Everyone knows him as an accomplished IAS officer who has worked in the civil service for more than three decades. Now former Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh, Mr. Aditya Nath Das reveals another facet of his personality – the creative side – with a book of his poems called ‘Dancing with Dreams’.
His intimate approach towards life and his philosophical bent of mind are evident in his poetry, proving that he is not only a poet but also a deep philosopher.
DANCING WITH DREAMS
Mr. Aditya Nath Das’s latest book ‘Dancing with Dreams’ is a collection of poems based on his life experiences. They were composed in spontaneous bursts of emotions in certain moments of his life in his incoherent scrawling. The verses reveal his profound understanding and philosophy of human life.
“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,” Mr. Das said in an interview.
The officer’s poetry comes right from his heart and is based on various events in his life. He has penned down the exceptional and monumental moments of his life in paper and has been successful in sewing a string of emotions together into them.
“Most of my poems were written during my 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. The poems assert that whatever may be the tensions and turbulences, inside or outside, one can still remain humane.
PRAISED BY ALL
Mr. Das comes from the land of Mithila, in the foothills of the Himalayas, which was the birthplace of famous poets like Vidyapati. His book consists of a collection of 40 poems, each of them reflecting the philosophical, spiritual and humane sides of his personality.
Releasing the book recently at the Taj Deccan, the officer’s longtime friend and counterpart from Telangana, Mr. Somesh Kumar said: “When I was reading it, I found that it is not poetry if it does not make you pause. Aditya’s poems make the reader pause, they make them think and reflect about themselves.”
Addressing Mr. Das, Mr. Kumar said, “We have known you for decades but realised only now the secret behind your compassion and positive approach.” He then formally released the book and handed over the first copy to Mr. Das’ wife Padmaja, to whom the collection of poems has been dedicated.
Describing Mr. Das as an ever-smiling bureaucrat, Mr. Kumar further said that the officer had steered the state through turbulent times, and it is commendable that he is retiring without a blemish.
Hailing from Bihar himself, Mr. Kumar pointed out in good humour that “As Biharis, our sole goal was to crack the Civil Services exam,” and praised Mr. Das for keeping the fire and passion alive in him even after 34 years in service.
TRANSLATION IN TELUGU
Sahitya Akademi awardee and former Vice Chancellor of the Telugu University, Professor N Gopi said that he is so impressed with Mr. Das’ work that he will be translating some of his poems into Telugu.
He also said that the people of Telangana would remember Mr. Das for his contribution to the irrigation sector in the region in the undivided state.
Praising the book of poems, he said, “Life makes poetry possible, and poetry enlightens life. This is the reason why a poet is more humane in his day-to-day affairs. The officers don’t get enough time to explore their emotions and states of mind in artistic ways, but Adityanath Das has done it very well.”
The poet himself, Mr. Ananya Das said in his address to the gathering that, “The most difficult journey is to connect with oneself than connecting with the person next to you or to the abstract world.
This book of poems is to be soon followed with more, as Mr. Das has finalized a dozen more poems for publication. “Whatever life unfolds for you, welcome it with a smile,” were his concluding words.
Mr. Das has now been appointed as the Andhra Pradesh government’s chief advisor in New Delhi, with the rank of a cabinet minister.
