Indian author and political analyst Shantanu Gupta has been on a UK tour of his latest work, titled ‘Ajay To Yogi Adityanath: Fascinating Story of Grit, Determination and Hardwork’, which chronicles the life journey of Yogi Adityanath – the Chief Minister of the Indian heartland state of Uttar Pradesh.
The graphic novel, a first of its kind in the political genre, has been designed specifically with younger readers in mind. The comic-style layout and colourful drawings depict the fascinating story of the well-known Indian leader.
Yogi Adityanath – born in a small village in Uttar Pradesh as Ajay Singh Bisht – is remembered by his parents and teachers as someone who was unafraid to speak up for good causes. Ajay would later take diksha (the Hindu practice of renouncing all worldly belongings and ties) and become a monk, taking on the name ‘Yogi Adityanath’. Yogi Adityanath’s fascinating journey, and the various phases in his life, from childhood and young adulthood to his journey after becoming a monk and eventually joining politics is all chronicled in an easy and engaging way in Gupta’s new book.
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The latest book is the third part of a best-selling trilogy penned by the talented author. The two prior novels – titled “The Monk Who Became Chief Minister” and “The Monk Who Transformed Uttar Pradesh” – cover in details the various facets of Yogi Adityanath’s tenure as chief minister, his policies, and the changes he has brought to the state.
Along with being an author and political analyst, Gupta is also a TEDx Speaker and regularly appears as a panellist on various TV debates. In 2020, the author founded ‘The Ramayana School’ – a project which seeks to explore and contextualise the life lessons present in the ‘Ramayana’ to the present times. The innovative project hopes to translate stories, conversations, and characters from the Ramayana into real life learnings for children, parents, families, educators, and entrepreneurs.
Besides a Manchester, “Ajay to Yogi Adityanath” was launched at a grand event at the Nehru Centre in London, the cultural wing of Indian High Commission. The launch saw Nehru Centre’s director Amish Tripathi and Overseas Friends of BJP’s Kuldeep Shekhawat and Suresh Mangalagiri promote the exciting new book to diaspora audiences.