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By:

Dr. Kailash Atkare

24 June 2025 at 1:30:23 pm

Fakira in Translation: Preserving a Revolutionary Legacy

The sublime ideology of translation is aptly expressed by R. Parthasarathy, who describes translation as the oxygen of language, and by Walter Benjamin, who states that translation is not merely a matter of words but of making culture intelligible. This philosophy is exemplified by the eminent translator, distinguished academician, administrator, and humanist Prof. Dr. Baliram Gaikwad through his artistic English translation of Fakira, the groundbreaking Marathi novel by Sahitya Ratna...

Fakira in Translation: Preserving a Revolutionary Legacy

The sublime ideology of translation is aptly expressed by R. Parthasarathy, who describes translation as the oxygen of language, and by Walter Benjamin, who states that translation is not merely a matter of words but of making culture intelligible. This philosophy is exemplified by the eminent translator, distinguished academician, administrator, and humanist Prof. Dr. Baliram Gaikwad through his artistic English translation of Fakira, the groundbreaking Marathi novel by Sahitya Ratna Lokshahir Annabhau Sathe. India has a rich tradition of translation, deeply rooted in its multilingual and multicultural fabric. Mulk Raj Anand explored this tradition in his essay The Importance of English, presenting a perspective free from colonialism. This view aptly justifies the translation of Fakira. Annabhau Sathe was a great social revolutionary, writer, reformer, and people's activist, educated in the school of experience. Fakira, his magnum opus, portrays both an individual and a symbol of resistance against systemic oppression. The narrative traces Fakira's transformation from a victim of caste-based exploitation into a rebel challenging the feudal and colonial order, echoing the spirit of social justice movements inspired by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. Deeply rooted in the lived realities of marginalised communities, particularly the Dalit experience in colonial India, Fakira stands as a groundbreaking work. It narrates the class and caste struggle of a hero committed to the welfare of ordinary people while unfolding a saga of social, political, economic, and spiritual awakening through a humanitarian approach. The novel reflects Dr. Ambedkar's philosophy, his struggle against slavery and untouchability, and the spirit of rebellion. Through Fakira, Sathe upholds moral integrity, a strong code of ethics, respect for women, social values, justice, courageous leadership, and the pursuit of freedom. One memorable episode illustrates these ideals. During a raid to seize hoarded wealth, a frightened woman pleads, "Take whatever wealth you want, but please do not dishonour my daughter." Fakira replies, "I am not that kind of man. We are not here to touch anyone's honour. We only take what is unjustly hoarded. Your daughter is like our own sister." Translation is a challenging undertaking, and Dr. Baliram Gaikwad has done full justice to Fakira. By crossing linguistic and regional boundaries, he has made this remarkable work accessible to readers worldwide without diluting its cultural specificity. Translating a work so deeply rooted in regional idiom, folklore, and socio-political context is no easy task. The translator successfully retains the earthy texture of Sathe's prose. Artistic creation, translational finesse, and aesthetic values—the pillars of translation—are reflected throughout his work, enabling readers to experience the emotional intensity and narrative vigour of the original. The rustic dialogues are translated with sensitivity, preserving both authenticity and clarity. The novel stands as a counter-narrative to mainstream literary traditions that have historically marginalised voices from the lower strata of society. Fakira is not merely a character but a collective consciousness representing the aspirations and struggles of an oppressed community. By exposing caste discrimination, poverty, and injustice, the novel challenges romanticised notions of rural life and may be regarded as a precursor to the assertive voice of Dalit literature in modern Indian writing. Although certain nuances of Marathi—its rhythm, cultural connotations, and oral storytelling tradition—are inevitably difficult to reproduce, Dr. Gaikwad addresses these challenges through careful lexical choices and contextual framing. Fakira explores resistance, dignity, and identity, moving far beyond the Robin Hood archetype. The protagonist wages a multilayered struggle against British rule, feudalism, caste oppression, and poverty. Despite enduring caste discrimination, economic exploitation, and humiliation, Fakira and his community fight with dignity, courage, and exceptional nationalist fervour. This layered portrayal elevates the novel from a socio-political document to a profound literary work, while its straightforward narrative effectively sustains dramatic tension and emotional engagement. Dr Gaikwad's balanced use of language, rustic idioms, folk expressions, and region-specific dialect creates a simple, lucid, and accessible English style, making the translation ofFakira a successful bridge between regional literature and global readership. As Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak observed, a translator must surrender to the text. Dr. Gaikwad has fulfilled this responsibility with sincerity, making a valuable contribution to Indian literature in translation. Fakira is a manifestation of India's rural revolution. The protagonist joins the freedom movement and contributes to the larger struggle for social change.
(The writer is an assistant professor of English literature. Views personal.)

Automation for SMEs

Automation isn’t a corporate indulgence – it’s a survival strategy for SMEs ready to grow without chaos.

A few months ago, I met Arvind, the owner of a thriving textile export business in Thane. His company had grown rapidly, but his team was drowning in repetitive paperwork— orders, invoices, and inventory tracking were all manually managed. Every time I visited, his desk was buried under files, and he was spending more time approving purchase orders than strategising for growth. "Automation sounds great, but it's for big corporations with deep pockets," he sighed.


Halfway across the world, in North Carolina, we at PPS Consulting encountered a similar story. Lisa, who runs a midsized logistics company, was grappling with inefficiencies in dispatching and tracking shipments. Her team relied on spreadsheets, phone calls, and manual logs, leading to missed deliveries and frustrated customers. Like Arvind, she assumed automation was too complex and expensive for her business.


These aren’t isolated cases. Across industries and geographies, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) hesitate to embrace automation, thinking it's a luxury meant for large corporations. But the reality? Smart automation is the tool that allows SMEs to scale without chaos.


The Cost of “Manual Everything”

For many SMEs, the fear of automation is rooted in misconceptions –cost, complexity, and job displacement. But what they don’t often calculate is the hidden cost of staying manual:

1. Time Drain – Employees spend hours on repetitive tasks instead of focussing on value-driven work.

2.Errors and Inefficiencies – Manual processes lead to miscommunication, delays, and costly mistakes.

3.Inconsistent Growth – When businesses grow, manual methods buckle under pressure, leading to bottlenecks.


Arvind’s textile firm, for instance, lost orders due to delayed invoicing. Lisa’s logistics company had customers walk away because of shipment errors. Ironically, the very thing they feared—change—was the one thing that could save them.


Automation That Works for SMEs

What changed their perspectives? They stopped seeing automation as a replacement for people and started seeing it as a way to empower them. Unlike large-scale enterprise solutions, SME-focused automation doesn’t require multi-million-dollar investments. It’s about identifying specific pain points and applying simple, cost-effective tools.

  • Order Processing and Invoicing: Arvind’s company adopted a cloud-based invoicing system. It reduced billing errors, cut down processing time by 60%, and freed up his evenings for actual business planning.

  • Logistics and Tracking: Lisa’s firm integrated an automated shipment tracking system. Instead of calling drivers manually, customers received real-time updates. Complaints dropped, and repeat customers increased.

  • Customer Queries and Engagement: A small café chain in Maine (USA) I worked with set up an AI chatbot for reservations and FAQs. Within a month, customer response time improved, and staff could focus on in-store service instead of answering the same questions all day.


The Shift That Needs to Happen

The biggest shift is not technological, but mental. SMEs need to move from viewing automation as a luxury to seeing it as a necessity.

1.Start Small – Automation doesn’t mean overhauling everything overnight. Begin with one or two problem areas—invoice processing, customer enquiries, or inventory tracking.

2.Use What’s Available – Low-cost, no-code tools like Zapier, Power Automate, and AI-driven assistants allow businesses to streamline operations without hiring a tech team.

3.Focus on Efficiency, Not Job Cuts – Employees who no longer have to chase invoices or manually enter data can focus on higher-value tasks, such as customer service and strategic planning.


The Road Ahead

When I last spoke with Arvind, he laughed about how much time he had wasted avoiding automation. "I thought I was saving money by not investing in tech. Turns out, I was losing money by staying manual." Lisa shared a similar sentiment—her logistics company is now growing faster than ever, thanks to a few simple process automations.


SMEs that continue to rely on manual processes will find themselves struggling to keep up. But those who embrace automation—not as a threat but as a tool for smarter scaling—will unlock new levels of efficiency, growth, and success.


The question is no longer if SMEs should automate but how soon can they start.


(The author is Co-founder at PPS Consulting and a business operations advisor. She helps businesses across sectors and geographies improve execution through global best practices. She could be reached at rashmi@ppsconsulting.biz)

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