A Reading of Bhalchandra Nemade's Kosla (Cocoon)
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LITSEARCH www.litsearch.in ISSN 2277-6990 (Print) Writing the Real, Reviving the Tradition: A Reading of Bhalchandra Nemade’s Kosla (Cocoon) Somnath B. Barure Assistant Professor, P. G. Dept. of English, Vasantrao Naik Govt. Institute of Arts & Social Sciences (Morris College), Pandit Nehru Road, RBI- Square, Nagpur- 440001 An article in Lokrang- Loksatta, a caught in to the mesh of disillusionment Marathi daily in Maharashtra, reminded and frustration in the Post-Independence the age of evergreen Kosla , by a veteran period in India and especially in Marathi writer Bhalchandra Nemade, Maharashtra. Swami is written in the age- discussing the reasons behind the old style with the beautiful use of language popularity of the book even, when it is where as Kosla is tied together through about to celebrate its fifty years. The writer episodes with no regularity in technique in the article compared Kosla with another but meets the purpose of depicting popular work of fiction Swami by Ranjeet frustration and rejection even through its Desai, both in Marathi. Kosla and Swami form. Whatever, the novel proved to be the are the products of sixties, the famous pioneering work attracting its third Postcolonial period in Indian Literature generation of readers with success. (Including the controversial Indian English As mentioned above, Nemade has Literature). The article also opens the issue been the topic of discussion in the literary of contrast in-between the two written and circles as well as in the academic published in the same period. Theme and discussions throughout the country, Technique (form) wise, they are totally sometimes for his ‘Theory of different. Swami has the famous historical Desivad/Nativism’ or for his controversial personality Shrimant Madhavrao Peshve first part of the quartet Hindu. Born in the as its hero, where as Kosla is dedicated to year 1938, in a village in the Khandesh the growing Middle Class youth, through region of Maharashtra, in a middle class the character of Pandurang Sangvikar, well-to-do family of a farmer, became a Volume III Issue No.I January 2013 Page 21 LITSEARCH www.litsearch.in ISSN 2277-6990 (Print) lecturer in English. He also taught I Comparative Literature, Linguistics, Nemade in his interviews often Anthropology and Marathi Literature, in stresses the relationship of the various Universities, Colleges and SOAS author/writer with his Cultural Roots, London. Though he started his literary Social Milieu and History. In short, it endeavors with Poetry ( Melody and shows his strong faith in what he calls Dekhani ) but suddenly came to fiction Desivad/Nativism. He makes it clear, writing. In the year 1963 appeared his redefining the genre of novel, pushing epoch-making first novel Kosla . After a aside the misconceptions about the same long period of fourteen years, came his among the established critics in Marathi of Bidhar followed by Hool , Jarila and Zool his time, as quoted below- completing a quartet. His recent novel Middle class has always been with the Hindu-Jagnyachi Samruddha Adgal , a part desire to achieve power, when it fails to of the quartet, published in 2010 received have it by other means, it turns to novel too much of attention from the media for writing. It takes this form to prove its its controversial subject. With these existence, at the same time tries its hand creative works, the author also contributed on raising a revolution through its work. with his ample critical writing through all As every work of art is allotted its space, these years. Among the known critical the art of novel too enjoys a vast space, not works are, Teekasvayanvar, Sahityachi this vastness only but the moral space of Bhasha, Tukaram and his Sixteen Speeches the writer matters a lot with its theme and with many research papers. Nemade for technique to achieve its goal. A novelist his valuable contribution in the field of always puts his things in his novel. literature, had been awarded with many (Trans. Mine, all the subsequent references awards, to mention a few are, the from the book) (Nemade: Nivadak prestigious Sahitya Akadami Award for Mulakathi 01-02) Teekasvayanvar , R. S. Jog Puraskar , The author here I think meant to express Shinolikar Puraskar of Sahitya that, the ‘Avant-Garde’ method can make Parishad , Yeshvantrao Chavan novel very interesting and receives fame Puraskar for Zool and Kusumagraj also, but he refutes to follow this Puraskar for Dekhani . In this way, misleading trend for his own choice of Nemade stands tall as a pioneering figure form and method. At another instance he among the modern Indian novelists of comments on the same in a funny way- post-1960 period. Volume III Issue No.I January 2013 Page 22 LITSEARCH www.litsearch.in ISSN 2277-6990 (Print) ‘I like to select/choose my own shirt. So I equally. have my choice of form for my novels. (Nemade: Nivadak Mulakathi ) (Further he continues having a faith of his With all these evidences, I think own) – Every writer is born with an inborn the views of the author have become clear vision of life and it is better for him to about the art of novel writing. It appears keep that instinct intact. Change as per the like the author is revolting against the demand (of market) in that instinct ruins established. So while going through his his basic vision of life.’ views published in various forms, anti- (Nemade: Nivadak Mulakathi 02-03) Brahminic statements and direct criticism What the author says and believes about of political strategies and people, is quite the art of writing fiction seems to be evident and there is logic in his saying. It’s practiced very carefully in his works of art. not only Kosla, but when we look behind Especially, dealing with Kosla translated to survey his journey, it seems like he was as Cocoon , it’s true, that it is his own preparing for an age long war against the selection proved to be genuine and established false, misleading tradition appropriate to describe the state of art in through literature in social life. Today he our time. So it’s not something shocking, appears victorious in the sense that, he even after fifty years Kosla survived, and could alter (to a considerable extent) the not only survived but revived the way literary activity in Marathi and also could novel was written in Marathi before 1960, gather his disciples (supporters) under the naming it with a new name, banner (informally used) of ‘Nemadpanth’, ‘Navkadambari’ (New Novel) by the though a few. critics and scholars. II The novel seems to be an Kosla as per the propagation of the experiment conducted by the writer in the author is the outcome of his lifelong laboratory of realism and genuineness of observations of the things around. Nemade experiences throughout his life. He solely accepts that in Kosla his father is hundred admits by saying- percent present, he himself as the hero Kosla is the outcome of my observations (Pandurang Sangvikar) ninety percent and throughout life. (further he also mentions when it comes to Bidhar the percentage that) The tradition with which I born and reduces of course. Intention is to bring brought up (oral/folk literature) and things as it is in the work. The writer very written literature with which I got meticulously sticks to his own idea of acquainted later in my life helped me realism throughout his creative process. Volume III Issue No.I January 2013 Page 23 LITSEARCH www.litsearch.in ISSN 2277-6990 (Print) His is a very deep observation of life, aside the age long tradition of writing which he insists to bring into writing. poetry in India and more visibly in Realism no doubt is an element in Kosla. Maharashtra (Nemade: Teekasvayanvar , Nemade has his own set of ideas about 242). He considers Baba Padmanji’s realism, the theory which tempted most of Yamunaparyatan as the first Marathi novel the writers in the twentieth century, quotes and deals with the same till 1980. E. V. Kishor Sanap in his book- Ramkrishnan quotes in his essay adding in Real/ity (Truth) in literature does not mean this history with its trends from Nemade’s only the visible one. Rather, I expect the own essay in English, The Marathi Novel true understanding of entire life…Novel 1950-1975 as follows- needs to have a deep understanding of life He talks of the three trends in the history at large, an able novel does contain the of Marathi novel, the Yamunaparyatan same. (Sanap: 174) trend, the Mochangad trend, and the If Kosla is to be considered a Muktamala trend. The Muktamala trend pioneering work and a novel with ability to gives primacy to convention rather than revive the tradition of writing in Marathi, it life and may be termed as ‘Formalistic’ in becomes important to locate its place in approach. This type of novel avoids action the history of Marathi novel. Nemade in and has an affected way of narration. one of his famous essay entitled, Marathi Nemade puts the well known Marathi Kadambari: Prerana VA Swarup, outlines novelists like V. S. Khandekar, N. S. the detailed history of Marathi novel Phadke, P. B. Bhave, P. S. Rege and Baba tracing it back to the origin in Nineteenth Kadam in this category. The Mochangad century down to our own times. The trend reveals in fancy and may be counted author sees the genre of novel as one of the as ‘Popular Literature’. The dominant outcomes through the union of restless, tendency here is to produce is a ‘non- hardworking European (Basically English) existent reality’. Eminent writers like, V.