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Poetic side of AP chief secretary Adityanath Das draws wholesome applause

Chief secretary of Telangana Somesh Kumar releases Dancing with Dreams' by Adityanath Das

HYDERABAD: For many participants at the launch of ‘Dancing with Dreams,’ a collection of poems penned by Adityanath Das, chief secretary of Andhra Pradesh, here on Sunday, it was a pleasant surprise to find in the top bureaucrat a deep thinker and a passionate lover of literature.

“We have known you for decades but realised only now the secret behind your compassion and positive approach,” said Somesh Kumar, his counterpart from Telangana, who released the collection and handed over the first copy to Das’ wife Padmaja to whom the collection of poems has been dedicated.

Referring to the poet’s roots in the Mithila region of Bihar, incidentally from where the two top bureaucrats hail, Somesh Kumar said the area had a great influence of the 14th century poet Vidyapati, whose works are still recited there.

“As Biharis, our sole goal was to crack the Civil Services exam,” Somesh Kumar quipped and appreciated Das for keeping the fire and passion alive in him even after 34 years of service.

Describing Das as an ever-smiling bureaucrat, Somesh Kumar said he had steered the State through turbulent times and it is commendable that he would be retiring without a blemish.

Das said most of the poems were written during his college days when communication was more in a human form rather than the present day’s technological formats. “The poems reflect hope as well as confusion about the future,” he said, adding that they reflected positivity too.

“Human life shall always remain a question and the quest for answers will bring in passion and energy and my poetic journey too began with it,” Das said.

Acharya N. Gopi, Sahitya Akademi awardee and former vice-chancellor of Telugu University, said that he was so impressed with Das’ work that he translated some of the poems in Telugu. He said people of Telangana State would remember Das for his contribution to the irrigation sector in the region in the undivided state.

Publisher Ramprasad, senior bureaucrats Neerab Kumar Prasad, Arvind Kumar, S.S. Rawat and Naveen Mittal were present.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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