Much before he made a hesitant entry into politics upon his legendary father Biju Patnaik’s death, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had carved out a niche for himself in the literary world. Authoring some celebrated books, which made him famous around the world, Patnaik, whose elder sister Geeta Mehta is also a well-known writer, still retains his passion for literature – although these days he hardly finds time to put pen to paper.
But he is someone who can appreciate good prose as well as poetry and is ever willing to encourage young writers. Last Tuesday, the Chief Minister released “Ink from Night Skies”, the maiden book of poetry by young Mahima Sethi, an engineering graduate from IIT, Bombay. The book, containing 110 poems, is a reflection of the young poet’s unique perspective on life and the universe at large.
Mahima’s poems reflect the world as it feels to her, and the universe she paints in her anthology is characterized by tumult and chaos, with the force of Mother Nature ever evident. Just like Mother Earth went through a fiery beginning before creating life, the poet lets in on the pain and agony she undergoes before she is able to unleash her creativity through words. She writes, “I have to cut open my insides every time to draw ink for my page’ or “I am waiting as I bleed to write.”
While her faith in God calms her angst, her poetry serves as the balm, her creation relieving and energising her. “Perhaps fear that torments grants power to learn to love what terrifies you.”
Ink From Night Skies marks a promising start to the poetic journey of a young woman who has the ability to observe and absorb the world around her in a special way before she expresses with words that have the power to stir the soul.
Earlier this year, the Chief Minister had released a book of poems ‘Beyond Here and Other Poems’, written by senior IAS officer Bishnupada Sethi, who heads two important departments of the government: Information and Public Relations and Revenue and Disaster Management. The anthology, comprising 61 poems, reflects the whole spectrum of life experiences from a perception of death and philosophical contemplation. It is a journey that searches for myriad hues of life and the realm beyond.
An established man of letters himself, the Chief Minister continues to encourage writers and poets, both young and experienced. Odisha is lucky to have produced some world-class writers and poets. With Patnaik extending patronage to literature, the state is likely to achieve much more on this front.
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