By IANS,
Chandigarh : Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal Tuesday shared his poetic moments with the people of Chandigarh at a bookshop here.
“I Witness”, subtitled “Partial Observations”, his first collection of around 100 poems, has just been published by Roli Books.
“All the poems in this book were mere thoughts a few months back but now they have been made public through this collection. These are based on my personal beliefs and observations that is why I have given it a subtitle, ‘Partial Observations’,” Sibal told reporters here.
“I did not use pen and paper to write these poems. I typed them in my mobile phone’s message box while travelling,” the minister pointed out.
The poet in him has touched on myriad topics in the collection: terrorism, the tsunami, poverty, a recipe to win elections, the July 22 trust vote in parliament, Twenty20 cricket, nano technology, inflation and death, to name a few.
“I have written this book for everyone on this earth. The reader could be anyone – a lawyer, a judge, a politician, a journalist, a cricketer; rich and poor; in short, everyone. This is basically a satire on India, especially on how things work here,” Sibal maintained.
“This collection is dedicated to my mother who gifted me life, my father who taught me what life means and to my grandson who makes me relive this gift,” stated a visibly buoyant Sibal.
His favourite poem, the minister said, was on Twenty20 cricket that portrays the agony of losing.
“I am a great cricket fan and love to watch the game. In fact, during my school and college days, I played cricket. I also was an outstanding athlete and won many accolades,” Sibal stated.
“I had never thought of writing but I enjoyed the three and a half month period during which I wrote all these poems. It is just a channel to express my feelings. This time, it was poetry and next time it could be some other genre of literature,” the minister maintained.
Sibal also said he cherishes his visits to Chandigarh, where his roots lie.
“The city has changed manifold in the last many decades, but still I enjoy a special bond with this city,” he maintained.