Unit – I: Wit and Humour & Sir Mokshagundam Vishveshvaraya
Wit and Humour: A Tea Party
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala was born in Cologne, Germany, into a patriotic Jewish family. They escaped to Britain in April 1939. In 1951, she married Cyrus Jhabvala , a Parsee architect whom she had met in London, and went to live with him in Delhi. She plunged in 'total immersion' into India – the jasmine, the starlit nights, the temple bells, the holy men, the heat. She bore three daughters, wore the sari and wrote of India and the Indians as if she were Indian herself. But her passionate love for India changed into its opposite. By 1975, she found she could no longer write of it nor in it.
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, died at the age of 85, achieved her greatest fame as a writer late in life, and for work she had once dismissed as a hobby – she had considered “writing film scripts” just as a recreation. Her original screenplays and adaptations of literary classics for the film producer Ismail Merchant and the director James Ivory were met with box-office and critical success. The trio met in 1961, and almost immediately became collaborators, as well as close and lifelong friends.
Her dozen novels and eight collections of short stories (and other stories published in the New Yorker and elsewhere) won Jhabvala the admiration of the sternest critics of her time. Raymond Mortimer thought she beat all other western novelists in her understanding of modern India. To CP Snow, no other living writer better afforded readers that “definition of the highest art”, the feeling “that life is this and not otherwise”. Her literary awards included the 1975 Booker prize for her eighth novel, Heat and Dust. Merchant Ivory’s 1983 film of it marked their breakthrough from art-house exclusivity to popular success.
This short story ‘A Tea Party’ is actually an episode extracted from the novel The Householder - a witty novel. The Householder is a comedy of manners. This is a charming, touching novel which is both sad and heart-warming. Jhabvala beautifully depicts 1960’s Delhi society – particularly of the low waged educated classes. The dusty crowded streets and cramped living conditions, hoards of indolent young men, inattentive in large college classrooms – the difficulty of making ends meet, the strangeness of new responsibilities, Jhabvala captures it all perfectly.
The movie The Householder (Ghar Baahar in Hindi) is the story of a shy, young, underpaid Delhi schoolteacher (Shashi Kapoor) who marries and then, little by little, gets to know his young wife, Indu (Leela Naidu), during their first year together. She is a charmer with a mind of her own, yet is as unprepared for marriage as he. This landmark film marks the first collaboration between producer Ismail Merchant, director James Ivory, and screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (adapting her acclaimed novel for the screen), who’s maintained a productive artistic relationship for forty years and produced many award-winning films.
Indu and Prem played by Leela Naidu and Shashi Kapoor
This story is actually based on a simple situation of a tea party hosted by a college principal Mr. Khanna and attended by the staff of his college along with their spouses. Prem, a teacher working in Khanna Private College, attends the party along with his newlywed wife Indu. The humour of the story arises from Indu’s innocence and carefree attitude and prem’s eager-to- please and highly self conscious behaviour. Prem and Indu dress up for the party putting on their best clothes. Indu appears to be worried at the prospect of facing so many people at the party and asks for Prem’s advice as to how she should behave there. Prem tells her to behave like an educated and respectable lady. Prem becomes a little worried and self-conscious sensing Indu’s tension.
At the party, all the men and women are seated separately in a neatly arranged circle of chairs as Mr. & Mrs. Khanna address the gathering standing in the centre. Mr. Khanna appeals to the women to be relaxed and urges them to take the snacks being distributed. Mr. Chaddha, a senior teacher, says some pleasantries to the gathering about the importance of such social gatherings and the refreshing and soothing presence of ladies. He also adds that these occasions play a very important role in improving goodwill among the staff members of the college. All through this, Prem’s behaviour is very self conscious and he is never at home during the party not knowing what to say and how to respond to what others say.
Mr. Chaddha & Mr. Khanna
Just as the evening seems to be going well, Prem is shocked on seeing Indu who is still eating from her plate even after everyone has finished and the plates are returned. He is worried if anyone has noticed Indu’s odd behaviour. He feels that Indu is eating too much and too fast. He desperately looks for some way of quietly communicating with Indu so that he could ask her to stop eating as it is not proper in such parties to eat more amounts of food. But, Indu is quite lost to her surroundings and continues to help herself with more amounts of food as she is pregnant and it is quite natural for pregnant women to have uncontrollable desires for food. Indu’s confusion is compounded when the hostess points at her and asks the servant rather loudly to get her plate as well. But Prem does not bother about all this and only wants Indu to behave correctly at the party.
As the party nears the end and everyone starts leaving, only then Prem realises that he has lost the opportunity to enjoy himself on the occasion as he has focussed only on Indu’s behaviour all the time. The story makes us sympathise with both Prem and Indu. Their uncertainty, self- consciousness and Prem’s inability to be part of all the enjoyment create humour but the story ends on a slightly sad note as it leaves both Prem and Indu unhappy and bitter. Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya
Born: September 15, 1860
Died: April 14, 1962
Achievements: Architect of Krishnarajasagar Dam; devised steel doors to stop the wasteful flow of water in dams; honored with Bharat Ratna.
Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya was an eminent engineer and statesman and played a key role in building of modern India.
Sir M. Visvesvaraya was born on September 15, 1860 in Muddenahalli village in the Kolar district of the erstwhile princely state of Mysore (present day Karnataka). His father Srinivasa Sastry was a Sanskrit scholar and Ayurvedic practitioner. His mother Venkatalakshmamma was a religious lady. He lost his father when he was only 15 years old. Visvesvaraya completed his early education in Chikkaballapur and then went to Bangalore for higher education. He cleared his B.A. Examination in 1881. He got some assistance from the Government of Mysore and joined the Science College in Poona to study Engineering. In 1883 he ranked first in the L.C.E. and the F.C.E. Examinations (equivalent to B.E. Examination of today).
When Sir M. Visvesvaraya cleared his engineering, Government of Bombay offered him a job and appointed him Assistant Engineer at Nasik. As an engineer, he achieved some marvelous feats. He planned a way of supplying water from the river Sindhu to a town called Sukkur. He devised a new irrigation system called the Block System. He devised steel doors to stop the wasteful flow of water in dams. As a result of his successful stint here, he received a promotion and sent to Hyderabad as a Chief Engineer.
Here he showed an extraordinary performance by devising a long lasting and profitable solution to the problem of recurring floods to the Musi River. He closely analised the problem and studied carefully the entire catchment area of the river. He proposed to construct two dams across the river to tame it and also made plans to beautify the entire banks of the river by laying out parks. In one stroke, he could not only come up with a permanent solution to the flood problem, he also created huge drinking water sources for the city of Hyderabad by creating Himayatsagar and Osmansagar water tanks.
Himayatsagar and Osmansagar lakes
He was instrumental also in creating facilities like an improved drainage system and electricity in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.
He later worked as the Chief Engineer in the state of Mysore where he brought about a change in the lives of millions of people transforming their lives and bringing them out from the clutches of sickness, poverty and ignorance. He was the architect of the Krishnaraja Sagara Dam in the vicinity if the famous Brindavan Gardens in Mysore is a testimony of his ingenuity and innovation. The project was meant for supplying power to the nearby Kolar goldfields. It was he during the construction of this dam that improved and modernised the working conditions besides creating security and medical facilities there. In order to meet the deadline and complete the project in time he ordered to carry out the work non-stop even during the night by using the bright Washington lights. The list is endless.
Sir M. Visvesvaraya led a very simple life. He was a strict vegetarian and a teetotaler. He was known for his honesty and integrity. In 1912, Maharaja of Mysore appointed Visvesvaraya as his Dewan. Before accepting the position of Dewan of Mysore, he invited all his relatives for dinner. He told them very clearly that he would accept the prestigious office on the condition that none of them would approach him for favours. He was very honest besides being a true patriot. He never used his power or influence for his own benefit or for the benefit of his relations or friends. At the same time, he was very considerate and compassionate as he readily helped anyone who came to him seeking assistance. He was also a fearless patriot who never hesitated to confront his British superiors when it came to the nation’s integrity or honour. He also possessed a fine sense of humour as was displayed on several occasions as in the case of a British official who demanded a table to rest his feet as the chair provided was very high. Vishveshwaraya promptly got the legs of the chair cut shortening its height and intimated the official that he now did not need any footrest!
As Dewan of Mysore, he worked tirelessly for educational and industrial development of the state. When he was the Dewan many schools and new industries came up. The number of schools more than doubled in Mysore state during his tenure. The Sandal Oil Factory, the Soap Factory, the Metals Factory, the Chrome Tanning Factory were some of the industries set up during the period. Of the many factories he started, the most important is the Bhadravathi Iron and Steel Works.
Sir M. Visvesvaraya voluntarily retired as Dewan of Mysore in 1918. He worked actively even after his retirement volunteering his services to the Bhadravathi factory to restore its fortunes when it was in trouble. He was also a great orator and always prepared meticulously even when he was to address school students. Sir M. Visvesvaraya was honored with Bharat Ratna in 1955 for his invaluable contribution to the nation. When he reached the age of 100, the Government of India brought out a stamp in his honor. Sir Visvesvaraya passed away on April 14, 1962 at the age of 101.
Some of the honours and laurels conferred on Sir M. Visvesvaraya
1904: Honorary Membership of London Institution of Civil Engineers for an unbroken period of 50 years
1906: ‘Kaisar-i-Hind’ in recognition of his services
1911: C.I.E. (Companion of the Indian Empire) at the Delhi Darbar
1915: K.C.I.E. (Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire)
1921: D.Sc. - Calcutta University
1931: LLD - Bombay University
1937: D.Litt - Benaras Hindu University
1943: Elected as an Honorary Life Member of the Institution of Engineers (India)
1944: D.Sc. - Allahabad University
1948: Doctorate - LLD., Mysore University
1953: D.Litt - Andhra University
1953: Awarded the Honorary Fellowship of the Institute of Town Planners, India
1955: Conferred ‘BHARATHA RATNA’
1958: ‘Durga Prasad Khaitan Memorial Gold Medal’ by the Royal Asiatic Society Council of Bengal
1959: Fellowship of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore