18.06.2020
Year: 2018

LettersToMother/ Part 4

Location: My Home
A writer friend acquainted with my translation on Lord Krishna calls me up one early morning, out of the blue to ask why I was not translating any further books from Gujarati into English. He suggests I check out Shri Narendra Modi’s books and choose one as a project for translation.
He is right that I should be translating more books but I am not sure if I am ready for such a daunting task. Looking back, translating Lord Krishna was simpler but my writer friend persisted and there’s no way of winning an argument with him because he is strong headed. He followed up month after month diligently to find out if I had started, so just to get him off my back I decided to test the idea before giving it up entirely.
Next day, I walk into my study, open my book shelf and reluctantly pull out Saakshi Bhaav and begin reading…
It is a slow but meaningful read. Modi expresses himself in rich vocabulary which are not common words and I need to constantly check the dictionary to comprehend the meaning but it is well worth the exercise because the diary pages are intense and engaging.
I am amazed by his transparency of emotions and more important, his need for self-expression. It is almost as if he cannot contain himself and that makes him both vulnerable and attractive.
To be continued