Interview with author Bhagwant Singh Rawat on his post-retirement literary career.

Meet and Greet 

Interview with author Bhagwant Singh Rawat on his post-retirement literary career.

Key Takeaways

• Career Transition: After retiring as a DRDO scientist, Rawat pursued writing, a lifelong passion. His debut novel, Quarter Moon, Full Moon, was self-published after a decade of on-and-off work.

• Debut Novel: Quarter Moon, Full Moon weaves three threads: a young woman’s unrequited love for a senior officer, the politics of a large office, and a dangerous project in the land of the mysterious “Mafi Tribes.”

• Early Validation: Key early encouragement came from Ruskin Bond, who called a story a “worthy endeavour,” and from local newspapers such as Doon Darpan and Doon Classified, which published his work.

• Advice for Youth: Rawat offered two core principles: prioritise health for a long, fulfilling life and cultivate belief in a higher power to navigate life’s stresses.

Topics

Transition from Science to Literature

• Rawat’s post-retirement writing career fulfils a lifelong passion for reading and creating.

• Rationale: Writing provides personal satisfaction and fulfils a creative drive.

Literary Journey & Early Success

• First Publication: A Hindi story in the local newspaper Doon Darpan provided the initial validation.

• Humorous Articles: Regular contributions to Doon Classified led to a call from a well-known local writer, Raj Kaur, who praised the work.

• Key Validation: Ruskin Bond called the long story “Alfie Welles’ Love Story” a “worthy endeavour.” The story was later published in two parts by Garhwal Post.

• Doon Plus Supplement: This local Times of India supplement published 6–7 of Rawat’s humorous articles, building confidence to start a novel.

Debut Novel: Quarter Moon, Full Moon

• Origin: Begun in ~2007, the novel took over a decade to complete and was finished only after retirement due to a demanding work schedule.

• Publishing: Self-published on Amazon after major houses rejected the manuscript, a common challenge for new authors.

• Plot Threads: The narrative is built on three interconnected stories:

  1. Unrequited Love: A young technical assistant, Miran, falls for her senior, married officer, Guru.

  2. Office Politics: A realistic portrayal of a large office environment with scheming, insecure, and flattering colleagues.

  3. Mafi Tribes: A mysterious, isolated community in the high mountains. The office team’s project takes them into Mafi territory, where they fall into a dangerous trap.

• Genre: A blend of love story, adventure, suspense, and humour.

Science & Storytelling Connection

• Imagination: A common thread. Rawat cited Albert Einstein’s use of imagination (e.g., riding a light beam) as a parallel to creative writing.

• Inspiration: Science fiction (e.g., H.G. Wells’ Invisible Man) can inspire scientists to pursue real-world innovation.

Advice for Young People

• 1. Health is Wealth: Prioritise health through good sleep, nutrition, and physical activity to prevent future illness and enjoy life.

• 2. Carry God with You: Cultivate a belief in a higher power. This provides a sense of support to navigate life’s stresses, even while taking full personal responsibility for one’s actions.

FATHOM AI-generated notes.

Organic Purpose in Life's Journey

Brewing Knowledge Friday

Amardeep Singh discusses his heritage documentation and personal journey.

Key Takeaways

• “Accidental Author” Journey: A corporate career ended in 2014, freeing Singh to pursue a lifelong passion for history. This led to documenting Sikh heritage in Pakistan, a project he views as a personal calling to contribute to society.

• Challenging Official Narratives: Singh’s work counters state-sponsored history (e.g., Pakistan’s) that omits or demonises the Sikh era. He uses historical evidence, like syncretic frescoes, to reveal a more complex, shared past.

• Partition’s Unequal Impact: The partition’s impact was uneven. Punjab was divided, but Sindh, Kashmir, and Balochistan were uprooted entirely. This explains the Sindhi community’s focus on commerce, as they lost all land-based assets.

• Current Project: Singh is translating the Guru Granth Sahib into “metaphoric English” to make its wisdom globally accessible. He has completed 1/3 of the project (1,653 verses) and is seeking resources to finish the remaining 2/3.

Topics

The “Accidental Author” Journey

• Singh’s corporate career ended in 2014, providing the opportunity to pursue a lifelong interest in history.

• Motivation: A personal calling to document the heritage left behind by his ancestors in Pakistan, fulfilling a sense of social contribution.

• Challenges:

  • Access: Navigating a geopolitically sensitive region as an Indian national.

  • Logistics: Researching 36 cities/villages in 30 days (Book 1) and 90 in 60 days (Book 2) on a tight budget.

  • Funding: Self-funding the project required a significant shift from a corporate mindset.

• Emotional Moment: Finding his distant aunt, Jaswanti (now Noori), in Rawalpindi, who was separated from her family during the 1947 Kashmir conflict.

Challenging Official Narratives

• Singh’s work challenges state-sponsored histories that present a black-and-white past.

• Pakistan’s Narrative: Omits the Sikh era (1799–1849) and demonises figures like Ranjit Singh.

• Historical Evidence: Singh uses art and architecture to reveal a more complex, syncretic past.

  • Bhomanshah Darbar Frescoes: Show empowered women leading hunts in the 1800s.

  • Gurdwara Frescoes: Include Hindu stories such as that of Shravan Kumar, demonstrating shared Indic traditions.

Partition’s Unequal Impact

• The partition’s impact varied significantly by region.

• Punjab: Divided, but both sides retained land, allowing for cultural re-anchoring (e.g., Amritsar for Sikhs).

• Sindh, Kashmir, Balochistan: Uprooted entirely, losing all land-based assets.

  • Sindhis: Their focus on commerce stems directly from having to rebuild their lives from scratch.

  • Kashmir: The conflict is framed as a “Line of Control” dispute, which prevents either India or Pakistan from acknowledging the human cost of partition in the region.

Current Project: Globalising the Guru Granth Sahib

• Goal: Make the wisdom of the Guru Granth Sahib accessible to a global audience.

• Method: Translating the scripture into “metaphoric English” to convey its philosophical depth, unlike current literal translations (e.g., “washing your lotus feet”).

• Progress: 1/3 of the project (1,653 verses, including all of Nanak’s and Kabir’s) is complete.

• Challenge: Expanding to complete the remaining 2/3 requires significant resources, which Singh is actively seeking.

Next Steps

• Amardeep Singh: Secure resources to complete the remaining 2/3 of the Guru Granth Sahib translation project.

• Audience: Research the “butterfly effect” to understand how small events can have large, unpredictable consequences.

Biocracy redefines responsibility

The idea of biocracy emerges from an uncomfortable yet straightforward realisation: most of our political decisions today are still centred almost entirely on human convenience, power, and short-term gain, while the ecological systems that sustain life are treated as secondary—or worse, expendable.

Biocracy can be understood as a form of governance where decisions are not driven solely by human wants but are fundamentally guided by ecological needs. In such a system, the health of air, water, soil, forests, and climate becomes a primary factor in policy-making, not an afterthought. 

If we honestly evaluate the dominant forms of governance—democracy, monarchy, autocracy, or even technocracy—we find that they are increasingly inadequate for the challenges of our time. These systems were designed in eras that did not account for ecological collapse. Today, when AQI levels are at historic highs, visibility is literally blurred, forests are cut relentlessly, and regions like the Aravallis are reduced to dumping grounds, it becomes evident that something is deeply broken. 

The crisis is not only environmental; it is political and moral. Our regimes continue to function as if nature is infinite, resilient, and silent. But nature is neither limitless nor silent anymore—it is responding, and the consequences are visible everywhere. 

This brings us to a crucial question: On what basis should future governments be formed?

Should political power still be decided purely on ideology, caste, religion, or economic promises? Or is it time to evaluate leadership on parameters such as air quality, tree cover, water security, pollution levels, cleanliness, and the sustainability of future generations? 

I firmly believe that the next generation of voters—the youth—are far more aware and informed than ever before. They will not vote merely on narratives that have existed for decades. They will ask different questions: 

• What is the AQI of my city?
• How many trees are being protected or planted?
• What is the state of water and soil?
• Is development sustainable, or merely destructive?

This shift in thinking is the foundation of biocracy.  

Biocracy may be unrealistic. Can trees, rivers, mountains, animals, or soil have rights? Can they be represented in governance? It may sound impossible today—but history tells us otherwise.  

A hundred years ago, most countries did not allow all citizens to vote. Universal suffrage once seemed unthinkable. If someone had proposed it then, it would have been dismissed as impractical or idealistic. Yet today, it is a fundamental democratic principle. Similarly, recognising ecological entities as stakeholders in governance may seem radical now, but it may well become inevitable. Because without protecting nature, no political system—however powerful—can survive. 

Biocracy redefines responsibility. 

The photo of Kunal in the lap of Aravali