KATHMANDU, Feb 15: 'Saat Sal Ko Katha' (the story of seven years), the Nepali translation of book by Indian author Phanishwarnath Renu's Hindi work 'Nepali Kranti-Katha' has been released on the eve of the 75th democracy day. The book 'Nepali Kranti-Katha' was translated into Nepali by Tulsi Bhattrai and published by Publication Nepalaya as 'Saat Sal Ko Katha.'
Phanishwarnath Renu, born 104 years ago in Bihar, India, actively participated in the Nepali revolution against the Rana regime. He joined the movement and wrote a book in reportage style. At the launch of the book Saat Sal Ko Katha, political scientist and Renu scholar from Biratnagar, Bhaskar Gautam, described Renu as a liberal, humanitarian author who did not distinguish between countries.
"In every creation of Renu, humanity and the quest for freedom stand out," Gautam said. "He views the lives, nature, and culture of the people from the Himalayas to the Ganges as a whole, rising above narrow partisan and nationalistic perspectives."
Gautam added that the book ‘Saat Sal Ko Katha’ would play a significant role in making Nepali democracy even more vibrant.
Translator Tulsi Bhattrai stated that one cannot fully understand the breadth of Renu's work through knowledge of just one language or culture. "Since ‘Nepali Kranti-Katha’ vividly depicts the freedom movement, I translated and published it 25 years ago," Bhattrai said. "Both Renu and BP Koirala are authors who write with liberal sentiments. This book highlights the importance of democracy and freedom."
BP Koirala considered Renu, who grew up in the Koirala family in Biratnagar, to be like his own brother. "The renowned Hindi literary figure Renu came to Biratnagar and grew very close to us. He started living in our house," BP Koirala wrote after Renu's untimely death. "He dedicated himself to the 2007 revolution. His revolutionary nature and strong opposition to injustice and oppression mirrored mine. He was like a younger brother to me."
Indira Koirala, a member of the Tarini family, received the book from Renu, who was a classmate and contemporary of Tarini Prasad Koirala, during the launch. Renu and Tarini made significant contributions to the story of Prajatantra Radio, which opened in Biratnagar even before the establishment of Radio Nepal, and this is depicted in the book.
Bimal Acharya, the editor of Nepalaya Publication, said that although the relevance of the book, published long ago, has increased, it was unavailable in the market, prompting them to publish the translated version. "We publish works that seem unavailable but are essential to read under our Nepalaya Classic series," he said. "It is an honor for us to print a book focused on the history of Biratnagar, a key location of the movement that included Biratnagar Jute Mill and Prajatantra Radio, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the arrival of democracy."
Phanishwarnath Renu, who actively wrote while advocating for freedom throughout his life, is regarded as one of India's prominent authors.
The 120-page book Saat Sal Ko Katha is priced at 345 rupees. Readers can purchase it at major bookstores across the country and on the website www.thuprai.com. Those worldwide can also buy the book directly from Amazon.