“Young people will relate to the book, because in our hearts we are all rebels, before we start to conform,” said author Manjul Bajaj about her latest novel ‘In Search of Heer’, during the fourth session of The Write Circle a bouquet event of the Prabha Khaitan Foundation, sponsored by Shree Cement in association with Hyatt Hotel Raipur. An environmentalist and poet Manjul Bajaj has written five other well-received books including two for children.

 

The session began with an introduction by Aanchal Garcha, a member of the Ehsaas Women of Raipur and a welcome note by Harkaran Singh the general manager Hyatt, Raipur. The conversationalist for the evening was Reshalika Dawar, a passionate educationist and blogger on the subject of parenting and education. Looking for Heer is a modern version of the much-loved folklore Heer Ranjha. Manjul is fascinated by love and all forms of it, be it romantic or parental or for that matter even the love we must feel towards our environment, hence the book has perspectives from animals that are a part of the daily life of the protagonists in the novel.

 

Manjul said she has always had two conflicting impulses one to continue her work in the field of rural development and the other to write. She took the audience back to her early days when with stars in her eyes and hopes of changing the world she was fortunate to work under Dr Kurien in Anand, Gujarat. Later her work in rural development took a back seat and writing came to the fore. However, she said environmental work is not a closed chapter and she might take it up again.

 

Speaking about the current environmental issues and human tendency to amass material goods, Manjul pointed out that instead of producing an eco-friendly alternative for a straw why not stop using a straw. When asked by a member of the audience how to teach children about what love actually is, Manjul replied that you don’t have to teach them, as long as they have the circle of your affection they will be alright even if they make a grave mistake. The memento from the Ehsaas Women to Manjul was presented by Meena Sapre a writer and to Reshalika Dawar by Palash Khandelwal owner of Arambh School. Prabha Khaitan Foundation is dedicated to the social, cultural and educational advancement of the society. Ehsaas is an initiative of Prabha Khaitan Foundation, it is a conglomeration of women from all walks of life who are graceful in their own ways and inspire others for the betterment of the society. Kalpana Chaudhary, Kirti Kirdatt, Aanchal Garcha and Shrishti Trivedi are Ehsaas women of Raipur.