Blending renewable energy and poetic metres, has this crossed your minds?

Raj Kishore Mishra takes you by surprise with his new record-making book of Hindi poems on conservation of renewable energy.
The book that’s divided into four chapters, talks about conventional and renewable energy with its impact on the environment.
The book that’s divided into four chapters, talks about conventional and renewable energy with its impact on the environment.

You often associate poetry with love, longing, friendship, dear ones, emotions, politics, patriotism... but poeticising renewable energy? That external power derived from the utilisation of physical or chemical resources, especially to provide light and heat or to work machines... Never crossed our minds.

Raj Kishore Mishra
Raj Kishore Mishra

Exactly why Gurugram-based Raj Kishore Mishra, 59, stepped in to pen the first Hindi poetry book on energy titled Urja Varnan. The book that’s divided into four chapters, talks about conventional and renewable energy with its impact on the environment. The book recently made it into the India Book of Records, 2020 edition and Asia Book of Records.

“Poetry has always been confined to the usual topics, so I thought of choosing a topic that affects people at large,” asserts Mishra, a BTech (electrical) from IIT, Varanasi, who works as Chief General Manager (electrical), BSNL, New Delhi. “Energy is an integral part of our life.

But being a technical subject, it doesn’t catch our attention. That’s why I decided to create awareness about the topic through poetry.” It took Mishra 8-10 months to complete the book. He has two books titled Parvahini and Meghpushp to his credit and Samveg is in the process of publication.

“Though there has been efforts by the government in promoting usage of energy-efficient appliances, which has helped in energy-saving up to an extent, I want people to understand that it’s our duty to save energy at individual level.”

Mishra propagates the above thought in these lines from his poem titled Urja Ki Bachat (Energy conservation) – Urja Bachat Vaikalpik Nahi, Anivarya hai Urja Bachana, Na ho Tanik bhi Apvyay, Aavashyak hai har Unit Bachana (Energy conservation is not voluntary, it’s compulsory, every unit should be saved without any wastage). “Yet we disregard the gravity of the problem,” says Mishra. “It’s time we take it seriously because we have limited resources of conventional energy on the planet and we will end up exhausting them one day. And renewable energy is the only option we have that will help us have a better future. So, we should use it sustainably.”

About the immediate steps that need to be taken at the grassroots level, these lines from the poem Urja aur Paryavaran (Energy and environment) say, “Filter ya ho Precipitator Athva Flue Gas Nigandhakikaran Lag jaye aise upkaran yadi ruk sakta hai isse pradushan (Equipment such as filters, precipitators, flue gas and desulphurisation should be installed at the sources that add to air pollution).

Writing a book, he believes, is not enough to deal with the current situation. But he’s contributing his bit with the hope that people will start playing their part. 

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