A Journal of Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya

LANGUAGE DISCOURSE WRITING

Volume 4 October-December 2010

Editor Mamta Kalia

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Published by Mahatma Gandhi International Hindi University Hindi : Language, Discourse, Writing A Quarterly Journal of Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya Volume 4 Number 8 October-December 2010

R.N.I. No. DELENG 11726/29/1/99-Tc © Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya

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2 :: October-December 2010 LANGUAGE DISCOURSE WRITING

October-December 2010

Contents

Focus Notes on Novel and Realism Namwar Singh 7

Short story Trishanku Mannu Bhandari 1 1 ITO Crossing Raju Sharma 25

Poetry Five Poems Kedar Nath Agarwal 60 Our Baba—Nagarjun Baba Shamsher Bahadur Singh 63 Five Poems Pawan Karan 66

Discourse Premchand: Literary theory and Practice Lothar Lutze 7 4 Literature and Society Subhash Sharma 8 7 Hindi Literary Journalism since Bhartendu Age to the Twentieth Century Bharat Bharadwaj 98 Acharya Hazari Prasad Dwivedi’s appreciation of Tulsi Shriprakash Shukla 104

October-December 2010 :: 3 Language Hindi as a Media to come closer Sakata Teiji 118 Intensive Hindi Course Chihiro Koiso 121

Memoir A Fire snuffed out : Agyeya Vidyaniwas Mishra 125 Abhimanyu Anat, Abhimanyu ananta Harish Naval 129

Pages from a Novel Ailan Gali Zinda Hai Chandrakanta 136

Interview Conversation with Abhimanyu Anat Rakesh Pandey 145

Book Review Ek Kahanikar ki notebook se: Swayam Prakash Pallav 151 Ek koi tha kahin nahin sa: Meerakant Meenakshi Khar 1 5 7

4 :: October-December 2010 Editor's Note

Being one of the delegates to an International Hindi seminar in Tokyo and Osaka Universities on November 26, 28 and 29 in 2010 was a learning experience. To see hundreds of Japanese scholars speak in fluent Hindi was an affair to remember. The Japanese have a yen for mastering the arts and crafts of a language. They get to the roots of Hindi in a well researched way. It was a pleasant surprise to meet Prof. Fujii Takeshi, Director of Centre for Documentation and Area-Transcultural Studies in Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (TUFS). Like me, he is an alumni of Hindu College, Delhi University and speaks flawless Hindi. He generates vitality and exudes energy to the cause of propagating Hindi at undergraduate and postgraduate level. Japanese students were seen conducting the seminar in Hindi. The hall was jam-packed. As visiting Prof. Suresh Rituparna rightly pointed out, interest in learning Hindi is not simply cultural but economic as well. Many prominent Japanese companies that have or aspire to have a foothold in Indian market are always on the lookout for Hindi speaking Japanese who can become interpreters of their programmes and projects. It goes without saying that if academic knowledge of a language generates employment it is welcome all over the globe. Prof. Fujii took us round TUFS’ library which houses 618615 books in all. In the Indic languages section there are books in Hindi, Awadhi, Brajbhasha, Rajasthani, Bhojpuri, Pahari (Kullu) and Maithili. Among rare books there is a separate section entitled Navalkishor Collection comprising of 987 books. The library staff is alert and co-operative. Every regulation is displayed and flashed when you approach a particular section. I turned the pages of an 1805 publication of Singhasan Butteesee translated into Hindustani from Brajbhasha by Meerza Kazim Ulee Juwan and Lalloo Lal Kub, both of whom were munshies in the College of Fort William, Calcutta. Singhasan Butteesee has anecdotes of the celebrated Prince Vikramjit and these are related by 32 images that supported his throne. Another rare book in my hands was ‘Les Hindus’ by Tame Premire. It had hand painted pictures and text that described different communities and their vocations. The stacking system was space-effective what with sliding stacks at the touch of a push-button. Much standing area is economised this way and the book racks look clean, compact and coherent. After you have browsed to your heart’s content, you have to pass through an exit door which has a book-detector device. No one minds, the Japanese are a disciplined people.

October-December 2010 :: 5 On my way back to Sunpatio Hotel in Nishikasai, Edogawa-ku, I thought of the libraries in our incredible India. Indeed our libraries are like Tihad jails for books with sleepy and sullen library staff. No wonder, whenever a borrower gets access to a useful volume, he is able to make off with the printed treasure. No one checks no one and everyone is happy. The current issue packages some rare material culled from various sources. Our focus is on Dr. Namwar Singh’s article on Premchand written in English by Namwarji himself. The celebrated literary critic does not mince words while discussing Premchand’s realism. Another article on Premchand by Prof. Luthar Lutze also advocates Premchand’s realism toned by idealism in his short stories and novels. Acharya Hazari Prasad Dwivedi’s views on Kabir have been oft-quoted but his analysis of Tulsidas is equally scholastic. Shriprakash Shukla elaborates on Dwivediji’s thesis. Vidyaniwas Mishra’s friendship with Agyeya was a valued relationship. On Agyeya’s departure, his sense of loss can be felt in his memoir ‘A fire snuffed out’. We bring you Mannu Bhandari’s well known short story Trishanku and younger writer Raju Sharma’s contemporary story I.T.O. Crossing. Chandrakanta has made a niche for herself in Hindi fiction by writing about her hometown Kashmir in a wistful manner. A few pages from her novel ‘Ailan gali zinda hai’ are being given here. We have a few poems by Kedarnath Agrawal and one by Shamsher Bahadur Singh. Both these great poets share their centenary year in 2011. No two poets could be more different. Kedarji excels in shorter poems whereas Shamsherji’s forte is the longer, leisurely genre. Our book reviewers Pallav and Meenakshi bring us their studies of Swayam Prakash’s and Meerakant’s books. Contributors to Hindi, Please note that under university rules, you have to furnish your bank account and code numbers to expedite the process of payment.

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6 :: October-December 2010 NOTES ON NOVEL AND REALISM Namwar Singh

When he was asked how he would have written Premchand’s ‘Godan’,

Focus the well-known Hindi novelist and Premchand’s junior contemporary Jainendra Kumar summed up his position thus: “I would not have touched the Hori who is depicted struggling alone before fate and is yet shown helpless– I would have kept him the same. Still, I would not have tried to define fate by some immediate circumstances or individuals–as if Hori were the hunted and the others his hunters. My attempt would have been to show that everyone is after all the hunted and attempts in vain to hunt each other. In fact the Powers are impersonal and one need not divide one’s sympathies in them to abide by truth and fight untruth. If I could do it I would have considered my ‘Godan’ successful.” Thus we find that Jainendra Kumar feels uncomfortable at the sight of Hori being hunted by others–he would rather deny the very existence of the hunters and the hunted and would rather have us believe that neither anybody kills nor is anybody killed, all are victims, in their own ignorance, of their collective fate. The almost hysterical desire to negate the social–the realistic roots of human suffering and exploitation is too evident to comment upon and what follows is a logical corollary of the reality-denying postulate–an escape into the modernistic concept of all men being alone, all men suffering in their loneliness, loneliness as the given natural condition and an unknown, impervious, rootless and causeless fate presiding over in its modernistic existential pose over the destiny of the suffering doomed man—making all of them equal, where neither one hunts nor is he often hunted, where no one

October-December 2010 :: 7 inflicts suffering on others and none Nirmal Varma also attacks Realism becomes its victim. from another plank. His opposition is Jainendra Kumar is not the only apparently not to Realism as such, but th author to oppose the realism of to the 19 century realism. He considers th Premchand. The next in succession is the 20 century realism of Joyce and Agyeya who is considered to be the Proust comparatively preferable. father of modernism in Hindi. He has Therefore, denying completely the also waged a constant battle to free the realistic norms in the evaluation of the novel from this “strong hold” of realism. novel, he says: As he understood it, he wished to “We cannot evaluate the novel by “Liberate” the novel from realism with asking how close it is to life (which the sole intention of capturing reality life, what sort of life), how credible are by reaching deeper. In an essay entitled its incidents (credibility was never a ‘Reality : Grasp and Stranglehold’, touchstone for literature, or else published in ‘Naya Prateek’, May 1975 Shakespeare would have been our most he writes: unsuccessful author), how realistic are “It was to make reality perceptible the characters in it (‘Reality’ is not a that the important novelist of our age lamp near which a literary form glows abandoned realism. The relinquishing of and becomes dim when away from it.) the ‘realistic’ vision and re-acceptance The meaningfulness of the novel is not of the ‘poetic’ vision to capture reality– in its reality but in the process of its this, it may be said, is the most important organization, in the inner motive force turning point in modern literature and of its structuring.” modern art. If one must take a strong Negating realism itself while opposing historical view, then we may refer to the 19th century realism is not a the middle rung–after the ‘realistic’ vision coincidence. And the tendency is not came the ‘modernistic’ vision, then there restricted to Hindi alone. The Neo- was a liberation from this latter prejudice novelists of France did the same. Alain too and attention was again drawn Robbe-Grillet also appears to be finally towards the possibilities of the poetic fighting shy of realism as he criticizes vision.” the realism of Balzac. It may be mentioned But the Reality he desires to grasp in passing that Alain Robbe-Grillet is in the novel becomes ultimately so one of the novelists Nirmal Varma abstract, beyond time and space, that admires and he has published an interview the Reality as we know and recognize with this French neo-novelist. becomes very insignificant for him and In fact the opposition to Realism is he abandons it totally. the keynote of Western Modernism and

8 :: October-December 2010 Avant-Gardism. It is in reality a sort the people in the freedom struggle in of Aestheticism which is appearing under which the role played by the Indian the mask of cultural radicalism. The peasants was the most significant. messiah of the New Radicalism of the While in the west the novel may have sixties, Herbert Marcuse, has advocated evolved as a bourgeois art-form, in India– this Aestheticism and tried to present especially in the Hindi region–it was it as a revolt against bourgeois society, born as an epic of peasantry, as is evident bourgeois culture and bourgeois sense from such novels of Premchand as of reality. ‘Premashram’, ‘Rangabhoomi’, This anti-realism has a distinct politics ‘Karmabhoomi’ and ‘Godan’. This is a behind it to which many thinkers in trait peculiar to the Hindi novel. the west have drawn attention. This In Hindi, the novel became a mighty politics of liberation, which apparently weapon in the hands of Premchand for opposes bourgeois power, is doomed to an anti-imperialist and anti-feudal be assimilated by it and become a part struggle and in this process it developed of it. As Christopher Lasch says: realism as an aesthetic principle. As the “At one time, the defense of autonomy struggle for Independence became more of art constituted a necessary and and more intense and it leaned towards constructive, even a revolutionary more and more rights to the masses, political art. But defense of the ‘autonomy this Realism was further refined. This of art’ no longer serves any critical development in realism can be clearly purpose. An art than ‘subverts the seen in the writings of Premchand opposition between the true and false’ himself–they become richer in their in Barthe’s words, merely completes the content and a refinement of form is visible. work of the advertising and propaganda His last novel ‘Godan’ and his last short- industries, as does an art that liberates story ‘Kafan’ may be seen as examples. words from ‘signification’ and substitutes That anti-imperialist and anti-feudal images for concepts. It is not ‘aesthetic struggle has not entirely ended yet but dimension’ we need to recover the sense it is passing through a new stage with of reality itself. Actually the truth of the change in circumstances. Therefore, art lies in its power to break the monopoly we still need realism in this struggle– of established reality (i.e. of those who undoubtedly, development of realism is established to define what is real.” needed to suit new reality and not to Those who oppose Realism should abandon it and chase an imaginary New remember that the advent of the novel Reality. Realism is needed to understand and Realism in Hindi is connected with this reality and to change it after this the active participation of the mass of understanding.

October-December 2010 :: 9 Hence Realism is not outdated, no boundaries because “the development because Realism as an aesthetic category of human reality has no limits.” exceeds the boundaries of any particular Courtesy: Dharatal 1979. school of realism and can therefore have [Presented at the International Seminar on Premchand, New Delhi]

Namwar Singh, born 1926, at village Jeeyanpur, Varanasi, is the most prominent literary critic of Hindi. His scholarly stature is revealed in the literary discourses he has undertaken. His views have often resulted in creating a point of departure to the stereotypes of literary thought. He has been professor of Hindi at Sagar, Jodhpur and Jawaharlal Nehru Universities, where he is professor emeritus as well. At present he is Chancellor of M.G. Antar-rashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya, Wardha and Chief Editor of ‘Alochna’ a quarterly magazine of literary criticism. He writes pre-eminently in Hindi but the above article was written by him in English to address an international audience. Some of Dr. Namwar Singh’s published works are: ‘Bakalam Khud: Hindi ke vikas mein apbhransh ka yog’; ‘kahani, nai kahani’; ‘kavita ke naye pratiman’; ‘doosri parampara ki khoj’; ‘chhayavad’; ‘vad, vivad, samvad’; ‘kehna na hoga’; ‘alochak ke mukh se’; ‘Hindi ka gadyaparva’; ‘zamane se do do hath’; ‘kavita ki zameen aur zameen ki kavita’; ‘premchand aur bhartiya samaj’. He lives in New Delhi.

10 :: October-December 2010 TRISHANKU Mannu Bhandari

Translated by Jai Ratan

The four walls of a house give one a sense of security but they also hold one within their confines. Schools and colleges while developing the brain and mind of a person also curb personality in the name of discipline, rules and regulations. The fact is that everything carries the seeds of its opposite within itself. No, these are not precepts culled from tomes. I don’t go in for such bulky, pretentious books. These are just fragments of the debates and discussions that go on night and day in our house. Our house, that is, the haunt of intellectuals. Here, amidst cigarette smoke and cups of coffee, imposing edifices of words are raised, verbal revolutions are activated. In this house there Short Story is plenty of talk but little action. I can’t quote,chapter and verse in support of my contention but based on the observation of what goes on in my house, I have a strong feeling that action is barred for intellectuals. Every day my honourable mother does her three-hour stint at college and feels liberated. Then she does a little bit of reading and writing and spends the rest of the day stretched out on her bed or wagging her tongue. She labours under the happy delusion that the mind is sharpened when the body is at rest. In this manner, out of twenty-four hours she spends at least twelve sharpening her mind. As for my honourable father, he is two steps ahead of my mother. Left to himself, he would bathe at his desk. We expend the largest volume of words on one subject—modernity. But wait! Please don’t get me wrong. This is not the bobbed hair

October-December 2010 :: 11 and fork and knife variety of modernity. Father himself is a great votary of There is nothing ersatz about it; it is these ideas . Or was, till one day a distant the genuine article. What it actually is and quiet young cousin of his, in whose, even I do not know. But there is a lot mouth even butter would not melt and to it, especially with regard to going off never took part in the raging discussions the beaten track. But you have to pay in the house, sprang a surprise by giving the price for everything and even then, a tangible shape to these ideas. At one more often than not, get it in the neck. stroke our modernity vanished in thin Our discussions tear to pieces air. It transpired that ultimately Mother everything under the sun. But one topic hand-led the situation with great skill is a hot, perennial favourite and that and made the girl’s life ‘meaningful’ by is the institution of marriage. Marriage, binding her in the meaningless bond of that is, the first step towards disaster. marriage. All this happened long ago Starting on a light note, the discussion and I only heard it whispered about. soon rises to an intellectual level. The For that matter Father and Mother institution of marriage, it is argued, has too had had a love marriage. It is of become an empty husk. The husband course a different matter that since I and wife relationship is false and came of age I have never seen them extraneously imposed. And then a behave like a couple in love but only thousand innuedoes are cast upon the like a couple in hot arguments. Before institution of marriage. In the discussions taking this daring step Mummy too had men are ranged against women in a clear to argue a lot with her maternal distinction of male from female. Soon grandfather. This pre-marriage session the atmosphere gets so surcharged that of arguments extended over a long period I feel sure a couple of divorces are on of time and spilled over into the post- the way. But nothing of the sort ever marriage years too. Even so one cannot happens. All of them are as firmly call theirs a marriage of arguments but esconced as ever in their marital bliss. a marriage of love all right. Mummy And of course, the tone and momentum speaks of it with great pride. Not pride of the discussion are the same even in the marriage but in the manner in today. which she had trounced my maternal Just think, if you pick holes in the grandfather. She has so often narrated institution of marriage doesn’t it follow the wranglings between grandfather and that you do the same with free love herself that now I can reel them off and free sex. In particular, men wax by heart. Even today when she talks so eloquent about it that even a mere about it her face glows with pride at discussion of the subject gives them having gone off the beaten track vicarious pleasure. Well, this is the atmosphere in which

12 :: October-December 2010 I am being brought up—so very not there or were engrossed among uninhibited and independent. And themselves I would miss them. A vague suddenly one day I realized that I had uneasiness would take hold of my mind. grown up. This realization of being grown Things came to such a pass that my up came not from within me but from thoughts were centred on them outside. There is an interesting story ceaselessly and I found a thousand behind it. The thing is that in front of pretexts to come out onto the verandah. our house there is a one-room barsati But the hullabaloo that these young set with an open terrace. Every year men made became a cause of concern a couple of students come to stay in for the entire neighbourhood, it almost this flat, poring over their books and drove away their sleep. Our promenading the terrace. But I never neighbourhood was mostly inhabited by took much notice of them. Perhaps I businessmen from Hathras and Khurja. had not reached the age of taking notice. They had their daughters to think of This time I saw two boys there. Just and these boys had become pests. The two. But by evening other friends would elders thought it was time they rolled be storming the place. What a racket up their sleeves and dealt with these they created! The whole neighbourhood young chaps with a firm hand. But rang with it. strangely enough, Mummy and Papa were They sang and laughed, teased each blissfully ignorant of the goings-on. The other and threw innocent-seeming fact was that they had become an island comments at any girl who swept their unto themselves; they lived in the colony attention. The focus was our house— and were yet not of it. to tell you the truth it was me. I had One day I said to Mummy, ‘Mummy, only to step out on to the verandah the boys living in the opposite flat keep or just flit by and remarks would come passing remarks at me. I won’t have flying at me, like a shot hitting the bull’s any more of it. I’ll pay them back in eye. A tremor would go down my spine. the same coin.’ For the first time I felt that I existed, ‘Which boys?’ Mummy asked me in not only existed but was the cynosure surprise. of someone’s eyes,. To be honest, the first feeling was thrilling. I became new Incredible! So Mummy knew nothing even to myself-new and grown up. about it! With a mixture of dislike and elation I told her the whole story. But It was a peculiar situation. I would it created no impression on her. ‘Show fume when they made me the butt of me the boys,’ she said coolly and went their jokes, although there was nothing back to her book I did not like my indecent about those jokes. It was all mother’s indifference. Any other mother innocent fun. But when the boys were would immediately have gone into action

October-December 2010 :: 13 and whipped these boys right and proper very lonely and in need of friendship. so that its memory would have gone I did not mix with anyone in our colony. down to the seventh generation of their Only Papa’s and Mummy’s friends came family. But.here was Mummy looking so to our house. unconcerned. I spent the next day in great In the afternoon when those boys uncertainty. I wasn’t sure whether assembled on their terrace I said to Mummy would keep her word or had Mummy, ‘Look, those are the boys who said it in the excitement of the moment. ogle me all the time and pass comments In the evening I said meaning it as a on whatever I do.’ reminder, ‘Mummy, are you going to It beats me completely why Mother call on those boys?’ These were the words reacted in the manner she did. She just but what I really meant was, ‘Mummy, stared at me and smiled. For a while go to them, please.’ she scrutinized those boys. ‘They appear And Mummy actually did go to them. to be college boys,’ she said. ‘But they She rarely went out visiting in the colony are just children.’ . and this was one of those rare occasions. I wanted to ask her if she expected I waited with bated breath for her to old fogeys to tease me and not boys. return. What if Mummy brought them But before I could open my mouth, she with her? What if they were rude to said, ‘I will invite these boys over to her? But no, they looked a decent lot. tea tomorrow evening and you can Mummy returned after an hour or so. get to know them.’ She was looking cheerful. I was stunned. ‘They were utterly taken aback when they saw me,’ Mummy said. ‘So far people ‘You mean you want to invite these had been threatening them from their blokes to tea?’ own doorways and they thought I was ‘Certainly. In our times when boys walking right into their den to break and girls could not meet they had to their bones. But they fell over themselves content themselves by throwing glances to entertain me. Such sweet kids real and long distance banter. But times have . They have come from outside and changed now. couldn’t get into the college hostel so I was in the seventh heaven of delight. they have taken this room. When your How daring of Mummy to make such Papa comes in the evening we shall call a suggestion! She was indeed great and them over.’ out of the ordinary. I had never realized that time could So these boys would step into our pass with such excruciating slowness. house and make friends with me under When Papa returned from office, Mummy our own roof. Suddenly I felt I was told him the whole story with gusto.

14 :: October-December 2010 She was feeling exuberant at doing anything special you want to eat, let something out of the ordinary, going me know and I’ll cook it for you.’ off the beaten track. Papa was not to They went away bowled over by Papa’s be outdone. ‘Call them over,’ he said open-mindedness and Mummy’s delightedly. ‘Let the kids have a good friendliness. But the poor girl who was time. When else will they let themselves supposed to make friends with them was go if not at their age?’ relegated to the role of a mere spectator. Here was an opportunity for Mummy We kept talking about these boys and Papa to prove their modernity. Papa till long after they were gone. To invite sent the servant to fetch the boys and these eve-teasers to tea, especially when they showed up the next minute. Mummy the target of their attack happened to introduced them with great decorum. be the host’s own daughter sounded so Hi’s and Hello’s were exchanged. ‘Tanu, thrilling. From then on Mummy talked dear, get the tea ready for your friends,’ about it to all and sundry—in fact to she said. everyone who dropped in. Mummy was Damn it! Tanu dear! I had to prepare a raconteur par excellence. She could tea once for Papa’s visitors, Mummy’s make anything, however drab, sound guests and now for these boys too. Tanu highly interesting. And here was a tailor- dear had to be on her toes. made episode which would bear telling In any case tea went off very well. to great effect, without requiring any There was great fun and a great deal frills. ‘Only you could have hit it off,’ of laughing and joking. The boys defended Mummy’s friends said. ‘You have a very themselves by declaring that the healthy attitude. People talk big but they neighbourhood was unnecessarily keep their children on a leash all the prejudiced against them and that there time. If they become suspicious they was nothing wrong with their behaviour. even spy on their own children.’ It was all just for fun and no harm done. And melting in the praise, Mummy Papa supported them. ‘Everybody would say, ‘Don’t I know? Be free and does it at your age,’ he said. ‘If I had let others be free-that’s what I believe a chance I would do it still.’ in. In our childhood we reeled under so many do’s and don’ts that our lives Waves of laughter followed his became hell. Atleast let our children observation. Two hours later, when they be spared so much oppression.’ were leaving, Mummy said, ‘Look. treat this as your own home. Drop in whenever But Mummy’s pet daughter was you feel like it. You will be good company passing through another kind of crisis for our dear Tanu. You can help her at that time. In the drama that was with her studies. And listen, if there’s being enacted, Mummy had herself assumed the role of the heroine—a role

October-December 2010 :: 15 which rightly belonged to her child. But in our case the situation was very The upshot of the tea party was that different. There was nothing clandestine the behaviour of these boys underwent about it. Actually, we were so open that a sea change. The decency that had been our inquisitors had to be posted behind foisted upon them made it obligatory barred windows and even so, to their for them to act in accordance with norms chagrin, they could find nothing of good conduct. incriminating in our talk. Standing on the roof, whenever they But as generally happens the whole spotted Papa or Mummy then would send affair snowballed. What happened next across a namaskar to them wrapped with was that these meetings came to be held the proprieties and on seeing me they in my room, and not on the terrace tossed a Hi wreathed in smiles. Instead as before. Every day, two or three boys of badinage we would have a regular would drop in and we would have a dialogue, open and uninhibited. The whale of a time, gossiping and laughing. distance between our verandah and their We would sing and keep up the tea roof was not large and by raising our drinking. In the evening when some voices we could converse freely. Of course friends of Papa or Mummy dropped in it was another matter that our neighbours they would find one of the boys still so heard us without difficulty and with entrenched in my room. The very people keen interest. As soon as we got going, who advocated liberation now frowned half a dozen heads or so would suddenly at our activities. As I could discern, appear in the neighbouring windows. Not their eyes would darken with a strange that there were no love affairs in our kind of suspicion. One of Mummy’s friends, colony. There were many, even even said in a subdued voice, ‘Tanu is elopements. But all this would happen going very fast.’ Mummy herself had under the cloak of secrecy. When our lost her zest for going off the beaten neighbours’ probing eyes got wind of track. She had perforce to face the naked these goings-on, they got a kick out of truth, that her daughter, a raw, them and discussed them with savage inexperienced girl, was hobnobbing with delight. The men would twist their three or four young boys. Mummy was moustaches and the women wave their in a quandary. She could neither fully hands in the air, and broadcasting these accept the situation of her own making events from one end to the other, with nor could she disown it. many embellishments. Some of them One day she called me and said, ‘Tanu, would boast of being highly experienced my child, these boys come every day and say none could throw dust in their and set up camp here. This is seriously eyes. They would snigger without words interfering with your studies. How long as if they had divined what was brewing. can things continue like this?’

16 :: October-December 2010 ‘I study at night,’ I said. As long as there was nothing between ‘Oh, do you? Don’t give me that crap. us, our minds were free-wheeling and There’s hardly any time left for studies, everything was open, but as soon as as I can see. I don’t like this rumpus, something appeared, the wish to hide I tell you. I don’t mind their dropping from others, also appeared. The other in once in a while. But they have made boys would come pounding up the stairs, it a regular practice. One or the other talking loudly. But Shekhar came up of them is always hanging around.’ The almost on tip-toe and would talk in note of irritation in Mummy’s voice was whispers. Actually there was nothing mounting. special about our talk—just about college and studies. But the ordinary gains ‘You have become so free with them,’ special meaning when spoken in low Mummy continued. ‘I know they won’t whispers. If love gathers an aura of take it amiss if you tell them to look mystery it becomes thrilling, otherwise sharp about their own studies and also it is flat as flat can be. But Mummy leave you to yours. If you think you had a sixth sense by which she could are not up to it, can’t I tell them?’ smell out the secrets of all members But the need for all this never arose. of the family. Even Papa suffered because Partly because of their studies and partly of it. Even if Shekhar came secretively, because of the various diversions Mummy would appear from nowhere or provided by a big city like Delhi their ask from her own room, ‘Tanu, who’s visits decreased. But Shekhar, from the in your room?’ opposite room, came regularly, I saw that Mummy was greatly sometimes in the afternoon and perturbed by this behaviour of Shekhar’s sometimes in the evening. What I had and an expression of dismay swam in not noticed about him in the company her eyes. But I never imagined that she of those boys surfaced now with force. would be so dismayed. A house in which He spoke little but the little that he love affairs had been the staple of spoke was loaded with meaning. Suddenly conversations and scandals, extra-marital I began to understand this unspoken affairs, love triangles and so on, the language of his. Not only did I begin infatuation between me and Shekhar to understand it but also to respond should have passed un-noticed. If I was to it. It did not take me long to realize friendly with boys I could as well be that something which they called love in love with one or two. Mummy perhaps was growing between us. I would not thought that this affair would develop have known the meaning of it. But those along the lines of Bombay art films, of who are fed on Bombay films do not which she was a great admirer and in find it difficult to understand the which nothing sensational happened from implications of this phenomenon. start to finish.

October-December 2010 :: 17 In any case, I shared Mummy’s studies one hour of the three that I anxiety to some extent. She was not spent with Shekhar. He taught me with only mother but also a friend and all his heart and I enjoyed being taught companion. We discussed things with by him. In between he would scribble each other without reservation. I wanted sweet nothings on slips of paper and her to say something about this affair hand them to me. They would galvanize but she just did not oblige. Only when me to the very core. Even after he was Shekhar came she shed her indifference gone, the words he had written would and hovered around my room with alert keep ringing in my ears and send a thrill eyes. down my spine. It was like wallowing One day I was coming downstairs in a sea of emotion. to go out with Mummy when we ran A new world, very bright, very full, into a lady of the colony right at our was taking shape within me. I needed door. After greeting Mummy she came no one these days. I was fulfilled and straight to the point, ‘Those boys living self-sufficient. Even Mummy, my constant in the house opposite yours—are they companion, was moving out of my life. related to you?’ I had stopped taking any notice of her ‘No.’ except to exchange trivialities. ‘Oh, I see! Since they come to your Days passed. Lost in myself, I was house almost every evening I took them sinking more and more into my own for your relatives.’ world and had almost become oblivious of the external world. ‘They are Tanu’s friends,’ Mummy said with such nonchalance that the lady One day I returned from school, ate turned away, her dart completely missing my food with gusto, and I had just the target. returned to my room when Mummy who was resting in bed called out to me, We got rid of her all right but I ‘Tanu, come here!’ feared that there would be an aftermath, that Mummy would give me the works When I went to her I found that to unburden her mind of the anger that her face was flushed with rage. My heart was lying bottled up within her. missed a beat She picked up a book from the side table, took out from it But what she said came to me as five or six pieces of paper from the a bit of a surprise. She said, ‘Haven’t book and flourished them before me. these people anything better to do except Heaven help me! When I was going to poke their noses into others’ affairs?’ school Mummy had asked for a book I felt not only reassured but, also to read and I had given her this one, took it as a signal and stepped up my forgetting that Shekhar’s scribbled notes pace. I did take care to devote to my were in it.

18 :: October-December 2010 ‘So this is how your friendship is me and Mummy. No, between grandfather sailing along!’ she said sarcastically. ‘So and me, for Mummy was really not in this is what you study and this is what the house. It was grandfather speaking he comes to teach you!’ through her. Generally Mummy and I I was silent. There would be no greater operated on the same wavelength. I could folly than joining issue with Mummy put my thoughts across to her and she when she was in a temper. could to me. But Grandfather? I did not understand his language, much less his ‘I gave you freedom but it does not tone of voice. To communicate with him mean that you should change it into was out of the question. As for Papa, license.’ he was indeed my friend but in an entirely I was silent. different way. I played chess with him, ‘A slip of a girl and look at her doings! played the game of bending elbows with The more I give her a long rope the him and wheedled him into granting me more she runs amuck One resounding the favours I had failed to get from Mummy. slap and all your romance will vanish As a child, I used to have piggy- in thin air.’ rides on his back and even today I can Her last sentence made me shiver ride on his back without a second thought. with rage. With a jerk I raised my head But in spite of his being such a friend and glanced at Mummy and then fell it was only with Mummy that I shared back in amazement. This was not Mummy intimate secrets. And here she was, utterly at all. Neither was this foul temper hers. silent. Nana had taken complete hold And yet what she said seemed very of her. familiar. Hadn’t I heard all this before? I showed Shekhar the red flag and And it flashed through my mind-my he studiously stayed away from the house. maternal grandfather-my Nana. But my The evenings hung heavy on my hands. Nana had passed away many years ago. Many times I thought of going to How had he come back to life? And Mummy and asking her openly, ‘Why that too in Mummy-Mummy who fought did you get out of temper with me?’ him tooth and nail and opposed him She knew of my friendship with Shekhar. in everything? I had not hidden this fact from her. Mummy’s grandfather-like sermons So why this sudden volte face? did she continued for sometime. But most of think ours was a brother-sister it left me cold, the only thing that relationship’! Then suddenly it occurred bothered me was how Nanaji had got to me that it was no use talking it over into Mummy. with Mummy. She had no independent A strange, tense silence fell over the views of her own, having been eclipsed house—to be precise a silence between by grandfather.

October-December 2010 :: 19 Four days passed and I hadn’t had I peeped out again. He was still standing a glimpse of Shekhar. On the slight hint there and smoking. Poor chap, I felt from me, the poor boy had even stopped very sorry for him. And for Tanu too. coming out on the terrace, let alone She had also been in low spirits of late.’ coming over. His friends were not seen Then she said in a voice that sounded on the terrace either. If anyone of them full of self-reproach. ‘First we give them had dropped in I could have asked him a long rope and when they start prancing about Shekhar. I knew he was sentimental we suddenly pull short. Does it make to a fault. He didn’t know what had any sense, really.’ passed between Mummy and myself but I heaved a deep sigh of relief. I felt her anger seemed to have cast its long so overwhelmed that I felt like running shadow over everything. Seemingly, the up to Mummy and hugging her. It thought of her anger had sent everyone appeared that after a long time my into hiding. Mummy was once again her real self. Actually since yesterday Mummy’s I held myself back at that time, deciding face had been looking a little less taut to have a frank talk with her later on. as if the three days’ anger which had For the last four days my mind had congealed on her face had started melting. been swarming with questions. But now But I had decided that it was for Mummy it was all over. Now Mummy had come to take the initiative to get us out of out of grandfather’s spell and I could this impasse. talk all I wanted with her. After finishing my bath I was ironing But when I returned from school in my school uniform behind the door while the afternoon I was astounded at what Mummy was getting the tea ready and I saw. Shekhar was sitting in the chair Papa sat engrossed in his newspaper. holding his head between his hands and Probably Mummy was not aware that Mummy was sitting on the arm of his I had finished my bath and was there: chair, caressing his back. Seeing me she I heard her talking with Papa. ‘You know said in a most natural way, ‘Look at what happened last night?’ she said. ‘I this idiot. He has missed college for felt very bad after that and could not the last four days and has not eaten sleep.’ Her voice was soft and gentle. a scrap of food. Ask him to sit down I stopped ironing. ‘It was about midnight. with you at lunch.’ I got up to go to the bathroom. The And Mummy sat down and cajoled terrace opposite was plunged in darkness. him into eating. But Shekhar did not stay Suddenly something red glowed like a after lunch. He went away weighed down star. I peered into the dark. Shekhar by gratitude towards Mummy. As for me, was standing on the terrace smoking. such a flood of joy broke within me that I came back on tip-toe. After two hours all my questions were swept away in it.

20 :: October-December 2010 It took time for things to settle down that I have high hopes for you? The in their old grooves but settle they dreams I have for your future!’ ultimately did. Shekhar started coming I would laugh and say, ‘Mummy, you to our house but only once in two or are just wonderful. You dream your own three days. And we spent most of the life and you dream my life too. Please time talking about our studies. Shekhar leave some dreams for me.’ was apologetic at his behaviour and Sometimes she was in a mood to promised Mummy that he would not pontificate. ‘Look, Tanu, you are too give her a chance to complain again. young to understand the ways of the The days on which he did not visit us world. Apply your mind exclusively to we would make up by talking with each studies and drive out these silly ideas other from across our houses. Since the from your mind. Of course, when you goings-on between us had my parents’ are grown up, get involved in this approval, the neighbours’ tongues had rigmarole of love and go in for marriage stopped wagging. They blamed the times too. I am not going to look around for for it and hopefully waited for things boys for you. I’ll leave that to you but to go wrong. you must be mature enough to make But I did notice one thing. Whenever the right choice.’ Shekhar stayed on a little longer in the I would catch the hint that she did evening or turned up in the afternoon, not wholly approve of Shekhar as a life grandfather would start tossing and companion for me. I asked Mummy, when turning in Mummy’s mind and his she fell for Papa, did grandfather approve presence would be reflected in her face. of her choice? She did her best not to allow grandfather to speak. Yet she found it hard to put ‘My choice? Don’t forget I had him completely out of the way. completed my studies and was twenty- five years old. when I chose him. With Yes, the situation had become a subject complete understanding. There was little of discussion between me and Mummy. possibility of my going wrong. Do you Sometimes she said in jest, ‘This Shekhar understand?’ She would say, changing of yours is slithery and soft as jelly. her bewilderment into anger. ‘Studies At his age, boys should be footloose and and age—these are the things about which carefree. They should steel themselves she was always at me. Age was the only to take the hard knocks of life. But all point on which she could score over he does is to hang around on the roof me. I was good at studies so Mummy like Majnu and stare this way.’ could not nag me on that account. As I just laughed this off. for age, I felt like telling Mummy that Sometimes she would get sentimental what her generation did at twenty-five and say, ‘Child, why can’t you realize our generation could do at fifteen.

October-December 2010 :: 21 Couldn’t she understand such a simple let me go or not? Why this useless talk thing? But I would not press the point of your keeping pace with me? Who’s for fear of arousing grandfather in her. talking of your walking with me?’ My half-yearly examination was close Caressing my back, Mummy said, ‘Walk at hand and I studied hard for it, closing together we must. If you fall headlong the doors on all visitors. Mummy was there must be someone near to help pleased; she felt reassured. After finishing you get up.’ my last paper I felt as if a load was I realised that she would not let me off my mind. go with them. If ‘she said ‘no’ so sweetly ‘Mummy, tomorrow Shekhar and one could not even quarrel with her. Deepak are going to the pictures. May And if one argued with her it meant I go with them?’ a long sermon in return—regular class I had never gone out with them but of fifty minutes. But for the world of after such strenuous studies I was in me, I could not understand what harm a mood to relax and I had a right to there was in my going with the boys. some liberty, so I believed. Must she always be negative? As she had told me once, she used to resent For a moment Mummy scanned my being denied freedom in her childhood— face and then said, ‘Come here, sit down don’t do this, don’t go there—and now by my side. I want to have a word she was denying the same freedom to with you.’ me. She just talked big. I had seen through I sat down by her side wondering her. I got up and walked off in a huff what there was to talk about. Mummy to my room. But not before I had tossed is given to talking. Even ‘yes’ or ‘no’ a sentence into the room, ‘Mummy, those does not come easily to her. It is wrapped who walk must fall, and those who fall in a torrent of words and becomes explicit will rise and walk again. They won’t need only after fifty or sixty sentences. others’ help.’ ‘Now that your exams are over I I don’t know whether it was a reaction was myself planning to go to the pictures. to what I said, or a sense of guilt but Which picture would you like to see?’ I found that in the evening she had ‘Why can’t I go with them?’ I was called over Shekhar and three or four feeling so irritated that Mummy just kept of his friends for a get-together in my gaping at my face. room where she regaled them with mouth- watering delicacies. We had such fun ‘Tanu, my child, I’ve given full liberty that it washed off my afternoon’s. to you to do all you like. But walk just resentment. fast enough for me to walk with you.’ The exams were over and the weather ‘You tell me plainly whether you will was pleasant. Mummy also seemed to

22 :: October-December 2010 be in congenial temper. Subsequently Mummy said. ‘Do you know that I have my friends resumed their suspended not bowed my head before anyone? But rounds of visits. Things went on smoothly. I felt so humiliated that I could not But I was in for another jolt. look her in the eyes. I have lost face One day when I returned from my on account of you. Oh, how they deride us!’ girl friend’s house I heard Mummy calling Good heavens! This time the entire me in a hard voice, ‘Tanu, come here, colony seemed to be speaking through will you?’ Mummy. Surprising how she was speaking The tone of her voice was a danger the language of the very people she had signal. For an instant I lost my nerve. been so snooty about. Mummy was looking very stern. Mummy continued with her harangue ‘Do you go to Shekhar’s room?’ she while I withdrew into my shell and just fired at point blank range. It instantly closed my ears to her vituperations. I occurred to me that someone in our thought I would discuss the whole thing colony had been wagging his tongue. I with her after she had cooled down. wanted to tell Mummy that whoever had Why was she making a mountain out passed on this information must have of a molehill. I would ask her. told her the rest too, with some frills The atmosphere in the house had added. But Mummy seemed to be in a again become tense. It appeared. this nasty mood and so I discreetly held my time Mummy had taken Papa also into tongue. But what could be at the back her confidence. He did not join issue of Mummy’s anger? There must be more with me though he had surprisingly kept to it than was apparent to the eye. Could himself out of the whole affair. But this my going to Shekhar’s room create such time I marked the tension on his face. havoc? But Mummy doesn’t act on reason Two months before when things had only. She is often governed by moods. first come to a head I was shaken to My silence made Mummy more edgy. the core. But this time I had resolved ‘Don’t you remember I had forbidden that if Mummy wanted to act like you at the very beginning not to go grandfather. I would have to take her to his room? Isn’t it enough for you up in the same manner in which she that he pitches camp here for three to dealt with him. I was firm about it in four hours at a stretch?’ my mind. I shall show her that I am her daughter, true to her grain. She had Sorrow, anger and fear were battling deviated from the beaten path and had on her face. I did not know how to always boasted about it. But now that explain things to her. I had taken the first step she had herself ‘The good woman living across the wavered and was trying to pull me back lane put me wise to the whole thing,’ to the line drawn by her.

October-December 2010 :: 23 I had a lot of arguments tucked away But that afternoon I could not believe in my mind to be brought forth when my ears when I heard my Mummy calling it came to a show-down with Mummy. at from the verandah: ‘Shekhar, tomorrow I shall tell her plainly that if she wants all of you will be leaving on your vacation. to keep me in chains she should have Have dinner with us tonight. Bring your from the beginning brought me up friends along too.’ differently. Why this pretence of freedom I don’t know what kind of crisis Mummy when she did not mean it? This time had to pass through to reach this stage. I was so worked up that my mind was Shekhar was at the dinner table that burnt to embers. I decided that I would night along with Deepak and Ravi. Mummy remain cooped up in my room. If my was all attention to them. And as was feelings overflowed I would give vent his wont, Papa was indulging in his light- to them through tears. I, who was the hearted banter. A few faces were visible cynosure of all eyes, who chirped happily plastered against the neighbouring all through the day, had now retreated windows. Everything had fallen into place, into myself. I kept repeating to myself with not a note of discord anywhere. the. refrain,—‘Mummy, you must realize that come what may, I shall do just Only I stood apart from the whole what I want to do,’—although I didn’t scene, taking a detached view of it. Then even have the ghost of an idea what it suddenly occurred to me that it was that I wanted to do. grandfather was grandfather—hundred percent himself, which must have made I don’t know what happened during it easier for Mummy to hold her ground these three or four days. I remained against him. But how am I to fight with confined to my room, planning my Mummy, who is grandfather one moment strategy to beat Mummy at her own game. and Mummy the next?

Mannu Bhandari, born 1931, a celebrity in Hindi fiction of the ‘nai kahani’ period. She retired from Miranda College, Delhi University where she was professor of Hindi. She has a dozen colections of short stories, novels like ‘Apka Bunty’, ‘Mahabhoj’, and books for children. Her latest book, a selective autobiography ‘ek kahani yeh bhi’ has attracted great notice for its frankness and sensitivity. Mannu Bhandari lives in New Delhi.

Jai Ratan, born December 6, 1917 Nairobi, veteran scholar of Hindi and English who has devoted a life time to translation. He worked as P.R.O. in a prominent business firm in Kolkata and was founder member of Writers’ Workshop. Hindi owes him a tribute for numerous prestigious English translations including Premchand’s Godan way back in 1955. He now lives in Gurgaon.

24 :: October-December 2010 ITO CROSSING Raju Sharma

Translated by Anil Sud

Standing at the crossroads of life, indicates a deserted, isolated crossing. Four roads going in different directions pose a dilemma and present a moment of decision. The background imagery, if one goes deep into it, is one of falling, dried and yellow leaves. Waiting at the ITO crossing traffic lights, these thoughts were far from the professor’s mind. The Crossing was not the best place for such sublime thoughts but the unending crowd at the Crossing and the hullabaloo accompanying it, seemed to free up his mind in a strange way. It would somehow seem to become an island insulated from the chaos created by the surrounding multitude:

Short story and it is here that profound thoughts came to him randomly; and he was adept at applying them in his professional life. For example, it is here that he recalled a statistic that the population of vehicles in Delhi had exceeded six million of which two million were cars, that the total length of roads in Delhi was 31000 kilometres and if all the cars were arranged bumper to bumper, in a line, its length would be 13000 kilometers. He only forgot the number of crossings in Delhi. He dwelt further on this example. Suppose on an unfortunate day, on each crossing, one car or truck were to break down at the same time, what a situation that would be! Unless there was an aerial intervention and all the vehicles were airlifted by helicopters, one by one, the resulting traffic jam would last for years! While narrating this disastrous eventuality to the Vice-President

October-December 2010 :: 25 one day took it one step further. What and was the chairperson or member of would happen if by the time one helicopter almost all the committees, there could lifted a vehicle, the engine of the one be no open opposition to him. A few behind would conk out.....and thus would asides, some oblique remarks for fun render our Delhi road less ! and it would stop at that. Roadless ! You are beyond compare, As far as Sukumar was concerned, buddy, said the Vice President and went he remained completely unfazed. OG was into peals of laughter. Both of them went his infallible weapon which had no equal. to the same university (at one time the This unfailing panacea had always helped professor was even a student of the Vice him to be dead on target in executing President) and the same club. Once the his schemes. Vice President, while reviewing a book OG stood for ‘Opening Gambit’. authored by the Professor, said about The phrase was originally used for him: This gentleman, my inveterate the initial moves in chess but has also friend, is only an authority on history become popular in describing the opening but a virtual know- all. He may be artistic strategies on a battle front. The concept and highly ingenious, but he does not of OG envisages that the outcome, victory even know his vast potential. or defeat, is generally decided in the This allusion was to Dr Sukumar Deb, first few moves. senior history professor of Delhi The law of OG is a Rambaan, an University. He was also widely renowned invincible super missile, Sukumar would for his practical wisdom on several related tell his colleagues, the nodding dummies. subjects, though some pundits had A book’s cover, the first lines of a text, reservations on the “renowned” / “su- the first strategic moves in a meeting vikhyat” bit. or negotiation, a momentary opportunity There was no objection to his being to ensnare and corner the rich and the referred to as ‘vikhyat’ (famous),talented famous: either your work is done in or successful, some people would say an instant or not done ever. The professor in muted tones, but to refer to him felt relaxed in the company of young as ‘su-vikhyat’ (renowned) would be persons. He chided them if they laughed outright sycophancy .As it is, Sukumar at him but would soften instantly “My had the prefix ‘su’before his name, as dear lads, this OG principle is equally if it was his birthright to use – and effective in personal relationships. Your ravage- the edifying prefix. It should first liner will decide whether you get stop at the name and we should be spared into a girl’s bed or gather dust on the the prefix. However, since Sukumar was road. Love is not desperate for the first the Head of the Department, had the few meaningful looks; it is hungry for keys to fellowship grants and the budget

26 :: October-December 2010 the first morsel of your opening words”. dialogue in a unique manner but with Till a few weeks back, ITO Crossing a deadpan expression which would floor was Sukumar’s favourite place for his the person on the other side of the table: most rewarding OGs. To call it a four Do you know that there is an open jail way junction did not convey the same in your city where I have spent two meaning as the word Crossing which had months of rigorous imprisonment in the a peculiar pull. last twenty five years…. Don’t get startled. I am not a convicted offender; just an One had to pass the ITO crossing insignificant offender of the ITO Crossing. on the way to the university. The other And when he would start elaborating routes were not dependable; you never on this, he was unstoppable. He would know when they would close up. He go on thus: 25 years; 200 days, on had tried all entry and exit routes in an average, of going and coming in a the past few years. The result was the year; a reliable calculation would tell same; there was no getting away from us that for 80% of the people, the wait the ITO Crossing jams. They had become at the crossing is 5 minutes, for 10% an inseparable part of his life. it is 10 minutes and for the remaining Sukumar called this habitual wait “My 10% it is 20 minutes. So the average Cross”. Just think of this: Jesus bore stopping would be : multiply 8 by 5 the burden of the real cross and gave and add to it 10, multiply by 10 and his life for it; I am bearing the ITO add 10, multiply by 20, and the resultant Cross and I am sure, (with a fleeting total of 240, if divided by 30, would mixture of compassion and mockery), yield an average of 8 minutes. Thus the my funeral procession will also get stuck total detention time in jail (stopping at in the ITO crossing jam. That would the crossing) would be 25 times 200, be my final wait at the Crossing. His times 2 times 8 divided by 60 ie 4000 listener, if he was a man who mattered, divided by 3, ie 1333 hours, which divided would come out of his shell and Sukumar, by 24 will give us 55.54 days, which in a matter of a few moments, would would mean a detention of a little less weave his spell on him. than 2 months, in a year, for the to The ITO Crossing was an unlimited and fro journey every day. and veritable resource which gave the Unleashing of such an onslaught would OG methodology its colour, shape and overwhelm the person on the other side essence. The caliber of Sukumar’s to instant acceptance of Sukumar’s groundwork and innovativeness proposals, in spite of reservations. reminded one of the strategies adopted That is how Sukumar created his by a professional chess player. For smooth pathways, more or less. He had example, Sukumar could initiate a the boon of his prefix ‘Su’ which displayed

October-December 2010 :: 27 his attitude amply in the thumbnail The jarring rumpus at the crossing introductions on the back cover of his continued and showed no sign of letting books. up. On this crossing, Sukumar was Sometimes he would hit a green light perhaps the only person whose inner and whizz past it when it would be hard calm and equanimity were not ruffled. to pinpoint his thoughts. An equal mix Anger and tension did not touch him of a feeling of a disconnect, relief or one bit. irritation perhaps. The silk smooth expression of That day it had rained, heavy and tranquillity and contentment on unabated, so much that the drains were Sukumar’s face was not unnoticed by in reverse flow. When he reached the a boy standing across the road, his gaze Crossing, there was a big jam. He switched fixed on Sukumar. He had a brown bag off the AC and downed the window panes. slung across his shoulder, like a water It was hard to say when the jam would carrier’s leather bag, and in his hands clear up. One could see the rain drops there were a dozen paper backs wrapped bouncing off dry leaves, trees, umbrellas, in plastic sheets – neat and orderly. raincoats and the wheels or roofs of Actually, the boy had been constantly cars. The entire convoy of vehicles was observing Sukumar for a week: every crawling hopefully as if there was nectar day, morning and evening. He did not awaiting them at the centre of the lose sight of Sukumar for a moment even, Crossing).The dark grey clouds hung low in spite of the fact that he did not have in the gentle breeze. a moment to spare: making his way Sukumar took a deep breath, not through the jungle of cars and crowds, perturbed at all about the whiffs of petrol following a quick- sell drill - fresh and diesel–seasoned as he was in such newspapers in the morning, followed by matters. During his research and teaching magazines and books, big and small. The years, he had gathered more than his Sukumar vigil affected his sales but only share of dust in numerous towns and marginally. He was on the threshold of villages. The fire of pure research on future, although the image of that future poverty was still smouldering in some had not yet formed clearly in his mind. obscure corner of his mind. Sukumar A hazy patchwork of better times to reached out and switched on the radio.The come in a distant future. An thick, deep voice of a female radio jockey entrepreneurial resolve seemed to have came out at him, too close for comfort. made inroads into his system and settled He always visualised behind the voice, in. a well endowed figure of a pretty, fair It was a coincidence that on Friday girl. last, at about the same time in the evening,

28 :: October-December 2010 when the weather was clear and bright, also made a fleeting count of the books he spotted this person and his eyes lying there. He recognized some of the remained glued on him, magnetically books which he had seen in the shop transfixed. An uncanny thought crossed or godown of his master Budhiram. He his mind, that when he grows up, may could not link the titles with their ISBN be 30 or 35 years from now, he might number but could definitely identify the resemble this man, who was now about titles. 50 years old, with a long face, and head This natural hunger for knowledge covered by a thick, restive flock of hair. and an instinct for self preservation along Then he daydreamed a mellow image: with a strong sense of self - esteem, one day he might be wearing a clean had sharpened his talents and skills and white shirt with black trousers, a shiny equipped him to face life. dark coloured belt from which hung his The boy appeared to be 15 years cell phone, perhaps he would be sitting old. Three years ago he had run away in a car; may be not his own but belonging from his home and made the roads of to a close friend. The last few rungs Delhi his home. At that vulnerable age, of an ascent are scaled slowly, first a the child was surrounded by the unseen cycle, then a scooter, a mobike and dangers which he could only visualize finally comes the car....just then a car vaguely. His innocent, guileless mind horn blared which shook him up and could however clearly grasp the decisive made him spring to the safety of the significance of protecting his body. You pavement. bend once before the evil desires of In a flash the youth sized up the a child abuser, and the sense of shame man at the Crossing whose attitude set will hound you for life. The survival him apart from the others. The boy never instincts from the soft pounding of the saw a ripple of restlessness on Sukumar’s harsh realities of life had endowed him face. On the other hand as the congestion with the cunning of a fox and the swiftness thickened and the collective impatience of a hawk. escalated, Sukumar would lose himself A foreboding of the impending danger in an illusory dream world, a faraway and staying two steps ahead to face it, nook architectured by him...... the boy were the grim guidelines that ran his surmised that the man was some kind day to day life. of a teacher, like in his hometown but of a higher calibre. As the man mumbled He would sense the danger before softly to himself, the boy imagined him it would manifest itself. The lad would to be in the middle of a lecture. He understand the body language of a had seen the files, and papers strewn predator and read his intentions across the back seat of the car. He had effortlessly. The imperceptible chords

October-December 2010 :: 29 in the eye, the quiver of the invasive identical to Sukumar at that age? It was but invisible nerves, the fleeting shadow more than just a thought; it was a piercing on the face, the sinful tightening of the awareness that the two of them had a arms, the momentary breath of devious strong resemblance to each other. If intent, the distortions of motion and the boy were to freshen up, wear a clean feeling.... the entire spectrum of a set of clothes, clip his hair short with potential adversary’s body and thought a parting in the middle, he would be signals would appear unprompted on his a spitting image of Sukumar of years radar. The boy could sense the inner ago. The chain of thoughts continued..why meaning of words, of words underneath could this boy not be his son? Sukumar the unspoken words, the smell of had two daughters, one abroad and one predatory desires, unscripted and gauged in Bangalore but his desire for a son only by animal sixth sense. had remained unfulfilled. This endeavour in self preservation, Sukumar kept this revelation well a machaan and a fortress in the urban guarded. The boy must also have noticed jungle, had shaped and hardened as a the striking resemblance but he waited rock solid piece of sculpture. This was expectantly, without batting an eyelid. the key to self preservation and it was Why do you sell these books, Sukumar natural that the skills, honed and said in an even tone, there are no takers sharpened in the midst of dangers in for these, not one in a hundred? which he grew up, actually transformed The boy was unmoved and without into his weapons of defense. a trace of dismay, smiled, curling his Hearing a knock on his window pane, lips; a smile that Sukumar had seen in Sukumar raised his head. The boy was his mirror and was a reminder of his standing hopefully, holding books in both own past. hands, displaying them like an open pack He heard the boy’s voice for the of cards. Professor, lowered the glass first time: There are numbers beyond unhurriedly. In the meantime, the traffic hundred, Sir. The tone was different and lights went out and a few cops were Sukumar was relieved at not being busy trying to tackle the massive build debased by his own words. up of traffic. The Professor looked at him closely. And for a few moments, Have you ever sold these books? he was stunned at what he saw. A drop Sukumar persisted inquisitively. of hot molten glass seemed to ooze from Sometimes, but the margins are good. his head, roll down his arms and trickle Who knows you may buy some of these? down his thighs and legs! The boy turned his eyes towards the In one frozen moment he thought: books that were lying scattered on the Does this boy not look similar to if not rear seat of the car.

30 :: October-December 2010 Oh! Aren’t you rather smart?.. and who knock at the cars indiscriminately. the professor laughed, feeling a misplaced They are restless, eager and impatient sense of pride at being put on a scholar’s to find a buyer. This one is really clued pedestal. in and is in no hurry. Sukumar glanced at the books in the Sukumar took out notes from his boy’s hand, arranged like an open pack wallet and bought the book. Exact amount; of cards. They were all paperbacks found no hassles about change. In the meanwhile in abundance at all market high streets. the flow of conversation continued. Sukumar picked a compilation of science So, what next? You have hit a jackpot fiction stories. today. Will you call it a day now? How much? I don’t know. Let me see. He was The price is printed at the back. not keen to leave even after having made Why? Why not any discount? a sale. No discount, said the boy in a Do you know what a jackpot is? businesslike manner, it eats into my Yes, I do. My master utters the word margin. jackpot on his mobile when he is dealing How much is your margin? big. Not much but it is OK. It takes care Where is your master? of my daily bread. Also, I get an Connaught Place. He owns many opportunity to talk to people like you. locations there and has a godown from Unafraid and eye ball to eye ball where we pick up our stocks every day. contact, Sukumar said with a hearty laugh. Where will you go now? Home or This boy is different and easy to converse someplace else? with. Wherever. Have’nt thought of which Why should I buy if there is no road to take today. discount? Sukumar said pretending to So you live on the streets? The boy be grave. nodded. Pat came the reply: Because it is And when it rains, like today? like home delivery, no charge. Professor There are lots of options. It is not was amused. He liked the reply. This a problem at all. boy is different. Most of the boys would try to dump on you glossy and The police must be harassing you? provocative periodicals, specially the the professor asked. ones with semi nude pictures. But this The boy just shrugged his shoulders one segments his customers unlike others and let the question pass.

October-December 2010 :: 31 What is your name? to say something, the traffic started to My name? Lobaan. move and the horns blared out all around in unison, as if a mass drill had started. Lobaan, is that your real name then? The professor raised his hand in farewell Of course. What do you mean by and put up the car window. He engaged real name? He felt a tinge of irritation, the gear and changed the radio channel. though it was not because of the professor; He could see the boy in the rear view sometimes, such questions can lead to mirror, hopping and skipping around trouble. cars, buses and trucks like a deer in Does not look like it is your given a steel and concrete jungle. When name. Sukumar was Lobaan’s age, he had picked the bad habit of pinching money from And why not? his father’s wallet. Not much, just petty Your parents must have given you cash and small value notes which would another name…Professor was being go unnoticed. But the habit took roots. unnecessarily chatty. He was stuck on He would buy snacks with the stolen this name. He perhaps noted a streak money. Not that he would eat a lot of irritation on the boy’s face. or enjoy the food; sometimes he would OK. I was just guessing. Do you know have a little bite and throw away the what Lobaan means? rest or share it with friends. It seemed Yes. People burn it as incense, use to give him a phoney platform to declare it for Poojas. his identity. One Saturday his grandfather asked him to go along with him. They You know a great deal. But you did hired a rick and went to an office building not get burned Lobaan?…and feeling swarming with people, mostly old. Even sheepish at his feeble joke, and then Dada looked young in their midst. That collected himself. day Dada had to draw his freedom fighters Do you know that Lobaan is an Arabic pension. He would do that twice a year. word and also means dhooni.... Sukumar was very attached to his Dada. The boy, interrupting for the first He was tall, his hair totally grey and time, said: Do you want more books? sometimes Sukumar had difficulty in following what Dada said. He always wore Even if I do, how will you find me? a white dhoti and walked with long strides. I will find you, don’t worry. I can Sukumar kept his fingers crossed and get you any book, whatever you want.. wondered why the dhoti had never come even those, pointing towards the books loose and what would it be like if it on the back seat.... really. did. Once when dada was going for Very well! And just as he was about Sukumar’s annual school day, Sukumar

32 :: October-December 2010 cried and brought the house down, learnt that it was a residential school insisting that he would not go for the for orphans. function if Dada wore his dhoti. Dada gave the entire pension to But why? Sukumar to donate to the school. Because if the dhoti came off, his However, I have saved some money for friends would laugh and he would be you, he said to Sukumar with an impish deeply embarrassed. That day Dada wore smile. He took out four or five rupee a pair of trousers which had a different notes and gave them to Sukumar: This cut. He put a ring clip below the knees would be handy if you want to impress to avoid the trouser bottoms getting your friends in school or if you are caught in the wheel of his cycle. Sukumar tempted to eat something. This is between watched him getting ready with you and me, OK ? Sukumar was not unwavering amazement. sure if Dada had seen him putting his hand in father’s wallet. Be that as it You don’t use a ring for the dhoti? may, Sukumar took a vow never to steal Where’s the need? The flying dhoti money or misuse it. Sukumar was an doesn’t get stuck into anything, isn’t it? adept strategist in games of intellect and And Dada laughed heartily. Dada was power but was vigilant and untarnished so good and at times so quaint! In his in handling official finances. This was childhood also Sukumar had these perhaps his return gift to his dear Dada. contradictory views: Dada looked so good What were Lobaan’s plans for the in his dhoti but Sukumar could not bear future? What can one say? He is perhaps to see him clad in a dhoti for his school an orphan or a runaway from his village function! The day he accompanied Dada which had nothing to give him except to the pension office, Dada told him pain and distress. that in his younger days when he was a school principal, he used to wear He certainly did not have a Dada trousers and a crisply ironed shirt. He who wore a dhoti and got a freedom could not tolerate a crease going astray. fighter’s pension. That was the time of the British. And What will be his pathways to the when the time of Gandhi came, Dada future? What were his plans at this point forsake the trousers for the dhoti.. .. of time? he said. That day it was a long wait He poured out his thoughts in a dew in the line. When his turn came, he laden voice to Rima Ganguli when he signed the receipt and came out with went to her late one evening. In his the money. Then Dada took him to lonesome moments he called her his another office, sans crowds, where a jelly-rakhelly and Rima would respond Padre and Sister could be seen. Sukumar not by scratching his face but putting

October-December 2010 :: 33 him on her lap and would caress him Sukumar’s presence was a stabilizing as her vaara nyaara gudda. That day, factor in her life. Sukumar’s wife, Ratna, was away on tour Evening followed by night. Two empty to Chennai. Ratna was a senior Income glasses were on the table, a spent pair. Tax officer and had gone to carry out Sukumar ended Lobaan’s story, adding a raid. During the last raid, she and and editing as he went along. As if Lobaan her team unearthed from a built in vault was character in a screen play. It is heaps of gold along with a live snake! like a film story, Rima said, and her How is the snake here, Ratna enquired eyes showed flecked emotions urging her from the trader. to hum some old, forgotten melodies. He hissed: Are we any different from Just then, recalling from the back of being snakes and yet are we also not his remote memory cells, Sukumar started alive, Madam? humming: Rima was a librarian in the University. You are my whole world She had been totally immersed in the Only you are like my god, world of books for three decades, away Somewhere in the depths of your from the thought of marriage or a heart relationship. The delusion was dispelled I found you in your shadows, one day when Rima proclaimed in the You have burned in my desires library before a full house that she was Like Lobaan burning somewhere sick and fed up with books. Sukumar was present too and he was the only The professor did not know where one who understood the pain of Rima’s and when he had heard this song. But aversion . They became friends and then Lobaan was being consumed in this song… lovers. ..And is Lobaan not a replica of his own life? Along with Lobaan, Rima was Rima’s horizons of study were much also afire, within him. This is how they wider and bigger than Sukumar’s. She were going up their love ladder, but now perceived them as a squandering today Sukumar had spearheaded their away of her precious years because she journey of love. In this moment of bliss had read all that she wanted to, by the and lonesomeness, Sukumar had a fuzzy time she was fifteen. She would have awareness of Lobaan’s entry in their life done better as a member of a devotional as an OG. Lobaan and his story were singing group, with God as a fall back, the Opening Gambit. Around this she would say. When Sukumar heard awareness a pinkish, white moon was such loose talk, he would sense the streak rising in the distant horizon overlooking of doubt and insecurity in her .He was the love lost couple. sure Rima was reading on the sly..she was going through a difficult phase and At that very moment, Lobaan’s inner

34 :: October-December 2010 eye saw in a flash an opening, an out is final and he is fair, in his own opportunity. A solid prospect of bagging words; he may have lost thousands in a lot of money. Budhiram often used his business but has he ever deducted to say that one can never forego such from anyone’s salary? a chance and Sukumar presented a golden The day’s wage was sufficient for one’s opportunity for Lobaan. meals: 5 rotis 2 onions, dal and a few How? green chillies with a plate of potato curry. It was a complex stratagem. The road Today the restaurant owner had some map was not clear but the destination reason to be happy so Lobaan got a stood out like a solid rock. bonus, a complimentary bowl of dal and But he knew, deep within his heart, half a plate of rice. The ‘extras’ made that there was no scope for soft or him belch twice and Lobaan started to romantic thoughts. He did not have a think about his shelter for the night. home or a fallback shelter. He was a There were heaps of stones, bricks lone digit in the here and now of this and concrete lying around in Delhi due world. The strategy was like the peeling to the massive construction work going of onion layers or more appropriately, on, so that there was no dearth of secure plucking the petals of a rose, one by night shelters. The weather also was not one: savouring the juice and then inclement; neither hot or cold. But the discarding the petals. Lobaan’s desire onslaught of mosquitoes was unbearable. was intense: like peeling a hard sweet The collective experience of the homeless lime all the way and squeezing out the millions had a solution: the sidewalk last drop of juice .. ..that is what and in the middle of the road was avoided how much his thirst was. by mosquitoes because of the fumes and In the evening, Lobaan deposited the smell of the diesel. But Lobaan had unsold books with Budhiram as usual abandoned this refuge after the BMW and collected his daily earnings. There case in which seven persons, sleeping was no need to question a set formula. in the middle of a sidewalk, were mowed Budhiram had formulated an open offer: to death. You get a minimum amount of twenty He spent the night in a life size cement rupees; you had to make a minimum pipe near the Hanuman Temple. He found sale of two hundred rupees otherwise the pipe dry and cosy . The pipe was you could face a retrenchment and if about 40 feet long and right in the middle you sell more, no one can stop you was a woman with her two children. from earning a commission. It is another The children were sleeping but the woman matter that no one could recall any one was sitting and dozing. clearing a commission in Budhiram’s two As Lobaan lay down he could see decade old business. What Budhiram doles through a hole in the pipe a few stars

October-December 2010 :: 35 twinkling behind the clouds. Lobaan of weakness and defeatism if he did not started calculating, plus, minus, add, achieve his goal? subtract. He was so sharp that sometimes He had trouble in getting to sleep Budhiram would have his ledger written because of his overeating. He took out up by Lobaan.His method of calculation and wore his vest from a small sack was unique and original.He had a lightning which doubled up as a pillow also. Then speed but would never falter.If his from his sparse baggage, he took out earnings stayed put,so would his life a mirror which had a sharp edge on remain where it was.He could clearly one side and thus could be used for see that. And there was no way of other purposes also. He peered at the increasing his income.He had in all these boil in his gum which had been bothering years got a full grasp of the business him for a couple of days. of books and magazines.He could run Then all of a sudden, the professor’s this business better than Budhiram, many picture seemed to form itself, right in times over.This was his unshakeable front of him. He could see its reflection belief.How could he compete with in the mirror. If he looked like the Budhiram when he had no money to professor then he could be as successful start a business. as they say ,this was as him. O, may be not! a million dollar question. Lobaan dreamt that Sukumar stopped If and only if he had the seed his car, and he got into the front seat capital..even ten thousand rupees, he alongside the professor and the car could double his savings every year given moved on. his panache in managing the Money I can get whichever book you want, Circle, as the financial pundits say. Once he said, as if to rationalise his sharing it picked up speed you could press on of the front seat. If two persons are the accelerator. This magical cycle is sharing the front seat, there could always no different from the cycle of disease, be a business in the offing, Lobaan hunger and pain. thought. Lobaan inhaled deeply and breathed Any book? the professor dared him. out. He wondered if he made a mistake Yes..within three days... from in coming to Delhi and getting into this anywhere in the world. There was a touch trade. If only he could load his efforts of challenge in his tone. with so much energy, animation and power that the question posed by the How? Is your trade spread over many challenges that Delhi threw up, would countries? The professor did not miss itself become irrelevant. He had talent the chance of having a dig at him. and the self confidence emanating from Lobaan changed gears and replied his capability. Was it then not a sign in a serious tone: There are places in

36 :: October-December 2010 Delhi where you can source a book from First month..sold 4 books..for Rs 1000 any part of the world. I know this..I Second month.. 8 books for 2 times can get it.. on 15 days credit. And Lobaan 1000 thumped his chest. This time the professor Third month.. .. 16 books fetching changed the subject. 4 times 1000 rupees Professor: Up to what level have you Fourth month.. 32 books..for 8 times been educated? 1000 rupees Lobaan: Up to grade eight. It is enough And this went on to: for what I am doing. I was a master Twelve months..8192 books sold for of maths. Add, subtract, multiply...like 2048 times 1000 rupees. this.. .. and he flicked his fingers. The 8192 and twenty lacs forty eight professor tested him twice with sums thousand rupees became his lodestars and when he checked on his calculator, in the sky which he had to possess. the answers were correct. His eternal resolve was to bring this This narrowed the gap between the North Star down to the earth. professor and him and boosted his self It took Lobaan 24 years, not 12 confidence: Where do you teach,Sir ? months, to set up a flourishing business I teach History at the Delhi University, in books and after being so many years young students, older than you but not in the business he did sell 8000 books as wise as you are. in a year and his turnover was touching This time there was no mockery in 20 lacs. Later, his trade grew and with his tone. The car was cruising at a good experience he learned that the money speed. circle of business belonged to the realm The next day what stood out from of the ideal, a pure desire which is the his dream, like the echo of bells driving force that puts business on a ringing,were numbers, calculations, ways fast track. Ultimately, the decisive factors of multiplying his money and enlarging are skill, talent and luck. Of course, he his money circle, as outlined by had also learned at a young age that Professor. Before that Lobaan had without blood sweat and tears, even explained to Sukumar how he would start dreams would let you down. his business if he had five hundred rupees The next day he saw Sukumar’s car as start up money. If he bought a book in the morning as well as in the evening. for 125/- he could sell it at double the He could spot him from his face and price. And then both were immersed the cluster of his hair. But both times in this exercise, complementing each the green light slowed down but did other and it looked as if they were going not stop the traffic. He could easily over their arithmetic tables. exchange greetings with the professor

October-December 2010 :: 37 but he checked himself for his own sake, magazines today and my load is lighter. perhaps. His bitter experiences had taught Sukumar: The load is light, and how him to respect the restraints and the is the business? inviolable boundaries of acquaintance, Lobaan : So- and- So. however deep or shallow it may be. Sukumar: I know the phrase OK or Violating this Laxman Rekha could be So - So; what is this SO- and - SO? damaging to his interests. It was desirable Lobaan : If you think everything is to talk to Sukumar only during jams good, it is So-and-So and if you think and when the red light was on. He was otherwise, it is so-so also..it is how you not sure why it had to be like that, look at it. but he did what he felt was right. He knew the car number, the model and This boy is so different, for sure. its colour by heart. Sukumar had a steel You do not sell on other crossings, grey Honda City. Lobaan was sure he Sukumar asked. could spot this car in hundreds. After The slots are allotted and rotated some time, he could even recognize the after two months. The rates are different car by the idling sound of its engine. for each area. On the third day, Sukumar got a red You mean the owner charges you light. He saw Lobaan heading towards rent? him. Another car driver beckoned Lobaan It is deducted from my earnings, in but he ignored him. That man was the name of rent. probably holding a hundred rupee note What is the rate here? in his hand. Maybe he wanted change Very high. Next to Connaught Place, or a magazine. Sukumar had seen many for which the rate is the highest. There car owners asking the sales boys for is a lot of jostling for this zone. change and not too graciously. And the The professor was mighty pleased boys would willingly arrange the change. with his discovery. It is possible people But Lobaan came straight towards like Budhiram were in league with the Sukumar. traffic police – to fix the duration of Their dialogue, still at a shallow level, traffic light changes on a particular started like a TV serial: a quick recap crossing. Not possibly but it is definitely followed by the next episode - the set, so, Sukumar concluded. environment and characters were all Alright, what happens if you cannot there. come on any day, suppose you are ill. Sukumar: Let me make it clear at Nothing. I will be here the next day. the outset, I am not going to buy a book today, raising his hand and smiling. A substitute is not sent? Lobaan : I know. I have only We get a leeway of three days; I can arrange for my friend to take my

38 :: October-December 2010 place. We have a setting amongst halt as the lights went out again. A ourselves. After three days of absence, pandemonium set in and cars from all Budhiram imposes a penalty. sides started closing in towards the Has it ever happened to you? Crossing. There was an unfortunate Not so far. I am careful about my policeman in the thick of the crowd, health, Lobaan said and smiled. waving his arms desperately like a drowning man calling for help. His white How? uniform and self- importance, reminiscent Nothing very complicated. I eat of the times when the ancestors of this cooked food only, nothing raw. Am very crowd had suffered lathi assaults from careful about water. the British rulers, seemed to hold out How? some hope that he would be able to I drink filtered water, nothing from restore some order. But it would take here and there. time, like the resuming of a Parliament Do you buy Bisleri, Sukumar asked, session adjourned due to disorderly surprised ? behavior of the members. People on the Not really, and Lobaan looked self street have more respect for democratic assured, I have sources – shops, offices, values than the Parliamentarians have, warehouses.. but this arena rules out the scope for Nobody stops you? any walkouts as in the Parliament. No, I have lots of friends, guards, They could now pick up the thread electricians, liftmen. of their fragmented dialogue which had been interrupted. Both were aware that They also live on the streets? Sukumar their conversations had been formal and asked, continuing with his unending on customary lines. There was nothing barrage of questions. unusual or different; the same path had No.. .. they have homes and families been tread by hundreds of people and though some of them live on the streets it will continue to be so. That is the also. crux of the matter. Sukumar quickly Do you also aspire for a home? finished sending an SMS and Lobaan Lobaan paused for a moment and understood from the language of the said..who does not want a home..but fingers that it was a confidential hide right now the itinerant situation suits and seek stuff. He had surmised correctly my itinerant life. Besides, I save money because he deleted it instantly after and there are fewer hassles. Just then sending it. Sukumar smiled the road hassle eased and the cars, with conspiratorially, as if taking Lobaan into their festive, high decibel horn blowing, confidence, and said: One has to appease starting moving but came to a sudden so many people, people who control

October-December 2010 :: 39 your mind, body, soul, your life. No, said Lobaan, guardedly. Lobaan commented:They all have Any other weapon for your different dynamics, mind, body and soul, protection? making things more difficult. It is better not to have one, said Who teaches you to speak so Lobaan.If you are not watchful, someone profoundly? asked Sukumar. may steal it and your own weapon may Meaning? be used against you. Talking in metaphors and similes, Yes, you are right but in our life could be true or just a fib. such things pan out differently, and Don’t know, maybe I got it from my Sukumar’s mind had now strayed ancestors or it has come straight off somewhere else. the street. How? asked Lobaan. He thought and added: But my life We do not declare our intentions is not so complex; I have one objective or weapons. We use them to conspire. at one time, and one worry, one master. So the knife looks like a flower; sweet He is a god as well as a devil; fight words can be the harbinger of disaster him or hug him. for you. It is difficult to differentiate Are you fond of reading, asked the between giving water to a thirsty person professor? and poison to a friend. The biggest plotter is the mightiest. I have never thought much about that, Lobaan replied. The professor laughed oddly. Lobaan knew that the professor was probably But you do want to study? Do you talking to himself, so engrossed was he know your mind is very sharp, a galloping in his point of view. It was like changing one, Sukumar said with a touch of affection. his clothes in the open, on a roadside. Not likely. I will not be able to A wicked smile flashed across Lobaan’s concentrate on studies. face. The professor saw it but he was But you think hard, don’t you? feeling listless and somewhat fatigued. Yes but so what; everybody thinks. You seem to be highly amused. True, but some peoples’ thinking is No, not really. like a sharp knife, making absolutely There is something interesting. clean cuts. They fish out the kernel and No, nothing, actually. grasp the core of any matter in their hand, like this, and Sukumar opened and Lobaan was reluctant but Sukumar closed his fist to endorse his statement. persisted. Then Lobaan cooked up something: I was wondering what would But do you carry a knife, Sukumar it be like if you and I exchanged places? asked.

40 :: October-December 2010 A spark was ignited in Sukumar’s mind. Yes, besides films, you will find such His life, despite his preoccupations and things in good books too. aspirations, was running on a fairly If they are found in books then they uneventful track which left the curious must be happening in reality also. and whimsical facets of his personality Lobaan’s child like mind was touched unsatisfied. Off the beaten ideas thoughts by a warm feeling. were few and far between. Maybe yes, maybe not.. .. here is Means you teach my students and a challenge for you. You boasted, didn’t I stand here and sell books. you? Now you get me a book called Lobaan, taken aback a bit, affirmed 1001 Tales from the Arabian Nights. A with a nod. thick blue coloured book. The name of Sukumar applauded: Bravo! That is the author, no, the translator or the indeed a great idea. editor is on the cover: Richard Burton.. It was an absurd thought, Lobaan ..OK? I do not know its price but it tried to cover up. is not out of print.. . that is certain. What matters is who wins? What do Books like this one are perennial sellers.. you say ? every single day, all over the world. Who knows? It would be like shooting The traffic moved and so did the in the dark, Lobaan replied, scratching car and Sukumar stuck his head out his nose. of the window: You get it and take it for granted that I have bought it. Sukumar stretched the conversation a little bit more; it was like a whiff Lobaan waved like he would to an of fresh air so he wanted to inhale it old acquaintance. Sukumar felt a little as much and as deeply as he could. bad as he parted from Lobaan. He had consumed so much of Lobaan’s time. He patted Lobaan on the back and He could have sold a couple of magazines.. said: It was an interesting flight of .. I should have at least bought a magazine, imagination. That is why you smiled and Sukumar mused regretfully. Let us see I caught you. if the chap brings the book or not. Two Such things happen in films, Lobaan days later, Lobaan just had enough time said, trying to explain it away. at the Crossing to place the book in Yes, said Sukumar, and also in Sukumar’s hands. The price was Rs stories..Dada’s image floated before him. 950.Sukumar gave him two five hundred At one time he had read out several rupee notes but did not wait to take stories to Sukumar from the 1001 Arabian back the change. Sukumar’s lip movement Nights. One story joined to the second, from the moving car seemed to suggest: to the third, fourth and so on..like a Fifty rupees is the reward for your hard garland of flowers.

October-December 2010 :: 41 work. In his rear view mirror Sukumar turned out superb academic works. For saw a smile of success and triumph on example, his seminal book on old Delhi Lobaan’s face. and the Partition was based on an After two decades of academic extensive, fundamental research. manoeuvres, Sukumar had got firmly In some constituencies, it was ensconced in the elite group of believed that Sukumar had surrendered intellectual giants who were embedded to individualism and authority. Or was in the world of intense endeavours, he violating the sanctimonious projects and initiatives. His opinions were boundaries of the academia. Ruthless, decisive in a debate and the anchor for inhuman and bereft of feeling, etc. But a consensus. was this Sukumar’s real persona? Was He may not have liked this example this an accurate appraisal of him ? but in the inner depths of his heart Actually his intrinsic personality was he knew the truth; that he had become emotion dominant. His first reaction to like a plant whose wild growth in all anything and anyone was rooted in directions was impeding and depriving feeling. The truth was that he had failed the nourishment for other projects in to bridge the awkward gap between public interest. But how could Sukumar schmaltzy and the materialistic,logic help it, being a patchwork of the times ridden world. and circumstances. The strategems He had not forgotten how he had employed by him in his early life to combed the streets of Delhi when he attain his legitimate objectives had was writing his first book. It took him defined his predatory practices in later two years. His legs manifested an intent years. All this was now a part of his that was idealistic, enthusiastic and life – chairing committees, piling with honest. He got ample appreciation for power and influence, perpetual incursions his hard work and brilliance… .. twenty into the media world of print, radio and years had elapsed and life had run a TV, the pull of conferences, the wielding full cycle. The radials of profession and of academic and financial authority.. … aspirations had also changed. But the all this would make the bells of authority job is never completely done for a man. ring continuously in his ears.. .. and There was still a dim fire in his belly. make him think that one should have But now his focus and energy had shifted a cult of one’s own. from means to the result and the end And yet, amidst this tumult there was more important than the means. was every possibility of being toppled Even then, he would need the help of and dislodged. Blink your eye and there someone young. It was beyond his is someone waiting to strike. capability. A tentative idea struck him, There was a time when Sukumar had still to be shaped and honed, that the

42 :: October-December 2010 link between the excluded, homeless dust? It is true that the street side children of Delhi and its streets could transactions and formal how-do-you- be highlighted through live presentations. do’s run into thousands. Car owners It could be a monumental exercise and buy myriads of things, ice cream, corn could Lobaan be the “Appu” of his modern cobs, spicy snacks and savories, toys epic? for children, sun shades, obscene Dreams are a subject of widespread literature. People are commonly seen deliberation and debate. A consensual buying, mattresses and chairs. Anything view is that we live our dreams before that can be put in or on top of a we see them in our sleep. Sukumar knew car. This kind of flea marketing and his idea was still a dream but he was informal trading takes place all over set upon making it come true. the country. One day, over a cup of tea, he apprised But in this case there are solid the head of Indian History Research indications that the rationale is different. Institute of his project of creating an True, this reality is still shrouded in extensive data base on Delhi’s street the unconscious but it is clear that these children for live multi media meetings are not providential or presentations. He told him that his team coincidental. There is a deliberate effort had already started work on this project and a plan behind every meeting, a roll- estimated to cost rupees eighty lacs and over from the previous meeting. was banking on the Institute to pick Sukumar and Lobaan were on the up a substantial part of the tab .While threshold of entering into a new detailing his tentative project, Sukumar relationship, with their respective had, as a backdrop, a fuzzy image of motives and expectations. Lobaan on the day he had bought the But what do they expect and get Arabian Nights from him. from each other? At this juncture we A month passed and during this can only surmise thus: time, his meetings had fallen into a 1. Sukumar is an emotive person and set pattern. The lines of destiny were the flow of emotions is obstructed by being drawn to underscore a necessity. his professional preoccupations which The daily meetings had become an are the cause of his restlessness. unconscious part of his life; the axis 2. Lobaan has occupied a special place around which his life began to revolve. in Sukumar’s life, as a muse or a mascot, The meetings on the Crossing had begun keeping in mind his successful principle to overshadow his other important of the Opening Gambit (OG). Lobaan’s aspirations also.. ..am I giving undue collected thinking, the way he spoke, importance to these commonplace his innovative plans, were all a bargain moments.. .. looking for gems in the

October-December 2010 :: 43 in this game. In the meanwhile, Lobaan Sukumar continued to buy books had taken long strides in his calculative regularly from Lobaan, at an average skills with reinforced confidence in his of two per week. Apart from this he ability to start and run his business. would buy magazines randomly, some He felt so close to fulfilling his aim that of which he never bothered to open. he could virtually touch and feel it. Lobaan noticed that Sukumar bought one 3. Thus both appear to be close to book twice and the second buy was not the realization of their dreams. Sukumar’s for a gift. Apparently, Sukumar was trying desire was to set the academic world to win over Lobaan with a motive and on fire with his epic of live presentations. buying books had become an addiction, To obliterate the spots of criticism that almost a necessity. had come his way in recent years. And Lobaan sold books and magazines Lobaan had already seen the magic of worth Rs 5220/- to Sukumar in two the growing Money Circle . months. Budhiram was not a part of In this dream world, each was a this direct deal. Lobaan had to part with protagonist. 10% of his margin to obtain credit from Their paths were therefore bound to the wholesaler. Even then he cleared cross and may be clash and the eventual a neat profit of Rs 2088/- and kept outcome was unpredictable. this money aside, including the eight rupees he received in coins. This cache But only one month had gone by, was a living proof of his business model. so far. The piggy bank not only contained Another fortnight had passed during currency notes but encapsulated his which the frequency of their meetings entire universe. had increased and the energy quotient Lobaan had noticed that Sukumar intensified.The agenda was getting settled was being increasingly nosy about and clearer. They had become ITO Lobaan’s life. And there was a growing Crossing pals, like friends in a bar, a sentimentality. Actually the OG principles game of bridge, tennis, etc. Such a circle of Sukumar were pushing him in that of companions or friends, anchored in direction. Homeless children and stories a common hobby or interest, keeps of street children were prominent in his growing, for example, in activities like OGs. He would narrate episodes from mantra chanting, Yoga, cigar, cheese and Lobaan’s life – true, false, real, virtual– wine tasting and a host of similar interests. with a consummate skill that held his Both had been drawn towards each other listeners spellbound. in an inexplicable way, bonded by opposing tenets of the forbidden and There was no deliberate or malicious the candid. motive behind these narratives whether they were real or imaginary. After all

44 :: October-December 2010 he was a successful and renowned Director how the thakur sarpanch of historian who would never underplay Lobaan’s ancestral village had repeatedly the value of substance and validation. violated his mother. He was by no means a sensational gossip.. Everyone was familiar with this .. his stories were always rooted in some situation in which the woman as well true facts. When the tempo of his stories as the entire village was mute. The reached a peak, with the listeners in Panchayat was both deaf and dumb. Poor a trance and on tenterhooks, the facts Lobaan was the only eye witness of this would run out and be replaced by some heinous crime. He had to escape from element of fiction, to keep up the the village to save his life.. ..Yes, you momentum... and Sukumar would carry have guessed it right, Lobaan was a dalit. the narrative forward with some fictional The truth is that Lobaan’s mother events while retaining the true core. was never raped and he belonged to He rationalised his tentative deviation the gujjar caste which had a dominant from truth by drawing upon the simile influence in his village. of a reflection in a mirror or water which On another occasion, Sukumar let though not real, did not distort reality. it slip, to regret later, that Lobaan was In reality, his imaginary forays were the youngest sibling of three sisters who not farfetched or improbable; that they had committed suicide collectively. did not actually happen in real life was Now Sukumar had added to his OG only providential. Thus in a way, Sukumar repertoire many more stories of street was faithful, by and large, to Lobaan’s children engaged in petty merchandising: imperceptible and virtual image. And wayside vendors, food carts, skilled from a broader, objective point of view, labourers, children employed in he was not deviating significantly from workshops and hazardous manufacturing the common guidelines for a creative activities, and in hotels and restaurants, historian, so as to cause an uproar in children who were often used as front literary circles. men by the police, middlemen, and petty On the other hand ,if one wants to criminals. bat for Sukumar, one could say he was Sukumar was gradually becoming a raising the level of this debate. After valuable resource for any information all his concern and thinking encompassed on such children. Here was a reliable the entire society, even the whole world. and dependable hoard of statistics. He had dramatised the unique situation Sukumar had for his current project, of Lobaan and made the helpless and a novel, unparalelled,ready data base conflict-ridden life of Lobaan the on Delhi’s street children. Considering cynosure of history’s searchlight. his diligent work on Lobaan, which was The same day he told the UNICEF

October-December 2010 :: 45 proving to be a trump card in his OG his dogs... .. undoubtedly, Lobaan knew applications, it was imperative for him of Dhoni. He had seen him on the TV, to delve deep into Lobaan’s personal hitting sixes and winning the World Cup. life and his past and about his associates. Do you know, asked Sukumar, smiling Generally, he was looking for facts to unabashedly, Dhoni was no one once; substantiate his conjectures, at least may be he was from a modest background. some look alike facts and some fiction. It happens.. .. you have the talent This reverse practice – going from and you get timely help and an the imaginary towards the real - did opportunity, and then you.. .. zoom up put Sukumar in a delicate dilemma. Not in the sky like a rocket.. .. even the that Sukumar was apprehensive that sky is not the limit. Who knows what Lobaan would guess his motives. As it our Dhoni can achieve, maybe you may is, the professor had persuaded himself become a maths teacher. Why is it not to believe that he was not deviating possible?... from the truth. He formulated a In one OG Sukumar said about Lobaan: philosophical concept suggesting that he I am telling you this that street kid was giving a different direction to truth. knows calculus. Hard to believe? He sells There was an intrinsic truth in his concept; cheap magazines on the road. But he that he was promoting truth through can differentiate and integrate the fictitious in pursuit of a higher, nobler mathematical equations. Have you heard aim. After all, he was devoted to the of something so unique, so stunning and H in History. so incongruous? If we do it right, we Despite all this, the apparent can pick up a Kosambi, Nirala, Bose contradiction made him appear weak and or Ramanujam right here in the streets. somewhat contemptible in the presence This is the depth of our profound of Lobaan. Putting questions to Lobaan civilization - after all we have been was like begging. Lobaan sensed this and sweating it out for 4000years - and the promptly added it to his arsenal of tools horizon of our potential is limitless.. for his self-protection. Sukumar would, ..But to realise that potential it is to placate Lobaan or divert him, call imperative for you, me and like minded him Dhoni, instead of Dhooni or Lobaan. people, the rulers of our country, to He told him who Dhoni was: Skipper come down to earth and gather some of the Indian cricket team, country’s dust off the roads.. .. it might improve priceless diamond, the highest paid the flavour and transform the nation. celebrity for endorsements, with an Lobaan’s response was one of cool annual income of not less than rupees detachment and caution. His posturing fifty crores, a house with two swimming could be a lesson for a politician. It pools, one for him and the other for is not that he surrendered abjectly to

46 :: October-December 2010 Sukumar’s sustained prying. He had his folks owned a house, cattle, land.. .. own dice to throw in. He did not lose better than many, comparatively. his composure nor lodge his protest Lobaan was the only child living with despite Sukumar’s relentless nagging. He his mother. His father died long ago did what he wanted to and what was when he was perhaps one year old.. in his interest without letting Sukumar .. beyond his memory..there were no get a scent of his plans. He did not photographs either. But his father left let the bond between them snap nor them 14 bighas of land which was given did he go out of his way to strengthen on contract harvesting. The money and it. His total energy was directed towards food grains that they got from the stretching the gains he had made, to unscrupulous contractors were sufficient create more openings and not to miss for them. There were the cattle in the the opportunities that came his way. house and Amma would earn more by Having made a profit of 2088 rupees, doing some small chores in the he had understood well enough that neighbouring homes. So, they were not Sukumar had a crucial role in enhancing on the brink, financially. his prospects. He was sure that Sukumar Life was going on an even keel when would provide the ladder for his ascent- suddenly, Lobaan’s mother died. A four and the climb was not going to be an day fever consumed her when Lobaan arduous one either. How and when this was just twelve. An amply endowed, would happen, he could only vaguely distantly related uncle in the village visualise. assumed charge of Lobaan. Lobaan moved One thing however, was evident; into his unmarried uncle’s house. The Sukumar’s entry into Lobaan’s life was child missed his mother but could not indeed a divine intervention. open out to anyone and felt low. His Consequently, he always endeavoured link with old friends snapped and he to say things which would please Sukumar. would see dark shadows in broad daylight, He pretended to be what the professor naturally so. A couple of times his uncle wanted him to be. asked him casually about the land papers, Lobaan was progressing on this while tucking his cord into his pyjamas. pathway principle and if in the process Your mother did not have any papers? a few untruths were required, he would Without a thought, Lobaan heard not hesitate. himself say: No I never saw any papers. Lobaan’s rural background was not He could not make out whether or underscored with pain or helplessness, not the fat Mama was pleased with his or one that had made him a victim of answer. But one day when the uncle social injustice. Gujjars had influence was out, Lobaan took out the old boxes and prestige in that village. Lobaan’s

October-December 2010 :: 47 and rummaged through them. He found reminding him that his link with his land a plastic bag containing some papers would not be snapped. He was sure that carefully placed and interleaved with one day when he grew up to be as big a calendar and pictures of some gods. as his uncle he would return to his village He understood that as long as he was with the money he had earned and the not as big as the fat uncle, he had to land would be his. But that would take keep the papers hidden from him. But many, many years. Sometimes while lying where? For want of a better hiding place, down, he would draw images of the land he put the plastic bag in his school bag. with his finger, images which would He was sure his Uncle would never open encapsulate the spread of the land, its it. That is how he carried the burden smell and his childhood memories. of the land and the farm on his shoulders, When he narrated his past to Sukumar, day in and day out. there were deviations and concoctions .. .. The uncle behaved OK with tailored to suit Sukumar’s liking. For Lobaan. In the beginning he made a example, harrassment by police on a pretence of being affectionate towards number of occasions. He depicted the him but all overly intimate gestures were fat uncle as a cruel, unscrupulous and spurned by Lobaan. Gradually the uncle dangerous ruffian. Lobaan also weaved drifted away, not too close, not too in several untruths about himself: distant. He wouldn’t ask Lobaan about untruths which raised him in Sukumar’s anything; no questions asked, and no esteem. Like he was passionately fond curbs on him. This suited Lobaan but of books: how he had travelled eight he could overhear Uncle talking in miles to meet his maths teacher to resolve whispers to his cronies in the adjoining a problem since the teacher alone had room. On one occasion, a stranger gave the book with the solution. Lobaan two chocolates. One year passed Lobaan’s untruths were really half in this manner and then one day Lobaan truths. Three years ago the fat uncle picked up his shoulder bag and ran away may have appeared to Lobaan as an from the village. People had done this evil devil who knew black magic, and before also and he generally knew which had an eye that never blinked, a stone bus he should take and from where. eye may be. He was quiet because he Lobaan knew the fat uncle would not was guilty. Lobaan had categorised people bother to check his whereabouts. Also, into those who were satanic like his uncle that his uncle would now till his land. and those who were good like his mother This had been his desire all along which and that crazy beggar who would keep was now turning into a threat for laughing despite being rebuffed unkindly. Lobaan.The papers in the plastic bag Sukumar was the first person who did were a source of comfort to him, not fit into either of these categories,

48 :: October-December 2010 good or evil. Perhaps he was both good The second wife. and evil and Lobaan had an awareness No, not a wife, really. of himself falling between these two Then who else? He was looking for categories. a suitable epithet for her. In his village One day Sukumar showed Lobaan a such relationships had profane photo album which had a separate connotations and it would be blatantly envelope full of loose pictures. There demeaning to extend it to this were photos of his daughters, parents relationship. and his wife Ratna. You may say she is like a second This is my wife Ratna. wife, Sukumar said with a wild quiver Full bodied Ratna appeared to Lobaan in his voice. as a taut and hard lady. He was reminded What is her name? of the calendar photo of a goddess before Rima Ganguli. whom his mother would bow every day. And how do you find her? Different? Hanging on a wall, the calendar would, She is great. To me she is. from time to time, flutter capriciously. That used to startle Lobaan during his But your wife does not know? sleep. He would cling to his mother’s No. bosom and she would comfort him in And the girls? Do they know? her sleep. She was very gentle and soft. No. It is comfortable this way. Sukumar did not hesitate to show Something inside was telling Sukumar Lobaan his beloved’s photo also perhaps that this dialogue was a godsend and driven to do this by some internal he had not felt like this before, ever, compulsion. She was alone in one photo with anyone. and with him in the other. Lobaan was My mother was also the second wife, the first person to whom Sukumar Sukumar heard him say but a real wife. introduced Rima without any The first one died. That is what Amma awkwardness. told me. This is Rima Ganguli. Sukumar almost felt grateful for this We are both, he said, and added with easy going conversation and that day a slight hesitation, good, close friends. bought two books from Lobaan. He liked to put it across this way. Lobaan had become the panacea for It seemed to liberate him from an all the problems in Sukumar’s middle unidentifiable burden. He felt he had aged, self absorbed, emotional life. broken free from the need to keep a Whenever he felt lost, Sukumar would secret. seek refuge in Lobaan’s true – and – Lobaan caught on instantly. not – so - true stories. Lobaan had become

October-December 2010 :: 49 an Aladin’s lamp for him, his magic wand. he basked in the glory of his fame. He Sukumar’s personal life was getting could see pale shadows of the past on infested by a cancer of worthlessness the expanse of a colourful future. When and helplessness. His love triangle was he moved ahead, he felt a desire to complete but all three of them were retrace his steps into the past and if fidgety, for their own reasons. Each one he followed the path of the past, the of them, encircled by darkness, were worries of the future tormented him.. looking for an exit gate and deliverance, ..actually Sukumar was very uneasy in but it was eluding them because of the his nest of comfort. He would feel an surrounding maze of status quo, intense desire to go out and get soaked frightening and unalterable. in the rain, drench himself so thoroughly Rima wanted to retract. She could that his entire past would be washed not possibly hold on to the destination away. she had reached now. She had been on Lobaan was the beacon who could a sabbatical from the library for a year. steer them out of this quagmire. An ideal world of books beckoned her. Lobaan’s image flickered before She felt a sense of freedom in that world.. Sukumar as he nestled in Rima’s fleshy .. but she also wished there was a fresh lap, perhaps for the last time, and direction and purpose that would impart implored her to come back to the a meaning to it. university library and to participate in Ratna felt she had been distanced the initiative to impart education to the from Sukumar and it was her fault. She street children to enhance their income was unrelenting and had slipped up in and raise their level by linking up with her obligations as a wife. She could the capital’s library network. perceive in Sukumar’s eyes the pain of In course of time, this is what Rima her indifference towards him. She got did. Books and magazines began to be so engrossed in resolving tax issues that sold through social organisations which her relationship issues remained assigned a prominent role to such unresolved. It had become important children. The money saved out of the to fill up the fissures that were showing elimination of the wholesalers was utilised in her relationship with Sukumar and for opening afternoon schools .Children she was seeking an opportunity to regain began to read and retail books. Sukumar his affection. described this development graphically Sukumar was a victim of his sunset as he planted the last kiss on Rima’s years. Even his fulfilment left him thirsting lips: An uneducated street child, whose for something and he was so alone in life source were books, could move freely his pre-occupations. There were in and out of middle class homes by unmistakable strands of remorse while selling the Library’s books. And he was

50 :: October-December 2010 thus promoting reading habits amongst talking: this class. This was no less than a You know what happened one day, revolution of equality and inclusion in he began in a way that forebode something the field of education. extraordinary was in the offing. Ratna In the context of Ratna, Lobaan’s was startled for a moment. The fear of shadow cast a different pattern. Sukumar the unknown sent shivers down her spine. had realised he was losing Ratna, bit Then Sukumar told her how he had met by bit. There were just the two of them Lobaan on the ITO Crossing and how in the house. The pattern of domestic strikingly he resembled him. life had undergone a sea change. He You would have been taken in could see her receding just like the dream completely.. ..looks as if he is my child. girl in films, the queen of the heart, You would have clawed at me asking slowly fading away in the midnight blue me to explain this illegitimate progeny. of the horizon. Sukumar was seeking the Sukumar was laughing and Ratna was lyrical song that would defer and turn amused too. She bent and her lips touched away the moment of parting, and would Sukumar’s, and a ripple of sensuality bring Ratna back into his arms. touched her. A similar note was struck in Lobaan’s It was Ratna who spoke now: A fictional world. son..how we yearned for one.. and it When Sukumar was at home his face just did not happen. We thought having would be drawn, sometimes. Ratna three children was not a smart move.. empathised with his silence. He was what does it matter if it is a girl or drinking more than usual. He would often a boy.. and people would deride us for recline on the sofa, turning over old having a gender bias.. .. how wrong we photos in an album. He was also spending were. And she kissed him again, a deep more and more time on the computer. and long one. She finally asked: Why are you so lost Did you meet him again? Ratna’s these days? Is anything wrong? protruding breast was soft, as she asked. Sukumar fended: I am digitising all Yes, many a time. We have had several old photographs.. .. and added after a conversations. I buy books from him. pause..the future will always be a pale He is a very sharp lad.. .. I feel like shadow of the past, comparatively.. .. doing something for him, taking over we are getting on in years, Ratna. the responsibility for his education, if Unknowingly, there were subtle he is willing. changes in their behaviour and actions Why not.. but only if he consents and he felt a warm comfort in Ratna’s to it. What is his name? lap. Both of them had a drink, taking Lobaan. their time over it. Then Sukumar started

October-December 2010 :: 51 Now they were talking in low tones, and the call of the passion from his just to each other. body. They were recapturing the scent You know, Sukumar said, sometimes of passion, on this new earth, which one realises the work of destiny or fate..Is was familiar, like the smell of their bodies, it not possible that a few generations and reassuring. ago one of my ancestors, may be my That night, Sukumar was speaking grandfather, may have sired an the truth from his heart, not trying to illegitimate child and then abandoned mislead Ratna in any way. His intense him... .. whose life took a different path suffering was authentic and without any and a street child called Lobaan was pretence. Elements of fiction,not that son.. ..and there is perhaps a divine untruths, were the reality of his thoughts indication that we, Lobaan and I, could and emotions. have been bonded as blood relations Lobaan had reached his moment of destined to meet at the ITO Crossing. decision. The rope had been strung up This is a chance in a trillion, but if and was ready for tugging and testing. it has happened, is there a deeper meaning The moment had come to check out and an intent behind this meeting? how trustworthy Sukumar was; how much Ratna was silent but her fingers were weight did the professor’s smooth talk caressing Sukumar’s entire body; was carry; how much substance there was she trying to erase his memories or in his words of encouragement. He had perpetuate them? .. .. and Sukumar to find out the catch, the pitfalls. Lobaan continued. proceeded to explore very cleverly. All this reveals a profound truth about For three days Lobaan avoided the dynamic motion of life.. .. That which Sukumar despite long stoppages at the is immutable, indestructible, all traffic lights. Unseen by Sukumar, he pervasive.. .. that inner and immortal wanted to see the effect of his unexplained truth which has been lying dormant within absence on Sukumar. What he saw was us and has receded into a remote past.. just what he wanted to see. He could .. how everything is intertwined.. the see that his meetings with Sukumar had dance of Shiva and Vishnu’s maya.. .. become an inseparable part of the and here we are, obsessed with our petty professor’s life. He was undoubtedly problems and trifling desires, making becoming an instrument of Sukumar’s mountains out of them. Imprisoned by plans. It was clearly a symbol of assurance our ego, we allow ourselves to be for the professor- a cure for some malady tormented by our insignificant problems. of Sukumar. There was some disability Sukumar went on but his words had or inadequacy which only Lobaan could now lost their rhythm. In its place he remedy. was experiencing the now lost sensuality The third day Sukumar appeared to

52 :: October-December 2010 be breathless with excitement. As if he had come for a confrontation and collision had lost something precious on this of their shared dreams, by themselves Crossing. He turned his head all around harmonious and consonant, to be a few times and then came out of the unveiled for their respective self serving car, right in the middle of the road. ends. His eyes were constantly searching for Their last meeting took place in the Lobaan. He almost bumped into an evening. The street lights were lit and oncoming car. For a moment Lobaan were playing with the twilight rays. Winter was filled with pity. He had an impulse had not set in but there was a nip in to run to Sukumar and clasp his hand.. the air. .. a child’s emotion perhaps.. .. but Lobaan Lobaan saw Sukumar park his car stopped short. It was a momentary feeling on the extreme left close to the lights which drifted away as it came. though he used to turn right normally Lobaan was confident that his and it surprised Lobaan, being the first preparations were now complete. It was time it had happened. The car was hugging time for the chickens to come home the sidewalk behind a bus stop but there and roost. The time had come to strike. was ample space for the buses to pass. It was not a very complicated plan. Lobaan came close, knelt down the He was making plans to ask for Rs 15000 window and put on a lost, sad expression from Sukumar for starting his business. so that Sukumar should ask him for the His total focus was on how to get the reason and that would be his chance money and start the business. At this to spell out his business proposition. point he was unmindful of how he would His heartbeat had accelerated and he repay and whether he would continue wanted all this to be over and done to meet Sukumar. with quickly. Anyway, Lobaan was well prepared You will catch a chill, Sukumar for the next meeting. He would fabricate cautioned him. It is getting colder and some excuse, illness, famine, theft, legal you need a light pullover. expenses to face fat Mama etc. He had Lobaan shivered again, maybe due no intention of sharing with Sukumar to tension, and pouted his lips outward. the real purpose of asking for money. Sukumar warned him again: You Lobaan got what he wanted after three should not be falling sick. days, though not in the way he had It is not very cold yet, Lobaan said. intended. Destiny casts its own, uncharted You may not feel it from outside patterns. This is because at the same but it can consume you from within time, Sukumar was also formulating his and don’t tell me you do not have a own plans. The time had also come for sweater. the fulfilment of his mission.The time

October-December 2010 :: 53 When did I say that? of control again and he looked at Sukumar Because if you don’t have it, go and in mute amazement. Sukumar rubbed buy it right now. There are a lot of and clapped his hands: Now its fine. shops in Janpath where they sell all What happened? Lobaan looking silly. kinds, local, imported and the price Nothing, Sukumar replied ranges from thirty to hundred rupees.. deliberately: All this set up is for the .. got it? traffic police. Our car has conked out Lobaan nodded, showing impatience. and we are waiting for the mechanic Sukumar persisted: Don’t tell me you to arrive. Now they will not bother us. can’t afford it. You can easily buy sweaters Sukumar was looking at Lobaan, with worth thirty to sixty rupees.. .. you his hands tucked into his pockets, earn enough .. .. and if you are tight unmindful of the din of traffic, lost to for money, let me know frankly. the world. He was looking intently at What has happened to the professor, Lobaan and sizing him up too. thought Lobaan. How to put his thoughts .. .. I have something very interesting across? and important to tell you, it is for you And where is your bag today? Your and for me, as he took out a swanky shoulder bag? Are you having an off leather bag from the backseat and sat day from work? on the passenger seat of the car. A lock Of course not, Lobaan replied in weak of hair had fallen across his forehead voice, I have left it over there – and that seemed to make him look a good he pointed towards the pavement. ten years younger. He motioned to Lobaan to sit in the driver’s seat. Lobaan And if someone flicks it from there? took awkwardly long to settle in but There was a touch of unfounded anxiety this was his first time in a car and the in his tone. professor was sitting next to him! The professor was not his usual self Sukumar was rummaging through the today, Lobaan thought. bag and for a moment Lobaan fantasised Look sir, a serious situation has himself as the owner of the car cropped up suddenly. Lobaan had no conferencing with a middle aged man. choice but to pour out his thoughts May be he is buying something.. .. and haphazardly, to weave his convoluted the moment came alive when Sukumar story which would climax in the demand fished out two objects from the bag which for fifteen thousand rupees. he dangled before Lobaan and between Hang on for a second, said Sukumar the two objects, Sukumar’s face flashed and moved up his car next to a vendor, a broad smile. Lobaan at once recognised opened his bonnet and set the hazard that the objects were Sony products. lights flashing. Lobaan had lost the reins

54 :: October-December 2010 One was a slim digital camera, the other meet they talk and learn from one another. a voice recorder, as far as Lobaan could Fantastic, exclaimed Sukumar; so this make out. is the wayside polytechnic which is Do you know what these are? asked neither run by the Government nor the Sukumar, raising his hands. private sector.. .. it is self propelled Lobaan burst out laughing, unable and is carrying on, on its own momentum! to restrain himself? Sukumar’s attention was diverted What is so funny? and Sukumar looked when he saw a cop coming towards the down and wondered if his fly was open. car. It looked as if he was going to It happened once and his daughters had knock at the window pane, then he walked laughed in the same manner. towards the bonnet, appearing to examine Lobaan was a little sheepish: You the engine, wiped his face with a look like a salesman selling these goods handkerchief and walked away. to me, just as we sell to you. Sukumar realised that he should now Oh! And the professor’s hands just get on with his mission. He addressed dropped. After a brief pause, he Lobaan: I have a proposition for you. continued: Anyhow, I have to teach you I am launching a big research project how these things work and what they in which you will have a stellar role. are used for. A hero’s role you may say. It will go on for a year at the end of which there I know it all, said Lobaan casually will be a report and then a thick, heavily and went on to explain in detail the illustrated book. functioning of those gadgets about which Sukumar did not have a clue. Lobaan Lobaan’s curiosity was aroused at knew the make, the model their technical the mention of a book. What kind of features, almost everything. a book? He asked. How do you know all this? You must A real book not fiction. A treatise be a wizard, said Sukumar, gaping in on the lives of children like you. And disbelief. you do not have to give up your work. We have factories too, he said and What am I supposed to do? Asked then collected himself when he saw a Lobaan. worried look on Sukumar’s face. I have Sukumar was waiting for the question a friend who repairs and sells a lot of and he was now in full flow. these machines and that is where I have Look, you just shoot photographs picked up expertise. with this camera. As you like, whenever Then Lobaan explained how the street you like. Just capture scenes of your children are engaged in multifarious day to day life, your normal activities, trades and professions.. .. and when they no bars, no rules. The photos should

October-December 2010 :: 55 depict what you are, what you do. There into this, all kinds of stuff. Whatever is no need to wander around or think and whenever you want to say something: too much about what you photograph... about you, your cronies, how the day .. about ten on an average per day. went, people you met, books you sold, The photos can be on any theme.. your comments on the boss - good or .. your friends .. no need to pose.. the bad - people you liked or disliked, about places you frequently go to, where you me, any headline event.. .. just switch eat, sleep, bathe and have fun.. .. where on and get started without thinking or you learn things.. happenings here and rehearsing, as you would talk to a friend on other streets.. ..images of life that or me. And then switch it off. you may have liked to send to your .. .. Talk into it whenever , wherever. mother, or to your friends in the village.. Record your inner thoughts, songs, jokes. .. natural and spontaneous ,.. nothing Anything will do but it has to be natural. should appear contrived. .. .. and then the night falls and you Sukumar’s body language was lie down but are not able to sleep. Your peculiar, may be because of excitement. mind is at rest and yet roaming at the He was talked incessantly, interspersed same time. You must talk to the recorder with elbow jabs or a thump on Lobaan’s at that time... .. old memories, childhood back, for emphasis. days, your future plans. Talk faithfully, These photos are supposed to be a laugh if you want to, cry if you have slice of your life - an orange full of to, understand? juice and a good deal of sourness too. Sukumar picked up the cassette A sharper elbow jab this time. recorder and continued: There are three The camera has a memory card for empty cassettes in this pouch besides 200 images. Every week or so I will the one in the recorder each with a download the images on my computer capacity of two to three hours of and clear the memory for you to begin recording. When three cassettes are full, afresh.... you will have to keep its battery give them to me and I will give you charged but I know you are resourceful three more. Have you understood the enough to manage that. whole procedure? Sukumar paused for breath and his Lobaan had assimilated everything face was animated and it seemed he thoroughly and he nodded. had concluded. You will do this for me, wont you? Lobaan’s eyes had a sparkle as he Become my hero? The hero of entire looked at the tape recorder and asked: Delhi? And what is this for? Sukumar was smiling and his Oh yes, I forgot! You have to speak expression had an admixture of

56 :: October-December 2010 compassion and gratefulness. He was triumphant at having bagged a good deal. being a giver as well as a seeker. This latent ignominy was tempered by But he had missed the quiet alertness softness and gratitude towards each other. on Lobaan’s face .Furrows of a That is why they did not articulate their predicament lined his forehead. He was joy in an unbridled manner. There was adding up the price of both the machines, also a touch of sadness and regret. But mentally.. ..they must be worth 20000 such feelings amongst friends are common rupees at least? What can they fetch and are evanescent at the same time. him in the market? Rupees 16000 to These are professor’s unexpressed 17000 is assured. thoughts: You win some, you lose some And this assignment is not for free, and life goes on. And in Lobaan’s language said Sukumar, patting Lobaan’s cheek. : I found what he lost and he picked I will pay you.. ..not I but the Project up what I dropped. That is how fate will reimburse you for your effort. Thus plays out the game. It is also a fact you will earn some extra income. You that both of them were fatally bonded will start with say, thirty rupees a day. to each other. But now the time had If all goes well, there is every hope come to go their different ways. of an increase in your remuneration. Do you know Lobaan a day may come Both the machines are then mine, when you will be very famous. Who asked Lobaan eagerly, his lips parched. knows ? Undoubtedly my project will Can I start this assignment right away? put you on the stage for the world to Why not? The sooner the better, see. Sukumar replied promptly, put the Lobaan did not comprehend these machines in the bag, zipped it up and lofty ideas .He just nodded his handed it over to Lobaan. He leaned assent,formally. Slumdog Millionaire had forward, perhaps wanting to hug Lobaan not been released otherwise Sukumar but finally just ruffled his hair and stepped would have certainly cited it as an out. Lobaan came out from the other example. door. The lights turned green, Sukumar They resumed their respective waved and Lobaan kept standing, positions: Sukumar in the driver’s seat watching the tail light of the car. The and Lobaan leaning through the window bag was firmly in his hands. He knew on the other side. In the meantime, this was their last meeting. Lobaan had dropped the bonnet of the After that what happened was but car. natural and inevitable. Lobaan sold the Perhaps both felt warm and flushed two machines and started his independent but for different reasons. Both felt business. He continued to work for Budhiram for a few months and got his

October-December 2010 :: 57 beat shifted from ITO to Karol Bagh where sensibilities were still raw. it was easy to avoid an encounter with The relationship of the Professor with the Professor. As far as Sukumar was Lobaan was a clear example of the Pareto concerned, it took him longer to recover Principle. No third person had been hurt from this episode. It was not the theft in their interaction with each other. As of the machines. That hardly mattered. far as the two of them were concerned, What pained him most was that Lobaan they gained more than they lost. At had betrayed him; more than anything least their aspirations had been raised else, it was a breach of faith. Ultimately, to a new level. Such interactions are he was doing all this for Lobaan’s good. rare. Yes, there is some bitterness And the kid knew it. He would have embedded in them like a medicine but eventually got the machines, so why to recognize or reject that bitter truth was he in a hurry? Why such despicable is a matter of an individual’s beliefs and behaviour? .. .. Sukumar was seen at inclinations. And the swirls of thinking the Crossing for a few days, lost in can create turbulent and cruel waves. thought, his eyes seeking someone.. We are still left with the curiosity something. He would forget to move about what happened to our two the car at the green light. So much so protagonists. Did they ever meet again? that one day a cop commented brazenly: Had it been a film, a dramatic reunion What happened Uncle? One too many or encounter would have inevitably taken last night or is it a matter of love-shove?.. place. This indicates a follow up or Part .. Let the car and life move on.. such II situation but such an ending is not things happen all the time. And then in vogue in stories, not so far. Sukumar decided that enough was enough Be that as it may, there are no artistic and he composed himself. He would have restraints on unveiling the future. Both to realign his OGs though it may take protagonists of our story are leading some time. their separate lives. Both are contented His project progressed after the start and complete in their own world. It had been ignited. After the initial push, took Lobaan 24 years to achieve his a momentum had been built up, sufficient monthly target of selling ten thousand to keep it going. There was no dearth books for twenty lacs of rupees which of extraordinary, intrinsic, original talent was predicted to be achievable in one of the street children... .. Lots of Lobaans year by the “ magical money circle” were stalking the streets and the crossings. pundits. But Lobaan knew he was blessed Still, whenever Sukumar thought of by destiny which contributed to half Lobaan, ”our ”Lobaan ,he would be of his success, with blood, sweat and emotionally moved. While he had tears contributing the other half. Apart reconciled with the situation mentally,his from organising his distribution network

58 :: October-December 2010 for books, he had also started a small not need OGs anymore. He had a good publishing house. The successors of his reputation and enjoyed young professors employers he used to work for were and researchers trying their OGs on him. now working for Lobaan. He was fair Life unfolds itself in cycles. but strict in his business principles. One If you tell this story to them, both eccentric trait of his remained the Professor and Lobaan will be amused. unexplained. He exhorted all his agents They might say that authors invent events to maximise the sale of the five or six and all that they create need not be books of a historian called Professor necessarily true. Sukumar, even if the margins had to Yes, it is probable that both of us be dropped to as low as 5% or negative may have met at the ITO Crossing. Such even. interactions are common, nothing That was the only losing line in his extraordinary in that. But how is it business. conceivable that all that is described Sukumar had retired but was promptly in this story, actually happened. honoured with a prestigious post. He It is just not possible.! was not very creative now and he did

Raju Sharma, born 1959, has been a Science scholar inclined towards theatre, films and creative writing. He was in the I.A.S. since 1982 and has recently given up his professional career to devote more time to writing. Some of his books are shabdon ka khakrob, samay ke sharnarthi, halafname and visarjan. He has translated a few plays. He lives in Delhi.

Anil Sud, MA, Economics, St. Stephens College, Delhi University with 40 years of experience in civil and private sector services. Interested in music, arts and literature. Has translated several important authors. Lives in Gurgaon.

October-December 2010 :: 59 FIVE POEMS Kedarnath Agrawal

Translated by Shalini

Poetry 1. Time’s tide

I stand unswayed by time’s tide.

Deception I fight. Truth is my Guide. I shall Not crack Like a rusted pipe.

2. With My Own Might

I have conquered difficulties with my own might. I've scaled

60 :: October-December 2010 mountains and kissed the heights.

Water too comes tumbling down, nothing stays on top for long.

Stagnancy melts in a similar fashion conscience of the brave when creates a storm.

3. Child

He made the ripples quiver. The child with his pebble made the ripples quiver. Not the pond alone, he made eternity quiver.

4. That Man Shall Never Die

He who has grown up licking the dust of life, he who has weathered storms and stood upright with his might, he who has bent iron and dug gold, he who runs the chariot of gods, that man shall never die never die!!

October-December 2010 :: 61 He was forged in the fire of life, an iron fist, hood of a serpent like, he who crushed injustice and bent power, he who runs the chariot of time, that man shall never die never die!!

5. The Powerful One

The powerful one is in the house now. Strong as an elephant, arms wielding enormous strength are in the house now. Carrying the glow of the sun, one with keen eyes is in the house now. The masses are shouting, the one to take care of them is in the house now. Listen o ye, the government, one who’ll bring apocalyptic changes is in the house now.

Kedarnath Agrawal (1911-2000), An eminent progressive poet whose poems are full of elan vital. He is equally expressive about love and landscape. Some of his collections of poems are: ‘yug ki ganga’, ‘neend ke badal’, ‘lok aur alok’, ‘hey meri tum’ and ‘phool nahi rang bolte hain’. He was an advocate by profession and lived at Banda.

Shalini is a senior journalist with M.A. in English Literature from Delhi University.She has worked in leading newspapers and journals like Financial Express and India Today. Presently senior editor with a leading business weekly. Lives in Delhi.

62 :: October-December 2010 OUR BABA– NAGARJUN BABA Shamsher Bahadur Singh

Translated by Anamika and Arlene Zide Poetry

Our baba, Ali baba Nagarjun baba!!

‘Open Sasame!’ in front of everyone— said he—in front of absolutely everyone— Caves full of treasure fell open to everyone classic revolutionary treasures

Vibrant soldier of brave poetry, The brave anthems never admitting defeat of the invincible masses and the vivid sagas bringing a twinkle to the eyes, and warmth to the heart, translating today’s history into verse: —sometimes in slow humming,

October-December 2010 :: 63 sometimes with toe-tapping satire and sometimes in compassionate stillness. Then, sometimes blowing a bugle and sometimes clanging tongs;

sometimes making kids laugh sometimes charming the young and bringing back delight to the eyes of the old —showering such treasures of poetry into our bags Our baba Ali baba Nagarjun baba!! “Why bother, ...” singing this line from a filmsong!! with his son, — I still remember that scene! when I heard it for the first time

Snap snap snapping... trying to snap away hunger and poverty

My Ali baba, At the spread tablecloth of songs throwing back a drink of poetry thick with poverty Carefree, Right on cloud nine Trying to enjoy the bitter gulp of anger and passion—

64 :: October-December 2010 making something sweet of it, Burning in the fire of burning poverty

Dancing raining a bizarre nectar quenching souls, taking a holy dip in the Ganges of the epoch in an outlandish masquerade, there he comes, my baba Ali baba Nagarjun!!

Shamsher Bahadur Singh (1911-1993), A major poet of Hindi who figured in ‘doosra saptak’ edited by Agyeya. He experimented with various poetic forms as can be seen in the present poem which felicitates an equally important contemporary ‘Nagarjun’. Some of his books are: ‘kuchh kavitayen’, ‘kamini’, ‘Hushshoo aur pee kahan’ and ‘chuka bhi hun nahi mein’. He lived in Allahabad, Delhi and several other towns.

Anamika, born 1961, writes poetry and prose. A major poet, she is recipient of numerous literary awards including the recent Kedar Samman, Saviri Bai Phule Samman, before which she already earned Bharat Bhushan Puraskar, Girija Km. Mathur Samman and Parampara Samman. She teaches English literature in a college in Delhi University.

Arlene Zide, born 1940 is a poet, linguist and translator. She edited and translated Penguin’s Book of Indian Women Poets ‘In Their Own Voice’. She taught at Harold Washington College, Chicago, U.S.A. and is now an independent writing and editing professional.

October-December 2010 :: 65 FIVE POEMS Pawan Karan

Translated by Rashmi Bajaj

Poetry Woman ‘In toto’

I wish To be a woman Not the part woman Who lives inside Every man But a woman For ever - An irrevocable woman A woman In body, mind and heart A woman Inside and out.

My words Shock and amaze women Confronting them With their Innermost desires Their simmering fires

66 :: October-December 2010 My writing weaves And unweaves The warp and woof Of their existence My words tease Tickle and titillate These women

I write A woman’s Darkness-filled days I write A woman’s Gloom-filled nites.

My poems are The mirrors Reflecting the whole-being Of a woman

In my poems Women meet themselves And discover What they have Not known All along.

But still I remain Essentially A man!

I wish

October-December 2010 :: 67 To be a woman - With all distinctive womanly Flairs and flavours Aromas and odours Joys-and fears Smiles and tears Highs and lows

I wish to be A woman Inside and out I wish to be A woman In toto.

Album

The old lonely woman ‘Amma’ as we call her Has an eternal companion Her cherished Album

Ancient like Her ever crumbling house The Album is Constantly wearing out She keeps it Covered, safe and locked Enshrined in Her favourite box

Whenever she opens

68 :: October-December 2010 The Album’s box Her frightening loneliness Gushes forth

Her heart throbs Not in the rib-cage But in the Album Locked in the box!

Her Grief

Today she Is sad Today she’ll Stare at herself In the mirror For long Today she’ll Touch and feel Her skin A countless times Today her fingers Will count Her years Today the Smallest sound Will alarm her Today her Womanly grief Will drown her...

October-December 2010 :: 69 Vishvpala

Wandering and Meandering Through the Ancient Vedic streets Me-an Atheist Came across you O Vishvpala.

Seeing you scraping With your crutches The ashes from The yajna - site Of the yajna Performed in Rigveda I had asked: “How come Vishvpala How are you Still on crutches?”

With the ironfoot implanted Your lameness cured Those Vedic vaidyas Ashwini and Kumar Had their fame For ever secured

Vishvpala! Why then are you Still holding onto those crutches Why are you Still scraping off the yajna-ashes?

70 :: October-December 2010 Come on, get up I wish to see you run I wish to see The Yajurved-miracle in Action

O Vishvpala, Why don’t you Just look at me Why don’t you Simply stop scraping Why don’t you Throw the crutches away Tell me, why?

Vishvpala! This is the 21st Century And you have been All along sitting and scraping The yajna ashes. Give me your hand, with me Come, step into this century

Vishvpala! Are you not yet Fit to walk ? Are you still disabled ? Break your stony silence And speak up, my dear Tell me the truth Tell the poet the truth :

Did THAT happen to

October-December 2010 :: 71 You also that day What still happens to women In this century today ?

*Vishvpala: Vedic- Age lame woman who was given iron-foot implantation by two vaids Ashwini and Kumar—the act immortalized in Vedic hymns.

Burqa

Time and again You drum it, My man! God himself Designed this veil For women I just Don’t believe What you say Night and day.

Following your command As I put on This damned veil My battered body Rebels and wails :

Not God But you Have forced it On me.

In Making

72 :: October-December 2010 Me a wretched burqa-clad You have enjoyed Playing the God !

Pawan Karan, born 1964, he is emerging as an important poet with a pro-woman stance. He is postgraduate in Hindi and in Mass Com- munication and Human Resources. He has three poetry collections out of which ‘Stree mere bheetar’ and ‘Aspatal ke bahar telephone’ have been widely read and reviewed. He lives in Gwalior.

Rashmi Bajaj, is head of the department of English in a college in Bhiwani. She writes and translates when she likes what she reads. She lives in Bhivani, Haryana.

October-December 2010 :: 73 PREMCHAND: LITERARY THEORY AND PRACTICE Lothar Lutze

In order to make a character appear exemplary and ideal it need not be flawless- even the greatest of great men have some weakness or other. In order to put life into a character it will do no harm to point out its weaknesses, On the contrary, these weaknesses turn that character into a human being. A flawless character will become a god and we shall not even be able to comprehend it. Such a character cannot make any impression on us, (63)1 The centenary spectacle is on again, It is Premchand’s turn Discourse this time. The patterns are known only too well. People who haven’t read a single line of his in the original are discussing his merits and demerits as a writer; others, who write in English, are, or pretend to be, concerned with his relations to the masses for whom they themselves, as long as they write in English; in India, refuse to write; the maulvis and the pandits are once again unearthing the old bone of contention in the name of Urdu and Hindi, which, according to Premchand himself, are just “two names of one thing” or, linguistically speaking, two shapes (‘swarup’) of one language (106, 153), Even those who sincerely mean well tend to smooth over the unevennesses in his work, to ignore the problems Premchand had to face in his day and which make him, or rather his work, a problem for his readers today. All this has happened before and to others, with the result that many a centenary celebration ended in the celebrity’s being shelved as a ‘classic’, which is the literary variety of a first- class funeral. Premchand’s survival this year will depend on an honest assessment of his literary work as the product of a man’s

74 :: October-December 2010 endurance of enormous tensions- two to four short-stories–there are even cultural, social, environmental, political, several journals offering nothing but linguistic-and on his critics’ willingness short-stories. (49-50) to judge him not by his extra-literary Premchand was justly proud of his intentions but by his literary literary success, all the more so as it achievements. had been achieved in the field of fiction, It is against a background of questions i,e., more precisely, of the stort-story left unanswered, of problems only partly as well as the novel, the latter of which solved that the best of Premchand’s “Indians had absorbed more than any writing stands out all the more brightly. other genre of European literature” (8l); There, in a handful of short stories and both of these genres had until recently perhaps, he attains the wisdom founded not been recognized as serious literature on the acceptance of human imperfection, in India. [Even Premchand still seems the serene state of compassionate to be in two minds about this: “Actually, detachment which his German colleague novel-writing is considered light Theodor Fontane, strikingly but literature”, he says in this context, untranslatably, called ‘heiteres “because readers are entertained by it.” Daruberstehen’ and which is the (81)] distinguishing mark of what is greatest Who would question Premchand’s in art. ‘Indianness’ in view of an opus depicting a comedie humaine whose very life-blood II springs from North Indian provincial life But within this one century, or in even in the last few decades of the nineteenth less time if you like, the short-story and the first few decades of the twentieth has triumphed over all the other literary century; but as any truly modern work genres and we may be justified in saying of Indian literature until this day, it that as in a previous age poetry was is the outcome of a creative conflict the most comprehensive form of literary between this ‘Indianness’ and certain expression it is now the short-story. Western aesthetic ideals. One such ideal, And this proud achievement is due to embedded in names of literary genres the talent of so many great European like English novel and German Novelle artists, the most important of whom are (long story), is that of novelty. Balzac, Maupassant, Chekhov, Tolstoy, With us, the desire (for something Maxim Gorky and others. In Hindi, until new) either never arose or we trampled twenty-five-thirty years ago the short- it into a torpor. The West has been making story had not even been born, But today progress continuously–it was hungry for there is not a single journal without novelty, irritated by the chains of

October-December 2010 :: 75 propriety... In literature, too, it initiated secondary importance: Hindustani if the a revolution. (49) country’s name was to be Hindustan, It is with the same pride that Hindi if it was to be Hind–not Urdu, Premchand proclaims his indebtedness according to Premchand, as there could to “so many great European artists”, be no Urdustan. (155) whom he had read either in the English On the other hand, the literary–i.e., original or, in the case of the French the creative–use of this language posed and Russian writers he mentions, in an a number of different and more difficult English translation–in a language, that problems, and Premchand was very much is, which in a different context he doesn’t aware of this. In one of his comparatively ever tire of condemning. In an address rare statements on the language of the on “The National Language Hindi and novel, of his novels, he emphasizes the Its Problems”, delivered in Madras on importance of dialogue for December 29th, 1934, he compares the characterization: the author himself predominance of the English language should keep in the background as much in India to a prisoner’s chain: as possible and by no means impose The prisoner is troubled by the chain his personal style on his characters’ more than by anything else. The prison dialogue, a task which he finds is most may be better aired, more clean and difficult in a rural setting: “The language neat than his own house. He may also of the educated society is the same have better and tastier food than he everywhere... but the villagers’ dialogue does at home. From his family he throws us into a dilemma.” (78-79) sometimes is separated for years of his Needless to say here that in spite own free will. What reminds him of his of this dilemma modern Hindi prose owes punishment is this chain alone, which Premchand some of its greatest passages, never parts company with him, whether and in his rural scenes more than he stands or sits, sleeps or wakes, laughs anywhere else, especially as long as his or speaks, which never allows him even creative spontaneity remained the illusion of being free. (101-102) undisturbed by the language reformer From the point of view of language and politician in him; unevennesses in policy, especially concerning the his style are largely due to his feeling establishment of a national language, of dual obligation to ‘Urdu’ on the one Premchand had taken an unequivocal side (which in his Madras address, i.e. stand: it was to be the one language as late as 1934, he still considered more spoken by the largest possible number natural to himself than Hindi (107) ) of people in India, an open language and, mainly for patriotic reasons, to for an open society, its name being of ‘Hindi’ on the other. It must be left to detailed studies to examine how much

76 :: October-December 2010 of his creative spontaniety, and along reconcilability, of the lightness of art with it of his stylistic excellence, was with social commitment. In Premchand’s lost in the processes of Hindification essays, the most coherent and convincing of texts originally conceived in ‘Urdu’ presentation of this argument can be and of Urduization of others originally found in the one on “The Novel” conceived’ in ‘Hindi’. (‘Upanyasa’) (60-72, esp. M-65). First, From his European masters he makes it very clear that “the highest Premchand also borrows his concept of ideal of literature is that it should be the ‘sahityakara’, the serious writer as created only for the fulfilment of art. opposed to the professional entertainers: Nobody can object to the principle of ‘Art for art’s sake’... As long as literature The position of tbe writer is much is created for the propagation of some superior to this. He is our guide, he social, political and religious opinion. wakens our humanity, communicates the it loses its superior status. But, he nobler feelings in us, widens our view. continues after thus taking his readers (64) by surprise, “nowadays circumstances His ideal reader, accordingly, has are changing so quickly, so many new developed a refined, literary taste and ideas are being born that now no writer looks for intellectual satisfaction in can possibly heed this ideal of literature.” literature; at the same time, he is And, a little later: imaginative enough to ask for the mere The time of ‘Art for art’s sake’ is outline of a story so that he can insert when the country is prosperous and the colours according to his own liking. happy. But we find ourselves in the grip The successful novelist will make him of all kinds of political and social identify himself with the characters in restrictions; wherever one casts one’s his novel by drawing them as clearly eyes one sees fearful sights of suffering and intimately as possible and making and misery, hears the pathetic laments their development appear so natural of distress–how is it possible then for that the reader cannot but fully agree the heart of a reasonable being not to with the author. (55-56,71,75-78) be alarmed? There is one problem, however, which Again, Brecht comes to one’s mind, Premchand takes up in his essays again with his poem “An die Nachgeborenen”, and again; he almost seems obsessed where he apologizes To Those Born After with it. It is a problem German readers, that the times when Brecht wrote did and other readers of German literature, not allow him to produce literature for are familiar with through the theoretical literature’s sake–which he, too, obviously writings of Bertolt Brecht: the considered an ideal, most probably never reconcilability, or perhaps non- to be attained. It is perhaps this common

October-December 2010 :: 77 note of renunciation that explains much incidentally, quite in agreement with of the enthusiastic (and creative) classical Indian poetics), literature, by reception of Brecht outside the Affluent adding ‘rasa’ poetic sentiment, to its World at a point when in Western search for truth, is meant to produce countries, including’ the one of his origin, ‘ananda’, ultimate aesthetic joy (46-47). his conversion into a ‘classic’ is making III rapid progress. If realism opens our eyes, then idealism But Premchand continues: lifts us up and takes us to some charming Certainly, the novelist should try and place. But as long as this is a quality express his ideas indirectly (italics mine), of idealism, there is also the risk of and see to it that the inclusion of such portraying characters which are nothing an idea is not detrimental to the but the embodiment of principles—in naturalness (‘swabhavikta’) of the novel; which there is no life... Therefore one otherwise the novel will become insipid considers those novels excellent in which (‘nirasa’). the real and the ideal have been With all this, Premchand insists that incorporated. You may call this ‘ideal- providing entertainment–literary oriented realism’; In order to put life entertainment, of course, which is of into an ideal, one has to utilize reality, a higher kind– is the writer’s main duty and this is what makes ‘the difference (‘pradhana dharma’, 57; ‘pradhana in a good novel. (63) karttavya’, 91); the word he uses for As pointed out previously by the ‘lightness’ as well as ‘simplicity’, both present writer2, one, may distinguish of which make up Brecht’s Leichtigkeit, between two contrasting creative is ‘saralta’ (44, 74, 90): the writer should attitudes towards reality. cultivate it and avoid obscurity (‘gudhta’, On the one hand, there is the literary 74) if he wants his work to be esteemed artist as a sculptor, who manipulates by the people. In theory, Premchand, reality, perhaps for his special interest the great digressor, is outspokenly in form (formalism) or in some extra- critical of digressions (75), and he is literary ‘message’ (idealism). If there is well aware that “in stories written with an ideal, or an ideology, art may serve (an extra-literary) purpose... the greatest as an exemplum to a sermo, or as a difficulty is that he (the writer) is forced mediator between theory, law, rule on to usurp the position of a preacher” the one hand and practice, application, (89). The proficient writer ought to realization on the other (Type A). combine reformative zeal with the In the opposite case, the literary attractiveness of the story (89). Ideally, artist is perhaps comparable to a according to Premchand (and, receptacle: he is open to reality, lets

78 :: October-December 2010 things speak for’themselves; the creative 2 of the present essay, we may now, process, as it were, is turned in the before this background, proceed to study opposite direction (Type B). his literary practice. The following Whereas Type A strives to achieve observations are based on an examination universaiity by getting as close as possible of about the first one hundred pages to what may be called ‘truth’, Type B (Chapters 1-7) of his last completed novel, works for authenticity through precision. Godan (1936). The locale of this novel are Semri and Belari, both villages in The tendency towards timelessness the province of Avadh. “There is no and ubiquity in Type A is opposed by need”, the author assures us, quite the extreme care in placing plot and significantly, “to tell you the name of characters in time (historically) and space the district” (16): Semri and Belari are (socially-geographically) of Type B; meant to be typical of any North Indian stylization (A) by aimed-at objectivity village. This generalizing tendency is (B); the use of artistic or artificial or supported, from the very beginning of at least ‘high’ language (A) by the use the novel, by proverbial statements like, of ‘common’ (colloquial, everyday) “When your neck is being trampled under language or dialect or idiolect (B). the tyrant’s heel, the safest course is Statistically, the generalization to keep on lickling his feet” (9/5)3; “Men tendency of Type A can be shown by are not men before sixty” (‘Mard sathe the frequency of verb forms expressing par pathe hote hai’, 10/6); “Can a two- habituality–e,g., ‘hota hai’ as opposed eyed man ever feel the hurt that a one- to ‘ho raha hai’–, of proverbial and plural eyed man feels at the taunt of being expressions, indefinite pronouns, the called a one-eyed man?” (10/6); “Without impersonal passive. a wife the house becomes an abode of With regard to the semantic ghosts” (13/9), which is announced as categories ‘word’— (linguistic) an “old saying” ‘purani masal’). Hori’s ‘context’— (extra-linguistic) ‘situation’, individual case becomes that of the a linguistically comparatively self- peasant in general. There is no doubt sufficient, ‘situationally free’ style in Type that the peasant is selfish to the core. A is opposed by a ‘situationally bound’ It takes a lot of wheedling to get a bribe style in Type B. out of him. He is a past-master in driving a hard bargain. To get a single penny Cognition as the central feature of of interest condoned, he supplicates the reading experience in Type A himself before the moneylender for hours. corresponds to re-cognition in Type B. It is difficult to tempt him against his After examining Premchand’s conviction. Nevertheless his entire life theoretical approach to literature in Part is wedded to nature. The trees bear fruit

October-December 2010 :: 79 but for others; the land yields grain on widowhood: to appease the hungry mouths; the clouds She is a widow. Once her husband send showers to assuage the parched had been sitting as a guard at the gate earth. In such a scheme of things there of her womanhood. She had been carefree. is hardly any room for selfishness. Now there was no guard at that gate, (14/11) therefore she keeps that gate closed all At Mr. Mehta’s sight, Miss Malti is the time. Now and then she cannot stand provoked into a digression on the loneliness in the house and opens philosophers: “Philosophers are dry as the gate; but as soon as she sees anybody dust. Always lost. They look at come, she gets frightened and shuts it everything, but see nothing, they hear again. (29) everything, but catch nothing; they live As a separate genre, these miniature in a vacuum.” (60/45) Malti herself, “in portraits of social types closely resemble high heels”, quite in contrast to Kamini, the ‘Characters in the Theophrastus- Khanna’s wife, “who, in khaddar, had Joseph Hall-Sir Thomas Overbury-La a look of meditation” (60/44), is Bruyere tradition; in the context of introduced as “the visible embodiment Premchand’s novel they are instances of the New Age.” of author’s interference, just like the She has returned from England after poetic digression on the type of ‘Life studying medicine and sets up a practice. (here: married life) is but a day’ in the She is a regular visitor to the landlord’s middle of a Hori-Dhaniya dialogue: palaces... A tender body, but full of Early married life throbs with youth artificial capriciousness. No sign of and desire; like the dawn the span of timidity or restraint whatsoever, an life seems suffused with a roseate glow. expert in makeup, extremely witty, a The afternoon of life dissolves illusion good connoisseur of masculine in its stinging rays, bringing us face to psychology, considering diversion the face with reality. On the hectic struggle essence of life, highly talented in the descends the peace of the evening when, art of flirtation. In the place of the soul, like tired wayfarers sitting on a cliff, there is show; in the place of the heart, we brood over the past and casually there is coquetry; any expression of watch the stir and swirl of life below, feeling is under strict control, by which so remote and alien. (36/26) her wishes or desires have somehow Most of the time, however, these been extinguished. (60) digressions are of a didactic or moralizing Somewhere else, not satisfied with nature; the author interferes because merely portraying the widow Jhuniya, he has a lesson to teach, a ‘message’ Premchand interpolates a short reflection to communicate. Again and again, in

80 :: October-December 2010 what may be called a sermon style, to the ways of the rich (53-54/39-40), episodes in the novel are used as exempla, the discussions of the provincial followed by some moral application. intelligentsia, which are characterized When Hori wants to make a little extra by the Raisahab’s interventions (56-60/ profit at his brothers’ expense, he tries 41-44): “Let’s not be personal, Panditji”, to ensure Damri’s co-operation by calling the Raisahab said with fake disapproval. him ‘brother’. “We may misuse the “We are discussing the institutions of meaning of ‘brother’ in our daily practice society.” as much as we like” the author In the Raisahab’s self-portrait (18- contemplates, “but the purity of its spirit 20/14-15), the author takes up his will never be soiled by our blackness” favourite theme: the contrast between (33). Hori’s scheme fails; had he gained words and deeds in the world of the his two ruppes and a half, he would ‘great’ (see also 62/46, 63/47,89/62): have swollen with pride. “Only when Hori noticed the quick change in the we receive a blow do we tread with Raisahab’s attitude. All along he had caution... If you succeed, you may boast been waxing eloquent on duty and of your deceits; everything is pardoned goodness but it did not take him a minute by success. But the shame of failure to flare up at the chaprasi’s news! can only be swallowed” (37). Somewhere else, when Mehta carries Malti across This New World (54) is in its turn a river on his shoulder, the water is sharply contrasted with the simple ways suddenly up to his neck. Malti, woman of Hori and his like; in the confrontation of the world, implores him not to proceed, between the young woman of the forest for God’s sake. “In this emergency Malti and Malti (85-91/60-64), the former is remembered God, whom she used to idealized very much in the style of make fun of”, the author triumphs. “She Rousseau: “one fresh as a wild flower knew God was not around so that he in full bloom, the other weak and small could come and save her; but where like a potted plant.” else could she find the support and Mehta, the male judge, cannot but strength her mind needed” (83). take the side of the wild flower in this Sometimes such insertions are competition, for the “pure and simple delegated to some character or life of the countryside had always characters, who, in a language obviously fascinated” him, “I write and speak not their own, will then serve as the volumes on universal brotherhood and author’s mouthpieces in spreading his universal love” he says self-critically. ideas. Such portions are, e.g., Jhuniya’s “But she practices it. Professing is so account of Panditji’s misbehaviour (52- much easier than practising it. You know 53/37-38), Gobar’s introduction by her it.”

October-December 2010 :: 81 This contrasting technique, which, The enormous disintegration of the as in the present case, may amount to Indian middle class which had begun outright black-and-white drawing, also after World War-I is not only echoed determines the plot structure of the novel but distinctly audible in Premchand’s (‘transparent composition’): the devotion stories, but at the same time his idealism to the villagers’ life of Chapters 1-5, predominates like a romantic deception, the announcement of the counter-world which he shakes off in his later stories; of the ‘great’ at the end of Chapter 5 and in stories like “Pus ki Raat”, “Kafan”, (53-54/39-40), the presentation of this “Shatranj ke Khilari” his eye explores world in Chapters 6 and 7, the the third dimension of reality, i.e., he choreography in Chapter 7 (81-105/56- explores Man through his environment 75), consisting of three pas de deux: (instead of presenting him with his Malti-Mehta, ‘Raisahab-Khanna, environment, as he would do in his earlier Khurshid-Tamkha. stories). Therefore, those of Premchand’s Godan is generally accepted as a great stories in which man has been explored novel; but whatever greatness it has is through his environment are stories of there in spite of the imbalance and deepest human distress, the third inconsistencies in the language (such as dimension of which is the platform of the confusion of character language and social history (which gives birth to the 4 author language) and in the present). characterization (such as the It is in some of his later stories, incompatibility of rural characters and we hasten to add, that Premchand attains urban types); it is there notwithstanding greatness in the context of Weltliteratur. the discrepancies between the theoretical ideals posited by Premchand himself and IV the reality of his literary practice, In It is appropriate to say that psychology order to do critical justice to his work, is the basis of the present short-story however, one will have to distinguish or novel. Events and characters are between Premchand the novelist and introduced only for the sake of Premchand the short-story writer, establishing that psychological truth. bearing in mind the distinctiveness of Their position is quite a subsidiary one. the respective aesthetic laws by which E.g., in ‘Sujan Bhagat’, ‘Muktimarga’, the two genres concerned abide, if only ‘Pancha Parmeshwar’, ‘Shatranj ke Khilari’ on account of the difference in length. and ‘Mahatirtha’,–in all these stories of It is in his later stories, according mine the attempt has been made to to Kamaleswar, a New-Story writer, that disclose some psychological mystery or Premchand provided a point of departure other. (56-57) for his successors:

82 :: October-December 2010 In his review of Satyajit Ray’s film of the characters’ changing emotions (53). on ‘Shatranj ke Khilari’ (The Times of Once one has accepted these and India, 1-10-1978), Nissim Ezekiel, in the other rules of the game of short-story condescending manner Indo-English writing, the question arises whether a writers occasionally assume when dealing short-story, meant to take its effect in with colleagues writing in the a moment (44), can at all provide enough “vernaculars”, devotes a couple of matter, enough substance for a full-length sentences to “Premchand’s story on which film-successful screenings of literature, the film is based”. It “is slight if engaging, however scarce. they may be, are usually with an allegorical motif. Ray’s scenario, based on novels–, and whether Ray’s scheduled for publication this year, scenario is not an expansion but rather expands both the original sketchy, an inflation of the story into a full-fledged episodic plot and its larger historical something that in the end, as Mr. Ezekiel context till it becomes a full-fledged– would agree, leaves nobody really happy. what?” Premchand wrote his story We shall not attempt to answer Mr. immediately after his arrival in Lucknow Ezekiel’s question here; he takes care in September 1924; it was first published of that himself, and quite convincingly in the following month in Madhuri. so. It is obvious that he judges the original Almost simultaneously, he wrote another story with the full-length film in his mind. of his well-known stories, ‘Sava Ser Gehun’ What one should do, however, is to try (published in “Chand”, November 1924), and do justice to the literary original which in its rural straightforwardness by taking it for what it was conceived and austerity should be seen as to be: a short-story, no more and no complementary to ‘Shatranj ke Khilari’. less. Quite possibly then, what is bound There, the old city of Lucknow-which to appear slight in Mr. Ezekiel’s is very much the Lucknow of Ratannath perspective may only be the fruit of Sarsar, whose Fasan-e Azad Premchand a conciseness and economy which oblige translated into Hindi about that time– the writer, according to Premchand provides a historical setting to a story himself, to make do with the minimum which is more than “the story of a bygone number of words and an occasional hint age”, “Had that age really been a bygone in place of a lengthy elaboration (52). one”, observes Amritrai5, “nobody would The plot, sketchy and episodic in Mr. probably have thought of writing a story Ezekiel’s view, is actually the product about it, least of all Munshiji–it is not of the writer’s discipline, of a plan (48) bygone, therefore the tale is told, and which does not allow of a single incident that’s where its allegory lies,” that does not contribute to the overall In one of his ‘hints’ in the story purpose of the story: the manifestation

October-December 2010 :: 83 itself, Premchand has made the same announces a change in the narrative point, subtly, without disturbing the flow tempo, from total view to close-up, and of the narrative: “Unto this day, the is followed by a tightening of the plot defeat of the king of an independent and a dialogue becoming more and more country cannot have come about with laconic and ending up as dramatic so much peace, without any bloodshed dialogue (with only the names of the like this,” And then, in a topical reference; speakers given for the reader’s “This was not the non-violence that convenience). 6 makes the gods happy” (italics mine) . The news of the begam’s headache This ‘hint’ is given towards the end is ensued by a delightful bout of wits of the story, which opens with a broad between the two chess-players, who canvas of the life in the city of Lucknow alternately try to achieve their respective during the reign of Wajid Ali Sah. The purpose without openly admitting it, a keyword in the first paragraph, occuring kind of seesaw whose delicate balance four times in close succession, is ‘vilasita’, is upset only by the sudden appearance luxuriousness, debauchery (270). of the afflicted lady (273)–the first “Nobody knew what was going on in dramatic climax of the story at the end the world” (270), and nobody cared to of the first chapter, at which the two know: for the duration of the story, cheaters find themselves cheated and Lucknow will try to keep its own decide to change the venue to Mir Sahab’s microcosm intact, will defend itself, house. unsuccessfully in the end, against the This decision, unintentionally, affects incursion of political reality. The two the private life of Mir Sahab’s begam, heroes; Mirza Sajjad Ali and Mir Raushan who for some unknown reason had no Ali, are introduced, along with their daily objections at all against her husband’s routine revolving around the fad with absences from their marital abode (274). which they are obsessed: the game of Here, the story-teller, who throughout chess, that ominous game, that evil the narrative retains his position of disease. We also meet Mirza’s wife, his omniscience, pretends to be ignorant, ‘begam sahiba’, and meet with her well and in doing so adds a touch of the justified anger, which for the time being, “Decamerone” to his story. A little later, and for want of opportunity, she has on the sly, tongue in cheek, he offers to vent on her servants and, also by a key to the reader, when he keeps the proxy, on her husband’s companion-in- two antagonists’ hukka “burning like a indolence. lover’s heart” (274). Follows the mock- But one day, ‘ek din’, she had alliance between the domestic servants headache... (271). This ‘ek din’, which (“Not that we want to complain” they occurs several times in the story, always complain, “...but this is an ominous game”,

84 :: October-December 2010 274; cf. 271) and their mistress, whose at home from now on even by mistake” daily routine is disturbed by the game (276). at least as much as that of the servants, The moment the scene, at the but who, instead of agreeing with them beginning of the third chapter, changes whole-heartedly, curtly replies: “I don’t to “an old deserted mosque across the like it myself. But they just don’t listen, Gomati” (276), it takes on something what can one do about it” (275). remote and unreal. The city itself, left After this, the canvas broadens again; behind on the other side of the river, via the neighbours the city of Lucknow has been surrendered to ‘the world’. From appears, with its ‘vilasita (275; cf. 270), now on, the action runs along two parallel but along with it, though still at a distance, lines: on the one hand, there is the the outside world, the political reality political situation, growing more and in the shape of the ‘Angrez Company’ more frightening until, with the Nawab and its Resident (275). being taken away, unresistedly, into Then the tempo change in the narrative captivity by the Company troops, the is repeated (‘kai mahine guzar gaye’– political degradation reaches its climax ‘ek din’, 275), and suddenly a horseman, (278). On the other hand, there are the officer in the Royal Army, appears; raising two chess-players, without care (‘fikra’), his voice somewhat conspicuously (a forgetful of the world, speechless almost, familiar theatrical device), he conducts bent, within their reduced lines of defence, a dramatic dialogue with one of Mir’s over their mock-battlefield (‘sangram servants, meant to be overheard by the kshetra’); and when, ‘ek din’, they can master himself, who, along with the other no longer close their eyes to the grim chess-player, is hiding inside the house. political reality, their concern is feigned, He has brought a summons (‘talbi’) for their patriotism false (277-279). Mir, he shouts, and as he is not at home, In the fourth and last chapter, they he, the horseman, will have to come are again left alone with nature and their again for him tomorrow. For a moment, game; but now, in a brilliant reversal the reader is led to believe that ‘the of action, the game turns deadly earnest, world’ has finally caught up with the what started out as play is converted chess-players, but he soon learns that into murderous reality: they face each this is only a mock-incursion, arranged other “as if two blood-thirsty warriors by Mir’s begam and the Royal Horseman were fighting against one another” (279); (her lover) to rid themselves of the once again, the general situation troublesome company. Anyway, (grammatically marked by the prevalence threatening keywords like ‘talbi’ and of the imperfective aspect of verbs) is ‘morcha’, battle-front, take their effect, tightened into a special one (marked and our two heroes decide not to “remain by the durative and perfective aspects);

October-December 2010 :: 85 in the dramatic dialogue that follows being was left to mourn them, “it seemed they first insult each other’s chess-player’s that the two kings, seated on their thrones, honour, then each other’s family honour, were bewailing the death of the two and at last, in a breath-taking heroes” (281). denouement, history catches up with What thus emerges during a close them: after all, this was the time of and sympathetic reading of ‘Shatranj ke the nawabs and “the two creatures who Khilari’ is a literary masterpiece, which hadn’t shed a single tear for their King alone should secure its author a place gave their lives defending a chessboard among the great short-story writers of queen” (281); in return, as no human the world. 1- Page numbers with quotations from Premchand’s theoretical writings refer to his essays in Sahitya ka Uddeshya. Allahabad: Hansa Prakashan, 1967. The translations into English are by the present writer. 2- Part 3 of the present essay is based on Lothar Lutze’s “Features of Localization in Contemporary Indian Fiction: Hindi”, South Asian Digest of Regional Writing 1 (1972), pp. 19-31. 3- Figures before oblique refer to Premchand, Godan. Allahabad; Saraswati Press, 1961 (Ist edn. 1936); figures behind oblique to Premchand, Godan: A Novel of Peasant India, translated by Jai Ratan and P. Lal, Bombay: Jaico Publishing House, 3rd edn. 1963 (1st edn. 1957). If the translation is missing or inadequate in the latter, only the original will be referred to. The translation will then be the present author’s. 4- Kamaleshwar, “Nayi Kahani ki Bhumika”, pp. 4-16, in: Kamaleshwar, ed., Nai Dhara 11/91-12, Samkalin Kahani Visheshank, Feb.-March 1966, here: p.7 (translated by the present writer). The essay appeared again on pp. 9-20 in: Kamaleshwar, Nayi Kahani ki Bhumika. Delhi: Akshara Prakashana, 1966. 5- Premchand: Kalam ka Sipahi. Allahabad: Hansa Prakashana, 1976 (1962), p. 336. The translation is by the present author. 6- The translations from Shatranj ke Khilari are by the present writer and based on the edition of the story, pp. 270-281 in: Premchand, Manasarovara 3, Allahabad: Hansa Prakashana, 1979.

Dr. Lothar Lutze, Professor of Modern Indian Languages, South Asian Institute, Hiedelberg University, West Germany is a scholar who is much respected for his interpretation of literary texts. He unifies Hindi and German literature.

86 :: October-December 2010 LITERATURE AND SOCIETY: A CRITICAL REALISTIC PERSPECTIVE Subhash Sharma

There have been various attempts by different sociologists as well as social and literary critics to link literature and society in different ways. While some sociologists have emphasized on the social and historical conditioning (literature as a ‘reflection’ of society) of a literary work, others have taken a different stand by declaring literature as a force, a lamp, being ahead of the time, indicating new ideas and paths of human development. Tony Morrison (African American novelist) rightly says that wherever history is silent, Discourse literature becomes vocal. Hence a literary creation is both literature and history. Actually literature liberates the masses from the terror of ‘the history’ (mainstream history), especially in the novel a historically and socially conditioned man gets expressed and with a novel society penetrates into the realm of history and history penetrates into the realm of society. To be specific, there are five major conceptions of sociology of literature. (a) ‘Sociologically aware’ study of literature: Here the focus is on the literary work, not on the sociological problems. Actually such social critics refer to the social coordinates and conditions on the literary work. For instance, they use the concept of ‘alienation’ in their literary works. Malcolm Bradley takes this position in his work “Social Context of Modern English Literature” (1971). (b) Literary work as a ‘kind of sociology’: Here literary work is focused as a source of data, or as a carrier of human values or as a new information about social institutions.

October-December 2010 :: 87 For instance, Lewis Coser in his work ‘realism’ are natural allies. To him, the “Sociology Through Literature” (1963) popular art is for the oppressed masses shows that social life could be understood who have been the ‘objects of politics’ by analysing literary works with the help so far, but now they should become of concepts like role, anomie, the ‘subjects of politics’. However, he bureaucracy and deviance. Similarly admits, literary works cannot be seen Joan Rockwell shows in her work “Fact as factories. Hence only courageous in Fiction” (1974) that language is the and unusual things should be realistically significant mechanism of social produced for the masses. According transformation. to him, in each case of analysis of a (c) ‘Social genesis’ of literature: literary work ‘one must compare the depiction of life in a work of art with This view perceives as to how literature the life itself that is being depicted, arises in a society, that is, how social instead of comparing it with another forces affect a literary work. Here depiction’. Hence he suggests for a ‘living’, literature is seen as social facts or ‘combative’ and ‘truly popular’ literature contradictions (including structuralism, and one must keep pace with the ‘ rapid and some forms of historical materialism) development’ of social reality. or as the symbolic transformation of social reality (semiotics). This approach (e) ‘Literary work as both ‘social overemphasizes the social genesis at the product and social force’ cost of unique creativity and imaginative This approach perceives literary work power of the author. For instance, David as a creative product of society as well Caute accuses Goldmann for reducing as a social force leading to social change the author to merely a ‘midwife’ to help by providing political education. Writers at the birth of a literary work. like Terry Eagleton, Walter Benjamin, (d) ‘Literary work ‘may affect Sartre and Raymond Williams have taken society’: this position of dialectical relationship between literary works and society in This approach believes that a literary a historical way. work brings in social change, though indirectly and slowly. For instance, Karl Marx himself did not believe Bertolt Brecht emphasizes this positive in literature as the mere reflection of aspect of a literary work and argues society. Rather he saw those writers that socialists must use the literary works who directly expressed a class interest for social transformation. To Bertolt in their creative works as mediocre artists Brecht, writers should turn to the people for the ‘immediate’ transposition of for reliable allies and should ‘speak their economic and political interest into language’. For him, ‘popular art’ and literature transforms it into ideology and

88 :: October-December 2010 thus a bad art. Second, in Marx’s view, position has been correlated to some only when a writer transcends his own extent by Mukarovsky and Morawski. class viewpoint, he reflects truthfully Second, as far as social material in the nature of society and man’s relation art work is concerned, it is more historical within it. and recognises the theory of ‘base’ and Lucien Goldmann correctly talks of ‘superstructure’. Here the basic ‘facts’ ‘real’ and ‘potential’ consciousness – or ‘structure’ of a given society or a whereas the positivists tried for the most ‘historical period’ are established by exact and meticulous photography of general analysis, and their ‘reflection’ an existing society, the dialectical in art work is directly traced. For instance, sociologist tried to isolate the potential both the content and form of the new consciousness, the developing tendencies eighteenth century realistic novel is and possibilities in a society. dependent on the already known facts Marxist sociologist Raymond Williams of social significance of the commercial has developed a ‘cultural materialistic’ bourgeoisie. Lukacs takes this position. theory of literature where a literary Third, as far as social relations in activity is seen as a part of culture. art work is concerned, here the idea According to him, there are three kinds of ‘reflection’ is modified or replaced of relationship between art and society by the idea of ‘mediation’ which refers with emphasis on different aspects: “primarily to the necessary process of (a) emphasis on social conditions of composition, in a specific medium; as art; such it indicates the practical relationship between social and artistic forms. But (b) emphasis on social material in art in its most common uses, it refers to works; and indirectness of relation between (c) emphasis on social relationship in experience and its composition.” This art works. indirectness is interpreted differently; As far as social conditions of art for instance, Kafka’s novel “The Trial” is concerned, some Marxists emphasise may be read from different positions: on the origin of typology of art, e.g., (a) a mediation by projection - an Plekhanov (relating art to ‘primitive irrational and arbitrary social system instincts’ or drives) or Kautsky (relating is indirectly projected as alien; or (b) the development of art to evolved animal mediation by the discovery of ‘an behaviour), or Caudwell (relating art to objective correlation’ - a situation and the ‘genotype’) and Fischer. Such Marxists characters are composed to produce the have given more weightage to apriori subject or actual feelings objectively; concepts than to the evidence. This or (c) mediation as a functioning of the fundamental social process of

October-December 2010 :: 89 consciousness in which some types of relation with the market; for instance, crisis that can not be otherwise directly the book sellers evolve into publishers. understood, are ‘crystalised’ in some (c) Market professional: In literature, direct images and forms of art - such due to a complex situation, there is both images are fundamental conditions as increasing capitalisation of productive a general alienation. Here the basic intermediaries - modern publishers and condition means the nature of a whole increasing professionalisation among epoch, a particular society at a particular writers. Two indicators of such changing period, or a particular group within a relations are ‘copyright’ and ‘royalty’. particular society at a particular period. Thus the author becomes the participant All three conditions, especially second in the direct market process of sale of and third, are potentially sociological. his literary work. Therefore, there is Benjamin, Goldmann, Adorno and the a new kind of ‘professional’ independence Frankfurt School applied this concept within integrated and dominant market of ‘mediation’ in their works. relations. New intermediaries like literary Raymond Williams further talks of agencies have emerged in this developed relation between artists and markets as phase. the historical production for the market To Raymond Williams, some novels involves the conception of the work of are ‘works of art’ and others are ‘not- art as a commodity and of the artist art’, or ‘not really art’; the latter novels as a specific type of commodity producer. are ‘pulp fiction’, ‘commercial trash’, ‘sub- There are three phases of commodity literature’ or ‘para-literature’. The third production. category in between is of ‘routine’, (a) Artisanal: Independent producer ‘mediocre’ or ‘lending-library fodder’. offers his art work for direct sale as In his view, a ‘bad novel’ does he is totally dependent on the immediate everything that the category of novel market though his work remains ‘under connotes but it “fails to do something his own direction’. else either in its ‘aesthetic process’ or (b) Post-artisanal: It has two sub- in terms of its ‘seriousness’ or its ‘relation stages; first, the producer sells his art to reality”. In his view, a language exists work to a distributive intermediary who only to the extent that it is ‘capable becomes his occasional employer; of reproduction’. R. Williams also points second, the producer sells his art work out four situations under which to a production intermediary, and ‘innovation’ can be socially related: capitalist social relation exists there (a) The rise of new social classes or because the intermediary purchases it their fractions which bring in new kinds for the sake of profit and he has direct of producer and interest and/or support

90 :: October-December 2010 new work; reproduce or modify it. It becomes very (b) Redefinition of an existing social class difficult to determine whether these are or fraction, of its conditions and relations, new forms of the dominant or are or of the general order within which genuinely emergent. In historical analysis these exist and are changing, so that the matter is solved as the ‘emergent’ new types of work are essential; becomes the emerged, as in bourgeois drama, and then often the dominant. (c) Changes in the means of cultural But due to complex relation between production that provide new formal innovation and reproduction, the possibilities but these may or may not problem is at a different level. be initially linked with (a) or (b); Raymond Williams perceptively (d) Recognition, by particular cultural observes in his book ‘Culture’ that realism movements, of the situations hinted above is not an object ‘to be identified, pinned in (a) and (b), at a level preceding or down, and appropriated’, rather it is not directly joined to the articulate social a ‘way of describing certain methods organisations. and attitudes.’ But it is not ‘naturalism’ In his view, cultural reproduction - ‘that unnecessary faithful portrayal of occurs mainly at the changing level of offensive incidents’. Strindberg defined ‘the dominant’ in different ways. On the naturalism as the ‘exclusion of God’ and contrary, ‘the residual’ often works in opposed to super-naturalism. To Williams, different societies and times for the naturalism in art was reserved to the dominant which tries to absorb them. simple technical reference, while realism Yet there is always a new work trying was used to describe subjects and to go beyond the dominant forms and attitudes to subjects. He also traces their socio-formal relations. Williams out the Soviet Socialist realism that had also argues that the ‘emergent’ (new kinds four major elements: of work) is related to, but not identical (a) Narodnost: requirement of popular with, the innovatory. He further adds simplicity and traditional clarity - that some types of innovation (for restatement of ordinary technical instance, subjective expressionism) are meaning, in contrast with the difficulties ‘movements’, and adjustments within the of formalism; dominant and become its new forms. However, there is generally a tension (b) Ideinost: ideological content/ and struggle in this arena. In his view, attitude; some innovations would tend to destroy (c) Partiinost: party affiliation - ‘the dominant’ in any of its form just revolutionary party attitude; like some new social forces would tend (d) Tipichnost: ‘typical characters in to destroy the social order rather than typical situations’, as Engels defined, but

October-December 2010 :: 91 it is not something frequently on a patrol in Burma. On the other encountered - rather the truly typical hand, in the formula social novel, a is based on ‘comprehension of the laws particular pattern is abstracted, from and perspectives of future social the sum of social experience, and a society development’. is created from this pattern. For example The concept of ‘tipichnost’ changes in the field of future-story, the ‘future’ ‘realism’ from its sense of the direct device removes the ordinary tension reproduction of observed reality to a between the selected pattern and normal ‘principled and organised selection’. But observation: ‘Brave New World’, is the ‘typical’ simply ‘the most deeply ‘Nineteen Eighty Four’, ‘Fahrenheit 45’1 characteristic human experience’?, and all serious science fictions are Williams says no because such formula social novels in which a pattern ‘convincingly real’ criterion is prevalent taken from contemporary society is in the West in both realist and non- materialised, as a whole, in another time realist art works in technique. So Williams or place. Though formula novels are explains the realist tradition in fiction lively, they lack a substantial society as ‘the kind of novel which creates and and correspondingly substantial persons. judges the quality of a whole way of Personal novel is also of two sub- life in terms of the qualities of persons’. types: documentary and formula. Some He gives equal importance to individual of the best (personal-descriptive) novels (unit) and society (whole). are those which describe subtly selected He points out two separate traditions personal relationships and these are like of ‘social’ novel and ‘personal’ novel: ‘parts’ of the realist novel - there is “In the social novel there may be accurate some continuity in the method and observation and description of the general substance, e.g., E. M. Forster’s ‘A Passage life, the aggregation; in the personal novel to India’. Here a society, a general way there may be accurate observation and of living, is apparently there but often description of persons, the units. But a highly personalised landscape to frame each lacks a dimension, for the way of an individual portrait rather than a life is neither aggregation nor unit, but country. So often an unbalance between the whole indivisible process”. Social individual and society occurs, though novel is of two types - ‘documentary’ there is a ‘surface of realism’. social novel and ‘formula’ social novel. In personal formula novels, on the Documentary or descriptive social novel other hand, a particular pattern is creates a general way of life, a particular abstracted from the experience and social or working community. It is human individuals are created from that usually about life in a mining town, in pattern - Joyce’s ‘Portrait of the Artist’ a university or on a merchant ship or is a good example wherein a world is

92 :: October-December 2010 actualised on one man’s senses. Further the bourgeois classes as there is in Joyce’s ‘Ulysses’, three ways of seeing problematic cause; in his view the three worlds, of Stephen, Bloom and bourgeoisie can not train its own Molly, yet the three worlds compose intellectuals, therefore it takes them from one whole world of the novel. So is the professional and landed strata. the case in Cary’s ‘The Horse’s Mouth’, Further he was of the view that “all Amis’s ‘That Uncertain Feeling’, and men are intellectuals ... but not all men Wain’s ‘Living in the Present. have in society the function of To Williams, it is very difficult to intellectuals.” He distinguished between write realist novel in present era because ‘traditional’ and ‘organic’ intellectuals. a realist novel needs a genuine While the former are in older and more community: a community of persons diverse, and often indirect class relations, linked not merely by one kind of the latter are directly attached to a serving relationship - work or friendship or family social class (especially the rising class). - but many, interlocking kinds. It is Another Marxist theorist Terry obviously difficult to find a community Eagleton (‘Criticism and Ideology’) of this sort. Reality, says Williams, is invokes Althusser’s argument against that which human beings make common, ‘empiricism’ (the appeal to immediate by work or language. It is continually experience) to show Raymond Williams’ established, by common effort, and art inability to make a genuine break into is one of the highest forms of this process. the theory of sociology of literature. Yet the tension can be great and many His two concepts ‘whole way of life’ and kinds of failure and breakdown are ‘structure of feeling’ suggest unwillingness possible. to differentiate theoretically between Gramsci differentiates between subjective experience and objective social ‘hegemony’ - associated with equilibrium conditions of this experience. Following and consent - and ‘domination’ - Althusser, he argues that criticism must associated with coercion and state power. break with its ‘ideological pre-history’ Hegemony is identified with the ‘civil and become a ‘science’. The main society’ institutions like family, church, problem, to him, is to define the education, etc. On the other hand, direct relationship between literature and domination is identified with the State ideology since in his opinion texts do or ‘political society’ (army, bureaucracy, not reflect historical reality, rather work police and so on). He sees superstructure upon ideology to produce an effect of consisting of an ‘effective operating the ‘real’. The text may seem to be free reality’ and it commands obedience of in its relation to reality (as it can create the subordinate strata. Gramsci also a character and a situation at will) but found a relationship of the author with it is not free in its use of ideology.

October-December 2010 :: 93 Here ideology refers to systems of revolutionary movement’ Thus the representations (aesthetic, religious, Marxist criticism was now guided by judicial, etc.) which shape the mental politics, not by philosophy - the critics view of the lived experience. Thus the must break received notions on ‘literature’ meanings and perceptions produced in and reveal their ideological role in the text are a reworking of ideologies’ shaping the subjectivity of readers. Later own working of reality - thus ideology he also appreciated Brecht’s radical is not a conscious political doctrine. approach to meaning: ‘a work may be However, Eagleton does not share realist in June and anti-realist in Althusser’s view that literature can December’. distance itself from ideology because it Various theories over-emphasise one is a complex reworking of existing or more aspects of social reality at the ideology. But the literary result is not cost of other aspects. Therefore, we try merely a reflection of other ideological to point out features of critical realist discourses, rather a special production perspective, especially with reference to of ideology. Therefore, criticism is not the analysis of Hindi novels: concerned with just the laws of literary We see literature in general and novel form or the theory of ideology, but with in particular not merely as a reflection the laws of the production of ideological of social reality but as the ‘creative discourses as literature However, in late product’ of the existing socio-economic 1970s, due to the impact of post- and political forces of society at a structuralist thought, there was a shift particular period of history, a ‘literary in his thought from the ‘scientific’ attitude form’ in its own right, and also as a of Althusser to the revolutionary thought ‘social force’ leading to social change of Brecht and Benjamin. On the one hand, by providing disenchantment and Eagleton viewed that deconstructive disillusionment with the existing social theories (Derrida, Paul de Man, etc) could reality and indirect hint towards social be used to undermine all certainties, change for an alternative system, sub- all fixed and absolute forms of knowledge system or paradigm. but, on the other hand, he criticised the deconstruction for its petit bourgeois The relationship between the denial of ‘objectivity’ and material literature and society is not direct, easy, ‘interests’ (particularly class interests). one dimensional and causal, rather it This contradictory view was the result is multi-dimensional, complex, indirect of his shift towards Lenin’s view that and associational. In fact, there are a correct theory ‘assumes final shape several ‘mediations’ between literature only in close connection with the practical and society, like author’s socialisation, activity of a truly mass and truly especially in family, formal education,

94 :: October-December 2010 occupational experience, participation consciousness in a society. The novel in political life, sharing others’ intensely depicts the ‘whole life’ of a consciousness, ete that articulates his society in totality. It tries to penetrate values and it has an indirect influence into different layers of social reality, on his literary works. As the though more often indirectly, hence ‘life- revolutionary Marxist Leon Trotsky experience’ expressed in the novel is rightly says: “artistic creativity is a very to be analysed in a dynamic and dialectical complex web which is not woven way in order to understand the parallel automatically... but comes into being universe of the novel different from the from complex inter-relations ...”. In real world. fact, the relationship between literature For sociologically analysing a novel, and society is of complex nature in terms one needs to see the characters from of correspondence, interaction, different angles because the social reality interdependence, tension, conflict, two- depicted through characters is multi- way dialogue and communication as well dimensional, hence characters’ gender, as contradiction. However, there is no caste, class, rural-urban setting, age, deterministic relationship between education, employment status, political literary work and the external world. affiliation, level, range and depth of Actually, a novel should be seen (but exploitation, linkage with the outside not reduced to) in a context (social, world, etc. are to be analysed critically. political, economic and historical). For Thus one needs to analyse ‘multiple instance, a novel written during freedom identities’ of different characters, struggle of India, needs to be linked emphasising the ‘dominant identify’ at at least indirectly to the freedom struggle a particular period and place. being the major epochal reality, The ‘potential’ personal and collective otherwise it will become escapist. consciousness in a society is also to The worldview or vision of the author be analysed. For instance, one should is important as far as analysis of a literary see whether the novelist sees the work is concerned because it will decide, possibilities in main characters only as whether he takes literature for the sake males or as males and females both, of human liberation and collective or as upper class / caste only or upper empowerment or pursues art for art’s and lower classes / castes both. One sake. That is, the deep insight of a genuine needs to analyse as to whether the literary creation actually raises certain novelist moves with the time, is ahead questions about the existing system or of his time or lags behind his time, the its functioning. last resulting into ‘aesthetic lag’- on the Literature, in general and novel in pattern of ‘cultural lag’. particular, is a creation close to collective

October-December 2010 :: 95 While analysing a novel sociologically, and difference are to be taken care of; one also needs to analyse the consensus however, unlike the post-modernist, while and conflicts depicted in the novel, that emphasising the difference and diversities is, how the social forces of ‘continuity’ other aspects (of equal importance) like and ‘change’ work simultaneously through unity and similarity should not be different characters and situations, and neglected altogether. One may which forces become victorious in the deconstruct a text for analysis but it struggle and how. is equally necessary to reconstruct it It is very significant to analyse as for correct understanding - hence, to whether the novelist has been ‘construction’ (as text), ‘deconstruction’ successful to understand the social reality (for meaning) and ‘reconstruction’ (for in depth and is there its deep expression critical understanding) are required. in his novel rather than superficially As far as the relationship between depicting the details covering a wider form and content of a novel is concerned, range with one-sidedness. This is so, it is neither static nor deterministic, because a person’s self-experience need unilinear and causal. Rather it is not always be authentic. dialogical, interactive, tension-ridden, It is not necessary that only dynamic, multi-dimensional, non-causal somebody, who has lived in a particular or associational and dialectical. Message situation and self-experienced the (content) and medium (form) are to be dynamics of that specific life, can write analysed sensibly. Novel by its very a novel or other literary works because nature requires newness or ‘discovery’ of three reasons: (a) the person who in form or content, or style or language has self-experiences, may not have the or plot or treatment. It is emphasised intellectual capability to understand the here that in a novel, form is more than complex reality ‘from within’; e.g., a a form, as Milan Kundera has rightly rickshaw-puller or a prostitute may not observed. Its narrative may be macro, be able to depict vividness of his or meso or micro depending on the her own life artistically; (b) an outsider, characters, theme and situation. Thus with a genuine vision and intellectual some form of a linkage between the local, capability may be able to depict other’s national and global is to be grasped from social life in a better and more artistic the novel. way due to his genuine ‘empathy’ (putting Finally, language of a novel is very oneself in other’s position); (c) non- important as Mikhail Bakhtin rightly human world can not be expressed by emphasizes on the way language is made the non-humans (animals, plants, hills). to derive authority and liberate In the analysis of a novel, the diversity alternative voices. He rightly talks of text as multi-levelled and poly-phonic.

96 :: October-December 2010 Not only the general structure and flow experience in concrete situations. Hence but also the ‘key words’ used typically language is not merely a system of signs are very important for analysis. So the but also a larger social relationship of language used by the characters or for communication wherein the new and depicting situations is not neutral, rather better ways of expressing the struggles it is linked with some kind of world- in everyday life are certainly found. view. Meanings to the words and We may conclude that while analysing utterances exist in one’s relations with a genre of literature, we should critically others. It makes us capable to peep into and intensively grasp individual aspects the past (and learn from the history as well as societal aspects in a dynamic at least theoretically) as well as to look and dialectical way. forward to the future to apply that past

Subhash Sharma, born 1959, educated in J.N.U., author of ten books including books in English ‘why people protest, dialectics of agrarian development.’ His main interests include culture, environment, education and development. He works in Ministry of Defence and lives in New Delhi.

October-December 2010 :: 97 Hindi Literary Journalism SINCE BHARTENDU AGE TO THE TWENTIETH CENTURY Bharat Bharadwaj

Translated by Ravindra Narayan Mishra

The publication of Kahani is historical because in its annual issue the much talked about stories of Amarkant, Markandeya, Shiv Prasad Singh, Kamleshwar, Mohan Rakesh and Bhisham Sahni were published. It was published under the editorship of Bhairavprasad Gupta and Discourse Sripat Rai. Namwar Singh wrote his column Bakalam Khud in it. Possibly in 1955 the publication of the monthly magazine of Bharatiya Jnanpith Gyanodya started under the editorship of Kanahyalal Mishra Prabhakar. Later on Sharad Deora and Ramesh Bakshi became its editors. Its Pranaya Visheshank drew lots of attention. This magazine closed even before the eighth decade. After quitting Gyanodya Sharad Deora published ‘Anima’ a monthly magazine of stories of new genre from Calcutta. This was a memorable magazine. Ramesh Bakshi was an anarchist and revolutionary. That is why he initiated Laghu Patrika Andolan by publishing ‘Avesh’ from Delhi in 1967. In Nov 1952 the publication of Avantika started under the editorship of Lakshmi Narayan Sudhanshu. from Ajanta Press, Patna. Its last issue came out in Nov-Dec 1956. This magazine is remarkable from the point of view of poetic-criticism. In 1956 two magazines got published from Patna- Patal from Mohan press Patna under the editorship of Shiv Chandra Sharma and the magazine of Hindi Sahitya Sammelan ‘Sahitya’ which was edited by Shivpujan Sahay. Later on Ramdayal Pandey became the editor of Patal. This magazine

98 :: October-December 2010 had published the introduction of Nalin February and March came out as a special Vilochan Sharma proposed Naken ‘Bibbo number and after that the magazine ka Bibbok.’ In 1955 the magazine Kavita closed. This magazine had published came out from Patna under the editorship Trilochan, Muktibodh, Kedarnath Singh, of Nalin Vilochan Sharma. In 1958 Namwar Singh and Kirti Chaudhary among Aprampara collection was also published ten special poets. Namwar Singh used from Patna under the editorship of Dr to write Vivek column of the magazine Narmadeshwar Prasad. In the inaugural by the pseudo name of Kavi Mitra which issue Renu’s story Tisri Kasam i.e. Mare used to have comments on poems Gaye Gulpham got published. In all, three published in papers and magazines. issues of the magazine came out. The publication of representative In the first half of the sixth decade magazine of criticism Samalochak started many important magazines came out. in 1958 from Vinod Pustak Mandir, Agra ‘Lahar’ came out from Ajmer possibly under chief editorship of Ram Vilas in 1957 under the editorship of Prakash Sharma. The editors of the magazine were Jain and Manmohini. This magazine was Rajnath Sharma and Vishwambharnath really a representative magazine of youth Upadhyay. The special issue published writing. This magazine got unparallel on Yatharthvad (Realism) aroused quite cooperation of younger writers. From a bit of interest. The magazine closed time to time this magazine brought out the same year. In his essay Ati- Adhunik special issues. Particularly the poetry- Hindi Kavita Men Yatharthvad published issues drew lots of attention. A big in the special issue Vishwambharnath controversy was raised when the Upadhyay used only Gajanan for Gajanan materials selected by its guest editor Madhav Muktibodh which made Saumitra Mohan were returned. But Muktibodh angry. The publication of Prakash Jain did not buckle. Lastly using Vasudha (founder editor Harishankar the same materials as an alternative to Parsai) Naya path (founder editor Shiv Kavita Visheshank of Lahar Saumitra Varma) and Naya Khoon ( Muktibodh Mohan published the magazine‘Athva.’ was intimately associated) brought In 1957 Kavita Mandir’s Kavi got revolution in the field of literary published from Sankalp Prakashan journalism in the real sense. Varanasi under the editorship of In 1958 the publication of the monthly Vishnuchandra Sharma.The inaugural Kriti started under the editorship of issue of the magazine came out in January Naresh Mehta and Srikant Varma. The 1957 and the magazine kept coming out magazine received a warm welcome. The regularly till October 1957. The magazine magazine continued to be published for did not come out in November and two to two and a half years. But due December and a joint issue of January, to differences between the two editors

October-December 2010 :: 99 the magazine got surrounded in In the first half of the ninth decade controversy. Nearly 15 to 16 good issues this magazine closed down. Among its of this magazine came out. famous columns were Aine Ke Samne, In 1960 Rajkamal Prakashan started Gardish Men, Mere Humdum Mere Dost, the publication of story-monthly Nai Raat Ki Bahon Me etc. When Kamleshwar Kahaniyan from Allahabad. The first story became its editor he raised a parallel of its inaugural issue was Barsane Ki movement. But after 1960 the scene of Radha (Nalin Vilochan Sharma.) With Indian politics changed rapidly. The its publication this magazine drew the defeat in the China war led to our attention of Hindi readers very fast. Its disillusionment with the Nehru age. From price was 37 paise. After Kahani it was the dream world we had suddenly collided second such magazine in which stories with the world of reality. The voice of of both new and old story writers used poets had changed. The Akavita Andolan to be published. It also used to have had started under the leadership of Namwar Ji’s column Hashiye Par. This Jagdish Chaturvedi, Rajkamal Chaudhary magazine generated a lot of interest in and Dhumil under the influence of launching many new stories. Later on American Beat Generation led by Allen Bhisham Sahni, Kamleshwar, and Amrit Ginsberg and the starving Bengal Rai also edited this magazine. But due generation led by Malay Chaudhary. to continuous change in editorship this In February 1965 weekly publication magazine met an untimely death. In of the Times of India Dinman came out November 1960, a monthly magazine under the editorship of Agyeya. The Kadambni got published under the associate editors were Manohar Shyam editorship of Balkrishna Rao from Joshi, Sarveshwar Dayal Saxena, Srikant Allahabad. Among the magazines Varma and Raghuvir Sahay. This magazine published from Allahabad between 1960- made a milestone in the field of history 61 were Ka Kha Ga (editor Raghuvansh) of magazines. In the eighth decade under and Madhyam, a magazine of Prayag the editorship of Surendra Pratap Singh Hindi Sahitya Sammelan whose editor the weekly ‘Ravivar’ was published. The was Balkrishna Rao. Reviews of much Laghu Patrika Andolan that started in talked about books were published in the second half of the seventh decade Gosthi, under a column Vivechna of had the feeling of neglect and detachment Madhyam. of the young writers towards magazines Sarika was published from Bombay coming out from commercial enterprises in 1960. It was mainly a short story and by the editors towards young writers. centric magazine. Its first editor was But they had anger against the system Chandargupt Vidyalankar. After Mohan amidst fast changing circumstances. This Rakesh Kamleshwar became its editor. is not for no reason that not only the

100 :: October-December 2010 youth from Hindi regions but also from published in 1969 was focused on seven non Hindi regions had registered their long poems. Around this time Vijaykant anger against the system by publishing published Purush from Muzaffarpur. In dozens of small magazines in the second 1969 under the editorship of a famous half of the seventh decade. story writer of Allahabad, Markandeya Laghu Patrika Andolan was a big ‘Katha’ was published. I got its inaugural explosion in Hindi journalism. In the issue during my sojourn in Mizoram. second half of the seventh decade half Three reviews of Ramvilas Sharma’s book a dozen magazines — Sambodhan (Kakroli Nirala Ki Sahitya Sadhna (First Part) were editor Kamar Mevari), Vatayan, Tatasth published in it. This magazine is still and afterwards Kirti edited by Vijender, being published. Latest issue has come Sampreshan from Jaipur edited by out now. Thirteen issues in nearly forty Chandrabhanu Bharadwaj were published. years. But when Katha comes out one Similarly Aarambh was published from learns that Markandeya jee is still active. Lucknow under the editorship of Naresh To my mind Ashok Vajpeyi and Nand Saxena and Vinod Bhardwaj. Amukh from Kishore Naval have been ahead of others Varanasi was published under the when it comes to publishing magazines editorship of Kanchan Kumar. In 1966 in Hindi. Till now Ashok Vajpeyi has the inaugural edition of vayam under published many magazines starting from the editorship of Vishnu Khare, Matantar ‘Samvet’ of Sagar, Purvagrah, Samas and (editor Anand Prakash) Rupambra then after becoming the vice chancellor (Swadesh Bharti) Galp Bharti etc were of Mahatma Gandhi International Hindi published. Dhwajbhang a magazine of University he published - Bahuvachan, a firm came out from Patna in June Pustak Varta, Angrezi Men Hindi and 1968 on the occasion of first death now he is associated with Natrang. After anniversary of Rajkamal Chaudhary. Its Dhwajbhang Nandkishore Naval started editors were Shivkant Singh, Kulanand publication of the magazine ‘Sirf’ from Mishra, Siddhnath Mishra and Nand Patna on his own. The inaugural issue Kishore Naval. Only three issues of this of the magazine came out in March 1970. magazine were published. The inaugural But the flood of small magazines did issue reviewed seven books of poems. not stop even in the eighth decade, On the main page out of twenty books actually it marched ahead with vigor. x mark was put in front of thirteen. The Naxalite movement was in its full This was the audacity of the young writers. bloom and even the protest against the The second issue that came out in memory system had not stopped yet. Under the of Ramnarayan Shukla on November 22, editorship of Chandrabhushan Tiwari the 1968 had review of seven short stories. magazine ‘Vam’ came out. Under the The third and the last issue of the magazine editorship of Gyanranjan a small magazine

October-December 2010 :: 101 ‘Pahal’ came out whose tone was more two great issues on short stories by V. aggressive and anti system. When anti S. There is a long series of special issues Fascist conference was held in 1974 this of this magazine- short story, criticism magazine brought out anti Fascist issue. and cinema. In August 1986 famous It has been against the system since littérateur of Hindi Rajendra Yadav then and it has been trying to spread started republication of Hans (1930) a scientific consciousness in the country. orignally edited by Premchand. This After ‘Pahal’ Savyasachi published magazine has completed 24 years in his Uttarardh and Uttar Gatha. The editorship. This magazine has not only publication of Kalam started from Calcutta realized the dreams of Premchand but under the editorship of a critic also played a great role in bringing Chandrabali Singh. Under the editorship contemporary literature to the fore. It of Ayodhyanath Shandilya a quarterly has particularly put dalit and women Dharatal was published. It was a small debate on the agenda of literature. magazine and its sponsor editor was Nand Nandkishore Naval is a resolute editor. Kishore Naval.But the scope of its literary He had announced in the inaugural concern and debate was very big. This issue of Kasauti in June 1999 that he magazine did a great job by underlining would bring out fifteen issues of this the generation of young poets. 16 or magazine. He said, ‘We don’t claim that 17 issues of this magazine came out. we would change the scenario of Hindi It seems necessary to mention Aveg literature with these issues because we (editor Prasanna Ojha), Pashyanti, are familiar with the expanse of Hindi Dastavej (1978, Gorakhpur, editor literature but we believe that these issues Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari), Pragati (editor would be meaningful intervention in that Vijendra Anil) The publication of Kathan direction. We are again repeating the started under the editorship of Ramesh fact that our objective would be to clear Upadhyay in July 1980. After 20 issues the mist, not to create new mist or to this magazine closed. The publication thicken the mist that is already there.’ of this magazine resumed in1999. This Really according to its pre-announced magazine is making considerable resolve the fifteenth issue of Kasauti intervention in literary forms. which was its concluding issue In 1984 Vibhuti Narayan Rai started concetrated on the classics. The October the publication of the monthly Vartman and December 2002 issue of the magazine Sahitya. Akhilesh, Dr Dhananjay and S.R. which were published late were dedicated Yatri got associated with its editorship. to people in a function organized in the The number of special issues this magazine conference hall of Delhi Sahitya Akadami brought out in Hindi is a study in in July 2004. Then the publication of milestones. In 1991 Ravindra Kalia edited the magazine was closed. It is a unique

102 :: October-December 2010 example of the resolve of an editor. Tadbhav Under the editorship of famous Dr Naval had also edited Uttatarshati short story writer Akhilesh in 1999. This from Patna. In continuation the mention magazine is still being published regularly. of Sakshatkar ( editor Shani), Samkalin Over here I would also like to mention Bhartiya Sahitya (editor Shani), Kank a quarterly magazine Kathakram from Samvet (Calcutta editor Pramod Bedia), Lucknow under the editorship of story Yuyutsa, Janamat, Vagarth (Calcutta) writer Shailendra Sagar. Lastly I should seems necessary. also mention Bharatiya Lekhak a magazine The discussion on Hindi literary edited by litterateur late Bhim Sen Tyagi magazines would remain incomplete the special issue of which has come of without mentioning the publication of late. Concluded.

Bharat Bharadwaj : born 1945 Gyanpura, Vaishali, Bihar. He is a literary critic, essayist and editor of various books. He writes a regular column in the literary magazine ‘Hans’. He has edited the controversial volume ‘hamare yug ka khalnayak : Rajendra Yadav’. His original works include. ‘Sahitya Ka nepathya’, ‘Parikrama! Hindi Sahitya’, ‘Samkalin srijan Sandarbh and Betartib’ (all literary essays). He retired from I.B., Govt. of India. He lives in Delhi.

Ravindra Narayan Mishra teaches Political Science in Khalsa College, University of Delhi. He writes in original as well as likes to translate at will. He lives in Delhi.

October-December 2010 :: 103 ACHARYA HAZARIPRASAD DWIVEDI’S APPRECIATION OF TULSI Shriprakash Shukla

Translated by Ravi Nandan Sinha

While talking about Dwivedi ji’s appreciation of Tulsi, among the many questions that arise in one’s mind, the primary one is this: Does Dwivedi ji quote chaupaais from Tulsi in the same manner as a critic or a speaker quotes lines from a ghazal, simply to embellish his discourse, and not because of some additional respect

Discourse for those lines considered independently? Are such lines used only as supporting (secondary) material in the context of a larger understanding of the subject; or alternatively, is there some instinctive interest in those lines, which arise spontaneously from the heart in a condition of mental fatigue? This needs to be asserted here because Dwivedi ji’s views on Tulsi have always been relegated to a secondary position primarily because his appreciation of Kabir has been highlighted. This happens sometimes because of his understanding of tradition; and sometimes because of his aesthetic preferences, which get suppressed by the frequently mentioned question of ‘conflict’, while the fact of the matter is that Dwivedi ji approaches Tulsi not as his secondary interest, but as his primary concern; not in a state of mental fatigue, but with the joyousness of triumph. When I think of Dwivedi ji’s understanding of Tulsi, I feel that in Tulsi (as indeed in Meghdoot of Kalidas) Dwivedi ji sees a projection of his own sense of exile; and of course it is indeed significant that in his entire thought process he appears to be

104 :: October-December 2010 very close to Tulsi’s life. One of the globalized individual who has no home prominent features of ‘displacement’ (and of his own. The German philosopher also of exile) is the objectivity of an Adorno says, ‘It is a part of morality individual, which provides the basis for not to be at home in one’s home’ (Minima considering the total man from the point Moralia). In all his works, especially of view of humanity. Simultaneously, it in his Representation of the Individual, is also an attempt to achieve a sense Reflections on Exile and Out of Place, of ‘being human’ in which the individual Said has considered these points in detail changes into a social unit. Wherever he and going to the root of history has is, he experiences a sense of ‘non- tried to explain how a person in exile attachment’. In that situation, a kind is inspired to connect the broken links of emotional distancing takes place that of his life and how at the same time, helps him to stand in favour of human he gets attracted towards a dominant values. Tulsidas’s Ram himself is an exiled point of view. In other words, an exiled individual and that is why he could keep person considers the state of being in himself above love and hatred and be exile to be an important aspect of history, objective in his social relationships. This and at times even overemphasises it. is the reason why Dwivedi ji’s Tulsi too In a chapter with the same title, Said could free himself from emotional writes in his book Reflections on Exile bondage because like Ram; Tulsi too was (p. 175): ‘As a subject of discussion exile displaced from home, in the same way may appear to be very attractive but as Dwivedi ji himself was! Between Dwivedi at the level of experience it is extremely ji and Tulsidas there is this beautiful terrifying. Exile is the name of that break similarity of being in exile, in the context that takes place between an individual of which it is possible to understand and his birthplace, between his self and Dwivedi ji’s appreciation of Tulsi. the real location of the self. It is a wound In his entire thought, Edward Said, that never heals. It is impossible to be the famous thinker of the 20th century, free of the pain associated with it. It has considered the experience of being is true that literature is full of stories in exile in its historical context and that are a little romantic, glorious and has described himself as a displaced full of the elation of conquest, but all person. If we analyze carefully, we shall those narratives are nothing but a desire come to the conclusion that the history to overcome the terrible anguish of of modernity has been the history of separation. All the accomplishments of exiled people. At places, this sense of an exiled person cannot compensate for exile tends to move towards a re- the things he has lost for ever.’ (English establishing of the broken links with one’s translation of Professor Ramkirti Shukla’s own people. This gives birth to a Hindi translation of Said). Here Said

October-December 2010 :: 105 further says, ‘A major part of an exiled century. The most important fact in all person’s time is spent in creating a world this is the search for a similarly displaced over which he can rule and thus he person who can act as a protagonist. tries to compensate for the frustrating If Said found that protagonist in Conrad, sense of loss he experiences. It is not Dwivedi ji found him in Tulsidas, though a matter of surprise that so many exiled the latter is a poet of the medieval period. people have become novelists, chess Entering the medieval period and trying players, political activists and to understand the sensibility of the exile intellectuals.’ It is clear that the biggest in this manner attests the foresight of example of an exiled person is Said Dwivedi ji. Here another fact is important, himself, but going deep into history, and that is that despite their concern he has made an important assessment for Tulsi how many other thinkers there of the writings by displaced persons, are who can reach the ‘heart’ of Tulsi which include the German Jewish and who can quote him the way Dwivedi philosopher Theodore Adorno, Joseph ji does? Is it accidental, or is there in Conrad of Poland, V.S. Naipaul, the Italian it some other kind of sensibility working? philosopher Vico, and Jonathan Swift Is it not obvious that for a modern whose writings he has considered man in exile, Tulsi’s Ram is more important. Among these also the real appealing because he himself is a displacement (compulsory displacement) displaced character; or, is it not true is Ovid’s (who was exiled from Rome too that if a modern displaced person to Black Sea) and Adorno’s. wants to search for a protagonist for It will not be an exaggeration to himself, where else will he go? And it say here that the work that Said did is also true that though important this in the context of Conrad, Dwivedi ji had search is equally dangerous because as already been doing in his study of Tulsi. the context changes, it will lead to a Actually both Said and Dwivedi ji were dangerous situation the result of which trying to discover themselves in their will certainly be reactionary. That is efforts to discover the aesthetics of the why, the search for a protagonist exile and that is why they were also in order to escape from the pain establishing the validity of the exile in of displacement, and the emergence their writing. It is an established fact of a Hindu-centric mentality that Said was exploring the aesthetics concerning that protagonist, both of the exile in order to understand himself, can be seen simultaneously in though his own exile is not really a modern India. This is the reason forced displacement. Even then, the facts why Dwivedi ji speaks of an escape that he has collected in this exercise from the pain of exile only in the are important in understanding the whole boundaries of a historical

106 :: October-December 2010 consciousness, because he knew the help of criticism. Please note that that the moment the context Dwivedi ji’s attraction for Tulsi is an changes, that approach will become attraction for Tulsi the man (his unsafe. It is this approach that he personality), a personality in which there has rejected as shortsighted. is a deep love for life, and curiosity In this context, one is again reminded (something that shows Dwivedi ji as a of Said. In the Foreword to Reflections modern) and his criticism is the criticism on Exile he writes, ‘Exile can produce of Tulsi’s society in which a man suffers rancor and regrets as well as sharpened the pain of exile. This is the point with vision. What has been left behind may the help of which Dwivedi ji’s social either be mourned or it can be used consciousness and his modernity can to provide a different set of lenses…Exiled be understood. situation can also be used to practise At this point it is important to criticism.’ It is clear that exile not only understand that the reference to ‘jijivisha’ develops an understanding in a critic (the ardent desire to live) that frequently but also creates a strong attraction for occurs in Dwivedi ji’s writings is in some that which is left behind! And what is ways an attempt to rise above the pain left behind is not only one’s motherland, of exile. Please note that after 1960 but also those places where a person the word ‘jijivisha’ has changed its ultimately wants to live but is unable meaning in his writing, one aspect of to live. Therefore, in the anguish of exile, which is Kutaj (1964) and the other even those places play a role which may is Anamdas ka Potha (1976). It is in not be a person’s birthplace, but where these conditions that Tulsi finds a place he wanted to work, and finally because in his heart and from here he moves of the pressure of circumstances, he had from the nonchalant abandon of Kabir to leave them. In this context the to the ‘social consciousness’ of Tulsi, attraction that Dwivedi ji felt for the when he adds a new meaning to an ‘all- past took him to Tulsi and at the same embracing sensibility’ and ‘co- time his pain of displacement (which ordination’. One has to say this because should be understood as his pain of as the personal struggle of Dwivedi ji leaving Kashi) resulted in a critical insight intensifies, he speaks of ‘all-embracing in him that is based on the profound sensibility’ while moving towards a social understanding of reasons that are at the consciousness. In Anamdas ka Potha root of a person’s exile. The first is Ritambhara says to Raikva, ‘Son, I feel the act of understanding the individual, that the thing people call soul must lie while the second understands society. somewhere within this love for life. These While an individual in understood with children- these whose legs are emaciated, sympathy, society is understood with or those who suffer from a swollen belly,

October-December 2010 :: 107 if they somehow manage to keep alive, any need for him to do so. If Kabir then it is possible that some of them expresses the ‘youth’ in Dwivedi ji, Tulsi will grow into great intellectuals and shows the ‘wisdom’ in him. ‘Youth’ sees great entrepreneurs. I speak of only its own side (and in this sense possibility.’ (2/377) If there is love for only one side). Wisdom considers the life, there will also be life. If there is whole man in all his dimensions. That life, there will be limitless possibilities. is why when he approaches Tulsi, he (3/377) And in this possibility lies the does so with the understanding that he attempt to be ‘free from the severalising (that is Tulsi) appeals to everyone in intellect’. This is what Dwivedi ji had some way or the other. He addresses called ‘a friend in need’ in Kutaj. Kutaj not a fragmented man, but the total seems to be the first stage in Dwivedi man. This is the reason why (and to ji’s journey to Tulsi and his model Ram understand it, one will have to step a in order to find a role model for himself. little outside the boundary of the It is clear that exile develops in a ‘Brahminism’ of Tulsi as well as that person the ability to understand the of Dwivedi ji) the verses of Tulsi are individual. Kabir is not a displaced person. so popular among the common people Tulsi is, because to move to Kashi was for their multi-contextuality and for the a conscious choice of his. This exile width of knowledge they encapsulate. of Tulsi develops in Dwivedi ji a kind In this way it is clear that while of insight into literature that is accepting Tulsi’s wisdom to understand characterized not only by balance but the whole of humanity, Dwivedi ji has also by a quest for ‘heroism’. Every expressed through his work on Kabir modern Indian approaches Tulsi with that aspect which was somehow this consciousness of modernity. Here overlooked, and also that he did this it can be said that while Kabir is the before he wrote on Tulsi. At the same perennial interest of Dwivedi ji, Tulsi time, it is also true that Dwivedi ji has happens to be his ‘contemporary made full use of Tulsi’s ability to influence compulsion’, and in this contemporary a man in his entire innerness. That compulsion lies the answer to modern is why I suggest here that Dwivedi man’s primary predicament; a ji be understood not only in the phenomenon towards which thinkers in context of Kabir but also in the the West have pointed again and again. context of Tulsi, and I am saying In this ‘contemporary compulsion’ lies this with a total awareness of the the common sense of the average Indian, fact that in this there is strong which, beyond a certain point gets possibility of politicizing Tulsi converted into balance. Dwivedi ji has through a reactionary approach, neither concealed this fact, not was there and so there is a need to try to

108 :: October-December 2010 avoid it. are facing problems, who are disquieted Now so far as the question of Dwivedi by penury, should not worry. Whenever ji’s appreciation of Tulsi is concerned, I Think of Tulsidas, I feel that he has always been trying to seek the circumstances can hurt a man, push him exiled Ram through Tulsi, and in him around, but they cannot crush him out.’ only he has seen the breaking open of (4/518) Here it is obvious that Dwivedi his ‘creativity’. ‘After considering ji includes himself also among ‘those everything I thought it proper that instead who are facing problems’, and this is of getting into the tangle of expressing the main basis of his closeness to Tulsi. other people’s opinions, I should say Seen in this light, the life of Tulsi inspires my own. Then I will at least have said the average man with a new hope, a what those ‘sahridayas’ are thinking, those new exuberance and a new enthusiasm. in whose minds rise doubts about what Dwivedi ji has given so much respect to do as well as feelings of guilt.’ (4/ to Tulsi only because he felt that this 518) After this self-indulgence, he offers man can be the ideal for an average his views on Tulsi, ‘I have experienced man. And the paradox is that he is an exceptional joy when I have thought described as being opposed to the about Tulsi. This man, who is so revered common man. Kabir too can be a similar by all of us, who is providing sustenance ideal. Then where is the difference? The to the hearts and minds of millions and difference lies in the life styles of these millions of Indians was neither some two people; and in this sense also that king, nor some favoured son of Lakshmi the life of Tulsi is closer to Dwivedi (the goddess of wealth), nor some fame- ji’s own life. In this connection, Namwar seeking scholar defeating pandits in their Singh in his book ‘Doosari Parampara academic gatherings, nor some hero ki Khoj’ has referred to an winning the unseen battle of scholarship autobiographical fact in the context of in the harsh battlefields of some Dwivedi ji, ‘The twentieth century of university, but a man who was born the Vikram era had hardly ended when in a very ordinary family. His economic I came into this world. I was born under condition was much lower than the that nakshatra about which it is said average. In his occasional impulse to that when Tulsidas was born under that, reveal his poverty this great man has his parents threw him somewhere.’ It sometimes said things that make the is clear that Dwivedi ji feels the pain heart heavy. Oh! How hapless that child of being displaced from Kashi. Please must have been who lost both his parents note, while Tulsi is displaced from Banda, soon after he was born—‘Mata-pita jag Dwivedi ji is from Balia, but in the centre tajyo—aur phir—vidhihu na likhi kuchh of the displacement of both is Kashi. bhal bhalai.’ (4/518) Further, ‘Those who About Tulsi he writes, ‘The pandits in

October-December 2010 :: 109 Kashi tormented him a great deal He Dwivedi ji feels a special empathy for was abused and slandered. But it has Tulsi. always been like that.’ (4/518) And what Dwivedi ji has considered Tulsi’s Ram about Dwivedi ji himself? Then refer to ‘sanshay vihag urawan hari’. For Tulsi, parts of the letter of 18.08.48 that he Ram is a man who destroys all kinds wrote to ‘Suman’, ‘Some letters have of incertitude. Dwivedi ji emphasises this arrived from Kashi, and are still coming, fact. This is because Ram too enters that are very hateful. There are no human the status of ‘transcendental feelings in people writing them.’ homelessness’(to borrow a phrase from (Refrence, ‘Doosari Parampara ki Khoj— Lukacs). Once a person leaves home, Namwar Singh, p. 24) Those were the then he has nothing else to lose. Ghalib same people who became the reason has called it the desire to build a home for his exile from Kashi in 1960. It was (‘hasarate tamir’) and by doing so has from the same Kashi about which he lent a special meaning to the phrase. had written in ‘Meghdoot’ (1957), ‘Kashi This is how the pain of homelessness is a city of sadhakas. Kashi is karma and the self-confidence born out of it kshetra, alka bhog kshetra, here only have reached from Tulsi to Ghalib and the sadhakas can see the cosmic dance then to the all embracing consciousness of Shiva.’ (8/30) In this sense Dwivedi of Dwivedi ji. ji has been tormented by the self- While writing about Tulsi, Dwivedi appointed pontiffs of Kashi, whom ji underlines the specific ‘rasa’ in the beginning with Tulsi, Dwivedi ji and then story of Ram. He goes beyond ‘rasa’ Namwar Singh has suffered and whom in a general sense and emphasises that also the active generation of today is particular emotional experience. This is cursed to suffer! Even today such people what is called ‘bhakti’ (devotion). This carry bags full of letters of all kinds. ‘bhakti rasa’ is not merely a condition How the forefathers of these people that comes after rasa; it is rather the besmirched Dwivedi ji and then how he reality that transcends ‘rasa’, rather we finally escaped to the Shivalik! Tulsi did can say that it transcends the very not have to go that far, but to live consciousness of modernity. A displaced in Banaras and to suffer the pain of person does not try to search for his exile while living there was no less roots; rather he tries to understand his traumatic than living outside Banaras roots. This is the postmodern reality and suffer that pain. It was the similarity and the manner in which Dwivedi ji has of ‘circumstances’ that led Dwivedi ji highlighted it as a specific emotional to Tulsi and then to Tulsi’s ‘Ram’, who experience attests his understanding of himself had to suffer the pangs of Tulsi. One who gets bored while listening displacement. When he reaches this point, to the story of Ram does not experience

110 :: October-December 2010 this particular ‘rasa’ (Ramkatha je sunat of Tulsi which expresses itself as the aghahin/Rasvishesh jana tinh naahin’). emotion of renunciation in Dwivedi ji’s But which story of Ram? And that too appreciation of Tulsi. from Shiva, who himself represents ‘rasa’. It is obvious here that through the When Shiva says this, one feels that ‘rasa’ story of Ram Tulsidas tells the story lies somewhere beyond Shiva, and that of the destiny of the modern man. In he himself is somewhere in the story him Ram is liberated, but because of of Ram, and not in Ram himself. I think this liberation, he is also bonded with that in this story of Ram the incident society. That is the reason why there of Ram’s exile is very important and is a cosmopolitan perspective in him this is the particular ‘rasa’ that gives that is closer to the social man than strength to the modern man. This is to the individual man. This is what is the connection between Ram and the known as the social consciousness, which modern man in exile. It is entirely another Dwivedi ji has stressed. He has explained matter that some ‘Hinduist thinkers’ of it in detail in his ‘Lalitya Tatva’. One today see a particular kind of politics can be misled by every other thing, even in this story of Ram. When the but not by this consciousness. This is concept of Ram changes from faith to what beauty is and this is what man fanaticism, this is what happens. In his is! On one hand his dynamic writing on Tulsi Dwivedi ji has highlighted consciousness makes him a modern, on this broad-mindedness, this noble the other the depth of his emotions makes character and this power to give. He him traditional. It is in this manner that has written in one place, ‘The glory of beauty is created in Dwivedi ji, but one man is in his power to give. One who must realise that his ‘social consciousness’ constantly gives himself for the welfare is not some text (commandment) from of everyone is really a great man’. In the West, but a sort of Indian common the words of Tulsidas, ‘So ananya us sense. It is this common sense that makes jaahi kar mati na tare Hanumant/ Mein him modern because in it there is logic, sevak, sacharachar roop rashi knowledge, skill and thought and at the bhagwant’). Here the generous feeling same time there is much that can only of considering all creation in the world be revealed in a particular situation. as divine and becoming its servant has Only man has this common sense; gods been expressed. (10/393) (The essay do not experience its joys. Because Ram entitled ‘Shiksha ki sarthakta’, 1974). In has this quality, he is a man and Dwivedi the same essay Dwivedi ji quotes this ji has immensely liked this aspect of line from Tulsi, ‘Parhit bus jinke man Ram’s personality. He has written that mahin/ Tin kah jag durlabh kahu nahin’. in ‘Manas’ Ram has been conceived in This is the ‘transcendental homelessness’ terms of the historicity of social

October-December 2010 :: 111 consciousness. Because of this all Vashishta, ‘Uchit hoi so keejiye natha,/ embracing social consciousness, we have Hit unhit sab raure hatha’. What great a crow like Kakabhushundi narrating the wisdom is this that awakens the wisdom saga of Ram to ‘Garud’ (an eagle). It in Vashishta and takes him towards implies that any one can receive this renunciation! This is the renunciation story provided he is not corrupt and that gives a direction to wisdom and not dull. Both Tulsi and Dwivedi ji admire distinguishes a man. Vashishta this sacred quality of the saga of Ram understands this and quietly supports which enables it to be received by anyone. Ram’s decision to be exiled to the forest. Along with this fact, it is also important But he did even that with prudence. that it was possible for Ram to return He did not tell Ram directly but first from his exile. Everyone goes to speaks to Janak and then sends Janak Chitrakoot to bring him back. But since to Bharat who then says to Ram, ‘Sabse he symbolizes social consciousness, he sammat sarvahit kariye premu pahichani’. refuses to return. He knows that going When the victim himself works for back will give him only a momentary common welfare, where is the problem pleasure. There will not be any bliss then? In a way it was the awakening there, and certainly no ‘rasa’. That will wisdom in everyone. Tulsidas has happen because everyone will impute described this entire episode very motives to his returning. At the same beautifully. The interesting thing is that time a wise man like Ram does not want Dwivedi ji himself loves this whole episode to forego the joys of being in exile, greatly. Behind this was working perhaps because it provides him a great that modern sensibility in which to opportunity to work for general welfare. establish something a kind of dialectic Ram is wise and discerning and is also is necessary. It needs a kind of modern because he has common sense. confrontation of wills, because the It is not simply his ‘leela’ (the worldly enlightenment that comes out of that acts of a god incarnate) but it is expressive is permanent. Dwivedi ji himself describes of a kind of aesthetics motivated by this entire dialectic thus, ‘Ram could a desire to create. In him there is a say only that much! Then feeling shy, longing to know himself; and a realization he said nothing. The clever guru that he has to be the giver. He knows understood his meaning. Ram ji does that the more one gives the more one not want to return. He himself wanted receives. He does not want his human Ram to somehow go back, but the bonds life to be successful; he wants it to be of dharma and affection kept him silent. meaningful. In him there is not only Even then he went to Janak and told wisdom, but also the desire to renounce. him about Ram’s decision and about his And then like a wise man he says to nobility of character. Janak was a very

112 :: October-December 2010 wise man. But was caught in a tangle there is a blending of the stream of of emotions; he had developed world’s music with the individual’s music, attachment. Even his sense of non- a kind of harmony which is its final attachment seemed to have left him. aim. (4/540) It is this condition which His power to discriminate between right Tulsi Baba calls ‘mangal’ (everyone’s and wrong was telling him that Ram’s wellbeing). For Dwivedi ji also this is exile to the forest was proper. He began what ‘mangal’ means, which is only to think—I should not have come here. another name for a harmony between In this situation it seems difficult to the music of the individual and the offer the correct advice. The proper thing broader music of society. (4.540) In for Ram was to follow his father’s wishes this situation selfishness turns into and to go to the forest, but being his altruism; the individual into society. father-in-law how could Janak have given Imagine what would have happened that advice to Ram? When the entire if Ram had returned to Ayodhya because Ayodhya wanted Ram to return, how of his love for Bharat. Then brotherly could Janak ask him to go to the forest? love would have triumphed, but the social Vashishta ji had said that Janak is the consciousness would have been lost with only man who could clear the doubts the result that the very sense of history in other people’s minds, but now he would have been undermined. Tulsi is himself was in doubt. He comes to Bharat alert to this sense of history and that in this sate of mind. He says to Bharat: is why he provides the solution to this you know the nature of Ram. He loves problem through Bharat himself. This truth, and he loves everyone, but he appears to be a democratic, loving and is too gentle to say what he wants to modern solution. That is why he writes say. So you tell me what we should about Tulsi, ‘That simple question of say to him. Actually Janak wants Bharat that age disturbed Tulsidas so much that to talk to Ram but very sweetly and everything in him responded to it. He subtly he is able to express his own became one with the essential goodness desire’. (4/539) Clearly, it is a rare of the human heart and created values example of a victim insisting that justice that are unique. Thus, in this manner be done. It is as democratic as it is all that is the finest, the best, the greatest, socially correct. This does not indicate the most humane and the most glorious in any manner that Bharat was forced in India’s spiritual achievement struggles to act according to the wishes of someone to find expression in him. (4/544) else. Dwivedi ji has termed this situation Please note that it is not a sentimental ‘a search for harmony’ because this is man speaking; it expresses Dwivedi ji’s what brings peace to a troubled man. dictum that ‘man is the ultimate goal This is that particular ‘rasa’ in which of literature’. While moving towards this

October-December 2010 :: 113 goal, a person may feel ‘a sense of a man is seen moving away from God. individuality’ but the important point In the context of Tulsi Dwivedi ji uses is: how far has he been able to transcend the word doubt in the sense of doubt that individuality. Tulsi has been able of completeness in which man has already to do this and that is why he is valued. been separated from God and in order There is a ‘sublime hunger’ in him. That to show his importance he moves towards is why he saw beauty in harmony. It quest, in which he sees his fulfillment. is only natural that because Tulsidas When a person is in exile he is could reconcile with social consciousness compulsorily in doubt, and this doubt he was able, in the words of Dwivedi leads to curiosity. Dwivedi ji tries to ji, to create the character of a ‘non- understand this doubt in the modern attached person’. Here Ram comes before context. Though Tulsi through this us as a multisided personality. The same curiosity manages to remove the doubt, Ram is a ‘kalp purush’ who is seen to he does so not as a full-timer in faith be growing continuously. By the time but as a rational and a wise person. Tulsi’s Ram reaches Dwivedi ji, he begins Dwivedi ji has given considerable to look like the representative of the attention to this fact. modern man. This is what is called ‘rasa It is to be noted here that Tulsi takes vishesh’. It is man’s common sense that the saga of Ram as one that removes he is able to create historical characters doubts (‘Ramkatha sundar Kartari/ Sansay in concordance with the circumstances. subhag urawan hari’). Modern thinkers Thus, the exile of Ram gets connected believe that man himself is responsible with the exile of the modern man, and for fighting his sense of uncertainty. As I think that this is the point at which Ram, though he is a family man, and we can pause a little to understand the the son of king Dashrath, is in exile, popularity of Ram (and also of Tulsi’s). he is modern in his outlook. There is Along with the issue of exile, another creativity both in Ram and the modern reason that makes Tulsidas popular in man. In both, doubt leads to creativity. the modern time is his ability to Tulsi believes that to remove his doubts understand the importance of ‘doubt’, a person should spend time with the and to offer a solution to that problem. wise (‘satsang’)—‘sant milan sam sukh While discussing Tulsi, Dwivedi ji has kachhu nahin’. For Dwivedi ji also the not only paid attention to this fact but solution to the problem of doubt lies has also explained it in detail. It is clear in dialogue, which is at the centre of of course that the question of ‘doubt’ modernity. Highlighting the importance is a major concern in modern man’s of ‘satsang’ Maharshi Ausasti tells Raikva life. When he speaks of Ram, Tulsi’s takes in Anamdas ka Potha (1976), ‘You have doubt as the doubt of totality, in which done a great deal of ‘tapasya’ (spiritual

114 :: October-December 2010 exercise) but one of the essential elements wanted to destroy the doubts cast on of ‘tapasya’ is satsang.’ This satsang is the figure of Ram by nirgun (who worship nothing but dialogue in which a person a formless God) saints. But Dwivedi ji is freed from fanaticism, indifference and knows that in modern times, to remain the arrogance of scholarship. In his book in doubt is to enable oneself to be in The Argumentative Indian Amartya Sen quest of all centres of knowledge. That has considered dialogue as the central is why although he understands the doubt feature of Indian thought. Francis Bacon of Tulsi, he also combines with it in The Advancement of Learning, determination to create that the modern published in 1605, says that doubt has man has. It is clear that the doubt in two advantages. In the first place, it Tulsi is the result of the conflict between prevents us from making mistakes, and ideas prevalent in society and ‘sanaskaras’ secondly, it inspires us to know more (character and belief system) while in about a thing. The second point is Dwivedi ji it is born out of the conflict important, because during Tulsi’s time between the multi-centred nature of in the 16th century, which was almost knowledge acquired in the external the same time period as Bacon’s, doubts society and the pain of displacement about Ram lead to a greater enquiry that he felt in his heart. That is the into all the contexts of his story. So reason why all his life Dwivedi ji the final conclusion is that ultimately experienced this sense of uncertainty Ram comes through as a man, and when and what is known as the other tradition this is accepted Tulsi reaches the next is the result of doubting the first tradition. logical conclusion that even a man can Though Dwivedi ji likes the social achieve greatness, because ‘Even consciousness of Tulsi, he is more in heavenly things do not become beautiful favour of the aggression seen in Kabir before then come into contact with the rather than of the harmonizing nature earth’ (‘Ashok ke Phool’). It is clear that of Tulsi. That aggression appears during Dwivedi ji fully believes that doubt leads that stage of exile when a man attacks to enquiry. all that is dead and rigid in the old. Here it is important to note that Dwivedi ji has given sufficient focusing on the figure of Ram while Tulsi importance to the dilemma born of doubt. removes doubts, Dwivedi ji does not He has written that this dilemma has seem to be in a hurry to do so. Despite not only led the sensitive nature of Tulsi the fact that Dwivedi ji likes Tulsi’s ability to criticism and argumentation but it to end all doubts, he knows that being has also animated his creativity that in doubt is the destiny of the modern has resulted in the establishment of man. Without this, neither dialogue is timeless human values. (4/544) Because possible nor balance. Actually, Tulsi of this beauty born out of this dilemma,

October-December 2010 :: 115 Dwivedi ji has asked us to ignore the than on the attraction that person has somewhat limited vision of Tulsi and for others; it is more on action than has written that in the contexts of the on the beauty of the body. Only that illumination provided by the Manas, small is beautiful which can destroy stagnation. weaknesses do mean much. Naturally, ‘Innocent beauty is that in which the only by saying so he could prove that sweat from the head flows to the ankles Tulsi was a leader of the people, and and which washes off all the evil, in ‘Hindi Sahitya ki Bhoomika’ (1940) (Meghdoot - Ek Purani Kahani, 8/44). he has even said it. Modernity sees beauty in this form only It appears that the third reason why and the importance of Kalidas is based Dwivedi ji goes to Tulsi, and he does entirely on this fact. Despite this, Dwivedi it again and again, is that Tulsi has given ji discusses the meaning of ‘name’ in importance to the ‘name’ of Ram as a particular context and uses the struggle signifying a set of qualites. Instead of born of this idea in his essays as well giving importance to Ram as a figure as in his evaluation of historical of worship Tulsi takes the name of Ram characters. Here it is important to know to represent an essence, and this essence that in his earlier essays he sees human is what is there at the centre of the struggle as the life force of history, but modern man’s consciousness. To after 1960, when this struggle turns into emphasise essence is the sign of his own struggle, he understands the modernity. This essence is what makes value of ‘name’, and of Tulsi and writes a person special. When this happens a Kutaj. Dwivedi ji did not know that this man is freed from confusion, plight, history will become his own history and weakness and dependence on others. This he will have to move from Kashi to is ‘what gives self-respect to people who Shivalik. Dwivedi ji came to know of have been without it for centuries’. That the value of ‘name’ during those days is the reason why though a person may only and it was during that time that be in a ‘special’ situation he ‘wrings his he developed an ‘exceptional’ love for self like a grape and offers it to the Tulsi and Ram. Essays about Tulsi such others’. Ram is special, but in his being as ‘Sugam Agam Mridu Manju Kathore’ special, he also represents what is noble (1974), ‘Ajasra Prerna Ka Srot Manas’ in society. He could become a leader (1974) and ‘Ramkatha Sundar Kartari’ of the people only because of this quality. (1973) were written during those days. People are not impressed by the figure In this way we see that exile, ‘name’ of Ram, but by the idea that he stands and dialogue—these are the three for. The figure of Ram has attraction, conditions in the context of which he but his name stands for action. Modernity tries to understand Tulsi and it is also lays emphasis more on dynamism rather true that despite his great reverence

116 :: October-December 2010 for Tulsi, he does not overlook the that is noble and great in human life. weaknesses of Tulsi’s personality, but It speaks for that value of humanity unlike the petulant critics of today, he that has become more beautiful because does not stick only to the negative. He it has been blended with the light of understands Tulsi in his totality, but religion, and because it has been lighted only that Tulsi who inspires the common by the glow of heroism.’ (7/128) man. In the end, one thing that needs to He has seen in Tulsi a source that be said about exile is that as long as enables a person to understand society exile creates in a person a desire to completely. He has written in ‘Sahitya look for his roots and takes him to ka Marm’, ‘In this age of democracy cosmopolitanism, it is attractive, but those who reject Tulsi as a propagandist when it begins to celebrate itself, it gets for monarchy forget that what burns, tagged with a harshness in decision- is not light. Light is something different making and creates a desire for revenge. from that. Heat is only the purpose, The exile of Tulsi’s Ram begins to look light represents its richness. It is the wrong at this point, something that additional bounty given by it. The poetry Dwivedi ji has not accepted. Rather it of Tulsidas provides enlightenment can be said that to compensate for this beyond the purpose for which it was he went to Kabir, and that too before written. It spreads the name of Ram, he approached Tulsi. But after that he but only that fact does not define it. returns to Tulsi’s ‘homelessness beyond It expresses the joys and sorrows, hopes the senses’ and does full justice to Tulsi. and aspirations of man with all its It is another matter that he has done richness. It declares the triumph of all it in his miscellaneous writings only.

Shri Prakash Shukla, born 1965, is a poet and an emerging literary critic. He teaches in B.H.U. and his major publications are: ‘Namwar ki Dharti’, Sathottari hindi kavita mein lok saundarya’. He edits a literary quarterly ‘parichay’. Has two collections of poems.

Dr. Ravi Nandan Sinha, edits The Quest, a journal of Indian literature and culture. Sahitya Akademi and National Book Trust India have published books of Hindi poetry and fiction translated by him. His poetry and literary criticism have been published in India and elsewhere. Presently, he is Head, PG Department of English, St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Ranchi.

October-December 2010 :: 117 The Case of Hindi Teaching at Takushoku University, Tokyo:

HINDI AS A MEDIA TO COME CLOSER TO THE HINDI SPEAKING PEOPLE Sakata Teiji

[0] Takushoku University established in 1900 has been eager to educate its students to be friendly with the people all over the world since its foundation Takushoku University established in 1900 has the following five faculties: z Faculty of Commerce

Language z Faculty of Political Science and Economics z Faculty of Foreign Languages (Departments of Chinese, English and Spanish) z Faculty of Technology z Faculty of International Affairs

[I] Hindi courses open to all the students at Takushoku University, but Hindi not popular A. Hindi is the second foreign language open to about two thousand students admitted every year. z English is the first foreign language. z As second languages, regular courses offered are: Arabic, Chinese, French, German, French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Korean, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. z Regular courses consisting of only two periods every week are offered for freshmen and sophomores.

118 :: October-December 2010 For juniors and seniors, find chances to work in developing courses as optional subjects Japan-India friendship. Some are offered. examples are given below. B. Hindi is not popular at z A graduate teaches Japanese Takushoku University: only language at Blue Bells School about twenty students register International, New Delhi as a for Hindi classes every year. teaching staff of Japan Chinese, French, German, Foundation, New Delhi. Having Korean are popular. basic knowledge of the mother tongue of the students, the lady [II] Scholarship offered to stay in teacher can teach Japanese the areas the languages are language effectively. spoken z A graduate is working as an 1. Students to choose Hindi as adviser for rice cultivation in the second foreign language are Punjab, communicating with limited in number, but they the people there in Hindi/ get deeply interested in the Punjabi. language and the Hindi speaking z A lady graduate, after learning people. Hindi at Kendriya Hindi 2. Some fifty students are offered Sansthan, now works in Delhi scholarship to stay in the areas office of a Japanese firm. the langugages are spoken z A graduate, after learning Hindi during summer vacation every at Kendriya Hindi Sansthan, is year. preparing for further study in 3. Hindi students, limited in an MA course of Indian studies. number but deeply interested He may apply for the in India, are highly estimated scholarship of ICCR. to receive the scholarship; three/ four students enjoy the Note: Evening courses of Hindi opportunity to stay in Hindi offered at Takushoku University. speaking area every year to Takushoku University also offers develop deeper interest. evening courses of many foreign [III] Some young graduates languages including Hindi; courses in developing Japan-India Basic Hindi, Intermediate Hindi and friendship Advanced Hindi. Some students who received In this case also the number of scholarship to visit India may later registration is limited, but learners are

October-December 2010 :: 119 very eager to attend classes after their Hindi cinemas, some to communicate work during the day; some to enjoy with Hindi speaking friends, some to visit mountain areas.

Teiji Sakata’s publications include: U. Sachidanand & Teiji Sakata (eds.) Imaging India, Imaging Japan: A Chronicle of Reflections on Mutual Literature. Delhi: Manak, 2004. “The Exchange of Services and Gifts at the Birth of Hindu Boys as Described in Hindi Bhakti Literature and Folk Songs” in M. Horstmann (ed.) Bhakti in Current Research. Delhi: Manohar, 2006. pp. 268-272.

Sakata Teiji, is professor emeritus, Takushoku University, Japan. He speaks fluent Hindi.

120 :: October-December 2010 INTENSIVE HINDI COURSE IN THREE DAYS—A RECKLESS TRIAL Chihiro Koiso

I have taught Hindi as a second-foreign language at three universities for about 20 years. It was so interesting that the numbers of students who took this course would change due to social affairs and incidents. When a cult group committed a crime, the numbers sharply decreased, and after the 9.11 terrorist attack, not many students attended for a while. Usually we have an hour and a half class once a week, and the course includes each 14 classes in the first and second semesters, totally 28 periods per year. We seek to finish basic grammar within these periods. For it is Language a second-foreign language, most students seem to have less to do with Hindi and forget even its letters after graduation. Here, I would like to speak partly about Hindi in the regular course, and report the approach of the intensive Hindi course in three days. I am so glad to tell you some positive results in the reckless intensive course. The target of the first semester in the regular course is to learn Hindi pronunciation, letters, imperative forms, genders and numbers in noun, adjectives, and present forms, ultimately give a speech of a simple self-introduction by heart. As some active students go on a trip to India during their summer vacations, I always remember to add some simple daily conversations. I teach them some Hindi songs between classes as well, which is also an effective way for a switch, and let them memorize one of the songs for their self-introduction speeches. First they complain that they are too shy to sing but they all look enjoyable and start to sing properly. If they could pass their exams only by singing, it would probably appear so attractive for them! One of my students who

October-December 2010 :: 121 saw me a few years after graduation said studies that they are well-grounded in to me, ‘I am sorry to say I have forgotten the approach of India and really teachable all Hindi, but I do remember its songs’ in classes. Compared to them, optional and I was deeply moved to listen to courses of second-foreign language at his songs. On the other hand, one told other universities require quite a lot me that she was told to sing at the wedding time to motivate students to get ceremony she attended in India and was interested in India or Indian culture. highly praised to sing Hindi songs. It But here, things go on smoothly without is somewhat difficult to select songs, but those time and efforts. I would like to tell you the way in speaking At the beginning of the class, I about the intensive course. introduce myself writing ‘Namaste! Mela It is Miyagj Gakuin Joshi (Women) Naam Koiso Chihiro Hae’ in big Hindi University where I teach the intensive l tters, and introduce myself in Hindi. Hindi course in three days during summer Needless to say, all students look as vacations. The girls who attend this if they make no sense, but I always university are from good families in the decide to do it so that they can feel region and so polite that it is so pleasant the air of the language they are going for me to teach them. Here, we have to learn. After my introduction, I ask five classes a day, totally fifteen classes each student to say a greeting in Hindi within three days. More than ten years just as ‘Namaste! Mera Naam O O.Hae‘ have passed since I started teaching the and tell the reason why she chose Hindi course here. I remember being at a loss among other languages, the thing she to see more than 50 students gathered is especially interested in India both in a lecture hall for the first year, thinking in Japanese. Then the class leads to the that a three-day- Hindi basic learning relationship between India and me, the must be no doubt a reckless trial. It attractiveness of India, and its various is essential to study pronunciation and language situations. letters properly because without them After that, I always show them a you will have much trouble in self-study, video clip of the movie “Bombay”. The so I forced myself to end at least music ‘vande mataram’ arranged by A.R. pronunciation, letters, and basic grammar. Rahaman in the celebration of the 50th At the international cultural faculty independence anniversary goes with in this university, there is a cultural several pictures around the country, anthropological teacher who does field which intends to give the impressions explorations for a village near Banaras. that India possesses such a broad land She takes some volunteer students to with varied nature and people. The the field only once in few years, when beautiful dancing scene of the movie the number of students zooms sharply. “Bombay” arranged in it gives a significant Those students are so conscious of their impact on them. Thus, the day’s first

122 :: October-December 2010 class is over in no time. Japanese children’s song, “hathire”, For the day’s second class, we start interpreted in Hindi. practicing pronunciation of vowel and Five classes for the first day almost writing. First we pronounce 11 vowels end by this time. The day’s homework and write them properly, then give them is proper pronunciation of the consonant out. In terms of consonant letters, we list and practice writing intra-syllabic give priority to pronounce them in order. forms on all consonant letters. We especially try to practice aspirate The second day goes on to grammar. and retroflex rightly that we do not have In this case, I plan to start with in Japanese. If you become able to imperatives so that they can work on pronounce consonant lists, then learn them easily. I explain verbal dictionary the 11 intra -syllabic forms. This enables forms and the second person. Imperatives you to pronounce all letters referring express not only speaking orders but to the consonant list. After explaining also the distance of our relationships a series of how to write consonants and (for example to father aap, to mother practicing spelling in drill books, we tum, sometimes to god tu). You can practice writing names of our own, use it directly in daily conversations famous people, and cities in Hindi. or your traveling, so it is fun to practice Later that, I write down the lyrics with proper scenes, which requires of their first song, “honge kamayaab”. vividness. We set up a scene that we We make sure that everybody can read invite and entertain a friend to our house, them and practice the song over and and perform a skit. Gestures add to the over. Even though they may not be able fun. to follow the letters, it is amazing that When they think Hindi as accessible they somehow get into the rhythm of around here, I start to explain the genders it and become able to sing it. The and numbers of noun, adjective flexions atmosphere tells me that the students briefly. However we have less time to are working on just feeling excited. explain in details, light explanation is After singing, we practice pronouncing essential for not making the students’ with simple picture books, impressing rejections. And that takes at least three the letters on our eyes. What is important classes. For the rest of the two classes, to remind here is never use any Roman we move to the present tense. The letters for the pronunciations. If you students understand that the tense is do that, you can never learn consonant necessary to introduce themselves. Then letters. I tell them to put the letter with an explanation, we practice the list aside them all the time and practice subjects except the two person and copula to find pronunciation referring to it, no verb. They write compositions with matter how long it takes. If we have subject using ‘I’ or ‘We’, and stock them time for a break, we sing some simple for self introductions. I do explain other

October-December 2010 :: 123 subjects in the present tense, but we “honge kamyaab”. That is the end of always use self subjects in writing the 15 classes in three days. I am aware compositions or practicing that the course is just a step to prompt conversations. If somebody asks ‘Where them to study Hindi, but the students do you live?’, then you answer as ‘I study hard with patience as if it is torture live in_’. ‘What time do you get up at and concentrate on studying. The morning?’ and ‘What time do you go numbers of students vary from year to to sleep at night?’ We practice questioning year, but I am always surprised that and answering as ‘What time do you it is only a few that drop out. I am go to sleep at night and get up at morning?’ also glad that we can skip cultural Finally they get to be able to express introduction and concentrate on Hindi, themselves as ‘I study_at_university.’ for the students have high level of interest After practicing the present tense, and motivations. Some students spoke we learn the sentence structure and make a smattering of Hindi in the survey and sentences about themselves as ‘I want_’ deeply moved to find that they could ‘I can_’. We learn the way of answering communicate with the natives, then ‘Yes, I can’ ‘No I can’t’ out of the question studied harder, and finally entered ‘Can you_?’. Meanwhile, we practice Banaras Hindu University or studied in singing the national anthem “Sare jahaan Delhi. It is encouraging to see that they se accha” “kal ho na ho”. Also, we practise use Hindi effectively as one of the a part of the song “My shoes are made communication tools. But everyone feels in Japan (mera jutaa hae japanii)”, that only Hindi does not work out. As watching the first part of the video which they realize that Hindi and also English is subtitled “Shri chaarsaubiis”. Here, are both required in dealing with them I talk about the job of movies’ subtitles in India, English study is likely to generate and get them understand that Hindi and a synergetic effect. Japanese have a big difference in the That is how I recklessly teach Hindi amount of information in the same time. in the intensive course. Both students By this practice, we write and I are practical about it and enjoy compositions about ourselves, mark them the time, so I would say that I take up, practice reading properly. In the pride in it At least, I can probably say intensive course, it is difficult to bring that the course contributes to the to memorizing, but in terms of songs, production of quite a lot of Indian freak most students can stand up and sing female university students.

Chihiro Koiso, teaches in Osaka University and she presented her experiences of teaching Hindi to Japanese students in the seminar. Her sense of humour was much appreciated.

124 :: October-December 2010 A FIRE SNUFFED OUT, WARMTH LOST : AGYEYA Vidyaniwas Mishra

Translated by Deepa Agarwal

I don’t want to believe that Bhai is no more, but the trees and plants on Keventer Lane look so sad, there is such emptiness Memoir all around, and the way my arms feel devoid of strength, the way light has withdrawn, informs me that Bhai has tricked us and left. Many months ago he had promised that we would go to Vrindavan together, now he has gone to Golok, all alone. The companion of so many journeys, dreams of journeys, so many literary undertakings, so many wagers, has left me without a self. When he was there, I had everything. I still have the same bow, the same arrows, the same chariot and I–the same charioteer whom Bhai had helped to mount that chariot. Only now it feels as if everything has lost its charm. When Bhai was there, he would draw me into one task after another. Now it feels as if there is no task at hand, nothing to be done. He was fifteen years older than I, But never allowed me to feel the difference, he always called me brother. When he was annoyed or wanted to tease me, he would call me ‘Panditji’, otherwise it was always ‘bhai’. If I ever called to say I was just coming or that I might get late, he would get angry and say, ‘Bhai, you are a very disorderly fellow’. He would reproach me so often, there would be so much affection in these reproaches and I, useless fellow that I was, would take pleasure in it.

October-December 2010 :: 125 Now the one who reproached me Living on the plainest of food and drink, thus, has gone. The one, who bestowed but possessed with an unquenchable the honour of being his younger brother enthusiasm, almost a kind of addiction. on me, has gone. I used to say, I have It was as if this enormous universe of always been a bad boy, never been able art infused him with an endless source to do any of your work properly, still of energy. Many of the statues that Bhai he never lost faith in me. I took his photographed have been stolen, removed advice in so many literary endeavours. from India since. Bhai changed his Sometimes I would keep waiting for him residence so many times since 1947; to come just to consult him on the usage I visited him everywhere, stayed with of one particular word; now the brother him everywhere. I witnessed his life as who helped me to achieve such heights a nomad as well as a householder. As has gone. a nomad so spartan that he managed Countless memories...there are a flood to make do with just a cloth bag and of them. My first encounter with him as householder so particular about decor in Allahabad on Hastings Road - we needed that each and every object had to have a description of the seasons from Sanskrit its allotted place. How often the very poetry for each issue of “Prateek.” I same room would be transformed into asked my friend Machwe to suggest a study, a living room or a bedroom, someone and Machwe took me to him. and each time it would be furnished His calm, measured speech, his discerning in a different way. He’d ask, ‘Bhai, what taste left a deep impression. Subsequently do you think of the change?’ I’d sense “Prateek” opened up a door into literature that the heart of an enthusiastic boy for so many, apart from myself. lay behind this constant desire to redecorate. For Bhai, ornamentation or When I was in Rewa, Bhai visited beauty was something to be explored, me often. He had to write a book on a quest that could never be satisfied. the art of Khajuraho. At that time decent accommodation was not available for He loved forests, absolutely wild, visitors there. An utterly basic room, untouched forests, or houses that had which might have been used as a cowshed been furnished with close attention to once, was his residence. Bhai lived there each detail. Any kind of excess or for several weeks, drawing water from monotony bothered him. He was always a well and taking photographs from God natural; his refinement was natural too. knows how many angles and corners. He would never address anyone familiarly He took more than 1600 pictures–dressed as ‘tum’. This courtesy was innate, not in shorts, balancing somehow on one put on. leg, putting himself at risk, he His respect for women was inborn photographed numerous sculptures. too, perhaps because he saw his elder

126 :: October-December 2010 sister reflected in them, and maybe how the oldest and the newest in literature. many other affectionate female role This absence pinches so much now. models. He could never tolerate any Bhai was extremely stubborn. He impolite behaviour towards any woman. would sacrifice anything for what he had I recall an incident when a somewhat embraced as his truth, and when he inebriated American made a coarse set out to accomplish something he would remark about Indian women. Bhai flared not rest till he completed it. ‘Prateek’ up immediately. He approached the man and ‘Naya Prateek’ went into huge losses and asked him gently, ‘Will you repeat but he insisted on keeping them running. what you said just now?’ Foolishly, the ‘Naya Prateek’ had to be shut down. man repeated it and received a stinging He was devastated. When I launched blow from Bhai. He fell, rose and Bhai ‘Abhiruchi’ he was overjoyed. His was slapped him again and asked, ‘Will you the first interview we brought out. Before repeat it again?’ The man began to beg I could present him with the first issue for mercy, but Bhai’s anger was not of ‘Naandi’ he went and bought it, and appeased. With great difficulty I calmed gave me a portion of his unpublished him down. novel to use. He would not separate I, rustic as I am, have stayed so the element of communication from often at his house. I used to feel nervous literature, and for this reason he in the beginning, that a disorganized considered newspapers and journals an person like myself might upset the order. inalienable medium of dialogue between But after spending a lot of time with the reader and the literary work in the him I learned that this obsession with era of print. Though solitude was more order was just a game for him. It was to his taste, he would insist on an his temperament. There was no effort interchange of ideas. He wished to share behind it. Whatever he did was truths he had experienced or discovered, accomplished with such finesse, paying for this reason he was open to the truths full attention to its suitability, using the others had experienced or discovered. appropriate skills, but he was equally He was as empathetic to another’s delighted with natural beauty or an assertion, as he was firm on his own. artless creation. He would experience When he lived abroad I stayed with a great oneness with writers struggling Bhai for months, visited so many forests to negotiate new heights of creative and waterfalls, so many sea shores, so endeavour. And with works that had many art galleries with him. reached the pinnacle of creative Accompanying him to such places was excellence. He would read great literary an extraordinary experience in itself, works over and over again and loved because half of the pleasure was derived to discuss them. Bhai was a bridge between from watching him. He would become

October-December 2010 :: 127 so rapt in these sights that the very traced on the floor with rice paste, the spirit of beauty seemed to descend on fire that provided a home with warmth the spot. and energy, eyes whose longing for each People called him a foreigner, but other was lit up by firelight, the random, whenever he went abroad he would lose disconnected talk of joy and sorrow, himself in memories of home. Last year the courtyard, the threshold, the lamp he got into his head that there should placed on the threshold, he wished to be a discussion on the Indian home. see the whole world alive in all this, The discussion was launched on the late wished to keep on looking at it. Radhakrishan Das Memorial Day, but he What will home feel like, bereft of was not satisfied. He wanted to arouse this kind of a wandering home lover? greater awareness of home, matters When my father died it felt as if concerning the home, relationships the sky that I could call my own had connected with it, festivals, its joys and turned alien, when my mother passed sorrows, the way they have been depicted away, it felt as if the world that was in art and literature and the importance my own, the earth that nourished me, of home in Hinduism. He was possessed whose concern gave me such solace, with the longing for a vastness in which had disappeared that day, taking away everyone and everything was his own, all comfort with it. When Bhai left I the inanimate and the animate, pillars felt as if with that fire snuffed out, I and arches, birds carved in wood, flowers have become a stranger to my own self. carved in wood, murals, alpana patterns Courtesy: Hindi Jagat

Vidyaniwas Mishra (1926-2005), was a prominent scholar and spokesman of Indian culture. He wrote many books of essays and memoirs. His long association with Agyeya was an example of lasting friendship in an age of alienation. He died in a road-accident.

Deepa Agarwal, is a freelance writer in Hindi and English. She writes poems and short stories. She also writes books for children. She lives in Delhi.

128 :: October-December 2010 ABHIMANYU ANAT, ABHIMANYU ANANTA Harish Naval

Translated by Ravindra Narayan Mishra

This happened eight years ago. The bell of room number three of the guest house of Mahatma Gandhi Sansthan, Mauritius, rang Memoir a little. I could guess that some civilized guest has arrived. I opened the door, what a surprise! the civilized guest was an extremely important literary figure of Mauritius, Abhimanyu Anat. Finding me stunned he normalized me saying ‘Naval jee you are welcome on the land of Mauritius’. Saying this he entered and sat in a chair and said ‘you did a right thing by coming to the guest house leaving the hotel. There would have been formality and compulsions there. Here you would be informal and free. This place is very good. I have been working at this very place for years’. The discussion carried on. Both of us were lost in the memory of the World Hindi Conference organized in Mauritius in 1993- 94. The seeds of friendship had sprouted from there. Even I have been an admiring reader of Abhimanyu Anat for four decades. To me he has always been a great elderly litterateur. I look upon him from the angle of an admirer even in moments of intense intimacy. It is his generosity that he keeps putting me at ease and tells smart jokes entertainingly. That was my third working day at the Mahatma Gandhi Sansthan. I was appointed external examiner and observer of the Sansthan and Mauritius University. I had to live in Mauritius for ten more

October-December 2010 :: 129 days. Abhimanyu jee had come not only the king of France needed a book of to meet me but also to invite me for history he used to order “bring the lunch at his house. I was being humbled greatest lie of the world in front of me”. by that request. I was aware of the height Lal-Pasina doesn’t claim to be that history. of his stature in the Hindi world. That It is not history also because rulers, day his stature had appeared to have politicians, governors and other powerful become even higher. people as such are not its characters- To me it was a rare moment. One its characters are those who are ground of my favourite litterateurs had come in the roots of history. But their being to invite me. Years ago I had read his ground has been history. Such is the novel Lal Pasina which was published claim of the novel. Shree Ajamil as a serial in an important magazine. Matabadal believed that Lal- Pasina is Those days the name of the writer used tale of the woes of the oppressed humanity to be published as Abhimanyu Anat in general and not of the non-resident Shabnam. This novel was a source of Indians. Ramdev Dhurandhar held that inspiration for Indians to understand the in Anat jee’s Aandolan the dominant literature of the non- resident Indians. voice is that of humanism. Suddenly I This novel is a heart rending saga of remembered a statement of its character the Indian workers. The conditions in Ravi, this is a movement which aims which they had to go there and live at work, food and happiness for were pathetic. Till date Lal- Pasina is everyone…youth movement wants to symbolic of Anat jee’s great literature. protect humans from humans… we are not asking for moon and stars; they To have food at Abhimanyu Anat’s should enjoy it who can afford it, we house is like going through a cultural don’t ask for luxury, we only ask for ritual. At lunch two other intellectuals the right to live. of Mauritius- story writer, satirist Shree Ramdev Dhurandhar and Ajamil During discussion when I called Anat Matabadal were present. We had lunch Premchand of Mauritius I felt he has in the drawing room. Mrs Anat’s objection to that. He likes being called affectionate hospitality was turning me Abhimanyu Anat of Mauritius only. Yes, emotional. I had felt that I had set out he knows that some of his novels may on a special pilgrimage. After lunch, fall in line with novels of Premchand sitting in the verandah and looking at era. Dr Krishna Kumar Jha, a critic of dense greenery around, the four of us Mauritius puts the novel Ek Bigha Pyar were lost in the discussion on Hindi of Anat Jee in the category of novels literature of Mauritius. We had discussion of Premchand era. This novel on history and fiction. Lal –Pasina flashed characterizes two brothers marching in me. Anat jee had written that when ahead relentlessly who give importance

130 :: October-December 2010 to attributes of commitment, hard work character Prakash, “the working hours and sense of duty as found in the novels of workers should come down, there of Premchand. should be hike in wages, leave be granted, Another novel of Abhimanyu jee provision for medicine should be there. which I like very much is : Gandhi jee Attention should be paid to pension Bole The. This novel has been prescribed scheme, Some percentage of the annual in one of the papers of MA course of profit of the factory should be shared Hemvatinandan Bahuguna University, among workers”. Srinagar, Garhwal. I had the occasion Five years ago Anat jee and I were of setting its question paper. I had got walking in the splendid market on the this opportunity courtesy my great Ajmal Khan road, Delhi. A labour carrying intellectual friend Dr Harimohan. a sack was looking imbalanced due to Harimohan and I had stayed together excess load. Even before I could offer during fourth World Hindi Conference help to the labour Anat Jee helped balance organized in Mauritius. That time we the worker. I could read the feeling of had met Anat jee together. Since then praise on the face of the labour and Gandhi jee Bole The had occupied a place the feeling of satisfaction on the face in the heart and mind of Prof Harimohan. of Anat Jee. Anat jee had come to Sahitya I had been setting question papers Academi. I had accompanied him from centered on novels Gandhi jee Bole The Janpath Hotel. He wanted to buy some and Susham Bedi’s Havan. The story of gold jewellery. He had the address of ‘Gandhi jee Bole The’ is based on Gandhi the jeweller. I had been able to achieve Jee’s lone Mauritius trip. Then addressing the feat of Columbus by locating the a public meeting Gandhi jee had shop. Both of us had started selecting emphasized proper education for children jewellery from that small shop. Anat and importance of political jee bought jewellery of his choice. He consciousness. The public meeting of didn’t indulge in any bargain or discount. Tohar Bag is historical. This novel is While returning I said, Dada it was a capable of giving practical shape to small shop; there are so many big show Gandhi’s principles. Surely public rooms, and you? consciousness has spread through this He said, I am scared of big show- novel. Whenever I used to check answer- rooms. This shopkeeper is a favourite sheets based on this novel I used to of the residents of Mauritius. Everyone find that students answer questions whole has faith in him. My wife had requested heartedly. The point to be noted is that me to buy gold from this very shop. while answering they reveal their minds Now brother what difference does it make also. Generally students used to quote whether the gold is good or bad? How the passage narrated by the main do I know whether it is pure or impure.

October-December 2010 :: 131 I have passed through all the exams his novel Mudiya Pahad Bol Utha got on the basis of faith? Saying this he published. had laughed and I was finding the signs Mudia Pahad Bol Utha can be called of his generosity. This was in 1994. Shree a novel with political narrative. Its Brajendra Madhukar Bhagat was taking narrative includes role of Panchayat, us to his area of work. Acharya Vijendra shenanigan of opposition, workers’ Snatak was also there. The bus was passing struggle, nationalization of factories for through a beautiful path. At one place the benefit of workers and share of addressing everyone Madhukar Jee said, workers in the profit of factories. There “now just after turning see upward you is no need to say that this novel is would see a boy standing on the a process to change Mudia in to Sayantak mountain.” Excitement had spread again so that he is exonerated from the around. Then whisper started doing the curse. Dignity of labour can be seen rounds. In whisper some one said, this every where in the writings of Anat. is Mudiya mountain. In June of the year 2004, I was When I looked up it felt really some again in the premises of the Mahatma body is there. Even I had heard the Gandhi Sansthan. This time another story of Mudiya – there was a cowherd professor of my college Dr Harinder named Sayantak who used to dance with Kumar was also there. His friend Dr fairies. Fairies used to give him gold. Krishna Kumar Jha had invited him. Prof They used to say ‘don’t tell any one’. Rashmi Kapoor of South African Studies But one day he told some one and got deptt. had also come for research work cursed to turn into stone. That—Mudiya in the institute. Her husband Prof. Sudhir like human being is actually Sayantak. Kumar a teacher in the statistics The same night I had discussion with department of our college had also come Shree Rajendra Arun and Abhimanyu with her. Dr Harinder stayed at Krishna Anat. During preparations of Kavi Kumar Jha’s residence. The Kapoors were Sammelan we were on the same slope paying guests of a Chinese lady in the over a dinner, where now there is the first building situated outside the guest house of Mahatma Gandhi Sansthan. Institute. In their verandah we used to From 2002-2004, I stayed here every lounge till late in the moonlit nights. year in June for two weeks. Shree Anat When Abhimanyu Anat came to know had said in a philosophical style Mudia that so many of us have come together mountain is sleeping exactly like the from India, he reached the guest house labour here, they have to be woken up. and generously asked me to come to He had said even this that he is weaving his house over lunch with all the people. the plot of a novel on the idea of Mudiya This time the food was arranged not Mountain. Just after two or three years

132 :: October-December 2010 in the drawing room but in the kitchen. survived but her libido died. Yes Anat Jee’s kitchen is very big— Another worth mentioning writer and exactly like his and Bhabhi jee’s heart. critique of Mauritius, Shree Prehlad Not every body was given food in that Ramsharan was behind my knowledge kitchen. This time we were special; we of the book Lehron Ki Beti who had meaning I, Dr Harinder and the Kapoor presented me his book Lehron Ki Beti— couple. Smt Rashmi Kapoor was Ek Anushilan and requested me to give fascinated with Anat Jee’s library and my comments. The evening I got the Bhabhi jee’s kitchen. In the words of book next morning I met Abhimanyu Dr Harinder the pleasure of that day’s Anat with his close friend and my feast was beyond everything. respected senior a brilliant intellectual Anat jee’s creative wealth is huge. Kamal Kishore Goenka in a programme The process had started in1971 with the in the conference hall of the institute. publication of Aur Nadi Behti Rahi. Apart In Delhi I used to meet Dr Goenka but from that; Jam Gaya Suraj, Tisre Kinare it was different to meet him in a foreign Par, Chautha Prani, Tapti Dopahri, Kuhase country. We three had spent a lot of Ka Dayra. Shephali, Hartal Kab Hogi, time together. Then Dr Goenka had told Chun, Chun Chunav,Apni Hi Talash, Apni me about Prehlad Ramsharan [whom I Apni Seema, Par Pagdandi Nahi Mitati, had already known] that his writings Faisla Apka, Maraktwain Ka Swarg. also depended on Anat’s writings. Abhichitra, Pasina Behta Raha, Ghar Lot Meeting him that evening was not Chalo Vaishali, Lehron Ki Beti and Chalti an unexpected coincidence. I had met Ho Anupma have been published and him before. I took Lehron Ki Beti Ek the process is still on. The novel-journey Anushilan and on coming to the guest of four decades is a very important house gave it a late night reading. journey. Out of these I have opportunity I started it but found that this book to know Shephali and Lehron Ki Beti. appeared to be part of a conspiracy In Shephali the signs of post against Anat jee. Prehlad Ramsharan modernism can be visible. From the point appeared to be whole heartedly trying of view of narrative and style it is different to dwarf the great novelist in Anat Jee. from Anat Jee’s other novels. Its story There were less of arguments and more runs thus—Shephali is a prostitute who of bad arguments and immaturity was loves Aashit. In spite of having present with full maturity. He had relationship with many men she starts forgotten that a story writer is a longing for this one man. Ashit had visionary. He shows the possibility of proposed her years ago which Shephali what does not seem to be happening. had turned down. The flow of time forced A story-writer is not a historian, he Shephali to attempt suicide. Though she

October-December 2010 :: 133 has the capital of imagination. philosophical analysis. Readability is Imagination is the main material of his an essential attribute of this story writer. creativity. He is called National Poet of When I got another book of Prehlad Mauritius. On the occasion of the fourth Ramsharan from the publisher then I World Hindi Conference, lines of his learnt that really Abhimanyu Anat is poems were prominently displayed on a very great writer. This time ‘Gandhi hoardings at different places in Mauritius. Jee Bole The’ had been attacked severely. ‘Gulmohar Khaul Utha’, ‘Nagphani Mein When I met Abhimanyu Anat I Uljhi Sanse’ cactus Ke Dant and ‘Ek Dayri congratulated him for being such a great Bayan’ are his representative poetry writer. Like always he just smiled on collections. The dramatic language of it and withdrew to silence. He keeps his poetms is noteworthy. doing his work- he is in the poise of Why only dramatic language, a sage, he scans every thing. He is aware Abhimanyu Anat Jee is a successful of the ‘movements’ taking place against dramatist too. To me sometimes he him. He believes that after lighting fire appears more of a dramatist than a when the hearth is extinguished—the novelist. His dramatic sense is embers keep burning— slowly for a long contemporary. He keeps doing fusion time. Anat jee keeps writing—the fire of eastern and western dramatic elements. of envy is kept alive by others. Anat He keeps experimenting on a continuous jee keeps writing, earns fame- the basis. There is a great dramatist in him. prolonged slow fire continues. Even his He had started Ajanta Arts at the age close people do not read him as much of fifteen only. He is an accomplished as the critics read him. director as well who has directed five Like Premchand, Anat Jee is a story dozen plays. An important dimension writer of a high quality. He has written— of our intimate relationship is stage. He short stories also. Insan aur Machine was very happy with this fact that I is his short story collection. There are had done a short research on the plays twenty eight stories in it. In short stories of Mohan Rakesh during Mohan Rakesh’s mythical style is Anat jee’s favourite. lifetime. He was heartened to know the Satire is the dominant voice of this fact that my doctoral thesis was related collection. It has the best form of satire to theatre. When he had become the which culminates into—‘Woh Beech Ka Chief of the theatre at Ravindra Bhavan Aadmi’, ‘Ek Thali Samander’and Khamoshi he had taken me with him. He took me Ki Cheetkar are his main story collections. to every part of the Ravindra Bhavan— In Anat’s story the environment of starting from the green room, back stage neighbourhood is reflected. He to rehearsal room. He showed me the undertakes psychological and acoustics, the conference room and his

134 :: October-December 2010 office whole heartedly. He had not taken Somdat Bakhori. In the interviews charge there as yet, construction work Agyeya, Vishnu Prabhakar etc have was under progress. A Bengali song participated. Vasant Chayanika edited programme was also there that day. While in 1993 by Anat Jee was a big success. watching and listening to that programme It contained selected works from seventy I found that he had good knowledge six issues of fifteen years. I learnt from of music as well. the introduction that Vasant had done Anat jee has also written radio and the important work of publishing initial T.V. plays. He is a broadcast specialist works of 200 new writers. also. He has been associated with the This editor has also edited Hindi drama department of the youth and Ekanki, Mauritius Ki Hindi Kavita and sports ministry. His play Gunga Itihas Mauritius Ki Hindi Kahani— I had asked has carved out a separate place for itself. Anat, ‘when do you write’. He said I His plays have been staged in India also. keep writing in mind and then on paper. In 1994 I had seen the play Gunga Itihas It is said that God is infinite and for the first time and was highly so are the stories about him. I say the impressed. His other prominent plays same for Abhimanyu Anat and his infinite are Virodh, Teen Drishya, Rok Lo Kanha stories. Abhimanyu Anat is an influencial and Urte Rahenge Safed Baj. personality in the real sense. He is a Multifaceted Shree Anat is also an first class litterateur and even a first accomplished editor. For years he has class person : actually even above it— been ably editing the magazine ‘Vasant’ simple, natural, trustworthy, truthful and published from Mahatma Gandhi infinitely affectionate. Sansthan. Whether Abhimanyu Anat agrees or He says that the journal Vasant has not in some sense he is entitled to the stayed longer than any other literary legacy of Premchand because he was magazine of any language of Mauritius. born on August 9, 1937 and he should Its reach has touched more than eighty recall that Premchand died on October countries. The literary titans who were 8, 1936. That is exactly after ten months. paid tributes through its special issues What is the meaning of ten months, are include Surdas, Ravindranath Thakur you listening brother? Could you make Premchand, Vasudev Vishnu Dayal, out?

Harish Naval : Satirist and poet, Harish Naval teaches Hindi at Hindu College, Delhi University.

October-December 2010 :: 135 AILAN GALI ZINDA HAI Chandrakanta

Translated by Manisha Chaudhary

A day of sunshine and happy breezes sliding off mountain tops! A day when you want to waltz in a shikara on the generous shimmering expanse of the Dal Lake. Feel the wind on your face as you pedal boat. Ride a horse in an effort to cast off the tortoise paced ennui of your life. Avatara however, chose to take a bus ride to the gardens as time was short. Just for a day. There was no time for a trip to Gulmarg or Pehalgam. Although the Tourism Department had started running luxury buses to the gardens and in about twenty rupees you could see the sights but it was time bound. Avatara and his friends chose to take the local bus. Passing Gupkaar Road, the road turning towards Jethiyaar lay silent among a dense grove of Chinar and Keekar trees and Avatara was transported back to the ruins of the past. Holding Lacchi Kaki’s pallu, dragging his feet in exhaustion and whining to be carried! Poor Lacchi Kaki took him on her shoulders. He had insisted on being carried by her and she was panting because of the climb already. He had felt very lofty and secure astride her shoulders and after she set him down on the steps of the temple, she sat down for a long time trying to catch her breath. Thinking of Kaki brought back a flood of her memories. Kaki’s stories, potatoes roasted in her kangdi,yaji made from rice flour, the varimuth which she made specially for him. The island of Sona Lock in the Char Chinar of Dal Lake looked Pages from a Novel Pages from

136 :: October-December 2010 solitary even as tourists moved back You must not sit here alone.’ and forth in shikaras. He was suddenly Tiny grey and golden fish near the overcome. Perhaps somewhere deep bank raise their mouths roundly for food. inside, he had begun to feel alienated Little Avatara looks at them lost, ‘I’ll from the land permeated with the smell sit here Mai, see that long beaked bird of his own people. He was flooded with is also looking at the scenery...’ ‘That memories of the past. The picnics with one?’ said Mai looking up at the tree, friends, learning to swim in the lake ‘It is a stork. As if he will look at the with a rubber wheel, boat racing with scenery!’ Ma had smiled at scenery, ‘he college mates. Scenes from the past is looking to catch fish, the sinner...’ unspooled in succession. He looked The stork had dived in Jhapp! And intently at the stork waiting for fish on caught a tiny wiggling fish. Charchinar and Banta teased him, ‘What are you looking at so closely. Are you ‘Saw that! Come now. An eagle or going to take lessons in meditation from something might swoop down if you are him?’ alone...’ Avatara came back, ‘I learnt that He was tiny. A scared five year old. a long time ago, thanks to friends like But he had been surprised even then. you. But I was further back...’ Doesn’t Mai feel the heady smell of the lake? Why isn’t she driven wild by the Indeed, Avatara had wandered far wild sweetness of the wind straining back into the caves of memory. The through the carved leaves of the Chinar? waters of the lake slapped against the Laden with whiffs spreading roots of the old Chinar. He of gulbakawli, gulchini and gulab? Why saw Mai was scrubbing some steel plates does that happen only to Avatara? clean with the sandy soil on the other side of the trunk where the fat branch But now he understood that Mai and hung low. Avatara is sitting close by many like her had absorbed that fragrance staring curiously at the stork hidden in their lives. It was their own. Like among the branches. He glances at the henna changing colour on a palm. vast expanse of water uncertainly. He Avatara went with his friends to is trying to identify shapes of faces in Nishaat, Shalimaar, Harwan and Naseem. the clouds hovering near the tops of In Nishaat, they sat on a green lawn the snowy headed mountains on the right. surrounded by daisies and ate naan and Why is he intoxicated by the watery kebabs listening to the tune of gushing lotus whiffs rising from the waves? water. Karima’s wife had made the kebabs. Ma industriously scrubs the vessels At Naseem, they played cards and talked and hands him two plates, ‘Come now, about everything under the sun. get up. Go and sit inside the shikara. Sailing in yachts in Nagin lake, they

October-December 2010 :: 137 silently watched shifting shapes of clouds ‘It is all like dal from home for us, atop blue mountains. The air was crisp, Bhaiya!’ Banta had begun to sound like clear and white. It carried the fragrance the elders looking after his father’s shop, of almond and peach blossoms. They ‘Avatara Bhai, will now come for a giggled like children trying to catch fortnight like a visitor once in two years sparkling droplets rolling like balls of then surely he will tour the gardens mercury on the petals and broad leaves like a visitor and not stay at home. of lotus blooming among the dancing It is for people like him they say, Subaho waves. They lay in the deep reflective Dar Baghe Nishaat, Shaam Dare Baghe shadows of Chinars, reminiscent of great Naseem, Shalamaro LalaZaro, yogis and hoary seers and listened to Sairkashmir Asto Bast.’ the age old complaints of the gugi, ‘gu, (The morning in Nishaat, the evening goo, gu goo, gu goo, maji loynam, kajvat in Naseem, the flowers in Shalimaar and satya, byani loynam yani kaani satya...’ Lala, that is all there is to see in Kashmir, (Ma hit me with grinding stone, sister nothing else.) hit me with reels of thread...)The Chinar ‘Yes, then you can only see paradise,’ pacified them with reassuring pats of commented Shamu with a smidgeon of leafy hands. bitterness. Lately, it had become his The branches of ranks of weeping nature to nitpick even in straightforward willows on the banks flirted unabashedly exchanges. ‘Yes, my friend, we are there with the water and raised seductive left behind to drink the poison of the ripples. Enchanted Avatara was carried gali like neelkanth who kept it in its throat. away as if he saw his land for the first You can even call us frogs in a well. time: Carry on muttering the gali-puraan, enjoy Gar Firdaus Bar Ruey Jamin Ast, the fine air and water and bring up burps Hamin Asto, Hamin Asto, Hamin of satisfaction...’ Asto. ‘No Shamu,’ Avatara contradicted (If ever there is paradise on earth, him, ‘The gali is a part of my blood. it is here, it is here, it is here) Far more than these lakes and waterfalls, I remember the wrestling bouts we used ‘Who said this Chandan?’ to have, the ‘chann kabbaddi’ and ‘kath ‘Mughal Emperor Jahangir.’ shale bom’ contests. Perhaps, you will ‘The air from the lakes and waterfalls laugh at me but it absolutely true.’ must have entered his veins.’ ‘Shamu, you are lucky in many ways. ‘Yar, you seem to have gone to heaven. At least you are deeply rooted in your You’ve forgotten our gali completely,’ own land. Nobody thinks of you as aliens nudged Karima. here.’ Loke’s own pain surfaced.

138 :: October-December 2010 Teja worked as a charge man in a you all have separated yourself then firm in Patiala now. He often missed why do you expect to settle down the tastes of shalgam, nadru and kaanul anywhere in India and find good jobs?’ saag of home. He said, ‘The air and Loka’s face grew dark. water...they make a big difference too. ‘We will have to bear barbs about Even the fish and meat there tastes like the political and economic scenario,’ grass. Even the water here is sweet...’ Teja’s tone was despondent. ‘Tej Bhaiya, this is the frog in the ‘But such questions, don’t they make well in you that is speaking up. Science you feel awful? As if you belong neither has shrunk the whole world. People are here nor there?’ traveling to other planets. And you are still stuck in your age-old love of your ‘Forget it Loke, why are you getting land and home.’ so worked up? Once you go out you might have to listen to such remarks Amarnath’s Loka is an engineer in anywhere. Don’t the people who go to Bangalore in HMT. He also has a fund America or England have to face all of bittersweet experiences. He disagreed this?’ with Shamu, ‘You might travel around the world Shamu, but you do feel like ‘But India is our own country, isn’t an alien in the big cities. You can’t live it?’ Loka refused to be pacified, ‘Actually, without the memory of home. That has we are like nomads. The people who been my experience. I have a good job became homeless during partition when there for sure. There are chances for Pakistan was made, at least they get growth too. But do you know the kinds some sympathy, but we are only the of questions I have to answer? In my butt of anger. Every year so many own country too?! It is not even as engineers and doctors get degrees but if I am abroad.’ how many of them can find employment in the Valley. We have to go elsewhere Loka’s voice fell with the memory for work.’ of humiliation, ‘I was asked in the interview itself why I came from Kashmir ‘Who is making you homeless? Who to Bangalore to work?’ is forcing you to go anywhere? Your own ambitions, isn’t it?’ Banta said wisely, ‘They do ask...’ agreed Avatara. ‘Look at me, I earn well enough in my ‘But the questions they ask along with own house. I’m fine and have no that, I found them most insulting. The problems. At least I have no daily Chairman said that the Indian complaints!’ government does so much for you, special ‘Ailan Gali lives in Banta!’ Avatara incentives, loans etc. Even then no Indian smiled pointedly. can buy land and settle down here. When

October-December 2010 :: 139 ‘If you have no ambitions then it while they paid no attention to their is better to become a mendicant. After own. He longed to breathe free in a studying for half your life and acquiring place far away from this society so steeped degrees, you can’t really be a shopkeeper in age old beliefs. Instead of poking his after that!’ nose into the business of other people, In the grip of a nameless frustration he wanted to find meaning in living for and helplessness, the boys had begun himself. Education had also led to greater to needle and scrape each other for no expectations. He did not want to reason. Shamu held a grudge because eatsaag and bhat morning and night and his father would not allow him to cross bow before Lord Shiva for a roof over the seas. Even though Narendra Bhai his head and rough clothes on his body had promised to fix him up somewhere and express satisfaction like his parents. in America. Shamu vents his frustration They appeared ignorant, poor and by calling his father old fashioned, and helpless to him. The pleasures concealed with a mind like a frog in a well. in the bags that others carried...why couldn’t Shamu have a share of those? Shamu had asked Master ji to plead his case. He had said to Shamu’s father, ‘One hundred American dollars means ‘Let the boy try out his fortune, Bhai!’ eleven thousand rupees Bante. If I could But his father could not muster up the go there somehow and if I sent Babba courage for an experiment that was akin even four hundred dollars in a year or to axing his own foot. He had his own six months we could bid goodbye to reasons. Shamu was his only child, his the poverty of seven generations...’ only hope in his old age. How could ‘But your Babba has never asked you he experiment with his advancing years? for money, Shamu Bhaiya.’ Shamu’s eyes were dazzled with ‘Yes, never. Whenever I speak of dreams of a thousand lights. Looking money, he trots out the tired, deaf at the trembling hands of his aging mother argument, ‘Money is fine beta, but it as she scrubbed vessels with ash and cannot stroke the bones of an old man. cooked rice on smoky, moist twigs, he It cannot put two drops of water from felt a huge directionless anger well up the Ganga in the mouth of a thirsty in him. Seeing his old, ramshackle house man. You sons of Brahmins have begun in the gali with fading walls, he felt cruel to think like traders...’ towards those who lived in well appointed Shamu’s father reflected the average bungalows. He was seized with an acute attitude. Familar and tired... they all distaste for his own society where people fell silent. Revolt was brewing within spent all their time in complaining about Shamu, ‘Actually, Babba hates the sound the problems of other’s and solving them of Narendra’s name. He says, how will

140 :: October-December 2010 that Narendra show you the way, he in new contexts and chart new paths. is lost himself. He has married a second Shamu has a grouse, ‘If you remain tied time after settling in America. His wife to your parents’ strings, you will always and children are suffering here...’ have to stifle your own desires. You ‘Now, tell me who can tell him that might like to call it adjustment. Can he has no right to interfere in his personal the difference between generations ever life. He must have had his reasons. He be bridged?’ is still fulfilling his duty. Every few months Shamu’s forehead showed lines of he sends a generous cheque-does that tension as he spoke. His voice broke count for nothing! His children study repeatedly with emotion. All the boys in convent schools and eat butter and felt this tension in one way or another. ghee! If Narendra had stayed here, would But today’s picnic was not the place that have been possible? But if you say to raise these eternal questions. that to Babba, he has a ready reply, Chandan was relatively quiet. He had ‘Can the money give his wife the love nearly completed his PhD thesis as he of a husband and his son Nika the love worked in College. His hazel eyes sparkled of a father?’ It is only because old Jiya with determination. Seeing his ability and Guni are still alive that they are and application, Master ji had often carrying on. Only God is their saviour wished for better facilities for him. He after they are gone,’ He feels that boys could go for a year or two to a good want to shirk responsibility and roam university to learn new techniques. But around like stud bulls...but is that really Chandan himself refused to go elsewhere. how it is?’ ‘If I were in Chandan’s place, I would The elders rue the murmurings among have gone with my eyes shut.’ This was the young people. They think that the obviously Shamu’s comment, ‘What boys are wrapped up in themselves. improvement is he hoping for here? He But the boys are rebelling against this is ruining his future.’ disapproval, ‘Heaven knows what they But Chandan did not feel this way. want from us?’ This question feels like If he harboured no great hopes for the acid on their sensitive skins and even future, he certainly hoped for some as they know the answer, they can’t improvement and he wanted to begin bring themselves to agree. at home. ‘Why must we live in this old fashioned But all of them cannot be like Chandan. way? Will there be no change when you Their experiences were different. A deluge move from darkness to light? Will there of difficult experiences in his formative be no change in attitudes?’ years had made him reflective and The boys want to find themselves serious. The history of his brother’s

October-December 2010 :: 141 suicide and his sister’s insanity were Avatara’s shoulder and said in a quivering like a shattered full length mirror in voice, ‘Avatar Bhaiya, can’t you do which he could see the many faces of anything for me over there?’ life at once. His heart was full of The tears in his voice shocked compassion. Perhaps that helped him Avatara. Had there been bitterness like be sympathetic to the shattered world before, it could have been ignored. Banta of his father’s ambitions which had made might have even mocked him, ‘If Shamu him such an implacable disciplinarian. leaves home and goes anywhere, he is Chandan had also been influenced by sure to come back as Einstein, Gandhism from his childhood. He would Archimedes, or at least Plato-Socrates. say, ‘When my own land will be too What can he do, poor soul, there is small for my capabilities, I will go and no ‘scope’ here...’ explore the whole world. Right now, I’m But Banta was also sobered by his fine here.’ tone. Shamu was obviously deeply Not just Avatara, all his friends were disturbed by something. Or he had grown impressed by Chandan. Seeing his efforts so large that a perfectly nice house looked to rise above his limitations even as like a hen coop to him where he couldn’t he stayed within them and the ability draw himself to his full height. to see the brighter side of things brought ‘Do something for him, Yaar. He will the lines of the poet Mahzoor to mind, also get to see life elsewhere. He will Valo Ha Bagbano, Nav Baharuk be satisfied then. Traveling widens your Shaan Paida Kar. experience...’ Pholan Gul, Guth Karan Bulbul, Tithi Karima threw these words over his Samaan Paida Kar. shoulder and ran towards the advancing (Gardener, come bring the glory of bus. He had begun trading in shawls. the new spring in the garden. Create He had wasted a year or two in agricultural to let the flowers bloom, the bulbuls training and left midway. He was not sing.) really inclined to study. His father had It was evening by the time they got assessed his capabilities and suggested back home. Darkness fell in delicate trade in shawls and this had agreed with strands on the wavelets of the Dal Lake. Karima. He was making a tidy profit. The glow of the mercury tubes on the He could tell the difference between boulevard brought their trembling Amli and Kani shawls. He could tell you uncertainty into focus. The wind carried stories about the famous ‘ring shawls’- the chill of the snow peaks. The group, which could be passed through a ring laden with bags, stood in silence at the and were known since the Mughal period. bus stop. Suddenly Shamu touched He understood the intricacies of chhabi,

142 :: October-December 2010 chikan, doori, eerma and amli Some of the young men had been embroideries and point them out to you forced by circumstances while the others but could not comprehend the fine had left the gali of their own will. But differences in matters of the heart. He even they could not free themselves of was busy with calculations of profit and their attachment to the gali. loss in his business and rarely had a You could understand why a frog chance to fly a kite in another direction. in a well was upset to see the expanse His expectations were limited to his of the sky of expectations but if you business. He traveled two or three months had run away because you were not in the year to distant states for his work. satisfied and still looked back constantly, This was necessary to keep it profitable. how do you explain that?. But he was like a bird on a ship which But there was a reason for sure. Like soars afar but is eager to head back fragrance permeating a flower, like the to the ship. red hue of henna hiding in the green Perhaps Avatara, Loka and Teja were leaves. also like this who were forced to be The day Avatara left for Bombay, far afield because of their jobs. They many friends and elders from the family had to migrate because of their livelihood and neighbourhood with moist eyes and even as their hearts were often in and loving advice came to bid him farewel around the gali. at the tourist reception centre. But migration had also become the Among the cadences of blessings, truth of life because it had expanded wishes for his long life and strong emotion, their minds. The curiosity to see and Avatara thought about the tug of his know a larger world was also much gali. What was it about these people stronger in them. who had lived their lives in unquestioning The sharp mix of curiosity, struggle allegiance to tradition that even as you and the pulls of trying to fit themselves disagreed with them about so much and in an alien environment did create tension ran, something pulled you towards them? but they were also eager to test their An orchestra of voices rang in capabilities. It was also true that many Avatara’s ears. Many voices calling out, young men were quite happy to stay advising caution as his foot slipped. in the gali. When the elders sighed warmly Entreating voices to keep himself whole and said, ‘Look at the times! Life is and above all, Anwar Miyaan’s old man’s cheaper than rice,’ then the young men quaver, ‘Never forget the feelings from who stayed behind would concur, ‘Poor your land, children ! Your land is your fellow! He is putting up with so much mother. Just like you can never repay hardship just for two square meals...’ the debt of your parents, you cannot

October-December 2010 :: 143 repay the debt to your land.’ will that water turn to poison for us?) After the impressive tooting of a horn Avatara recognised the voice and he and the revving of the engine when the looked out. Oh, it was Bhoota alias bus stayed put, the passengers peered Lambodar Prasad Kakpori. For some out sensing trouble. Near Avatara’s reason, emotion welled up in Avatara window, a lunatic swathed in a blanket and he felt his throat constrict. His from head to foot, leaned against the neighbour in the city did not know him bus and sang, ‘Kalhan Gani Te till now though he had lived there for Sarfi, Sairab Kari Yami Aban, Suy Ab many years, but Bhoota from his gali...not Sanya Bapath, Jehre Hilal Astha?’ only did he know him, but had knocked (The water of the land which nurtured on the doors of his mind with a flurry learned men like Kalhan, Gani and Sarfi, of questions.

Chandrakanta, born 1938 in Srinagar, is a Vyas Samman laureate who is known for portrayal of Kashmir in its varied shades and states. Her major books are: ‘Ailan Gali Zinda hai’, ‘katha satisar’, ‘mere bhojpatra’, ‘abbu ne kaha tha’ and ‘antim sakshya’. She lives in Gurgaon, Haryana.

Manisha Choudhary, has translated short stories, novels and documents for various publishing houses and organisations in both Hindi and English. She lives in Delhi.

144 :: October-December 2010 RAKESH PANDEY IN CONVERSATION WITH ABHIMANYU ANAT Translated by Ravindra Narayan Mishra

Abhimanyu Anat: This is our fortune that in our country one gets opportunity to learn English, Hindi, French and other languages. French has been my very favorite language. French has a very rich literature. I get opportunity to meet and also to read the littérateur of those languages. I always start with the assumption that literature can’t be written in the language learnt in school. It can only be written in the language that flows in the veins Interview of the writer. Hindi was flowing in my veins. Therefore I had no option. Although I worked as a journalist, as a columnist of the best selling magazine in English for twenty five – thirty years yet when it came to creative writing like composing poems or writing story, drama and novels I had no option except to writing in Hindi. Rakesh Pandey: You have written in different genres. Among all these which one you feel closer to? Abhimanyu Anat: See, I have made interventions in all the genres but I look at myself as a novelist because till now I have published 35 novels. One thing more, story is the most difficult genre for me because one has to say what one wants within a limited frame and canvas. I consider it a difficult work. On the other hand a novel is like a stream. While writing it every author derives pleasure. While writing the author lives with his characters and shares their pain and pleasure. Poetry is purely a matter of heart. When there is a churning within, one experiences oppression or pain and one wonders why it is like this, then poetry flows.

October-December 2010 :: 145 Therefore poetry is more entwined with of its kind. I believe that Kamleshwar pain. Similarly almost my seven books jee played a big role in making it famous. of drama have come. This is a genre Kamleshwar had published it in ‘Sarika’ different from all these in which the serially. Not only this, that novel had author finds himself face to face with a great fortune. When later on Sarika his characters, has dialogue with them. started getting published from Delhi When his characters represent his works Nandan jee and Mudgal jee together had and the audience watches and listens published it. A unique thing happened it seems that conversation is taking place with the second part ‘Gandhi jee Bole among audience, reader and the author. The’ also. Those days Sheela Jhunjhunwala Rakesh Pandey : Lal- Pasina used to be the editor of Saptahik Girmitiya is the saga of worker’s struggle. Hindustan. For the first time in the history Actually it won’t be an exaggeration to of that magazine the whole issue was say that it has become a synonym of devoted to a novel. This issue of the your introduction. Where do you place magazine contained nothing except my Lal- Pasina closer to reality or novel. This way all the three parts of imagination? Lal Pasina became much talked about. It was because those days these magazines Abhimanyu Anat: Lal Pasina is my used to penetrate vast areas. But Lehron best novel according to my readers I Ki Beti was deprived of this facility. I also give it more importance. But I have hold even today that Lal Pasina is a written one more book- ‘Lehron Ki Beti’. classic, an immortal saga of the struggle That is my most favourite book and of the Indians. This is true and it gives I feel that is the most powerful novel me pleasure. But I have written on the I have written. This is not only my inner strength of women. I was afraid opinion. When we were going to Trinidad whether I would be able to do justice to attend World Hindi Conference Pandit to it or not. But today I am happy Vidyanivas jee was also with me. He that I invented a character like Mridula. gave this comment that you have written It gives me pleasure to say that the this unique novel. I don’t think that French translation of Lal Pasina added any author of any language in India a new dimension to it. A French writer has portrayed the inner and outer life lived in Mauritius for two months to of sea like this. In this novel I have complete the translation.Nobel Laureate tried to show that however vulnerable Jean – Mary Leximo declared it as an a woman may appear from outside her immortal work in the introduction to inner strength is much more than any the translation. male. Its main character, Mirdula proves Rakesh Pandey: Is it also true that this. The other thing is that Lal- Pasina the characters of Lal Pasina are characters is a triple story. It is an excellent novel of your life as well?

146 :: October-December 2010 Abhimanyu Anat: Among the do not claim but still they do not let characters of Lal Pasina the main their dignity be tarnished. character is Kishan Singh. Kishan Singh Rakesh Pandey: This is true that was my maternal uncle. From my own you have written numerous books, you conversation I gathered inspiration and have enriched literature. But why it is information that was not an indentured that you have to write time and again. labour. He was a revolutionary in Do you want to convey some message Uttarpradesh. When the revolutionaries to the readers and you miss them. This were being sent to Andaman – Nicobar makes you come out with a new work. there being not enough space some Do you agree with this? prisoners were sent to Mauritius. My Abhimanyu Anat: I do not agree. maternal uncle was among them. The I have never been a messenger. If I story of struggle of my maternal uncle had to give message I would have been starts from here. As I have stated earlier a messenger. I have been performing I have based this novel on the story the tradition of always asking question, of my fellow workers and the story of which is the tradition of Nachiketa. Had my maternal uncle. Although I never Arjun not asked questions to Krishna saw my maternal uncle but as my mother Geeta would not have been written. It said my maternal uncle was voice of means that in my writings I ask questions all those workers on whom whips were from society- why this situation is like rained, who had to suffer oppression. this? Whatever impediments are there This is reality. But to underline facts whether they are social, political, I have taken help of imagination as well. economic or religious why they are there? This is also required to give place to Why labor is labor even today? Those beauty. So far as this question is concerned who were well off why are they becoming whether it contains more of reality or even more well off? These days many imagination I have to say that it contains voices are being raised in support of both in equal proportion. I have taken women but what freedom have we given in to account this thing. It contains the to women? We Indians had a tradition oppressions of my maternal uncle and of keeping women ahead. Our English his fellow workers and then I have put friends speak of Romeo and Juliet. They imagination also in equal proportion. keep men ahead and then women follow. These days nobody reads history because But in our country we say Sita-Ram, it is highly bland. But when I blended Radhe-Krishna, Uma- Shankar and we history with imagination and presented had the tradition of giving importance it, many editions of this novel have come to women. Why that tradition has been out. In spite of that I begin with this broken today? I ask this question. My assumption that my female characters writings say it forcefully.

October-December 2010 :: 147 Rakesh Pandey: World Hindi this is useless expenditure of money. Conference has become a tradition. What Rakesh Pandey: Does the young would you like to say about world Hindi generation of Mauritius also have conference, what are your suggestions? inclination towards Hindi literature? Abhimanyu Anat: I am not against Abhimanyu Anat: Inclination can such functions. But I only raise questions. be generated. If it is there what would What is the contribution of the eight you do? I know one such person who world Hindi conferences organized so goes to Mauritius as Indian representative far? The other question is whether the and says I don’t know Hindi, I have achievement of Hindi conference is in n’t read Hindi books. He has said even terms of entertainment. Had any one what you would do by wasting time on said that the condition of Hindi has Hindi. What assistance this representative climbed from third stairs to twelfth stairs would give us for promotion of Hindi it would have given me satisfaction. But as the French embassy does for the French I feel after every Hindi Conference Hindi speaking people. Can’t Indian climbs down one stair. This is my sorrow, government also give such assistance? this is my agony. This is why I don’t There are so many things, many issues. want to participate in Hindi conferences. If one dwells upon them the whole night Last time also I got the opportunity would be consumed. but I did not go. Because I know there Rakesh Pandey: I have seen your would be speeches, high sounding words serial broadcast by Mauritius would be said but nothing concrete would broadcasting corporation also. How did come out. Just now I asked the journalists you foray into making serials from in the Bharat Bhavan when leaders from writing? Russia, Japan, America,England, France come do they talk in Hindi or English? Abhimanyu Anat: We will have Recently French leaders had come to to keep pace with time. These days the your country did they speak Hindi? No, universe of media and television is they all talk in their own languages that expanding. I don’t say that people should are translated. But in our country the stop writing because media and television leaders don’t do like this. I have can’t survive without writing. Because complaints against Hindi cinema artists they need word power they need poetry as well. Their kids are brought up on and drama. I don’t see any danger to earnings from Hindi but when journalists writing. But surely we can reach great ask them questions in Hindi they answer distance through these mediums of in English. This way we are trampling communication. For example only two Hindi. In such a situation what is the hundred people read my story when it relevance of Hindi Conference? I believe came in book form, but when it comes

148 :: October-December 2010 in the form of serial on television more Mauritius is my birth place while India than half residents of Mauritius watch. is my cultural land. If my birth place This is why from your place these serials could not give me so much importance are being made. The fact is if we have it is because of its own constraints. But this scientific achievement then why not it is my fortune that the land of my benefit from it. My purpose is not to culture knows me more than Mauritius. enamor my story with it but to bring The readers from India respect me more issues more to the notice of people which than the readers from Mauritius. I have they otherwise fail to do. Time and again got my identity because of readers from I tell people nose is so close to our India, I bow before them. eyes that we don’t see it. To see it we Rakesh Pandey: Who are the Indian have to go near a mirror. I am showing authors who have influenced you? the serial to people like mirror and people Abhimanyu Anat: I have been are watching. influenced by many authors from India Rakesh Pandey: I will tell you one and it has been my fortune that I had thing more and this comment I hear occasion to rub shoulders with them. time and again from the people of The list includes Nagarjee, Agyeya jee, Mauritius as well that you are known Bharati jee Kamleshwar and Dinkar jee. more as an Indian author than one of There are people whom I met or did’nt Mauritius. meet like Muktibodh I never met. But Abhimanyu Anat: Our ancestors I have read them, appreciated them. have left many phrases for us one of Yes, I would admit that I have been those phrases is pravasi. Then it is natural. more influenced by Sharad Babu. I had People used to say about Tulsidas that read his books within four months. Those he is writing in rustic language. Even days I was between 15 to 18 years of Shakespeare had faced rejection and age. That is why I respect them even people had not spared even Kalidas and now. Among the people I have found had said he should cut grass. These things closer to my heart they belong to Latin have been there but if writers do not American literature. For example the face such impediments what would they poems of Octavio Paz seem to be Indian write. To me it is a matter of or Mauritian poems. Garcia Marquez encouragement. Acceptance makes us who is a Nobel laureate and author of proud. What I understand is that by ‘Hundred years of Solitude’ and ‘Love comparing India and Pakistan if it is in the times of Cholera’ is a great author. said that I am read more in India than It seems that these writers are talking in Mauritius then there is only one reason about you, your society and culture. and that is what I have said time and Their ideas seem to be so close to again that I am a citizen of two countries. us. I have intimately known French

October-December 2010 :: 149 authors also. I have read a lot of French identity. No body can survive without literature. it. In the same way I think of Mauritius. Rakesh Pandey: What suggestions They may wallow in riches and would you give to enrich the Indian allurements but India would continue and Mauritian literature. to flow in their veins. The Ganga and Yamuna would continue to flow. The Abhimanyu Anat: As I have dignity of the Himalayas would continue already said I do not give messages. and our literature would continue to What I have to do I have been doing. be enriched. Indian culture and literature are our Courtesy : ICCR

Abhimanyu Anat : born 1937 at Triole, he is the most prominent Hindi author in Mauritius. Has been president of creative and publication deptt. of Mahatma Gandhi Sansthan and edited the journal ‘Vasant’ for 20 years. Has published more than 60 books. His most famous novel ‘lal pasina’ has been translated into many Indian and foreign languages. Lives in Mauritius.

Rakesh Pande : edits a magazine ‘pravasi sansar’ from Delhi. Widely travelled journalist who has his own publishing establishment. Lives in Delhi.

150 :: October-December 2010 HEAD ON ENCOUNTER WITH QUESTIONS OF OUR TIME: SWAYAM PRAKASH Pallav

Translated by Satya Chaitanya

It has not been many days since writers used to seek out reasons for not writing. In those days, it was a matter of prestige for writers that they wrote just two or three short stories in a year. And the greatest virtue of a short story was that it was a short story. Other kinds of writing were of course irritants, mere nuisances. It is good that this state of affairs did not last for many days. The newly emerged People’s Movement once again joined writers with the life of the common man. Ramesh Upadhyay, Sanjeev, Swayam Prakash, Pankaj Bisht, Asgar Vajahat and Uday Prakash were writers for whom writing was not a pastime but social work. That is the reason why these people did not confine themselves to gaining popularity by writing short stories and novels, but

Book-Review found it necessary to write plays, street plays, sketches, essays and translations and do editing… meaning, they felt that they should do everything that would destroy existing social perversions. Swayam Prakash who began his writing with Ek Kahanikar Ki Notebook [The Notebook of a Storyteller] is pre-eminent among those writers who ceaselessly wrote on several issues central to life. After Doosra Pahlu [The Other Side] and Rangshala Mein Ek Dopahar [One Afternoon at the Theatre], this is his third collection of essays, which has recently come out from Antika Publications. Swayam Prakash is one of those rare storytellers of his generation

October-December 2010 :: 151 who has gained the singular affection with the staging of the performing arts. of his readers. It is his social commitments He writes, “There is very little chance that stopped him from the luxury of for clash of opinions in the performing becoming a pure short story writer, and arts. The main thing there is enjoyment. he has written in some seven or eight It is pleasure. We need a community different genres. It is this commitment of aesthetes. that makes him a people’s writer. In The arts are entertainment. You do his essays he encounters head on with not have to think much. For this reason, the same questions that made him restless the performing arts have stopped in the and forced him to write novels and short middle ages.” stories. He speaks of new forms of terror We may call these writings essays and oppression in the name of culture. for our convenience, but their “Civilized societies respect differences conversational nature and small size make of opinion and consider it as a sign them technically different in form from of mental health and intellectual freedom. essays. He has written here on topics The absence of differences of opinion related to culture, religion, art, TV, is an indication of regimentation, literature, children, language and the suppression and autocracy. It is possible market. And along with that, he has that you see the sky as blue; but it also included here ten pieces from the is also possible that a child sees it as column Prasangvash [By the Way] that green, like the water in a lake. Will you he writes for the quarterly Sambodhan. then punish the child?” he asks. The essays written about his own writing Further ahead in two or three essays process and characters give us an he has discussed from different points opportunity to know and understand the such subjects as the need for religion writer from close by. and atheism. Here he gets into a debate His assessment of contemporary social with the advocates of Hinduism and those and cultural events begins with such who consider atheism as blasphemy. Look sensitive but essential questions as the at the beginning of ‘Where are the Hindu ones about understanding culture. In Well-wishers?’ He says: “Those who speak ‘The Place of Thought in Culture’ Swayam of Hindu interests should not be Prakash asks questions about the basic considered as inferior, contemptible or tenets of our culture. He refuses to accept confused, nor should they be rejected. the existence of any single ‘Indian culture’ Eighty percent of the population of this in an India filled with diversity and country is Hindu. Meaning, those who contradictions. And then, searching for speak of the good of the Hindus are the place of thought in this culture, he speaking of the good of the majority asks why cultural events always begin

152 :: October-December 2010 of the population of this country. If country where slogans such as ‘Victory any individual or organization makes the to Dharma, Death to Adharma’ are life of eighty crore people even a little chanted and where atheism is interpreted better, then they are doing work that as adharma, and in fact even as is of historical importance.” blasphemy, it is very challenging to talk Without discussing the real ambitions about atheism. Swayam Prakash writes, of Hindu organizations, Swayam Prakash, “In fact, faulty religion is engendered one by one brings up for debating such by our interpreting myths and Puranas topics as the filth in temples, the poor wrongly. And today even in history there condition of rivers considered sacred, is this strong tendency to misrepresent authentic recensions of religious texts, myths . What the atheist has to say dowry, prostitution, women’s liberation is based on proofs and logic, which theists and untouchability and then asks, “Now too find acceptable. But what he says let Hindus think this over: How many is so totally against traditional thinking of these works have their organizations, that when the theist hears it, he feels the heads of the maths, the mahants, hurt and finds it difficult to accept. Those sants and Hindu well-wishers done, or who are in the profession of selling plan to do. Are they really serious about religion, for this reason, throw their arms the interests of the Hindus? Or are they up in the air in advance and say that playing the politics of Muslim hatred this is not a matter for argument but in the name of Hindus?” one of faith. They tell their devotees even this–that even if you merely listen It is a matter of fact that we will to such matters you accrue sin. Meaning, not be able to make the masses accept whatever we say, and don’t think.” understand their real nature by merely calling them communal. That is why Here he describes the processes of Swayam Prakash searches for solid man’s search for God and of his founding reasons. It is his guilelessness and religions based on it and discusses those integrity that he does not take recourse leaders of modern times who were to popular political idioms. Secular atheists. His conclusion is: “In fact, after democracy cannot mean that no one Marx, Darwin, Freud, and Einstein, the can speak about the religion of the world did not remain the same as it majority. Or that believers of religions was before them. These people changed should be left to the care of pundits the thinking of the world. There is no and mullahs. That is the reason why reason why we should look down upon he feels compelled to talk about atheism. atheism or use the word atheist as a dirty word. That is also one way of At the political level this is an thinking. In fact, that is a more logical uncomfortable question because in a and scientific way of thinking.”

October-December 2010 :: 153 The market has been accepted as fourth grade poets, considering it the greatest villain of our times. With something beneath their own dignity. the process of liberalization that began They did not care for the Hindi speaking in 1991, the things that have been most people. They were not in fact writing abused, along with communalism and for people. I do not know for whom casteism [in fact, even before these], they were writing. But they certainly is the market. Don’t we have any need were not writing for the Hindi speaking for commerce then? History tells us that people.” our Hindi language was born through In the same way he tells “thinkers” market needs. And how many good things who consider themselves relieved of their haven’t the market done? Why then this responsibility once they have criticized condemnation? Swayam Prakash writes: the TV: “If by blaming and cursing alone “The job of the market is to buy and things will turn out all right, then it sell, and not controlling production or is a different matter. But one thing is consumption… In brief, certain. This thing that has come, this commercialization is people becoming thing called television, it hasn’t come animals for the sake of profit, and to go away. And you will not be able literature is against this. For this reason, to stop the internet either.” He adds in the eyes of ordinary people too, the further : “Children’s IQs are not lower market has become the villain.” than ours; in fact they must be higher. Prior to this, he also makes a profound And they are watching. And they are interpretation of commercialization. He watching us more than they watch the says: “Commercialization is defiling the TV. Watching our behaviour. And the sanctity, the joy and purity, and the moment they reach maturity, they will wholesomeness of everything and analyse this and they will internalize transforming each thing into a marketable culture. TV cannot ruin anything for good.” Then, in his next two essays them, provided there is good entitled “The Arrival of Democracy in understanding between you and them, the Arts” and “Is Remix the Death of provided there is friendship between you Music”, he analyses the evil cultural and them. [TV and Children]. impact of this commercialization. Swayam Prakash could be seen to Instead of taking the easy course be stressing on purity of conduct of blaming the market, he goes deeper everywhere in the book. This is his in the essay written on the disappearance openness; and this is a healthy thing– of poetry from the stage. According to and this has added credits to the leftist him, “The greatest blame for this lies movement. In our Indian society filled with the bigotry of Hindi poets who have with myths and beliefs, your conduct given over the stage to third grade and is still of great value, losing which it

154 :: October-December 2010 is impossible to go ahead far. expression, and if letter writing There are a few essays on literature disappears, what will be the state of in the book, and the very first one is our expression, he asks. It is essential on plays. The title is: “Where Have Hindi that people express themselves so that Plays Gone?” Holding National School they do not end up as unthinking citizens. of Drama most responsible for the sad Swayam Prakash expresses his state of Hindi theatre, Swayam Prakash thoughts about children and children’s writes: “What was wrong with this plan literature in two separate essays further was that it was thought that there was on. Here again what he lays emphasis nothing to be learnt from folk, amateur, on is character: “This is not the generation professional and traditional theatre of followers, but of adventurers. I have artistes from across the nation–instead, nothing with me to give them apart from they were all to be taught everything. yellowing old books of memories and And even if some things were found ceremonies filled with inhuman good in them, those things could be stupidities.” taken from them as suited one’s One big reason behind Swayam convenience, without acknowledging any Prakash’s popularity and wide acceptance gratitude to them. The state of the theatre is his happy art of storytelling. Here, all over the country will be decided writing about his own writing process, by Delhi alone! A totally colonialist mental he uses this storytelling art of his and attitude!” One could agree with Swayam gives his readers an opportunity to dive Prakash’s analysis, or one could disagree deep into the author through articles with it; but it is absolutely essential such as “My characters and I,” How that we enquire into the truth of the a Story is Born” and “Guru Barma, Buru theatre’s argument that there are no Sharma.” Hindi plays available, even when scores Swayam Prakash is not one of those of Hindi plays are published every year. writers who does not speak about his Swayam Prakash also discusses in his writing or about his genre. He also talks essays the fundamental difference freely about his contemporaries and between a playwright and a director and where he feels it necessary, frankly says that it is in response to all this criticises them. As a matter of fact, his that street plays and the collaborative principles are very clear to him and writing of them came into being. compromising on them is not acceptable Writing about the disappearing genres to him. Writers hypocritically occupied of Hindi literature, his greatest worry with self-praise frequently immerse is about the disappearance of letter themselves in pulling other people’s legs. writing that is happening now. Letters But writers like Swayam Prakash appear are our most spontaneous means of

October-December 2010 :: 155 to be searching for the power of his but also a humanist and a modernist; own creativity in his contemporaries. it is also to become scientific and to But it is not true that this generosity turn away from narrow-mindedness. It of his is always maintained. One section is to be transformed totally.” of the book consists of Swayam Prakash’s The short story is Swayam Prakash’s comments in ‘Prasangvash’. ln the article genre and he loves talking about short ‘Baat Niklegi to,’ he observes confusions stories. In the book there are three or and narrowness in Dalit literature. In four articles on short stories. In these, reality, this should be considered a self- he not only presents to us the rich picture contradiction in the perspectives of a of the contemporary short story, but traditional leftist writer who by stretching also points out its weaknesses where arguments such as ‘Only a Dalit Can he sees them. Create Dalit Writing’ reaches so far as Reading the whole book is a rich to say what he says in ‘Remove Muslims experience that not only gives the reader from lndia’. It is true that the tool of insights but also endows him with the literature should ultimately be literary, power to rebel. Swayam Prakash finds but how can we deny that before dalit the thoughtlessness arising from criticism came into being, dalit creativity commercialization the reason for his was not visible to anyone? greatest worry and he encounters it Some other articles in this column forthwith. In this encounter he takes [Prasangvash] are must reads. In his the risk of searching for those routes “Have writers Associations Become that do not pass through the market. Redundant’ he says emphatically that It could be said that the desire to educate associations save creativity, art and people is frequently seen in these essays– writing from turning useless, commercial but that should on no account be treated and anti-people. Similarly the definition as a weakness. When thousands of books he gives of the Premchand tradition is like Jeet Apki and Who Moved My Cheese not only useful but also worthy of teach us to love the bloody hands of emulation. “To join the tradition of the market, someone should also give Premchand is not only to become a realist, us the wisdom to understand the market.

Book reviewed: Ek Kahanikar ki Notebook se [From the Notebook of a Storyteller]: Swayam Prakash; Essays, 2010; Antika Publications, Ghaziabad.

Pallav, a young literary critic, is a lecturer in Hindi at Hindu College, University of Delhi. Prior to this, he was in Rajasthan.

Satya Chaitanya, born 1952, has his management consultancy. He is visiting professor at XLRI and several other management studies’ institutions. He knows Hindi, Malayalam, Sanskrit and English and translates multilingually. He lives in Jamshedpur.

156 :: October-December 2010 EK KOI THA / KAHIN NAHIN - SA– MEERAKANT’S SILHOUETTE OF KASHMIR Meenakshi Khar

Meera Kant’s powerful, deeply researched, and reminiscent work comes at an unfortunate point in time in Kashmir’s history. Meera Kant, a contemporary litterateur, has very delicately darned (rafooed) the frayed edges of the Phiran by interspersing the disturbing events of the last couple of decades with an authentic Kashmiri voice. The characters in her novel, Ek koi tha / kahin nahin-sa are deeply rooted in the socio-cultural fabric of the strife ridden valley. Since 1930, Meera has followed Shabari and Ambarnath through those once bubbling lanes of Habba Kadal to the hearts of those who suffered at the hands of the social irregularities. Throughout the three chapters of Kashmir’s by lanes the author, has painted the eternal sufferings of women, who on one hand are seen as representing the honour of the social structure, and on the other, being stripped of the same honour at the hands of the ‘custodians’

Book-Review of the society. The angst, sacrifice and aspirations for kashmiriyat of reformists like Kashyap Bandhu and Ambarnath in the first phase ‘social reform zindabad’ kindles a lamp in the pathway of Shabari’s efforts towards the education of young girls. The Yatra of Shabari, one of the central character, along with many others from one phase of suffering to another forms a continuum of lament. She becomes victim of typical biases against women—orphaned when she was a small child, she underwent the agony of being ill treated by her sister- in-law and later was married to an old widower with grand children. The details of her suffering as a child, young girl and later as

October-December 2010 :: 157 a widow is a touching account and Meera those who had to leave, who were never Kant has presented it very close to reality. ever really able to rehabilitate Shabari’s brother Ambarnath with his completely. The incidents of dogs ripping revolutionary vision saves her from apart new born babies, rare metaphors further humiliation and pain and involves of loss of identity, frustration and above her in the reformist activities. all hopeless future. With nimble fingers Meera Kant has The third part of the novel–Chautha woven the fascinating songs portraying Chinar, accompanies Jaya (Shabari’s the social background and reforms grand daughter) to revisit Kashmir. Her initiated by Kashyap Bandhu into her heart skips a beat at Char Chinari when tale. Interestingly, songs like these have she sees one chinar missing. It dawns been beautifully translated in Hindi on Jaya, that this fourth chinar is rooted keeping the nuance intact. Her research in the hearts of those who are not in also brings out interesting historical facts Kashmir anymore, who live elsewhere like, how Pandit Narayan Das came up with this heaviness as a part of their with the first two-storied houseboat, soul. An integral part of char chinari ‘Victory’ in 1918. has been uprooted–however ironically, As the novel progresses and enters it still goes on to be known as Char the second phase, Barf ka ghar, the Chinar. struggle of reformists intensifies and Meera Kant’s novel, Ek koi tha / strikes jarring notes. The author also kahin nahin-sa, brings out the similarity brings attention to the economic strife between those who were left behind in of the grief stricken Kashmir, which, post the valley and those who have come independence, was trying to find its feet. out and are trying to build a life. Their The young and old were looking for pain of not being able to arrive. Those occupations and in the search stepping who had to leave are living a life in outside the boundaries of the dale. The a diaspora and those left behind are death of Kedarnath, Ambarnath, other forced to live in the constant fear of reformist leaders and exodus of pundits terrorism. Those in the camps, ironically and finally Shabari shifts a part of Kashmir have to be identified by a c/o Refugee to other parts of the country. The heart Camp … address in their own country, rending geographical rehabilitation and those, who are still in the valley, process has been described with a sprinkle are looking for their lost kith and kin of little incidents now and then. The through organizations like, ‘Association entire social spread is stained with the of Disappeared Persons’. It is ironic that blood of innocents. Meera has in a very a place which reminded of heaven on sensitive manner written about the earth seethes with anguish and pain of emotions that grate the inner soul of human lives.

158 :: October-December 2010 The illustrative power of the author nahin-sa. This is not merely about Shabari illuminates the shadow that cannot be but a silhouette of kashmiriyat. seen but exists— Ek koi tha / kahin

Book reviewed : Novel– Ek koi tha/kahin nahin-sa Publisher: Vani Prakashan, New Delhi Price: Rs 375.00

Meenakshi Khar, translates from Hindi as well as writes in both languages. She lives in Gurgaon.

October-December 2010 :: 159 CONTRIBUTORS’ ADDRESSES

1. Manisha Chaudhari : 87, Godavari Apartments, Alaknanda, New Delhi-110019. 2. Chandrakanta : House No.3020, Sector-23, Palam Vihar, Gurgaon-122017. 3. Raju Sharma : A-16, Teachers’ Flats, St. Stephens College, Delhi University, Delhi. 4. Ravinandan Sinha : 202, Preeti Enclave, Chandni Chowk, Kanke Road, Ranchi-834008. 5. Anil Sud : A-23/6, DLF Phase-I, Gurgaon-122002. 6. Shri Prakash Shukla : 68, Rohit Nagar, Nariya, Varanasi-211005. 7. Mannu Bhandari : 103, Hauz Khas Apartments, New Delhi-110016. 8. Jai Ratan : C-12/14, DLF City, Phase-I, Gurgaon-122002. 9. Dr. Namwar Singh : 32, Shivalik Apartments, Alaknanda, New Delhi-110019. 10. Bharat Bhardwaj : 18-B, Una Enclave, Mayur Vihar-I, Delhi-110091. 11. Ravindra N. Mishra : A-26, Shakti Apartments, Sector-9, Rohini, Delhi-110085. 12. Pawan Karan : Savitri, 1-10, Site No.-1, City Centre, Gwalior-474002. 13. Rashmi Bajaj : 154, Vijay Nagar, Bhiwani, Haryana-127021 14. Anamika : D-II-83, Kidwai Nagar (W), New Delhi-110023. 15. Arlene Zide : [email protected] 16. Subhash Sharma : D-71, Nivedita Kunj, R.K. Puram, Sector-10, New Delhi-110022. 17. Shalini : M-49, Ramkrishna Vihar, Plot-29, I.P. Extension, Delhi-110092. 18. Deepa Agarwal : D-123, Preet Vihar, Delhi-110092. 19. Meenakshi Khar : U40/13, DLF Phase-III, Gurgaon-122001. 20. Chihiro Koiso : Osaka University of Foreign Studies, 8-1-1, Aomatani-Ligashi, Minoh City, Osaka-562-8558, Japan. 21. Sakata Teiji : Tokushoku University, Japan. 22. Satya Chaitanya : 151, New Baradwari, Jamshedpur-831001.

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