (Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. It was launched at the Lucknow International Literary Festival in 2016).

    TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

    (Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his way through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10th February 2018 at Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available on Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

    RHYTHM … in poems

    (Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day-to-day life. A few poems from the book have been published in Shillong Times, Bandra Times and Bhavan’s Journal. The book is available on Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

    MIRAGE

    (Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)

    AWADH ASSAM AND DALAI LAMA … The Kalachakra

    (The story of the man who received His Holiness The Dalai Lama and his retinue in 1959 as a GOI representative when he fled Tibet in 1959. The book was launched on 21st November 2022 by His Holiness The Dalai Lama at Dharmshala. The title is archived in the library of the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) Government of Tibet, Tibet Policy Institute (TPI) and the personal library of His Holiness The Dalai Lama. The title is also archived in The Ohio Digital Library, USA. It was recently included in the digital library of the world-renowned company APPLE).

    BHAVANS JOURNAL

    Short stories, Book reviews and Articles published in Bhavan’s Journal: 1. Reality and Perception, 15.10.19; 2. Sending the Wrong Message, 31.5.20; 3. Eagle versus Scholars June, 15 & 20, 2020; 4. Indica, 15.8.20; 5. The Story of King Chitraketu, August 31 2020; 6. Breaking Through the Chakravyuh, September 30 2020. 7. The Questioning Spouse, October 31, 2020; 8. Happy Days, November 15, 2020; 9. The Karma Cycle of Paddy and Wheat, December 15, 2020; 10. Power Vs Influence, January 31, 2021; 11. Three Refugees, March 15, 2021; 12. Rise and Fall of Ajatashatru, March 31, 2021; 13. Reformed Ruler, May 15, 2021; 14. A Lasting Name, May 31, 2021; 15. Are Animals Better Teachers? June 16, 2021; 16. Book Review: The Gram Swaraj, 1.7.21; 17. Right Age for Achievements, 15.7.21; 18. Big Things Have Small Beginnings, 15.8.21; 19. Where is Gangaridai?, 15.9.21; 20. Confront the Donkey Within You 30.9.21; 21. Know Your Strengths 15.10.21; 22. Poverty 15.11.21; 23. Top View 30.11.21; 24. The Bansuriwala 15.1.22; 25. Sale of Alaska 15.2.22; 26. The Dimasa Kingdom 28.2.22;27. Buried Treasure 15.4.22; 28. The Kingdom of Pragjyotisha 30.4.22; 29. Who is more useful? 15.5.22; 30. The White Swan from Lake Mansarovar 30.6.22; 31. Bhool Bhulayya 15.9.22; 32. Good Karma 30.9.22; 33. Good Name vs Bad Name 15.10.22; 34. Uttarapath—The Grand Trunk Road 1.12.22; 35. When Gods Get Angry 1.1.23; 36. Holinshed’s Chronicles 15.1.23; 37. Theogony 15.2.23; 38. Poem: Mother 14.5.23; 39. THE NAG MANDIR 30.6.23; 40. The Story of Garuda 30.7.23; 41. Janmabhoomi vs Karmabhoomi 31.8.23; 42. The Ghost Town of Kuldhara 15.9.23; 43. The Tale of Genji 15.10.23; 44. The Soul Connection 1.12.23; 45.Book review: Jungle Nama … a story of the Sundarban 16.3.24;

    THE SHILLONG TIMES

    ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: HAPPY NEW YEAR 8.1.23; 2. POEM: SPRING 12.3.23; 3. POEM: RIGHT AND WRONG 20.3.23; 4. THE GUSH OF EMOTION—WRITING, 26.3.23; 5. THE NAG MANDIR, 7.5.23; 6. POEM: MOTHER 7.5.23; 7. POEM: RAIN RAIN 9.7.23; 8. POEM: YOU COME ALONE YOU GO ALONE 6.8.23; 9. RAIN RAIN (SECOND TIME) 10.8.23; 10. POEM: GURU TEACHER 10.8.23; 11. POEM: AUTUMN … THE INTERIM HEAVEN 15.10.23; 12. POEM: HAPPY DIWALI 12.11.23; 13. OVERCOMING BLINDNESS: LEARN IT THE JOHN MILTON WAY 10.12.23; 14. THE HAPPY PRINCE AND THE HAPPY MAN’S SHIRT 31.12.23; 15. ANNUS MIRABILIS 2024 7.1.24; 16. GANDHI TO MAHATMA GANDHI- Incidents that Shaped Gandhi in South Africa 28.1.24; 17. POEM: TOGETHER BUT NOT MADE FOR EACH OTHER, 11.2.24; 18. THE BIRDS BEES AND THE SPIDERS OF NICHOLAS GUILDFORD AND JONATHAN SWIFT 25.2.24; 19. THE OVERCOATS OF NIKOLAI GOGOL AND RUSKIN BOND 10.3.24; 20. THE ETHNIC COLOURS OF HOLI 24.3.24; 21. A LESSON FROM DALAI LAMA, 21.4.24;

    THE ASSAM TRIBUNE

    ARTICLE: 1. THE MAGIC OF READING 11.12.23; 2. GANDHI TO MAHATMA 29.1.24; 3. GEOGRAPHY OF SOLITUDE 8.4.24; 4. A LESSON FROM DALAI LAMA, 22.4.24; 5. A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION, 29.4.24;

    BANDRA TIMES, MUMBAI

    ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: SPRING, 1.4.23; 2. POEM: MOTHER, 1.6.23; 3. POEM: RAIN RAIN, 1.8.23;

    ARTICLES IN THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE ESAMSKRITI

    29.12.2020: INDICA BY MEGASTHENES; 14.3.22: ABOUT THE DIMASA KINGDOM ASSAM; 10.12.22: GRAND TRUNK ROAD-UTTARAPATH; 5.10.23: THE GHOST TOWN OF KULDHARA NEAR JAISALMER;

    (ALL THE ABOVE BOOK TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE ON AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

    *****

    A LESSON FORM HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA

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    What does it take for a person to smile when he has lost his country. Learn it from HH The Dalai Lama. Read my piece in The Assam Tribune, 22.4.24.

    Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

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    https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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    Like it and Share it  

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    Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety in content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause? The bank details are given below:

    NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

    Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

    IFSC code: BKID0006805

    *

    Kamlesh Tripathi’s Publications

    GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

    (The book is about a young cancer patient. Now archived in 8 prestigious libraries of the US which include Harvard College Library; Harvard University Library; Library of Congress; University of Washington, Seattle; University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; Yale University, New Haven; University of Chicago; University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill University Libraries. It can also be accessed at MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in libraries and archives of Canada; Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai; Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida, India; Shoolini University, Yogananda Knowledge Center, Himachal Pradesh and Azim Premzi University, Bangalore).  

    ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

    (Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi; It is also available for reading in the Indian National Bibliography, March 2016, in the literature section, in Central Reference Library, Ministry of Culture, India, Belvedere, Kolkata-700022)

    AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

    (Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity, which is the undying characteristic of Lucknow. The book was launched at the Lucknow International Literary Festival in 2014. It is included for reading in Askews and Holts Library Services, Lancashire, U.K; Herrick District Library, Holland and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library, Mecklenburg County in North Carolina, USA; Black Gold Cooperative Library Administration, Arroyo Grande, California; Berkeley Library, University of California).

    REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

    (Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. It was launched at the Lucknow International Literary Festival in 2016).

    TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

    (Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his way through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10th February 2018 at Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available on Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

    RHYTHM … in poems

    (Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day-to-day life. A few poems from the book have been published in Shillong Times, Bandra Times and Bhavan’s Journal. The book is available on Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

    MIRAGE

    (Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)

    AWADH ASSAM AND DALAI LAMA … The Kalachakra

    (The story of the man who received His Holiness The Dalai Lama and his retinue in 1959 as a GOI representative when he fled Tibet in 1959. The book was launched on 21st November 2022 by His Holiness The Dalai Lama at Dharmshala. The title is archived in the library of the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) Government of Tibet, Tibet Policy Institute (TPI) and the personal library of His Holiness The Dalai Lama. The title is also archived in The Ohio Digital Library, USA. It was recently included in the digital library of the world-renowned company APPLE).

    BHAVANS JOURNAL

    Short stories, Book reviews and Articles published in Bhavan’s Journal: 1. Reality and Perception, 15.10.19; 2. Sending the Wrong Message, 31.5.20; 3. Eagle versus Scholars June, 15 & 20, 2020; 4. Indica, 15.8.20; 5. The Story of King Chitraketu, August 31 2020; 6. Breaking Through the Chakravyuh, September 30 2020. 7. The Questioning Spouse, October 31, 2020; 8. Happy Days, November 15, 2020; 9. The Karma Cycle of Paddy and Wheat, December 15, 2020; 10. Power Vs Influence, January 31, 2021; 11. Three Refugees, March 15, 2021; 12. Rise and Fall of Ajatashatru, March 31, 2021; 13. Reformed Ruler, May 15, 2021; 14. A Lasting Name, May 31, 2021; 15. Are Animals Better Teachers? June 16, 2021; 16. Book Review: The Gram Swaraj, 1.7.21; 17. Right Age for Achievements, 15.7.21; 18. Big Things Have Small Beginnings, 15.8.21; 19. Where is Gangaridai?, 15.9.21; 20. Confront the Donkey Within You 30.9.21; 21. Know Your Strengths 15.10.21; 22. Poverty 15.11.21; 23. Top View 30.11.21; 24. The Bansuriwala 15.1.22; 25. Sale of Alaska 15.2.22; 26. The Dimasa Kingdom 28.2.22;27. Buried Treasure 15.4.22; 28. The Kingdom of Pragjyotisha 30.4.22; 29. Who is more useful? 15.5.22; 30. The White Swan from Lake Mansarovar 30.6.22; 31. Bhool Bhulayya 15.9.22; 32. Good Karma 30.9.22; 33. Good Name vs Bad Name 15.10.22; 34. Uttarapath—The Grand Trunk Road 1.12.22; 35. When Gods Get Angry 1.1.23; 36. Holinshed’s Chronicles 15.1.23; 37. Theogony 15.2.23; 38. Poem: Mother 14.5.23; 39. THE NAG MANDIR 30.6.23; 40. The Story of Garuda 30.7.23; 41. Janmabhoomi vs Karmabhoomi 31.8.23; 42. The Ghost Town of Kuldhara 15.9.23; 43. The Tale of Genji 15.10.23; 44. The Soul Connection 1.12.23; 45.Book review: Jungle Nama … a story of the Sundarban 16.3.24;

    THE SHILLONG TIMES

    ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: HAPPY NEW YEAR 8.1.23; 2. POEM: SPRING 12.3.23; 3. POEM: RIGHT AND WRONG 20.3.23; 4. THE GUSH OF EMOTION—WRITING, 26.3.23; 5. THE NAG MANDIR, 7.5.23; 6. POEM: MOTHER 7.5.23; 7. POEM: RAIN RAIN 9.7.23; 8. POEM: YOU COME ALONE YOU GO ALONE 6.8.23; 9. RAIN RAIN (SECOND TIME) 10.8.23; 10. POEM: GURU TEACHER 10.8.23; 11. POEM: AUTUMN … THE INTERIM HEAVEN 15.10.23; 12. POEM: HAPPY DIWALI 12.11.23; 13. OVERCOMING BLINDNESS: LEARN IT THE JOHN MILTON WAY 10.12.23; 14. THE HAPPY PRINCE AND THE HAPPY MAN’S SHIRT 31.12.23; 15. ANNUS MIRABILIS 2024 7.1.24; 16. GANDHI TO MAHATMA GANDHI- Incidents that Shaped Gandhi in South Africa 28.1.24; 17. POEM: TOGETHER BUT NOT MADE FOR EACH OTHER, 11.2.24; 18. THE BIRDS BEES AND THE SPIDERS OF NICHOLAS GUILDFORD AND JONATHAN SWIFT 25.2.24; 19. THE OVERCOATS OF NIKOLAI GOGOL AND RUSKIN BOND 10.3.24; 20. THE ETHNIC COLOURS OF HOLI 24.3.24; 21. A LESSON FROM DALAI LAMA, 21.4.24;

    THE ASSAM TRIBUNE

    ARTICLE: 1. THE MAGIC OF READING 11.12.23; 2. GANDHI TO MAHATMA 29.1.24; 3. GEOGRAPHY OF SOLITUDE 8.4.24; 4. A LESSON FROM DALAI LAMA, 22.4.24;

    BANDRA TIMES, MUMBAI

    ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: SPRING, 1.4.23; 2. POEM: MOTHER, 1.6.23; 3. POEM: RAIN RAIN, 1.8.23;

    ARTICLES IN THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE ESAMSKRITI

    29.12.2020: INDICA BY MEGASTHENES; 14.3.22: ABOUT THE DIMASA KINGDOM ASSAM; 10.12.22: GRAND TRUNK ROAD-UTTARAPATH; 5.10.23: THE GHOST TOWN OF KULDHARA NEAR JAISALMER;

    (ALL THE ABOVE BOOK TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE ON AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

    *****

    A LESSON FORM HH THE DALAI LAMA

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    Copyright@shravancharitymission

    What does it take for a man who has lost his country to smile. Learn it from HH The Dalai Lama. Read my article ‘A LESSON FROM DALAI LAMA’ in the The Shillong Times (Sunday Shillong) 21st April, 2024.

    Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

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    https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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    Like it and Share it  

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    Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety in content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause? The bank details are given below:

    NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

    Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

    IFSC code: BKID0006805

    *

    Kamlesh Tripathi’s Publications

    GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

    (The book is about a young cancer patient. Now archived in 8 prestigious libraries of the US which include Harvard College Library; Harvard University Library; Library of Congress; University of Washington, Seattle; University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; Yale University, New Haven; University of Chicago; University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill University Libraries. It can also be accessed at MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in libraries and archives of Canada; Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai; Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida, India; Shoolini University, Yogananda Knowledge Center, Himachal Pradesh and Azim Premzi University, Bangalore).  

    ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

    (Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi; It is also available for reading in the Indian National Bibliography, March 2016, in the literature section, in Central Reference Library, Ministry of Culture, India, Belvedere, Kolkata-700022)

    AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

    (Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity, which is the undying characteristic of Lucknow. The book was launched at the Lucknow International Literary Festival in 2014. It is included for reading in Askews and Holts Library Services, Lancashire, U.K; Herrick District Library, Holland and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library, Mecklenburg County in North Carolina, USA; Black Gold Cooperative Library Administration, Arroyo Grande, California; Berkeley Library, University of California).

    REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

    (Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. It was launched at the Lucknow International Literary Festival in 2016).

    TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

    (Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his way through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10th February 2018 at Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available on Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

    RHYTHM … in poems

    (Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day-to-day life. A few poems from the book have been published in Shillong Times, Bandra Times and Bhavan’s Journal. The book is available on Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

    MIRAGE

    (Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)

    AWADH ASSAM AND DALAI LAMA … The Kalachakra

    (The story of the man who received His Holiness The Dalai Lama and his retinue in 1959 as a GOI representative when he fled Tibet in 1959. The book was launched on 21st November 2022 by His Holiness The Dalai Lama at Dharmshala. The title is archived in the library of the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) Government of Tibet, Tibet Policy Institute (TPI) and the personal library of His Holiness The Dalai Lama. The title is also archived in The Ohio Digital Library, USA. It was recently included in the digital library of the world-renowned company APPLE).

    BHAVANS JOURNAL

    Short stories, Book reviews and Articles published in Bhavan’s Journal: 1. Reality and Perception, 15.10.19; 2. Sending the Wrong Message, 31.5.20; 3. Eagle versus Scholars June, 15 & 20, 2020; 4. Indica, 15.8.20; 5. The Story of King Chitraketu, August 31 2020; 6. Breaking Through the Chakravyuh, September 30 2020. 7. The Questioning Spouse, October 31, 2020; 8. Happy Days, November 15, 2020; 9. The Karma Cycle of Paddy and Wheat, December 15, 2020; 10. Power Vs Influence, January 31, 2021; 11. Three Refugees, March 15, 2021; 12. Rise and Fall of Ajatashatru, March 31, 2021; 13. Reformed Ruler, May 15, 2021; 14. A Lasting Name, May 31, 2021; 15. Are Animals Better Teachers? June 16, 2021; 16. Book Review: The Gram Swaraj, 1.7.21; 17. Right Age for Achievements, 15.7.21; 18. Big Things Have Small Beginnings, 15.8.21; 19. Where is Gangaridai?, 15.9.21; 20. Confront the Donkey Within You 30.9.21; 21. Know Your Strengths 15.10.21; 22. Poverty 15.11.21; 23. Top View 30.11.21; 24. The Bansuriwala 15.1.22; 25. Sale of Alaska 15.2.22; 26. The Dimasa Kingdom 28.2.22;27. Buried Treasure 15.4.22; 28. The Kingdom of Pragjyotisha 30.4.22; 29. Who is more useful? 15.5.22; 30. The White Swan from Lake Mansarovar 30.6.22; 31. Bhool Bhulayya 15.9.22; 32. Good Karma 30.9.22; 33. Good Name vs Bad Name 15.10.22; 34. Uttarapath—The Grand Trunk Road 1.12.22; 35. When Gods Get Angry 1.1.23; 36. Holinshed’s Chronicles 15.1.23; 37. Theogony 15.2.23; 38. Poem: Mother 14.5.23; 39. THE NAG MANDIR 30.6.23; 40. The Story of Garuda 30.7.23; 41. Janmabhoomi vs Karmabhoomi 31.8.23; 42. The Ghost Town of Kuldhara 15.9.23; 43. The Tale of Genji 15.10.23; 44. The Soul Connection 1.12.23; 45.Book review: Jungle Nama … a story of the Sundarban 16.3.24;

    THE SHILLONG TIMES

    ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: HAPPY NEW YEAR 8.1.23; 2. POEM: SPRING 12.3.23; 3. POEM: RIGHT AND WRONG 20.3.23; 4. THE GUSH OF EMOTION—WRITING, 26.3.23; 5. THE NAG MANDIR, 7.5.23; 6. POEM: MOTHER 7.5.23; 7. POEM: RAIN RAIN 9.7.23; 8. POEM: YOU COME ALONE YOU GO ALONE 6.8.23; 9. RAIN RAIN (SECOND TIME) 10.8.23; 10. POEM: GURU TEACHER 10.8.23; 11. POEM: AUTUMN … THE INTERIM HEAVEN 15.10.23; 12. POEM: HAPPY DIWALI 12.11.23; 13. OVERCOMING BLINDNESS: LEARN IT THE JOHN MILTON WAY 10.12.23; 14. THE HAPPY PRINCE AND THE HAPPY MAN’S SHIRT 31.12.23; 15. ANNUS MIRABILIS 2024 7.1.24; 16. GANDHI TO MAHATMA GANDHI- Incidents that Shaped Gandhi in South Africa 28.1.24; 17. POEM: TOGETHER BUT NOT MADE FOR EACH OTHER, 11.2.24; 18. THE BIRDS BEES AND THE SPIDERS OF NICHOLAS GUILDFORD AND JONATHAN SWIFT 25.2.24; 19. THE OVERCOATS OF NIKOLAI GOGOL AND RUSKIN BOND 10.3.24; 20. THE ETHNIC COLOURS OF HOLI 24.3.24; 21. A LESSON FROM DALAI LAMA, 21.4.24;

    THE ASSAM TRIBUNE

    ARTICLE: 1. THE MAGIC OF READING 11.12.23; 2. GANDHI TO MAHATMA 29.1.24; 3. GEOGRAPHY OF SOLITUDE 8.4.24; 4. A LESSON FROM DALAI LAMA, 22.4.24;

    BANDRA TIMES, MUMBAI

    ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: SPRING, 1.4.23; 2. POEM: MOTHER, 1.6.23; 3. POEM: RAIN RAIN, 1.8.23;

    ARTICLES IN THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE ESAMSKRITI

    29.12.2020: INDICA BY MEGASTHENES; 14.3.22: ABOUT THE DIMASA KINGDOM ASSAM; 10.12.22: GRAND TRUNK ROAD-UTTARAPATH; 5.10.23: THE GHOST TOWN OF KULDHARA NEAR JAISALMER;

    (ALL THE ABOVE BOOK TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE ON AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

    *****

    BIBLIOBURRO: THE FOUR LEGGED LIBRARY

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    Luis Soriano and his donkey library

         The Biblioburro (The Donkey Library) is a travelling library that distributes books to book readers being carried on the backs of two donkeys, Alfa and Beto. The concept was initiated in La Gloria, Columbia, by one passionate teacher Luis Soriano. The Biblioburro operates within the central municipalities of the Department of Magdalena, on Colombia’s Caribbean shore. In La Gloria, Columbia, many rural communities lack access to books, which limits the educational opportunities of children. Luis Soriano’s Biblioburro aims to bring books directly to these communities, by bridging the terrain gap and giving children the chance to experience the magic of learning.

        If you can’t reach the books let the books reach you is Luis Soriano’s philosophy of life.  He introduced knowledge to the children in remote areas through books. Luis Soriano reminds me of a Tibetan folk-tale which is about a village that had no mirrors. As a result, no one had ever seen his or her face until a local trader who travelled to distant locations bought a mirror and introduced it in the village when for the first time everyone saw their faces and got emotional.  

         Remaining ignorant or illiterate is like the dormant Kumbhkaran who slept for six months at a time and that brings me to the short story of Rip Van Winkle by the American author Washington Irving, first published in 1819. The story is about a Dutch-American village in colonial America. There a character by the name of Rip Van Winkle meets some mysterious Dutchmen, drinks their mysterious liquor and falls asleep in the Catskill Mountains. He wakes up 20 years later to a changed world, having missed the American Revolution. So that’s what a (metaphoric) slumber or ignorance might do to you. The Catskill Mountains conversely remind you of La Gloria, Columbia and Luis Soriano’s Biblioburro where the rural communities lacked access to books and that limited educational opportunities for children leading to illiteracy. Not reading and learning is like sleeping. Sadly, Rip Van Winkle did not have Luis Soriano and his Biblioburro to wake him up before the American Revolution.

        In ancient times Brahmins were considered as moving libraries or knowledge reservoirs when scriptures were not written.  Killing a Brahmin was therefore a grave crime because in actuality you were destroying knowledge or burning down a library.

        In the heart of rural Columbia, where the rugged terrain meets the horizon, a man and his two faithful donkeys carry a precious cargo of knowledge and imagination.

        Together, they form the Biblioburro (the donkey library), a mobile library of around 120 books that roam the countryside, spreading the joy of reading and learning to children who would otherwise have no access to books. As they journey across mountains and valleys, Soriano and his companions are greeted with excitement and wonder by the young readers who eagerly gather around them.

        After finishing high school in La Gloria, Columbia, Soriano knew he wanted to become a teacher. He got a job at a small rural school while completing a degree remotely from the Universidad del Magdalena. However, he found that his students were not progressing and did not do their homework, which he attributed to their lack of access to books at home.

        Despite his limited access to resources, he resolved to bring knowledge to his pupils by bringing books to them. One day in the year 1997, with the help of one of his donkeys and a stack of books, he set off before dawn and embarked on a challenging journey across the countryside. He travelled several miles, stopping at the homes of each of his students to read with them. Afterwards, he lent them the books and promised to come back to collect them the next day. Day after day, he repeated this process, arriving in the early hours of the morning, long before school started. Soriano’s Biblioburro soon became more than just a mobile library. It became a beacon of hope, a symbol of possibility, and a gateway to a brighter future.

        More than two decades later, Luis Soriano has not stopped. Despite being robbed a couple of times, facing violent threats, and enduring many injuries during his travels, Soriano continues to promote literacy because he believes it is crucial for ending violence and bringing peace to his country. His library which started with only 70 books, today, boasts a collection of more than 7000 titles, most of which were donated after his inspirational story was made known to the public via media.

        But who inspired Luis Soriano to do this noble job? The scourge of illiteracy perhaps and the libraries showed him the way. Established in the early 19th century was the world’s biggest Library—The Library of Congress which retains copies of significant English publications deemed significant for America. Bookstores in Taiwan allow young students to read their books (on the display shelf) while sitting on the store premises. Books nurture ideas just as William Shakespeare got the idea of Macbeth from Holished’s Chronicles. Babbington Macaulay never remained without a book. Whatever the occasion he had a book in his hand. Luis Soriano had realised the importance of books for his countrymen.

    *****

    Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

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    https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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    Like it and Share it  

    *

    Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety in content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause? The bank details are given below:

    NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

    Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

    IFSC code: BKID0006805

    *

    Kamlesh Tripathi’s Publications

    GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

    (The book is about a young cancer patient. Now archived in 8 prestigious libraries of the US which include Harvard College Library; Harvard University Library; Library of Congress; University of Washington, Seattle; University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; Yale University, New Haven; University of Chicago; University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill University Libraries. It can also be accessed at MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in libraries and archives of Canada; Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai; Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida, India; Shoolini University, Yogananda Knowledge Center, Himachal Pradesh and Azim Premzi University, Bangalore).  

    ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

    (Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi; It is also available for reading in the Indian National Bibliography, March 2016, in the literature section, in Central Reference Library, Ministry of Culture, India, Belvedere, Kolkata-700022)

    AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

    (Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity, which is the undying characteristic of Lucknow. The book was launched at the Lucknow International Literary Festival in 2014. It is included for reading in Askews and Holts Library Services, Lancashire, U.K; Herrick District Library, Holland and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library, Mecklenburg County in North Carolina, USA; Black Gold Cooperative Library Administration, Arroyo Grande, California; Berkeley Library, University of California).

    REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

    (Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. It was launched at the Lucknow International Literary Festival in 2016).

    TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

    (Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his way through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10th February 2018 at Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available on Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

    RHYTHM … in poems

    (Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day-to-day life. A few poems from the book have been published in Shillong Times, Bandra Times and Bhavan’s Journal. The book is available on Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

    MIRAGE

    (Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)

    AWADH ASSAM AND DALAI LAMA … The Kalachakra

    (The story of the man who received His Holiness The Dalai Lama and his retinue in 1959 as a GOI representative when he fled Tibet in 1959. The book was launched on 21st November 2022 by His Holiness The Dalai Lama at Dharmshala. The title is archived in the library of the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) Government of Tibet, Tibet Policy Institute (TPI) and the personal library of His Holiness The Dalai Lama. The title is also archived in The Ohio Digital Library, USA. It was recently included in the digital library of the world-renowned company APPLE).

    BHAVANS JOURNAL

    Short stories, Book reviews and Articles published in Bhavan’s Journal: 1. Reality and Perception, 15.10.19; 2. Sending the Wrong Message, 31.5.20; 3. Eagle versus Scholars June, 15 & 20, 2020; 4. Indica, 15.8.20; 5. The Story of King Chitraketu, August 31 2020; 6. Breaking Through the Chakravyuh, September 30 2020. 7. The Questioning Spouse, October 31, 2020; 8. Happy Days, November 15, 2020; 9. The Karma Cycle of Paddy and Wheat, December 15, 2020; 10. Power Vs Influence, January 31, 2021; 11. Three Refugees, March 15, 2021; 12. Rise and Fall of Ajatashatru, March 31, 2021; 13. Reformed Ruler, May 15, 2021; 14. A Lasting Name, May 31, 2021; 15. Are Animals Better Teachers? June 16, 2021; 16. Book Review: The Gram Swaraj, 1.7.21; 17. Right Age for Achievements, 15.7.21; 18. Big Things Have Small Beginnings, 15.8.21; 19. Where is Gangaridai?, 15.9.21; 20. Confront the Donkey Within You 30.9.21; 21. Know Your Strengths 15.10.21; 22. Poverty 15.11.21; 23. Top View 30.11.21; 24. The Bansuriwala 15.1.22; 25. Sale of Alaska 15.2.22; 26. The Dimasa Kingdom 28.2.22;27. Buried Treasure 15.4.22; 28. The Kingdom of Pragjyotisha 30.4.22; 29. Who is more useful? 15.5.22; 30. The White Swan from Lake Mansarovar 30.6.22; 31. Bhool Bhulayya 15.9.22; 32. Good Karma 30.9.22; 33. Good Name vs Bad Name 15.10.22; 34. Uttarapath—The Grand Trunk Road 1.12.22; 35. When Gods Get Angry 1.1.23; 36. Holinshed’s Chronicles 15.1.23; 37. Theogony 15.2.23; 38. Poem: Mother 14.5.23; 39. THE NAG MANDIR 30.6.23; 40. The Story of Garuda 30.7.23; 41. Janmabhoomi vs Karmabhoomi 31.8.23; 42. The Ghost Town of Kuldhara 15.9.23; 43. The Tale of Genji 15.10.23; 44. The Soul Connection 1.12.23; 45.Book review: Jungle Nama … a story of the Sundarban 16.3.24;

    THE SHILLONG TIMES

    ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: HAPPY NEW YEAR 8.1.23; 2. POEM: SPRING 12.3.23; 3. POEM: RIGHT AND WRONG 20.3.23; 4. THE GUSH OF EMOTION—WRITING, 26.3.23; 5. THE NAG MANDIR, 7.5.23; 6. POEM: MOTHER 7.5.23; 7. POEM: RAIN RAIN 9.7.23; 8. POEM: YOU COME ALONE YOU GO ALONE 6.8.23; 9. RAIN RAIN (SECOND TIME) 10.8.23; 10. POEM: GURU TEACHER 10.8.23; 11. POEM: AUTUMN … THE INTERIM HEAVEN 15.10.23; 12. POEM: HAPPY DIWALI 12.11.23; 13. OVERCOMING BLINDNESS: LEARN IT THE JOHN MILTON WAY 10.12.23; 14. THE HAPPY PRINCE AND THE HAPPY MAN’S SHIRT 31.12.23; 15. ANNUS MIRABILIS 2024 7.1.24; 16. GANDHI TO MAHATMA GANDHI- Incidents that Shaped Gandhi in South Africa 28.1.24; 17. POEM: TOGETHER BUT NOT MADE FOR EACH OTHER, 11.2.24; 18. THE BIRDS BEES AND THE SPIDERS OF NICHOLAS GUILDFORD AND JONATHAN SWIFT 25.2.24; 19. THE OVERCOATS OF NIKOLAI GOGOL AND RUSKIN BOND 10.3.24; 20. THE ETHNIC COLOURS OF HOLI 24.3.24

    THE ASSAM TRIBUNE

    ARTICLE: 1. THE MAGIC OF READING 11.12.23; 2. GANDHI TO MAHATMA 29.1.24; GEOGRAPHY OF SOLITUDE 8.4.24;

    BANDRA TIMES, MUMBAI

    ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: SPRING, 1.4.23; 2. POEM: MOTHER, 1.6.23; 3. POEM: RAIN RAIN, 1.8.23;

    ARTICLES IN THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE ESAMSKRITI

    29.12.2020: INDICA BY MEGASTHENES; 14.3.22: ABOUT THE DIMASA KINGDOM ASSAM; 10.12.22: GRAND TRUNK ROAD-UTTARAPATH; 5.10.23: THE GHOST TOWN OF KULDHARA NEAR JAISALMER;

    (ALL THE ABOVE BOOK TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE ON AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

    *****

    GEOGRAPHY OF SOLITUDE

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    Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

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    Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety in content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause? The bank details are given below:

    NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

    Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

    IFSC code: BKID0006805

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    Kamlesh Tripathi’s Publications

    GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

    (The book is about a young cancer patient. Now archived in 8 prestigious libraries of the US which include Harvard College Library; Harvard University Library; Library of Congress; University of Washington, Seattle; University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; Yale University, New Haven; University of Chicago; University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill University Libraries. It can also be accessed at MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in libraries and archives of Canada; Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai; Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida, India; Shoolini University, Yogananda Knowledge Center, Himachal Pradesh and Azim Premzi University, Bangalore).  

    ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

    (Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi; It is also available for reading in the Indian National Bibliography, March 2016, in the literature section, in Central Reference Library, Ministry of Culture, India, Belvedere, Kolkata-700022)

    AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

    (Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity, which is the undying characteristic of Lucknow. The book was launched at the Lucknow International Literary Festival in 2014. It is included for reading in Askews and Holts Library Services, Lancashire, U.K; Herrick District Library, Holland and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library, Mecklenburg County in North Carolina, USA; Black Gold Cooperative Library Administration, Arroyo Grande, California; Berkeley Library, University of California).

    REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

    (Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. It was launched at the Lucknow International Literary Festival in 2016).

    TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

    (Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his way through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10th February 2018 at Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available on Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

    RHYTHM … in poems

    (Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day-to-day life. A few poems from the book have been published in Shillong Times, Bandra Times and Bhavan’s Journal. The book is available on Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

    MIRAGE

    (Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)

    AWADH ASSAM AND DALAI LAMA … The Kalachakra

    (The story of the man who received His Holiness The Dalai Lama and his retinue in 1959 as a GOI representative when he fled Tibet in 1959. The book was launched on 21st November 2022 by His Holiness The Dalai Lama at Dharmshala. The title is archived in the library of the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) Government of Tibet, Tibet Policy Institute (TPI) and the personal library of His Holiness The Dalai Lama. The title is also archived in The Ohio Digital Library, USA. It was recently included in the digital library of the world-renowned company APPLE).

    BHAVANS JOURNAL

    Short stories, Book reviews and Articles published in Bhavan’s Journal: 1. Reality and Perception, 15.10.19; 2. Sending the Wrong Message, 31.5.20; 3. Eagle versus Scholars June, 15 & 20, 2020; 4. Indica, 15.8.20; 5. The Story of King Chitraketu, August 31 2020; 6. Breaking Through the Chakravyuh, September 30 2020. 7. The Questioning Spouse, October 31, 2020; 8. Happy Days, November 15, 2020; 9. The Karma Cycle of Paddy and Wheat, December 15, 2020; 10. Power Vs Influence, January 31, 2021; 11. Three Refugees, March 15, 2021; 12. Rise and Fall of Ajatashatru, March 31, 2021; 13. Reformed Ruler, May 15, 2021; 14. A Lasting Name, May 31, 2021; 15. Are Animals Better Teachers? June 16, 2021; 16. Book Review: The Gram Swaraj, 1.7.21; 17. Right Age for Achievements, 15.7.21; 18. Big Things Have Small Beginnings, 15.8.21; 19. Where is Gangaridai?, 15.9.21; 20. Confront the Donkey Within You 30.9.21; 21. Know Your Strengths 15.10.21; 22. Poverty 15.11.21; 23. Top View 30.11.21; 24. The Bansuriwala 15.1.22; 25. Sale of Alaska 15.2.22; 26. The Dimasa Kingdom 28.2.22;27. Buried Treasure 15.4.22; 28. The Kingdom of Pragjyotisha 30.4.22; 29. Who is more useful? 15.5.22; 30. The White Swan from Lake Mansarovar 30.6.22; 31. Bhool Bhulayya 15.9.22; 32. Good Karma 30.9.22; 33. Good Name vs Bad Name 15.10.22; 34. Uttarapath—The Grand Trunk Road 1.12.22; 35. When Gods Get Angry 1.1.23; 36. Holinshed’s Chronicles 15.1.23; 37. Theogony 15.2.23; 38. Poem: Mother 14.5.23; 39. THE NAG MANDIR 30.6.23; 40. The Story of Garuda 30.7.23; 41. Janmabhoomi vs Karmabhoomi 31.8.23; 42. The Ghost Town of Kuldhara 15.9.23; 43. The Tale of Genji 15.10.23; 44. The Soul Connection 1.12.23; 45.Book review: Jungle Nama … a story of the Sundarban 16.3.24;

    THE SHILLONG TIMES

    ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: HAPPY NEW YEAR 8.1.23; 2. POEM: SPRING 12.3.23; 3. POEM: RIGHT AND WRONG 20.3.23; 4. THE GUSH OF EMOTION—WRITING, 26.3.23; 5. THE NAG MANDIR, 7.5.23; 6. POEM: MOTHER 7.5.23; 7. POEM: RAIN RAIN 9.7.23; 8. POEM: YOU COME ALONE YOU GO ALONE 6.8.23; 9. RAIN RAIN (SECOND TIME) 10.8.23; 10. POEM: GURU TEACHER 10.8.23; 11. POEM: AUTUMN … THE INTERIM HEAVEN 15.10.23; 12. POEM: HAPPY DIWALI 12.11.23; 13. OVERCOMING BLINDNESS: LEARN IT THE JOHN MILTON WAY 10.12.23; 14. THE HAPPY PRINCE AND THE HAPPY MAN’S SHIRT 31.12.23; 15. ANNUS MIRABILIS 2024 7.1.24; 16. GANDHI TO MAHATMA GANDHI- Incidents that Shaped Gandhi in South Africa 28.1.24; 17. POEM: TOGETHER BUT NOT MADE FOR EACH OTHER, 11.2.24; 18. THE BIRDS BEES AND THE SPIDERS OF NICHOLAS GUILDFORD AND JONATHAN SWIFT 25.2.24; 19. THE OVERCOATS OF NIKOLAI GOGOL AND RUSKIN BOND 10.3.24; 20. THE ETHNIC COLOURS OF HOLI 24.3.24

    THE ASSAM TRIBUNE

    ARTICLE: 1. THE MAGIC OF READING 11.12.23; 2. GANDHI TO MAHATMA 29.1.24; GEOGRAPHY OF SOLITUDE 8.4.24;

    BANDRA TIMES, MUMBAI

    ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: SPRING, 1.4.23; 2. POEM: MOTHER, 1.6.23; 3. POEM: RAIN RAIN, 1.8.23;

    ARTICLES IN THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE ESAMSKRITI

    29.12.2020: INDICA BY MEGASTHENES; 14.3.22: ABOUT THE DIMASA KINGDOM ASSAM; 10.12.22: GRAND TRUNK ROAD-UTTARAPATH; 5.10.23: THE GHOST TOWN OF KULDHARA NEAR JAISALMER;

    (ALL THE ABOVE BOOK TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE ON AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

    *****