A Rotarian’s literary feat
District Governor Elect Sayantan Gupta, D 3240, along with Dr Bina Biswas, recently called on the then President of India Pranab Mukherjee at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. They presented an English version of the Bengali ballad, Meghnad Badh Kabya, originally written by celebrated 19th century Bengali poet Michael Madhusudan Dutt. Gupta and Bina have translated it in English and it was published by Lifi Publications, Delhi.
The Bengali literature is based on the demise of Ravana’s son Meghnad or Indrajit, who was slayed by Rama’s brother Lakshmana while offering prayers to Lord Shiva. The book, first published in 1861, enjoys appreciations from the likes of Rabindranath Tagore, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and Bankim Chandra Chattopadyay.
“President Mukherjee discussed portions of the book with us and commended our work,” said Gupta. The translated version is bilingual, with the original Bangla script and its English translation presented side by side. Illustrations by Rituparna Basu provide a visual relief for the poetry.
Gupta, a gynaecologist at Malda, has published 18 books. Bina is an English professor and has eight publications to her credit.
Photo courtesy: Rashtrapati Bhavan
