Lucknow: The launch of two books authored by railway officer and writer Dr Amitabh Kumar — ‘Lucknow: Shahr-e-Adab’ and ‘Indian Railways: From Steam to Speed’ — was held during the 5th Gomti Book Festival at the Lucknow University campus on Sunday evening, September 20, 2026.
The joint launch ceremony took place at 6:15 pm at the Old Campus Ground of the University of Lucknow during a special literary session of the festival, organised in collaboration with the National Book Trust (NBT India).
The event brought together prominent personalities from politics, administration, railways, literature, journalism and the business community.
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak attended as the chief guest and unveiled both books. The ceremony was also attended by State Information Commissioner Mohammad Nadeem, Additional Director General of the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) Qazi Meraj Ahmed, RVNL General Manager Anil Kumar Singh, National President of the Akhil Bharatiya Udyog Vyapar Mandal Sandeep Bansal, senior journalist Naval Kant Sinha, Padma Shri awardee Vidya Bindu Singh, Divyansh Publications Managing Director Neeraj Arora, author Dr Amitabh Kumar and event moderator Bindu Jain, among others.
Brajesh Pathak Unveils Both Books
Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, who attended the event as chief guest, formally unveiled both books and congratulated Dr Amitabh Kumar on the publication.
Addressing the gathering, Pathak highlighted the role of literary events and thought-provoking books in giving a new direction to knowledge, ideas and creativity in society.
Speaking on the Lucknow University campus, he also recalled his own student days and reflected on the role of the university in nurturing talent over the years.
Pathak praised Dr Amitabh Kumar’s ability to pursue literary work alongside his demanding responsibilities as an Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) officer. He noted that the author had undertaken detailed work on both the history and cultural refinement of Lucknow and the development of Indian Railways.
Mohammad Nadeem Calls the Book a Reflection of Lucknow’s Tehzeeb
State Information Commissioner Mohammad Nadeem, who is also an alumnus of Lucknow University, spoke about the institution’s longstanding association with literature and culture.
Referring to ‘Lucknow: Shahr-e-Adab’, Nadeem said the book goes beyond being a conventional account of the city. He described it as a document reflecting the lifestyle of Awadh, its human values and the spirit of brotherhood associated with Lucknow.
The book, he observed, captures elements of adab and tehzeeb that have traditionally shaped the city’s identity.
Sandeep Bansal Highlights Link Between Markets and Culture
Sandeep Bansal, National President of the Akhil Bharatiya Udyog Vyapar Mandal, also attended the launch and congratulated Dr Amitabh Kumar.
Speaking about Lucknow’s distinctive character, Bansal noted the close relationship between the city’s markets, society and cultural traditions.
He emphasised the importance of such literary works in helping younger generations understand their roots, heritage and cultural ethos.
Padma Shri Vidya Bindu Singh Praises Language
Padma Shri awardee Vidya Bindu Singh praised the language and literary style of ‘Lucknow: Shahr-e-Adab’.
She particularly appreciated the way the book incorporates the elegance and character of Awadhi and Lakhnawi linguistic traditions.
Her remarks underlined the literary dimension of the book, which seeks to portray Lucknow not merely through historical facts but through its language, social customs and cultural atmosphere.
Publisher Neeraj Arora Speaks About the Book
Neeraj Arora, Managing Director of Divyansh Publications, which has published both books, expressed pride in bringing Dr Amitabh Kumar’s works to readers.
He said ‘Lucknow: Shahr-e-Adab’ presents the character and soul of Lucknow through its history, culture and distinctive way of life.
The publication house has brought together the two works covering very different subjects — the cultural and historical identity of Lucknow and the evolution of India’s railway system.
What ‘Lucknow: Shahr-e-Adab’ Explores
‘Lucknow: Shahr-e-Adab (City of Language, Conscience, and Life)’ takes readers through the cultural layers that have shaped the city over generations.
Rather than presenting history simply as a sequence of dates and events, the book attempts to portray Lucknow as a living cultural experience.
Its narrative explores the city’s Nawabi refinement, historic architecture, gardens, winding lanes, cuisine, distinctive language and traditional forms of greeting.
At its heart is the idea of Lucknow’s Ganga-Jamuni cultural heritage — a synthesis of traditions that has contributed to the city’s distinctive social and cultural identity.
The book also examines the city’s adab, tehzeeb, relationships, communal harmony and the everyday expressions through which its cultural character has been preserved.
For readers seeking to understand what gives Lucknow its distinctive identity, the book serves as a literary exploration of the city’s history as well as its social and cultural life.
‘Indian Railways: From Steam to Speed’
The second book launched at the festival, ‘Indian Railways: From Steam to Speed’, focuses on the history and transformation of Indian Railways.
The book chronicles the journey of the railway system from the era of steam locomotives to the modern phase of speed, technological advancement and infrastructure development.
As an IRTS officer, Dr Amitabh Kumar has had a professional association with the railway system, adding an administrative and institutional perspective to his writing on its evolution.
The book therefore looks at the Indian Railways through the larger story of its transition and modernisation.
Dr Amitabh Kumar: Railway Officer and Writer
Dr Amitabh Kumar is an Indian Railway Traffic Service officer of 1996 batch, who has developed a parallel body of literary work alongside his administrative career.
He is currently posted as the Director/Traffic Psycho-Technical at the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
His writing extends across subjects including history, spirituality, rural governance, socio-political themes, contemporary society and Indian Railways.
His books reflect an interest in documenting both institutional developments and broader social and cultural experiences.
The latest two publications add Lucknow’s cultural history and the evolution of Indian Railways to this body of work.
Other Books by Dr Amitabh Kumar
Apart from the two books launched at the Gomti Book Festival, Dr Amitabh Kumar has authored several other works.
His major books include ‘Sarpanch’, a story built around the rural landscape and the Panchayati Raj system; ‘Operation Log Out’; ‘Samadhi se Rajyoga Tak’; ‘Bloody Merit Scholars’; ‘Mahant: The Godfather’; ‘Rainbow in White Shroud’; and ‘Gen Z: Love Lost in Transactions’.
He has also written ‘Kumbh Diaries’, based on research and personal experiences during the Kumbh Mela. The work was also associated with an honorary doctorate conferred on him by an American university.
His other notable work includes ‘Aghori and Manikarnika: The Cosmic Dance of Death’.
A Literary Evening at Lucknow University
The joint launch of ‘Lucknow: Shahr-e-Adab’ and ‘Indian Railways: From Steam to Speed’ brought together different strands of public life at the 5th Gomti Book Festival.
The presence of senior administrators, railway officials, politicians, journalists, writers, publishers and literary personalities reflected the broad interest surrounding the two works.
For Lucknow, the launch of ‘Shahr-e-Adab’ was particularly significant as the book places the city’s language, culture, history and social traditions at the centre of its narrative.
The evening also highlighted the role of literary festivals and books in creating spaces where administration, culture, history and contemporary ideas can come together.
