03-28-2008, 12:25 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Bringing out childrens magazines is his passion</b>
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Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Bijay Kumar Mahapatra is on a unique mission. His creativity, his passion for childrens magazines and a flair for writing in Oriya may not hold one in awe. But he has already edited and published childrens magazines in around 50 Indian languages.
Bijay Kumar Mahapatra is on a unique mission. For this 39-year-old man, covering a distance of over 50 km daily on a bicycle through the weary streets and national highways is not an arduous task. His creativity, his passion for childrenâs magazines and a flair for writing in Oriya may not hold one in awe. But he has already edited and published childrenâs magazines in around 50 Indian languages.
A resident of Pakanpur (Kathiapada), Jagatsinghpur district, in Orissa, Mahapatra â who visibly looks frail, anaemic and infirm â says with conviction: âI am still far away from my goal of editing and publishing childrenâs magazine in 300 languages. But I will certainly accomplish it one day.â His urge for childrenâs magazine is such that he has even put his ancestral property on mortgage for finances. Thus he has earned the epithet of âpatrika premiâ (magazine lover).
âAt times, he has even been rebuked by donors and advertisers, but he never complains. In fact, spending nights at bus stands and railway stations are very common for him to translate his dream into reality,â says Nrusingha, his friend.
He has edited and published childrenâs magazines in Oriya, English, Hindi, Rajasthani, Kashmiri, Chhattisgarhi, Dogri, Khosali, Kui, Bathudi, Dam, Mundari, Kurmali, Sanskrit and Bhojpuri languages among others. Mahapatra, who was in Ranchi to attend a seminar, spoke to Sandeep Bhaskar of Deccan Herald about his future plans. Excerpt:
<b>So you are a patrika premi...</b>
(Smiles) Call me patrika premi or patrika pagal (obsessive), it hardly matters to me. I am doggedly pursuing my dream of publishing children magazines in 300 languages. Despite giving 18 years of my life to editing magazines, I am still very far away from my goal. But I feel that a divine force is guiding me to my destiny and I will certainly accomplish my goal one day.
<b>Is it true that you have come out with magazines in 50 languages so far? How many of them are regular?</b>
Yes, it is true and here is a testimony to the fact. (Shows a certified copy) The collector and district magistrate of Jagatsighpur has issued me a certificate saying that I have been editing and publishing magazines â especially for children â in 50 Indian languages and dialects, ie Suna Bhauni in Oriya, etc. While our publications in Oriya, Hindi and English (monthlies) are regular, we are trying to bring out other magazines half-yearly. But due to lack of resources, some of them become irregular.
However, ours is the only organisation with childrenâs magazines duly registered with the Registrar of Newspapers for India, in Sanskrit, Bhojpuri, Rajasthani, Kashmiri, Mundari and Digi languages. The name of these magazines changes according to the region. Suna Bhauni becomes Mayaru Bahin in Chhattisgari. It is Duleri Bahei in the Khortha dialect of Jharkhand while it becomes Tuath Byani in Kashmiri, Dulari Bahin in Bhojpuri and Subarna Bhagini in Sanskrit.
<b>Whatâs your basic objective behind bringing out magazines in different languages?</b>
Magazines for children, containing valuable write ups, can be a very effective tool in grooming them. But the publication of such magazines is still a low-key affair and mostly ignored in India. Many people donât understand the importance of childrenâs literature. I am only a small fry, whose whole idea is to promote national integration through different languages.
<b>How was your journey for the past 18 years in publication?</b>
I started my work in 1990, purely for the love of it, with Suna Bhauni. Later I started publication in English and Hindi. However, the journey has not been a bed of roses. Despite being aware of my limitations, writers expect a substantial payment. I canât pay them well as I am not doing all this for business. I have already exhausted all my resources. I have already mortgaged my ancestral property to realise my dreams.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Link
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Bijay Kumar Mahapatra is on a unique mission. His creativity, his passion for childrens magazines and a flair for writing in Oriya may not hold one in awe. But he has already edited and published childrens magazines in around 50 Indian languages.
Bijay Kumar Mahapatra is on a unique mission. For this 39-year-old man, covering a distance of over 50 km daily on a bicycle through the weary streets and national highways is not an arduous task. His creativity, his passion for childrenâs magazines and a flair for writing in Oriya may not hold one in awe. But he has already edited and published childrenâs magazines in around 50 Indian languages.
A resident of Pakanpur (Kathiapada), Jagatsinghpur district, in Orissa, Mahapatra â who visibly looks frail, anaemic and infirm â says with conviction: âI am still far away from my goal of editing and publishing childrenâs magazine in 300 languages. But I will certainly accomplish it one day.â His urge for childrenâs magazine is such that he has even put his ancestral property on mortgage for finances. Thus he has earned the epithet of âpatrika premiâ (magazine lover).
âAt times, he has even been rebuked by donors and advertisers, but he never complains. In fact, spending nights at bus stands and railway stations are very common for him to translate his dream into reality,â says Nrusingha, his friend.
He has edited and published childrenâs magazines in Oriya, English, Hindi, Rajasthani, Kashmiri, Chhattisgarhi, Dogri, Khosali, Kui, Bathudi, Dam, Mundari, Kurmali, Sanskrit and Bhojpuri languages among others. Mahapatra, who was in Ranchi to attend a seminar, spoke to Sandeep Bhaskar of Deccan Herald about his future plans. Excerpt:
<b>So you are a patrika premi...</b>
(Smiles) Call me patrika premi or patrika pagal (obsessive), it hardly matters to me. I am doggedly pursuing my dream of publishing children magazines in 300 languages. Despite giving 18 years of my life to editing magazines, I am still very far away from my goal. But I feel that a divine force is guiding me to my destiny and I will certainly accomplish my goal one day.
<b>Is it true that you have come out with magazines in 50 languages so far? How many of them are regular?</b>
Yes, it is true and here is a testimony to the fact. (Shows a certified copy) The collector and district magistrate of Jagatsighpur has issued me a certificate saying that I have been editing and publishing magazines â especially for children â in 50 Indian languages and dialects, ie Suna Bhauni in Oriya, etc. While our publications in Oriya, Hindi and English (monthlies) are regular, we are trying to bring out other magazines half-yearly. But due to lack of resources, some of them become irregular.
However, ours is the only organisation with childrenâs magazines duly registered with the Registrar of Newspapers for India, in Sanskrit, Bhojpuri, Rajasthani, Kashmiri, Mundari and Digi languages. The name of these magazines changes according to the region. Suna Bhauni becomes Mayaru Bahin in Chhattisgari. It is Duleri Bahei in the Khortha dialect of Jharkhand while it becomes Tuath Byani in Kashmiri, Dulari Bahin in Bhojpuri and Subarna Bhagini in Sanskrit.
<b>Whatâs your basic objective behind bringing out magazines in different languages?</b>
Magazines for children, containing valuable write ups, can be a very effective tool in grooming them. But the publication of such magazines is still a low-key affair and mostly ignored in India. Many people donât understand the importance of childrenâs literature. I am only a small fry, whose whole idea is to promote national integration through different languages.
<b>How was your journey for the past 18 years in publication?</b>
I started my work in 1990, purely for the love of it, with Suna Bhauni. Later I started publication in English and Hindi. However, the journey has not been a bed of roses. Despite being aware of my limitations, writers expect a substantial payment. I canât pay them well as I am not doing all this for business. I have already exhausted all my resources. I have already mortgaged my ancestral property to realise my dreams.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->