Guwahati: The Urdu edition of an acclaimed book ‘Great Minds on India’, authored by Shillong-based writer Salil Gewali, was released by Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria at Raj Bhavan on Tuesday.
The event was graced by distinguished scholars and guests from Assam, West Bengal, Meghalaya and Manipur.
During the programme, author Salil Gewali was awarded “Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Rashtra Gaurav Samman 2023” by Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Foundation of Howrah for his outstanding contribution to the nation through his books and collections.
Governor Kataria formally presented the memento to the author after releasing the book. He lauded Gewali for his distinctive contribution to the country through his remarkable book that highlights the profound impact of ancient Indian literature on Western luminaries.
The book “Great Minds on India” is translated into Urdu by a linguist and scholar Dr. Syed Hussain of Hyderabad and edited by Abdul Khalique of Kolkata. The book published by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Foundation, Howrah, has so far has been translated into thirteen languages, including German.
The book is available in English, Hindi, Telugu, Gujarati, Tamil, Marathi, Malayalam, Manipuri, Nepali, Bengali, German and now in Urdu.
The Assamese translation has been completed and will be released shortly while the process of translating it into Garo, Punjabi, Kannada and Arabic has begun.
Foundation’s general secretary and editor of the book Abdul Khaleque has pledged to distribute this Urdu edition to a minimum of sixty countries worldwide, ensuring its global reach and impact.
The NGO, who engages in cultural exchanges and social welfare, through a memorandum requested Assam Governor to publish this book in foreign languages so that people can learn what great scholars had told about India.
Earlier, international award winning senior community journalist Nanda Kirati Dewan briefed the Governor about the book and felicitated him with a traditional scarf. Thereafter, foundation’s general secretary Khaleque handed over the Urdu edition of the book for release and presented a memento with APJ Abdul Kalam’s photo.
Ramesh Bastola, general secretary of the Bharatiya Gorkha Yuva Parisangh, said, “Gewali’s research work must have began at an early stage since its first edition got published in 1998 when the source of information was limited to books and newspapers. This is indeed a commendable work. The Manipuri edition translated by Sadashiva Singh was released by Manipur CM N Biren Singh in the gracious presence of Sikkim CM Prem Singh Tamang and MP Darjeeling Raju Bista during the closing ceremony of Shandmasik Biswa Shanti Mahayagya at Santolabari in Manipur on 9th December 2022.”
“Under the patronage of Assam Government, this book is being translated into Assamese and will be published soon,” said Salil Gewali.
During his painstaking research, Gewali had made remarkable discovery regarding the depth of ancient Indian texts. He said scientists such as Schrödinger, Niels Bohr, Julius Oppenheimer, David Bohm, Heisenberg, David Josephson, and many more had drawn significant inspiration from the ancient literature of India in formulating ideas related to quantum physics, linguistics and much more.
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The book ‘Great Minds on India’ stands as a testament to the rich cultural heritage and intellectual contributions of India to the world. It serves as an inspiring read that bridges the ancient wisdom of India with modern scientific and philosophical discourse.
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