Ode to a hero

Mona

With elections around the corner, one would think it’s all about swanky cars, fiery speeches, posters in every nook and corner of the Panjab University...but, books? That too on Bhagat Singh may seem out of place!

Not really, four students of Lalkaar, Punjab Student Union, happily spread out their stash, sandwiched between an election campaign and Khalsa Aid stall.

There are books right from Maxim Gorky to Munshi Premchand in Hindi, English, Punjabi; but it is literature on Bhagat Singh and posters that stand out. “Look out at the hujoom of the people aiming to make it in politics; they are the ones who need the books the most,” they shout in unison in order to be heard over the speech and the sound of clapping.

Many takers

The books, priced anything between Rs 5 to Rs 300, have many takers. A PhD student in Women Studies, with thesis centred on domestic violence, Virender, picks up three – Katyayani’s Prem, Pramapara Aur Vidroh, Radhamohan Gokul’s Ishwar Ka Bahishkar and Rahul Sankrityayan’s Tumhari Kshay — his bill totalling to a mere Rs 55. He wants Sankrityayan’s Dimagi Ghulami too, which the girl behind the counter duly notes. 

Dikshant Thakur, who loves Durjoy Dutta and Dan Brown, is interested in knowing much more about Bhagat Singh. A wide range of experience that reading provides makes physics’ students — Hartanya Kaur and Komal Kaur — swing towards the stall. “You think of Bhagat Singh and the first thought to hit you is that at the age when he made the supreme sacrifice!”

As many individuals, as many voices...finding perfect echo in books amongst the din of finding next student leaders of the university; all is abuzz on PU campus.

mona@tribunemail.com