Howrah-based Muslim organisation Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Foundation has again decided to publish the Arabic edition of the world-acclaimed ‘Great Minds on India,’ authored by Shillong-based writer Salil Gewali. The translation process is underway, led by esteemed Arabic scholar Dr. Mohammad Ramzan in Doha, Qatar, with editing by Hamdan Bin Rashid of Madrid, Spain.
This initiative by the organisation follows the successful release of the book’s Urdu edition, formally launched by the Governor of Assam, Shri Gulab Chand Kataria, in 2023. Abdul Khalique, the Secretary of the Foundation, announced that the Arabic edition would be distributed across Arabian countries to foster cultural exchange and highlight the rich literary heritage of Indian wisdom, recognised by globally renowned intellectuals such as – Johann Goethe, F. Voltaire, Arthur Schopenhauer, Fredrich Hegel, David Henry Thoreau, Albert Einstein, Werner Heisenberg, Julius Oppenheimer, TS Eliot, Mark Twain and so on.
Furthermore, a Sanskrit edition of ‘Great Minds on India’ is also being translated by NRIs Dr Annapurna Nori of Los Angeles and Smt. Usha Jaya Raman is from North Carolina, USA, under the expert supervision and guidance of highly acclaimed Sanskrit scholar Dr Baldevananda Sagar. Author Salil Gewali notes that Dr Baldevananda Sagar, an eminent scholar and journalist who previously worked as a critical anchor at Doordarshan and All India Radio, has distinguished himself by translating Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ into Sanskrit for the past eight years.
The research-based work spanning twenty-four years, Gewali published the first edition in Xerox format in 1998, while the regular print edition was first published in 2009 and was formally launched by the then Governor of Meghalaya, Ranjit S. Mooshahary in Shillong. In his speech, the Governor Ranjit S. Mooshahary appreciated Gewali’s efforts by saying: “Salil Gewali’s research-based book is one of a kind, unlike any other published. Each page reveals insights from some of the most esteemed minds, shedding light on profound truths about the country that remain largely unknown to the general people. I am confident that this book will not only enlighten but also inspire countless individuals across the nation.” The international publishing house — Penguin Books has published “Great Minds on India” in Kindle edition since 2013. The forthcoming Arabic edition will mark the 14th translation of ‘Great Minds on India.’
