Short takes
By
Randeep
Wadehra
The many
careers of DD Kosambi Edited
by DN Jha
Left Word.
Pages: 202. Price: Rs. 275/-
Polymaths are a rare breed and a
blessing to the society. One such genius was the Goa born DD Kosambi, a
brilliant alumnus of the Harvard University. Apart from genetics he was proficient
in mathematics, history and several languages like Greek, Latin, German, French
etc. After teaching mathematics in the Banaras Hindu University, the Aligarh
Muslim University and Pune’s Fergusson College he accepted the chair of
mathematics at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. He also contributed
to the development of social sciences in India and laid the foundation for
scientific numismatics that facilitated systematic study of archeology and
history.
Considered patriarch of the
Marxist School of Indian Historiography, Kosambi adopted a historical
materialist approach and applied mathematical principles to his works. DN Jha
observes in this volume, “Kosambi’s analysis and understanding of Sanskrit
literature was informed by his commitment to a social and political ideology
rooted in Marxism.” Another contributor to this volume, Prabhat Patnaik, points
out, “(Kosambi’s) Concepts like ‘Magadhan State’ and ‘acculturation’ contain
deep insights into the process of Indian history and constitute major building
blocks for constructing its totality.”
Other eminent contributors like Irfan
Habib, Krishna Mohan Shrimali, Eugina Vanina, Suvira Jaiswal, Kesavan Veluthat,
and CK Raju highlight different aspects of Kosambi’s life, beliefs and works.
An engrossing read.
A drop in
the ocean Translation
by Uma Vasudev & Jyotsna Singh
National Book
Trust. Pages: x+347. Price: Rs. 180/-
Padma Sachdev was born into a
well off Pandit family of Jammu in 1940. She was barely thirty years of age
when she won the Sahitya Akademi Award for her first collection of Dogri
poetry. She went on to author seven poetry anthologies – one of them being qita
which is a form of poetry in four lines, the verse is generally eulogistic.
Among her renowned works are Meri Kavita Merey Geet, Tawi Tey Chanhaa, Nehriyaa
Galiyaan, Uttarbaihnee and Dhaiteeyaan. She is also a much awarded
litterateur; among her awards are the Soviet Land Nehru Award, the Hindi
Academy Puraskar, the U.P. Hindi Academy Puraskar, the Raja Ram Mohan Roy
Puraskar, the Joshua Poetry Award, and the Jammu & Kashmir Government’s
Robe of Honour.
This book, a translation, traces
the life, struggles and accomplishments of Padma Sachdev. You get to know of
lifestyle and traditions of Jammu’s Dogra community – to which she belongs –
and also her resilience in the face of adversity. It is an interesting read but
diligent proofreading would have made it a genuine reading pleasure.
The
Journey by Munaf
Shaikh
Frog Books.
Pages: 221. Price: Rs. 175/-
School or college campus based
tales have become quite common now. The pattern too is quite familiar. The love
at first sight invariably goes through all sorts of trials and tribulations.
Normally, such stories have happy endings – give or take a few twists in a
tale’s tail. This novel too remains largely true to the type. Arsh joins his
new school much after the official date for admissions is over. His arrival
causes a bit of flutter as he is supposed to be quite good at studies. He makes
friends with Saurabh and others in the hostel, where quite a few pranks are
played out. The romantic angle is provided by Leher, Arsh’s classmate. After
initial hesitation the two come close – something that is not liked by Leher’s
current boyfriend Hari. After a tussle Leher ditches Hari for Arsh – or so the
latter thought. Eventually Arsh and Leher break up. He goes off to Ukraine to
study medicine. There many friends enter his life even as he gets into more
relationships and break-ups involving Ola, Sarah etc.
The storyline is interesting. I wish its treatment,
especially the language, were more professional.
Published in The Tribune dated June 17, 2012
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