Kathmandu:

He is a chemist by degree, banker by profession, and vocalist by training. However, Sujit Mundul, CEO of Standard Chartered Bank, also has a passion for poetry, which has enabled him to come up with his first collection of poetry entitled Contemplation. Noted academician and poet Toya Gurung launched the book in a ceremony at Hotel Himalaya on October 7.

Dr Bishambher Pyakhurel, who shared his views on some poems at the programme, said, among others, Mundul has shown a liking towards linking nature with women. “His appreciation and respect for women in ‘Wandering Me’ is symbolised by his appreciation of the richness of nature,” Dr Pyakhurel explained.

“It’s a journey, a journey with the thought process,” Mundul said about the title of the poem. Brought up in Calcutta, Mundul, added “I am deeply inspired by the poems

of Rabindranath Tagore, and also of English Romantic poets.” Mundul’s strong belief in the ultimate liberation is mostly reflected in poems like ‘Mirage’, ‘Humanity’, and ‘Freedom’.

“These three poems are very close to my heart, as they highlight my philosophy in life, that of ultimate liberation,” Mundul said.

The poems ‘Crisis’ and ‘HIV’ were well appreciated by Gurung. “He has shown his concern over rampant destruction of nature and pollution in ‘Crisis’, and ‘HIV’ is a fiction as well as a great drama of human misery,” Gurung opined.