Translated from the Gujarati by Bhawana Somaaya
Publisher: Fingerprint
Eloquent and compelling.
“Letter to Self” is a potent translation of Narendra Modi’s writings by Bhawana Somaaya.
The book was originally published in Gujarati in 2007 as “Aankh Aa Dhanya Che”.
“I chanced upon this book “Aankh Aa Dhanya Che” around 2020 when I was cleaning my bookshelf. And then thought to myself that instead of getting depressed in COVID, I should translate this book. So, I quietly set about doing the same,” say Bhawana Somaaya https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ba-im66LBHU .
Reading the poems is very revealing and intriguing. It conjures up an entirely different and surprising image of the Prime Minister. You watch him on TV, the politician and the prime minister and then you read the poems. The contrast could not be more starker. The poet and the politician. The dreamer and the decision maker. The sensitive and the pragmatist.
Bhawana Somaaya has beautifully captured the rawness of his writings and the intensity of the emotions creating a canvas of hope, despair, longing and anger. The biggest attraction of his poetry is the unvarnished writing and its incompleteness.
Narendra Modi’s poems range over a large period reflecting his reactions and perceptions of the same. The outpourings are honest. The feelings are intense.
As Narendra Modi has said in the book, “I am neither a litterateur nor a poet. At best you can call me an admirer of words. “ The passion of his words are evident on every page, some standing out with its forceful content. Solitary Tear (page 65) for the melancholy. Kargil (page 76) for patriotism. Pressure (page 173) for sadness and strength. Farewell Friend (page 213) for the feeling of loss and friendship. And lastly, Memory (page 256) for its poignancy, for its inevitability and for its strange acceptance.
The translation flows easily from page to page, from one sentiment to other, jumping between moods and compulsive fervour. Beautifully illustrated, the book’s size is so perfect: practical and handy.
Letters to Self is an interesting read, the flip side of a public figure.
Preeta Chag 