(329) In Light Mood (Introduction) – Prof. Mukesh Raval (2)

Introduction

In a hot, draught prone and a border region of Banaskantha where life is not an easy going story, everyone is blessed with a clear and sharp thinking process and a broad view of life and world which develops gradually from the encounters of brutality and harshness of life which the world labels as philosophy. Only a few decades ago when the life here was dependent on agricultural produce only and when there were no signs of industrial development or infrastructural progress, it was the tendency of the people here to sit together and discuss the grave issues of humanity, morality, society, nationalism and even international issues like war etc. .

Valibhai is a son of this burning soil and he has inherited the philosophical bent of mind to interpret various problems that life offers in his own, distinctive and exclusive way. Adding up in his vast experiences of life is his similarly vast reading of literature, sociology, psychology and economics. In this collection of essays, the reader will find the accumulated source of knowledge and wisdom. Actually the essays or the expositions are written in a newer form of literature which is “Online Blog Writing”. In his colloquial and lucid language, Valibhai offers us a unique blend of subjects touching delicately a local, a national or an international event or topic. His range is exhaustive and the treatment is of a neutral essayist. The readers will definitely be amused to see the author’s sense of humor which makes his essays and articles worth reading and genuine pieces of literature. Moreover, Valibhai runs an Online Blog named “William’s Tales” which is multi-lingual and receives the hundreds of comments from his wide circle of readers.

In his first essay “Over Sensitiveness”, he takes this weakness of human nature as a topic and delineates his deepest thoughts with touches of humor and quotes from the world renowned authors. He begins this essay with a brief story “The death of a Government clerk” by Anton Chekhov. At the end of the essay, he proves that over sensitiveness is the toughest obstacle in the way of uplifting the self. In his next article which is in a series named ‘Art of Balanced Exaggeration in Conversation’, he humorously takes us to a tour of some events of his life and simply states that a little exaggeration in the conversation is not dangerous but the alert listener would definitely discount it to reach the truth. He quotes from a proverb,” Exaggeration is to paint a snake and add legs.”

Valibhai takes such topics into consideration that the title of it surely lures the reader to have a taste of it. In his next essay titled, ”No scarcity of Jacks of all” he beautifully and humorously describes the habits of some people who try to be a grocer with just a single ginger. He invents new phrases in English from his mother tongue like “1.5 times wiser’ and in a Hamletian fashion he writes “To laugh and not to laugh”,” to be and not to be angry”

In his one more series of articles which he titled as “Seldom such posts” he takes upon a popular debatable topic and takes the reader deep within the topic with his new found dimensions and innovative interpretations. His mind is such a fertile land that it grows newer and newer ideas. One such idea is “Shoe missiles”. In his article on “The sense of humor”, he Quotes then Prime Minister of Britain, Winston Churchill. I restrict myself to quote that conversation as the readers would love to find it out and read for themselves.

Some of his articles are absolutely research based and make the sensitive reader brood over it. The book is full of events, characters, humor, witty remarks, well known quotations and one can find the talent of a genuine essay writer on every page. Besides it, it has some beautiful translations of some wonderful poems and lastly an interview which the readers would find as a vacation bonus.

I quote from the translation of the poem “A Flute Vendor”

“Four annas only!

Buy and revel,

Day and night,

In heavenly melody!”

Four annas each?

Sell for an anna.

“No sir , no.”

“Will return to my village

Though they remain unsold.”

“This is no firewood stock.”

I hope that the collection will be appreciated by readers from all over the world as it is to be published in an E-book version. I wish that soon we have another collection of its kind, as Valibhai‘s fertile mind will grow more and more finer ideas to write articles upon. All the Best.

Prof. Mukesh Raval

(North Gujarat University)

3rd May 2012.

Note : – You may click here to preview my e-book ‘In Light Mood’.