Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Saying her story
|
Geeta Dharamrajan shares the plot of Katha and more
|
PHOTO: ANU PUSHKARNA
WEARING MANY HATS Geeta Dharmarajan
From a children's magazine to literature to social work, Geeta Dharamrajan has been associated with them all.
Her belief that good literature is an effective medium for both pleasure and self improvement, led her to establish Katha, which is not just a publishing house but also a non-profit organisation having several social work projects under its wings.
Her very first venture was a children magazine "Tamasha", which ran successfully for two years, until it had to be shut down owing to her foray into the publishing world. Her love for literature prompted her to set up a full-fledged publishing house, Katha, in 1989, exclusively devoted to translating regional Indian writers into English.
Her dexterity in management came to fore when, in the competitive world of fiction publishing, she not only made Katha a successful business house but also a name to reckon with.
A clear upshot of this venture has been that the translation of their works into English has enabled several regional writers to gain recognition among a larger audience.
Turning point
"Reading Mouni, the eminent Tamil writer, proved to be a turning point in the establishment of Katha. In fact, his talent struck me so much that it made me consider that there must be other writers like him writing in various Indian languages. Suddenly, it occurred to me how consequential it would be to get their works translated into English," she says.
But in this age, how many people care for literature? "India never had a vast legion of readers for literature. But the complexities and strained circumstances of the modern times are driving more and more people towards it. It is being realised that fiction not only provides pleasure but also acts as a relaxant. The tremendous growth of English in the last few years and the rise in the purchasing power of the middle class has led to growth in readership. That our first anthology of short stories is into its ninth reprint proves that literature sells," she explains.
Making a change
Geeta also imparts education to underprivileged children in slums. For this, she arranged a mobile school on wheels and is assisted by several volunteer teachers. Her inspiration to get engaged in social work comes from her grandmother, whom she saw work for the welfare of the widows back home in Chennai.
Elaborating the challenges that confront such projects she points out, "In community development projects like these, the availability of funds and volunteers count the most. India is a vast country with vast number of problems. These problems can only be solved if we volunteer ourselves to confront them in our individual capacities."
ADITYA SHARMA
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
|
