On a breezy evening, British Council on Kasturba Road, hosted a book discussion. It features a conversation with Nirmala Govindrajan the author of the book and the community catalyst himself — retired Additional Chief Secretary of Higher Education and former BBMP commissioner, Bharat Lal Meena.
The Community Catalyst, published by Sapna Book House, is now recommended as reading material for universities across Karnataka and will soon be available in university libraries across the country. A roomful of enthusiasts, including aspiring civil servants, listened attentively to the reading of passages from the book. This was followed by a Q&A session with the author and the protagonist.
Moderated by LGBTQI activist Rōmal Lāisram, the evening began with the reading of selected chapters from the book. Rōmal also took the audience through the interesting aspects of Bharat’s life.
“I have written the book in a novelesque format in an endeavour to reach out to younger impressionable readers. Through my writing, I wanted to convey a unique story, unravelling a tale of inspiration, beauty and hope,” said Nirmala. The discussions that followed focussed on Bharat’s role in propagating the ApnaDesh movement, which inspires people to involve themselves in shramdaan and swayam seva to garner positive changes in their communities. “As long as one wants to do something, one can achieve it. Human beings have such capacity, in abundance,” Bharat then concluded with, “there will always be good, moderate and bad people in the world — it is our duty to ensure we choose the right path and stick to achieving it.”
“Change is not an easy thing. Systemic changes can be brought up from within; that’s what is highlighted in the book. You can bring about change, by exercising power in a positive way, ” said Bharat.
Rōmal brought the evening to a close with, “The book makes for wonderful reading. It also makes for an ideal gift for youngsters, especially those who want to work for the country and needdirection. You wouldn’t need any other inspiration.”
