|
short takes
A polymath, poet and
chic-lit
The many careers of DD
Kosambi
By DN Jha .Left Word.
Pages 202. Rs 275
 Polymaths are a rare
breed and a blessing to society. One such genius was the Goa-born DD
Kosambi, a brilliant alumnus of Harvard University. Apart from
genetics, he was proficient in mathematics, history and several
languages like Greek, Latin, German, French etc. After teaching
mathematics at 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 a systematic study of
archaeology and history.
Considered the 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 by
Padma Sachdev, Translation
By Uma Vasudev &
Jyotsana Singh. National Book Trust. Pages: x+347. Rs 180
 Padma Sachdev was born
into a well-off Pandit family of Jammu in 1940. She was barely 30,
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 the 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. 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 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.
|
