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THIRTEEN VIRTUES OF AMERICAN POLYMATH BENJAMIN FRANKLIN by Kamlesh Tripathi

July 16, 2026article, author profile, autobiography, Uncategorizedamerican polymath, chastity, cleanliness, declaration of independence, frugality, humility, industry, justice, kamlesh tripathi, order, shravan charity mission, silence, sincerity, temperance, thirteen virtues of benjamin franklin, tranquilityshravancharitymission

Benjamin Franklin was an American polymath: a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher and political philosopher. Among the most influential intellectuals of his time, Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States; a drafter and signer of the Declaration of Independence; and the first postmaster general.

In The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, we find a list of thirteen virtues that Franklin thought were necessary or desirable to conduct a person’s day-to-day life. Virtues are character traits considered morally good and valued for their ability to promote individual and societal well-being. These names of virtues, with their precepts, were:

1. Temperance: ‘Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation’—practice moderation in food and drink. Avoid excess and practice moderation.

2. Silence: ‘Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation’—speak only when your words are useful, truthful, or helpful. Avoid gossip and unnecessary talk.

3. Order: ‘Let your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time’—keep your belongings, work, and daily activities organised and well-planned.

5. Frugality: ‘Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing’—spend money wisely. Avoid waste and use resources only for beneficial purposes.

6. Industry: ‘Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions’—work hard and use your time productively. Avoid laziness and unnecessary activities.

7. Sincerity: ‘Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly’—be honest and truthful. Do not deceive others in words or actions.

8. Justice: ‘Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty’—treat everyone fairly. Do not harm others and help when it is your duty.

10. Cleanliness: ‘Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation’—keep your body, clothes, home, and surroundings neat and clean.

11. Tranquillity: ‘Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable’—stay calm and peaceful. Do not let small problems or unavoidable events upset you.

12. Chastity: ‘Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation’—exercise self-control over physical desires and maintain respect for yourself and others.

13. Humility: ‘Imitate Jesus and Socrates’—be modest and willing to learn from others. Do not be arrogant or boastful.

Benjamin wrote in his autobiography: ‘Together, these virtues form a practical guide for self-improvement, helping a person develop discipline, good character, wisdom, and harmonious relationships with others. Knowing virtues is like having a map; adopting them is actually taking the journey. I intend to acquire the habitude of all these virtues. I judged it would be well not to distract my attention by attempting the whole at once, but to fix one at a time; and, when I became the master of that, I proceed to another, and so on, till I should have gone through all the thirteen; and, the previous acquisition of some might facilitate the acquisition of certain others, I arranged them with that view, as they stand above.’

Franklin’s thirteen virtues are not merely moral principles. They are qualities that literature repeatedly explores through its characters and plots. Heroes often embody virtues such as sincerity, industry, justice, and humility, while tragedies frequently arise from their absence. Thus, Franklin’s code of self-improvement and the lessons of great literature share a common goal: the development of wisdom, character, and a meaningful life. There are many examples of his virtues in literature and mythology.

Written and posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

Author, Poet, & Columnist

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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The Famous Five … Enid Blyton

November 5, 2025author profile, book corner, book review, book stall, book synopsis, Uncategorizedanne, art, book-reviews, british, dick, enid blyton, five go to demons rocks, five on a treasure island, george, julian, kamlesh tripathi, kirrin cottage, lighthouse, moorlands, movies, shravan charity mission, tattoo, the famous five, timmyshravancharitymission

The Famous Five is one of the most beloved children’s adventure series written by Enid Blyton, first published between 1942 and 1963. The series spans 21 novels, all centred on the thrilling escapades of four children—Julian, Dick, Anne, and George (Georgina)—and their loyal dog, Timmy. Set mainly in the British countryside and coastal regions, these stories capture the magic of childhood freedom, courage, and friendship against the backdrop of mystery and danger.

The series begins with Five on a Treasure Island (1942), where siblings Julian, Dick, and Ann, along with their cousin Georgina, who insists on being called George, are sent to spend their holidays with their cousin at her home, Kirrin Cottage, near the sea. George owns an island called—Kirrin Island—and a dog, Timmy, both of which become central to the adventures that follow. In this first story, the children discover the ruins of an old castle on the island and find a mysterious map leading to hidden gold. Their courage and cleverness helped them uncover the treasure and outwit adult villains, setting the tone for the rest of the series.

Each subsequent book follows a similar pattern: the children go on school holidays, explore new settings (moors, hills, farms, caves, lighthouses), stumble upon suspicious activities or hidden secrets, and end up solving mysteries that often involve smugglers, spies, thieves, or lost treasures. Yet, despite the recurring structure, each story offers fresh excitement through new locations, ingenious clues, and colourful characters.

Across the series, Julian, the eldest, acts as the natural leader—sensible, brave, and responsible. Dick, the quick-witted and humorous brother, balances Julian’s seriousness with his sharp thinking. Anne, the youngest, represents domesticity and caution, often preferring comfort and order but proving loyal and brave when needed. George, the most unconventional character, is a tomboy who rejects traditional expectations of girls. Fiercely independent and short-tempered, she insists on being treated as an equal to the boys and often drives the adventures with her stubbornness and spirit. Timmy, her dog, is as much a hero as any of them—faithful, protective, and courageous, often rescuing the children from danger.

One of the enduring appeals of The Famous Five is Blyton’s evocative depiction of the English countryside. These stories overflow with descriptions of cliffs, secret tunnels, stormy seas, moorlands, and quaint villages—landscapes that become almost characters in themselves. The children’s world is filled with picnics of sandwiches, lemonade, and ginger beer, which have become iconic symbols of carefree British childhood.

While outwardly simple, the series also mirrors the social and moral values of mid-20th-century Britain. Themes of loyalty, honesty, courage, teamwork, and justice dominate every story. The children rely on intuition and reason rather than adult intervention, underscoring Blyton’s belief in the resourcefulness of youth. Adults are often absent, misguided, or even the villains, allowing the children to take control and show responsibility and initiative.

Throughout the adventures—whether rescuing kidnapped scientists in Five Go Adventuring Again, uncovering smugglers in Five Go Off to Camp, or thwarting criminals in Five Have a Mystery to Solve—the Five exhibit a blend of innocence and daring that continues to inspire readers. Their adventures reinforce a sense of moral clarity, where good always triumphs over evil through courage, loyalty, and friendship.

Enid Blyton’s clear, direct prose and rhythmic storytelling made the series immensely readable for children. Her focus on dialogue and action over description keeps the pace fast and engaging. Despite occasional criticism for outdated stereotypes or class attitudes reflective of the era, the books remain celebrated for their imagination, adventure, and timeless charm.

By the final book, Five Are Together Again (1963), the characters retain their youthful spirit and love for adventure, embodying an ideal of friendship and integrity that transcends time. The series’ consistent formula—a mysterious setting, a moral puzzle, and a thrilling resolution—makes each story familiar yet exciting.

Ultimately, The Famous Five endures not just as a collection of adventure tales but as a literary celebration of childhood freedom, courage, loyalty, and the joy of discovery. Blyton created a world where children, unburdened by adult interference, confront challenges with moral strength and curiosity. More than seven decades after its debut, The Famous Five continues to captivate readers across generations, offering a nostalgic glimpse into a simpler, braver, and endlessly adventurous childhood.

Written and posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

Author, Poet, & Columnist

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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11/10/25 Know Eternal Rumi

October 23, 2025article, author profile, Uncategorizedkamlesh tripathi, persian mystic, poetry, RUMI, shravan charity mission, spirituality, sufi, sufis, sufismshravancharitymission

KNOW ETERNAL RUMI
11/10/25 Times of India
The poet suggests that love and compassion should transcend religious boundaries, promoting a vision of inclusiveness that is particularly vital in today’s divided world, writes SUMIT PAUL

    Persian mystic and poet Jalaluddin Rumi needs no elaborate introduction as the very name is enough to evoke a deep sense of respect and reverence. He was born in Balkh in Northern Afghanistan and shuffled off this mortal coil in Konya (Turkey). However, his influence extends far beyond geographical boundaries and the realm of poetry. His teachings have had a profound impact on various aspects of contemporary culture, including music, literature, and spirituality. His timeless wisdom continues to resonate with people from all walks of life, crossing religious, cultural, and linguistic boundaries. Rumi’s popularity in the west has surged in recent decades, with his works translated into multiple languages. His profound messages of love, unity, and self-discovery have made him one of the most widely read and revered poets in the world. His writings serve as a bridge between different faiths and cultures, emphasising the universal message of love and the pursuit of enlightenment. Rumi’s words invite readers to embark on a transformative journey, where love and divine union are ultimate destinations. Many of his sublime thoughts transport us to the realms of love, beauty, enlightenment and introspection. For example, The Essential Rumi, chapter 12, includes: “A sufi’s book is not composed of ink and the alphabet. A scholar loves, and lives on, the marks of a pen. A sufi loves footprints!”
    Rumi contrasts an intellectual approach to spirituality with an experiential path taken by the Sufis. While scholars rely on written knowledge, Sufis derive wisdom from lived experiences and traces left by those who walked the spiritual path before them. This reflects a belief in the transformative power of direct experience over mere study. This also shows the humility and absence of a burning desire to flaunt one’s name and fame. Rumi didn’t write his poetry while living in an ivory tower. His poetry was poetry of self-experiences. Rumi’s repertoire is based on the philosophy of self-effacement. We all have encumbered the earth, thanks to our wretched existence. In a brief life, man leaves no stone unturned, to leave a mark behind; a legacy for posterity. There’s always a burning desire in every individual to make his presence felt. While the desire to be remembered is innate in every individual, the wish to efface oneself from the big slate of the world is also there, albeit in very few individuals. Only the fully evolved and enlightened human beings don’t wish to be liabilities to earth and others.
    Despite differences in beliefs and practices, Rumi sees the underlying essence of spirituality that connects all faiths. He suggests that love and compassion should transcend religious boundaries, promoting a vision of inclusiveness that is particularly vital in today’s divided world. He uses roses as metaphors to explain that the Divine love is just like the sun emitting, light and energy to a branching rosebush that grows elegantly on many levels and within several worlds– all at once. Just as a rosebush branches out, so too knowledge, offering different perspectives and insights. It evokes the idea that spiritual understanding can flourish through embracing diversity and appreciating multiple paths.
    We need to imbibe the universal spirit of Rumi and assimilate it into the collective consciousness of humanity. We’ve been sparring over petty things and differences without realising the power of love. Rumi says gamble everything for love, if you’re a true human being. If not, leave this gathering, emphasising the transformative nature of love and necessity of commitment and courage in seeking true connection.
He advocates for risking everything in pursuit of love, suggesting that half-hearted attempts will yield shallow results. It serves as a reminder that authentic love requires boldness and sincerity. We all want this bold and intrepid love to connect with each other and unite in a single thread and a solitary breath, for your task is not to seek love, but merely to seek and find all barriers within yourself that you have built against it. So, let yourself be drawn by the stronger pull of that which you truly love. For Rumi, glue of love is the strongest glue.

Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

Author, Poet, & Columnist

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Book Review: The New Geography Of Innovation: The Global Contest For Breakthrough Technologies … by Mehran Gul.

October 19, 2025author profile, book corner, book launch, book review, Book review and excerpts, book review, book synopsis, Uncategorizedai, apple, artificial-intelligence, austin, baidu, bengaluru, business, bytedance, china, communist party, germany, kamlesh tripathi, korea chaebol, Mehran Gul, miami, new york, shenzhen, shravan charity mission, silicon valley, switzerland, technology, tencent, the new geography of innovation: the global contest for breakthrough technologiesshravancharitymission

TIMES OF INDIA 11/10/25

HOW DO YOU CREATE A HOT TECH HUB?

–Via a culture that’s open to change and normalises risk-taking–

    The US-China big power competition is the defining geopolitical issue of our times. Undergirding this dynamic is the race for tech, especially AI. In The New Geography Of Innovation: The Global Contest For Breakthrough Technologies, Mehran Gul investigates whether US’s Silicon Valley still retains near-monopoly over cutting-edge tech, or have other global locations such as China’s Shenzhen and even the greater London area taken over that mantle. Plus, what’s truly conducive for creating a hot tech eco-system? Is there a secret sauce that America has and China appears to have replicated? The answers are complex.
    At first glance. China’s breakneck development in tech over the last decade appears to be eclipsing Silicon Valley. But closer inspection reveals a nuanced picture. True, Silicon Valley is undergoing change – described in the book as a vibrant rainforest being converted into controlled farmlands. But that necessarily doesn’t translate into US tech decline, the author says. New American tech hubs are coming up in New York, Miami and Austin that are taking the flame of Silicon Valley forward.
    China, on the other hand, has created its own tech champions like Tencent, Baidu and ByteDance in record time. It certainly has speed on its side, and it’s quality and volume of research has also improved tremendously. But it’s still not doing pathbreaking research like US. Why? A combination of factors that includes strict guardrails of the Communist Party -exemplified by the 2021 crackdown on Chinese tech firms – a Chinese university system that is not quite yet at par with American universities, and an environment where govt policy guides the direction of innovation.
    But to settle the debate, one statistic is enough to confirm US’s continued tech dominance: Apple became the first American tech company to cross a trillion-dollar valuation in 2018 with seven other American companies joining it since, but the rest of the whole world, including China, doesn’t even have one.
What then is the secret to successful tech eco-systems? The author interviews scores of tech entrepreneurs and stalwarts across geographies and comes to a somewhat underwhelming answer: there is no set formula. Almost all successful tech companies look the same. But they can come up in very different circumstances. In UK, the Greater London area is where all the action is. But that has come at the cost of increasing regional disparity that not only puts London at a risk but also undermines the dynamism of UK’s tech story. This disparity was also a reason for Brexit.
Switzerland and Germany have great education and no shortage of talent or infra, but their local cultural preference for stability over risk means they are just not able to realise the same tech innovation potential as US or China. South Korea and Singapore created their miracles through huge govt support. But there are also limitations to this approach as seen by calls to reform Korea’s chaebols.
But one thing appears clear, according to the author; societies that are more receptive to change appear to have a better chance of fostering tech successes. That means openness to talent, openness to Innovation, and openness to risks. In the Indian context, we may have Bengaluru. But we need many more Bengalurus that incentivise tech entrepreneurship and risk taking. That means a policy framework that fosters innovation and a culture shift that normalises failure. India has lots of catching up to do.

Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

Author, Poet, & Columnist

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Book Review: The Roads of Destiny … by O Henry

September 24, 2025article, author profile, book corner, book review, Book review and excerpts, book stall, book synopsis, Uncategorizeddavid, kamlesh tripathi, literature, mutton, O Henry, poem, poems, poetry, shravan charity mission, the roads of destiny, writingshravancharitymission

O. Henry’s The Roads of Destiny may not be a structured poem, but it carries a poetic spirit by way of exploration of fate, choice, and the unpredictable nature of life. The story is about a man named David who stands at a crossroad, literally and figuratively, and each road represents a different future. Through this branching narrative, O. Henry entreats readers to ponder how small choices can lead to vastly different outcomes, and how fate can shape our lives in ways we don’t expect. Although written in prose, the theme and emotions in the story are rich with poetic meaning.

The story’s central theme is how fragile and powerful our choices could be. O. Henry conveys that even decisions that seem minor can send our lives into different directions. Life is full of small, quiet moments that later turn out to be incredibly important. A step to the left or the right might not seem significant in the moment, but later it could be the reason why everything changed. Every decision holds a potential. Life is made up of many such turning points, often unrecognized until we look back.

Closely tied to personal choice is the grip of fate. In each stage of David’s life, no matter which road he takes, he ends up facing difficult or tragic outcomes. This suggests that fate has a stronger grip on our lives than we would like to believe. The author doesn’t present fate as something harsh or cruel, but rather as mysterious and unpredictable. We walk ahead thinking we know where we’re going. But the road can suddenly curve into a completely unexpected direction. This uncertainty gives life its beauty and its difficulty. The poetic lesson here is that though we may have no control where the road leads to, we still have to walk it.

Life’s unpredictability is another theme that gives the story its emotional weight. David’s various life unfolds in unexpected ways, proving that no plan is ever guaranteed. Even when we try to do the right thing or follow a certain path, we can’t guarantee how things will turn out. O. Henry’s storytelling reminds us that surprises, both joyful and tragic, are always around the corner and they will get you. This paradigm of unpredictability is common in poetry, where meaning often emerges in layers and can shift with time or mood. Just like an intricate poem, life unfolds with twists and surprises that challenge our understanding.

Time also plays a pivotal role in the story. It moves forward no matter which path David takes, and it never pauses or gives him a second chance. The passing of time gives weight to our choices because we rarely get an opportunity to revisit them. This is another idea that feels deeply poetic: time is always moving, and once a moment passes, it becomes a memory. The story implores readers to be mindful of the time they have and the decisions they make within it. It also encourages reflection. Looking back at the roads we’ve taken and wondering how things might have been different.

Regret and reflection are intertwined themes that show up throughout David’s story. Each life he lives seems to carry a shadow of what might have been if he had chosen to live differently. This idea is emotionally powerful because almost everyone, at some point, has wondered “what if?” Regret isn’t always a loud or dramatic feeling. It can be quiet, something that lingers as we look back into the past. O. Henry captures this subtle emotion in a way that feels similar to poetry, where a single line can express a lifetime of feeling.

The author uses irony in a poetic way. In each of David’s paths, he faces hardships despite choosing different directions. This irony teaches us that even when we try to avoid danger or seek happiness, we can’t always escape what life has in store for us. The roads of destiny seem to curve back towards difficulty no matter which road he chooses. This twist reflects O. Henry’s trademark storytelling style. In poetry, irony often reveals the hidden truths and helps readers think more deeply about life’s contradictions.

Perspective is another layer that deepens the story’s meaning. Often, we only understand the importance of a choice or event after the time has passed. What appears small at the moment may turn out to be life-changing. Just as a poem seems confusing at first and later makes perfect sense, our understanding of our own lives also changes with the perspective. This reminds us to look at our lives with curiosity and patience. The meaning of life sometimes reveals itself slowly.

All these ideas connect to the phrase “difficult poems make easy mutton.” Though it’s a playful and unusual expression, it captures an important truth: sometimes, the things that are hardest to understand at first—like complex poems or life’s confusing events—can later become clear and deeply meaningful. Just as tough meat becomes tender after careful preparation, a difficult story or experience can eventually offer comfort, insight, or wisdom. The Roads of Destiny is that kind of story. At first glance, it seems simple, but the more you think about it, the more it says about life, choice, and the strange, beautiful mystery of where we end up.

Written and posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

Author, Poet, & Columnist

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Bhibhuti Babu The Writer of Pather Panchali

September 20, 2025article, author profile, autobiography, book corner, book launch, book review, book synopsis, city, column, Uncategorizedamar prem, aparajito, apur path, aranyak, bengali novel, Bibhuti babu, bibhuti bhusan bandyopadhyay, burudi dam, calcutta, chander pahar, creativity, dalmia hills, food, ghatsila, gourikunj, india, kamlesh tripathi, kharkhand, pather panchali, rajesh khanna, shakti samanta, sharmila tagore, shravan charity mission, song of the road, story, subarnarekha, supriti murmu, technology, travelshravancharitymission

TIMES OF INDIA: 15/6/25
WHY A SMALL JHARKHAND TOWN STILL ADORES THE WRITER OF PATHER PANCHALI

    Flanked by a restless Subarnarekha river and an unassuming railway line that runs through the small town, Ghatsila reminds you of idyllic Nischindipur, where Satyajit Ray’s iconic Pather Panchali (Song of the Road) unfolds. It’s a drowsy, almost diffident, place that seems to have been bypassed by time.
    Maybe the resemblance is not entirely coincidental. This is where celebrated writer Bibhuti Bhusan Bandyopadhyay, who penned the unforgettable Bengali novel, spent many creative years of his life and breathed his last at the age of 56 in 1950.
    The finest works of Bibhuti Babu, as every one refers to him in Ghatsila, include ‘Aparajito (Undefeated)’, ‘Aranyak (Of The Forest)’, and ‘Chander Pahar (Mountain Of The Moon)’. Director Shakti Samanta’s ‘Amar Prem’ (1972), a melancholic story of unrealised love, starring Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore, was based on a Bandyopadhyay short story, Hinger Kochuri.
    It has been 75 years since he passed away. But Bibhuti Babu remains Ghatsila’s calling card. Hotels are named after him. So are sightseeing spots, libraries and grammar schools. He is present even on restaurant menus. In fact, the writer is everywhere.
    Ghatsila is nestled in the lap of the Dalma hills in Jharkhand’s East. Singhbhum district shares a border with West Bengal’s Jhargram and Purulia districts to the east and north, and Odisha’s Mayurbhanj to the south.
    At the spot where NH 33 turns towards Ghatsila, the Jharkhand tourism department has built a hotel called Bibhuti Vihar. The town also has a Bibhuti Inn, owned by a businessman. A popular hotel on the banks of the Subarnarekha is named after a spot where the writer used to sit on moonlit nights, and that he had named ‘Ratmohana’ (charmer of the night).
    The house where Bibhuti Babu lived is located in Dahigora, now the poshest part of the town. The residence is called Gourikunj, after his first wife, who died during childbirth. The road leading to Gourikunj is called Apur Path– the road of Apu, the protagonist of the semi-autobiographical Pather Panchali.
    There’s more. A local society for the preservation of Bandyopadhyay’s house and his legacy is called Gourikunj Unnayan Samiti. Says its president, Tapas Chatterjee, “Nobody commands more respect than Bibhuti Babu in Ghatsila.”
    “Not an inch of his house was encroached upon, even though nobody lived there for 57 years. In 1950, when Bibhuti Babu died, his second wife, Rama Chattopadhyay, and son Taradas Bandyopadhyay, who was three then, left the town. Taradas ji gave us the NOC to construct this memorial in 2007, three years before his death. In between, the house lay in utter neglect and ruins.” Chatterjee said.
    The Samiti also runs a Bengali language grammar school on Sundays, called Apur Pathshala, and a library called Bibhuti Smriti Sansthagar in Ghatshila.
    A cultural festival is hosted every year on September 12 to mark the writer’s birth anniversary.
    The story of how Bibhuti Babu came to live in Ghatsila is fascinating.
    According to Chatterjee, a contractor from Ghatsila called Ashok Gupta had taken a loan from the writer when the latter was working as a teacher in Calcutta. Unable to pay him back in cash, Gupta decided to register the house in Ghatsila in Bibhuti babu’s name.
    “Bibhuti Babu wanted his younger brother, Nutbihari Bandyopadhyay, who was a doctor, to settle in this town and had visited Ghatsila in 1938. He fell in love with this house and the town and never returned.” Chatterjee said.
    Since he was already an established name in Bengali literature, many other Calcutta writers, including Sahitya Akademi Awardee Gajendra Kumar Mitra (1908-1994), Pramatha Nath Bishi (1901-1985) and Subodh Ghosh (1909-1980), also built homes in Ghatsila. Bimal Roy’s ‘Sujata’ (1960) and Gulzar’s ‘Ijaazat’ (1989) were based on stories written by Ghosh.
    However, all left in due course. Except Bibhuti babu, who stayed on and wrote some of his most famous works in this town.
    As a writer, Bibhuti Babu shared a special bond with the quiet jungles on the town’s edge, the free-flowing river and forest dwellers. He had witnessed the exploitation of natural resources in the name of development when he went to Bhagalpur in Bihar as the assistant manager of a forest estate in January 1924. That assignment left a lasting impression on the writer and funds mentioned in works such as ‘Aranyak’ and the essay, ‘Hey Aranya Katha kao (Oh Forest, Speak)’.
    Ghatsila is full of such natural spots, like Burudi dam, Phuldungri Pahar and the banks of the Subarnarekha, where Bibhuti Babu would sit with a pen and notebook for hours.
    Situated 54 km from Jamshedpur and 240 km away from Kolkata, Ghatsila is a favourite of tourists from Bengal. Nearly 80% of the population here, including tribals, now speak the Bengali language. The locals, however, rue how some things are no longer the same. “Earlier, tourists came for longer durations, a month or, at times even longer. They would rent out homes and stay like locals. Since they came here for a change of air, we called them ‘changers’,” said Rohit Kumar, manager of a private lodge in Ghatsila’s Phuldungri.
    The new-age tourists come for a day or two. The neighbouring hill town of Belpahari in Jhargram district of West Bengal offers better amenities and takes away a major chunk of tourists.
    But appreciation of the legacy of Bibhuti Babu isn’t confined to visitors anymore. Supriti Murmu, wife of prominent Jharkhand state agitation leader Bablu Murmu, says, “I was drawn to this town because of Bibhuti Babu. As a student of Bangla literature, we were influenced by his writings and wanted to experience the rural life he portrayed in his books.
    Supriti Murmu used to be a prominent left-wing student leader and was pursuing her graduation in Bangla literature in neighbouring Jhargram when her activism and her love for the writer brought her to Ghatsila in 1987. “I have been here since then,” she said.
Bandyopadhyay’s works and his love for the forest dwellers resonate with the local tribal population as much as his books appeal to the Bengali intelligentsia.
At Gourikunj, his real legacy is the bond shared by everyone. An artist from Bengal recently painted scenes from Bandyopadhyay’s daily life in Ghatsila on the boundary walls of the house. On his birthday anniversary, girls from tribal communities decorated Apur Path, the lane leading to the house, with beautiful Santhal patterns in the form of rangolis. Everyone and everything is coming together to celebrate their one and only Bibhuti Babu.

Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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POETRY & POLITICS, IN LOVE & WAR – FAIZ

July 30, 2025article, author profile, autobiography, book corner, Uncategorized1974, america, art, bangladesh, beirut, bhutto, books, FAIZ, general zia, HUMANISM, kamlesh tripathi, liaquat ali, marxism, movies, pakistan, pakistan times, partition, photography, POLITICS, semitic, shravan charity missionshravancharitymission

FAIZ’S WORK ENDURES BECAUSE ITS CORE IS HUMANISM

A heartbroken teenager, a lecturer in English who was drawn to Marxism, a pioneer of the subcontinent’s political poetry, a supporter of Iran’s Islamic Revolution but not an Islamist, and finally self-exiled in Beirut after General Zia executed Bhutto – Faiz always said it was the early years that shaped the poet in him.

Aur bhi dukh hain zamane mein mohabbat ke siva, rahaten aur bhi hain vasi ki rahat ke siva, mujh se pahli si mohabbat mere mehboob na maang (The world has other problems… other comforts than a lover’s embrace. So, my love, don’t ask I love you like I once did). That’s Faiz marrying romance and politics.

In 1932, Angarey (Fire), an anthology of mostly feminist short stories, was banned but inspired the Progressive Writers Association, of which Faiz was an integral part. He left the army in 1947 to edit the left-leaning The Pakistan Times, disillusioned by Partition’s communal violence — Ye daagh daagh ujala ye shab-gazida sahar, vo intezaar tha jis ka ye vo sahar to nahin (This light stained by darkness is like dawn tainted by dusk. This isn’t the dawn we awaited).

Arrested in 1951for the conspiracy to overthrow Pakistan’s Liaquat Ali govt, he published two books from jail. Dast-e Saba and Zindan Nama. He never gave up on hope: Qafas udaas hai yaaro saba se kuchh to kaho. Kahin to bahr-e-khuda aaj zikr-e-yaar chale (The cage is sad and silent. Say something to the breeze. For god’s sake, let’s talk about my beloved).

On release four years on, he found Pakistan had distanced itself from the Soviets, his inspiration, and aligned with America, which he despised. In 1974, Bangladesh, at Mujibur Rahman’s request, he composed, Ham ki thahre ajnabi itni mudaraton ke baad. Phir banege ashna kitni mulaqaton ke baad (Despite the hospitality, we remain strangers, and who knows how many meetings it will take to become friends again).

Once Zia arrested Bhutto, Faiz self-exiled to Beirut as editor of Lotus- a magazine to promote non-Euro-centric Asian and African writing. But Faiz felt uprooted, longing for his people: Mere dil, mere musafir, hua phir se hukum sadir, ki vatan-badar hon hum tum (My heart, my traveller, the order is issued again, we are exiled again).

His most popular work, Hum Dekhenge, is a poem of dissent. Some find it anti-Hinduism — it’s just as anti-Islam. Inspired by Iran’s Islamic revolution, sourced from the Quran’s Surah al-Waqi’ah – the inevitability of Qayamat (doomsday)- experts are still divided over Hum Dekhenge’s message. A literal translation of key lines: ‘Idols would be removed from Kaaba to establish Allah’s rule.’ But these could also mean: Every idol – false gods and tyrants – will be removed from the house of God that is earth.’ Faiz was no Islamist but simply charmed by the people’s fight to depose the Shah.

The poem’s climax, Utthega anal haq ka nara, jo mai bhi hu or tum bhi ho. Bus raj karegi khalke khuda jo mai bhi hu or tum bhi ho. Anal haq means ‘I am the truth.’ In Semitic religions, Islam, Judaism and Christianity, there’s strict duality between God and his creation. In contrast, the Sufi anal haq resonates with the Advait concept of aham brahmasmi or ‘I am one with God.’ The poem’s message then is that humans are the ultimate truth — divinity is within humanity, hence the divine right to self-rule.

(TIMES OF INDIA 5.7.25)

Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

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Literature: Rejected Then Revered–The Literary Life and Afterlife of American Author Herman Melville

July 12, 2025article, author profile, autobiography, book review, column, kamlesh tripathi, literary corner, literature, Uncategorizedahab, book review, books, cannibals, hawthorne, herman melville, ishmael, kamlesh tripathi, literature, mardi, moby dick, omoo, rejected then revered the literary life and afterlife of american author herman melville, shravan charity mission, typee, whaling shipshravancharitymission

Any struggling author might find consolation in knowing that Herman Melville (1819-1891) didn’t have it so easy, either. His story of literary success and failure is as relevant now as it was in his time. An author makes a splash on the literary scene, and the public demands more of the same, only to find that the author has moved on. His growth as a writer no longer allows him to produce the same type of work that the public wants, and his stardom begins to fade. This is how we understand Melville today as a misunderstood genius. His stardom extended beyond the circumference of his readers’ taste.

Travel narratives were once the most popular genre in the nineteenth century. Americans were fascinated by foreign cultures, specifically, as a means to understand their place in the global world. Today, we recognise Melville for his whale of a masterpiece, Moby-Dick. But it was his first two works, Typee and Omoo, that made him most famous. Typee was an autobiographical travel narrative based on his real-life experience of being held captive by cannibals after he deserted the whaling ship Acushnet in 1841. The cannibals on the Marquesas Islands were fortunately friendly and fun-loving, and Melville was able to leave and find his way back home. People were captivated by the exotic story, and the title Typee made Melville an immediate sensation. He followed it up with “Omoo,” another adventure story set in the Polynesian islands, and it appeared as though Melville had a long way to literary fame ahead of him.

With new fame, a new wife, and a blossoming friendship with fellow writer Nathaniel Hawthorne, Melville began working on another novel. In 1849, he published Mardi, a novel that marked a shift in style and substance. Like Hawthorne, Melville also became interested in writing romance, in which he was free to create a work based on symbolic representations of ideas rather than specific facts from his real life.

Mardi was a forerunner to Moby-Dick. The book was panned by readers and rejected by the public, who just wanted to hear exciting sea-faring adventures.

Melville’s masterpiece, Moby-Dick, in many ways was a patchwork. It was a mix of styles, narrative, points of view, and literary forms. It contained dictionary entries, word etymologies, whaling manual entries, elaborate, contorted sentence structures, and biblical allusions. It was part comedy, part tragedy, and part epic. For all its complexity, the book was a masterful mix of all these features and was regarded as a work of genius.

Moby-Dick starts with that iconic line in literature: “Call me Ishmael.” Ishmael, the narrator of the book, decides he has had enough of land and joins the crew of a whaling ship, named Pequod. As he waits to set sail, he finds himself sharing a room at an inn with another crew member, Queequeg, a cannibal and harpooner from the South Seas, and they quickly form an unlikely friendship. They don’t meet their mysterious captain, Ahab, until after the ship sets sail. Ahab announces to the crew that this will not be a run-of-the-mill whaling trip. They are on a mission to find a formidable white whale named Moby Dick, which once claimed Ahab’s leg in a violent attack and destroyed his ship. The crew is now part of Ahab’s monomaniacal quest to avenge his attack. They encounter Moby Dick three times, until the great White Whale finally crushes the ship, taking Ahab down with it into the vortex of the sea after the rope of Ahab’s harpoon catches his own neck. Ishmael is the only crew member who survives to tell the tale, floating atop Queequeg’s coffin.

At its core, Moby-Dick is an allegorical quest narrative, but the complexity of the book lends itself to multiple interpretations. Some readers view it as a cautionary tale about the hubris of humanity in attempting to control nature, while others see Ahab’s mission to kill Moby Dick as a fight against evil. Others interpret it as Ahab’s obsession as a battle against evil, or even as a search for God or divine truth. For both Ahab and Ishmael, the whale is the centre of the book, a mysterious, gigantic creature that symbolises the ineffability of nature. Both try to come to terms with the whale – Ahab with his harpoon and Ishmael with his exhaustive lists of whale anatomy, dictionary of whaling terms, and passages clipped from whaling manuals.

The name “Ishmael” itself is symbolic. In the Bible, Ishmael is the outcast son of Abraham, suggesting that Melville’s narrator is a kind of societal outsider, observing life from the margins.

Moby-Dick barely made a ripple when it was published. It took more than seventy years for it to come into its own, finally recognised as the literary masterpiece it is. Hawthorne, to whom the book was dedicated, was one of the few people who praised the book.

After the early success of Typee and Omoo, Melville never again found popular acclaim. The rest of his life was spent writing in obscurity, disillusioned by the need to cater to the public’s tastes in order to survive. Many of his works after Moby-Dick, such as the short story “Bartleby, the Scrivener,” a parable about the incompatibility of commerce and the human spirit, and The Confidence-Man, a book satirising the level of faith people like Emerson put in the goodness of human nature, are testaments to his bitterness. Melville died relatively unknown but has now become recognised as the author of (in some minds) “the great American novel.”

The next time you go to pick up that cup of Starbucks, remember this fun fact: Starbucks is named after Starbuck, the first mate of the illustrious Pequod.

Written and posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

Author, Poet, & Columnist

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Literature: Three love Stories: A Comparison by Kamlesh Tripathi

July 8, 2025article, author profile, book corner, book review, column, Uncategorizeda gift of maggi, a gift of the magi, a service of love;delia, della, kamlesh tripathi, love story, o henri, romoeo & juliet, shravan charity mission, william shakespeareshravancharitymission

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Author Sam Dalrymple on India-Pakistan Divide

July 6, 2025article, author profile, autobiography, book corner, Uncategorizedaden, afghanistan, art, asiatic federation, bamiyan buddha, bangladesh, bhutan, british india, cyril radcliffe, dhirubhai ambani, dubai, east india, history, hyderabad, india, indian empire, jinnah, kamlesh tripathi, pakistan, partition, POLITICS, project dastaan, Sam Dalrymple, shravan charity mission, william dalrymple, yemenshravancharitymission

22/6/25 Times of India

SAM DALRYMPLE

WE TREAT INDIA-PAK HOSTILITY AS INEVITABLE, BUT THESE DIVIDES FORMED WITHIN LIVING MEMORY (FOR THE RECORD)

Sam Dalrymple was set for a career in particle physics until a family trip to Afghanistan to visit the remains of the Bamiyan Buddha rerouted him into history. He started a virtual reality project connecting Partition survivors, which, in turn, inspired his debut book 'Shattered Lands', tracing the unravelling of the Indian Empire. In an interview with Neelam Raaj, he talks about why our complex pasts shouldn't be ignored.

Q. Several years ago, you co-founded Project Dastaan, connecting those displaced by the 1947 Partition through virtual reality. Was it Dastaan that sparked off this deep dive into the five partitions or something else?
A. Dastaan was very much the origin of the book. In 2018, my college friends and I began reconnecting individuals displaced in the 1947 Partition of India, the largest forced migration in history, to their ancestral villages through VR. It was while researching the impact of Partition on Tripura and North East India for Dastaan that the book idea first came together: I was chatting with an academic in the region, and when I asked about Partition, he said, "Which one? Burma in 1937, Pakistan in 1947 or Bangladesh in 1971." That conversation made me think about the multiple ruptures and borders that have carved their way through the subcontinent.

Q. The five partitions you write about are the separation of Burma, Arabia and Pakistan from India, the division of 500 princely states, and finally, the creation of Bangladesh. Why did you want to tell this story?
A. We live with the consequences of these partitions every day. Just look at the recent war between India and Pakistan. Today, South Asia is one of the most bordered regions in the world, and you can actually see its borders from space. However, 100 years ago, none of these borders were foreseen. Demands for 'independence' were widespread, but no one could have suspected that the nations India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Yemen and Burma would soon emerge from the wreckage of British India. Nor would anyone have imagined that tiny princely states like Bhutan and Dubai would last until the end of the century, while massive states like Hyderabad would not.

Q. Your book challenges some widely held beliefs, like the idea that India's borders were drawn solely by Cyril Radcliffe. Could you tell us more about that?
A. Cyril Radcliffe was famously charged with drawing the Partition border that would slice through British India. Jinnah had suggested his name because he had never been east of Paris, and supposedly his obliviousness would make him impartial. This, of course, had deadly consequences. But what we often forget is that he only drew the lines dividing Punjab and Bengal. Both the LoC and the entire stretch of the India-Pakistan Border from the Arabian Sea to Sri Ganganagar - collectively 81% of the present India-Pakistan Border fence-result from the decisions of seven local princes and have nothing to do with Radcliffe. Thirty-six per cent of the border with East Pakistan (modern Bangladesh) was made by another ten. Had states like Jodhpur joined Pakistan, or had states like Bahawalpur joined India, the border would look very, very different.

Q. The chapter on the Arabian Peninsula ties a global moment -- the British withdrawal from Aden (now in Yemen)-- to a personal story about Dhirubhai Ambani. How did that shape the trajectory of Reliance?,
A. We often forget today that Aden was the Dubai of the 1960s. It was the great business hub of its time, and this remained the case right until 1967 when the British pulled out and the revolutionary NLF took over. Dhirubhai Ambani had worked in Aden until the late 1950s, and after the British evacuation from Aden, he found himself perfectly placed to hire his dispossessed colleagues and found use of 'a ready-made source of educated managers, accountants and salesmen, drilled to European standards'. He had just ended a business partnership with his cousin and gone solo, forming a new company called Reliance Commercial Corporation. Reliance ballooned in the years after the fall of Aden, underpinned by a generation of Indian-origin Adenis versed in free market capitalism rather than Nehruvian socialism.

Q. Given that your book comes out against the backdrop of India-Pakistan tensions, what is the perspective you hope readers will take away?
A.So often, we treat the hostility between India and Pakistan as inevitable. Even President Trump chimed in, telling reporters aboard Air Force One that India and Pakistan had been fighting "for a thousand years, probably longer than that." But this really isn't the case. These divisions were formed within living memory --as were the divisions between India and Bangladesh, Burma and Yemen, etc. Today, the region's borders have become so embedded in our subconscious that it is easy to forget there were other possibilities for a post-colonial South Asia. Several prominent national figures, including PM Nehru and Burma's founding father Aung San, had once spoken of an 'Asiatic federation' in the 'not very, very distant future', a 'United Nations of South Asia' encompassing India, Pakistan, Ceylon and Burma. Long after the British departed, many still hoped the new borders might prove temporary. Yet in every single one of these countries, governments have made sure to paper over the shared cross-border heritage of their peoples. The last decade has witnessed the decline of globalisation, the strengthening of borders and the resurgence of nationalism across the world. India's partitions are a direct warning of what such a future might hold.

Q. Your Dad, historian William Dalrymple, sparked a lot of debate recently, saying that academics don't make their work as accessible as popular historians. Where do you stand on this?
A. I don't think they have to stand in opposition at all. We obviously need both.
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Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

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