Rishi Bastakoti comes up with 'Paniko Rang'

BY A STAFF REPORTER,Kathmandu, Nov. 19: US-based poet and nature conservation activist Rishi Bastakoti has come up with an anthology of poetry Paaniko Rang (The Colour of Water) in Nepali.

Chancellor of the Nepal Academy Bhupal Rai, academicians Baba Basnet and Dr. Krishnaraj Adhikari, General Manager of Nepal Television Phulman Bal, writers Harihar Timilsina, Rajkumar Baniya and others jointly launched the book amid a function in the capital recently. 

Rishi’s poems are woven with heartfelt reflections of memories. According to poet Avaya Shrestha, who penned in the blurb of the book, the poems carry a calm yet critical perspective on the consequences of the past. 

"They advocate for indigenous knowledge rather than academic theories, resist artificiality, echo nature’s call, and express concern about the crisis of life-sustaining elements for living beings," Shrestha has written. He further noted that the poems address diverse subjects relatable to advanced human experiences. “In some ways, the poems serve as a moral support to the voices of Brihat Nagarik Aandolan in which he is actively involved,” Shrestha adds. 

Chancellor Rai praised the initiative, stating that publishing a poetry collection while living abroad and nurturing one’s poetic soul is commendable. He said, “It’s the love of the poets for the homeland that keeps them alive.”

Poet Bastakoti shared that the book is a compilation of poems he has written over the past 30 years. “Although I am professionally engaged in environmental work, I believe this collection will help me grow as a poet,” he said.

Poets Harihar Timilsena, Rajkumar Baniya and Radhika Kalpit reviewed Bastakoti’s anthology.  Writers Roshan Sherchan and Bimal Bhaukaji recited poems from the book.

Published by Shikha Books, the book consists of 40 poems encompassing themes such as philosophy, love for nature and the diaspora experiences.

Bastakoti is recognised also as a Ghazalist and a lyricist, with over a dozen songs recorded to his credit. He holds a PhD in Environmental Policy from the University of Calgary in Canada, where he was a recipient of the prestigious Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship. He currently works as a Senior Environmental Specialist in the Department of Environment for the State of North Carolina, USA. He was born in Gorkha. 

Previously, he had published Ghazal collection Jwalaka Rapharu, Ghazal album Sparsh and an anthology of poetry Bisangata Basti.