Tales of Hope

Dastaan-e-Ummeed

Struggles for Resilience, Hope and Justice

Vikas Bajpai

AfterNote Press

Price: Rs. 1600.00

Presenting a book authored by one of my junior comrade–Dr. Vikas Bajpai, a doctor six year junior to me. Born in a middle class family of Lucknow Vikas graduated from Delhi University. He had his MD in Radiation Oncology in 1996. But instead of pursuing the vocation of radiation oncologist, he chose the role of a professional trade union activist, associated with IFTU (Indian Federation of Trade Unions). After nearly a decade, because of his failing health, he had to shift. He became a Master of Public Health from JAwahr Lal Nehru University’s Centre for Social Medicine and Community Health and later completed his PhD from the same institute. Presently he is a faculty member of the centre from 2014. He is also actively organising ‘Janahastakshep’ –peaople’s initiative for civil rights.

The book is to a large extent autobiographical. It covers his experience with the society as it has evolved over more than 35 years.

The book has six sections:

1. Cleaning of the ‘Augean Stables’ and the struggle that JNU waged against it.
2. Fault lines of India’s secularism.
3. Indian ‘democracy’s’ under-belly.
4. The pandemic pandemonium.
5. Fuelling hope:The great Indian Farmers’ struggle, 2020-21
6. The delight of an insidious hope.

in the Author’s Note, Vikas wrote: ‘Taking the bull by the horns by building peoples’ struggles is only one way in which asserts itself; however, such movements cannot be made to order and are effected through indefatigable perseverance over a period of  time. For better part hope permeates surreptitiously through everyday life….”

Vikas is not only a radiation oncologist, public health specialist, human rtights activist and writer, but also an able artist, photographer and poet. There are invaluable sketches, photographs and Urdu poems in ‘Dastann-e-Ummeed’. We should have this book as historical account of contemporary struggles and also as a source of hope.