“Don’t be afraid of the dark, little one,
The earth must rest when the day is done.
The sun must be harsh, but moonlight – never!
And those stars will be shining forever and ever.
Be friends with the Night, there is nothing to fear,
Just let your thoughts travel to friends far and near.
By day, it does seem that our troubles won’t cease,
But at night, late at night, the world is at peace.”
These beautiful lines, meant to banish the fear of the night among children, were penned by one of India’s most loved writers Ruskin Bond. The famous author celebrated his 89th birthday on Friday. For decades he has lived amidst nature in the hills of Missouri. He still uses a pen and paper to write his stories and does not use a laptop.
In fact, Ruskin Bond said in an interview once that the use of cell phones and laptops can rob children of their creativity. He is not alone in stating this fact. Studies have revealed that if children have access to cell phones, they have an easy method of entertaining themselves. They will never learn to use other faculties. Their ability to read, or draw and paint, use their imagination, or play different games – all these talents will be affected.
Bond attributes his own understanding of human nature, especially the minds of children, to the fact that he had no gadgets in childhood. He did not have many companions either. Therefore, he was forced to be by himself and use his brains and imagination to understand the working of nature’s creations. At the age of 17, he began writing stories so his writing career is now more than 70 years old.
This writer’s aunt Manisha Mazumdar, who is a big fan of the author, visited his house several years ago. “The first impression you get upon meeting him is that he is a man who is at peace with the universe. When he speaks, he does so softly and pronounces each word carefully. You can feel that he is a person of great wisdom. That wisdom has not been acquired by reading philosophical books but by keenly observing and understanding the life that surrounds us all,” she told me.
“He lives on the top floor of a small double-storeyed house. He never got married. Many years ago he adopted a boy. That boy is now a grown-up man with his own family and he looks after Bond like any son would look after his father.”
“Ruskin Bond’s room is a very tiny one. From the window you can see the vast Himalayan Mountains. He uses an old wooden table to write on and he uses only paper and pen to write his stories. He is a simple man of simple tastes,” my aunt said.
In his stories, when Bond describes nature, the reader forgets the hustle and bustle, noise and pollution of the city that he lives in. The writer’s words transport the reader to a faraway land of small houses, snow-covered mountains, tall pine trees, and cool fresh air.
Several of his stories have been made into films. The Blue Umbrella film directed by Vishal Bhardwaj was based on a beautiful story written by Bond. The film won the Golden Lotus Award for the best Children’s Film.
Another of Bond’s short novels that became a popular film was Junoon directed by Shyam Benegal in 1978. This was not a story about children. The backdrop of the story was the 1857 rebellion against British rule. Sakshi Kapoor, his wife Jennifer Kendall, Naseeruddin Shah, Nafisa Ali, Tom Alter and others acted in the film. It got National Film Awards for Best Feature Film, Best Cinematography and Best Audio-graphy. It also garnered six Filmfare awards. The critics felt that it had a powerful and emotional storyline.
So Ruskin Bond has been a popular writer for many years now and he is not planning to retire. At the age of 89, his mind is still bubbling with ideas and he plans to write more stories. One of his books titled The Golden Years was released today to mark his birthday.
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