Indian Literature for International Publishing – an Area of Vast Potential ( sub-theme b Asian Literature for International Publishing) Dipavali Debroy

Introduction: Indian literature has a vast potential for international publishing, especially publishing in South East Asia. In this is the era of Globalization , books, magazines, graphic novels, comics and other such product must suit the tastes and requirements of the global market. If collaborative efforts are made among South East Asian countries, they can be come more of a global presence. Section 1

In respect of children’s literature for the global market, three broad requirements can be identified : a. lots of action , often set in exotic places b. use of supernatural or magical power c. certain perennial values and /or contemporary issues.

Children and young people all over the world want reading material that is action- packed and fast-paced. They also want that action to be occurring in distant and unfamiliar lands, even outer space. Technological progress and mechanization of the previous two centuries have robbed the world of a certain quality of magic and make-believe. So the use of supernatural power or magic is now in demand . Underneath all this however, there persists a basic or perennial faith in certain values like courage, peace, honesty and goodness. It is in the light of these three requirements or criteria that I will discuss the market potential of Indian literature in Asian-cum- International publishing. Again , Indian literature to be discussed can be divided broadly into Traditional (or Ancient) and Modern ( or Contemporary), according to the time-periods they belong to, and the consequent characteristics. I will further categorize the Modern Indian literature into that composed while was under British colonial rule, and that written after India achieved Independence in August 1947. Thus there will be really three categories really, viz., Traditional-cum-Ancient Modern Pre-Independence Modern Post-Independence

Section 2

Traditional-cum-Ancient Literature

The period is just as long as it is rich. The general impression is that the Vedas (spanning mid-2nd to mid-1st millennium) are just hymns and prayers addressed to various deities. But they contain many interesting stories, told starkly and simply, that have been developed into longer ones in the Mahabharata and the Puranas. E.g., the story of Indra and Dadhichi, and Urvashi and Pururavas. The Upanishads ( 5th-6th BC) are teachings of sages to young pupils sitting at his feet. But though highly philosophical, they are mostly in the form of stories and anecdotes. Kings and sages figure there, as do ordinary people and even animals. The

1 background is usually hermitage in the forests, though there are household and courts scenes as well. The Ramayana originally composed in Sanskrit in 5th-4th BC) is an epic known all across the world, especially in South East Asia, which has its own versions of it. The original narrates the story of Ram, who is a god descended on earth to give good governance to the kingdom whose prince he is born as, as well as save the entire Indian subcontinent from evil demons. Ram and his brother Lakshman had all sorts of exciting adventures – in forests and hills and among demons and monkeys in the unknown and unmapped lands. The epic Mahabharata ( dated early 4th BC) narrates how, long, long ago, the northern parts of India were torn apart by a major family fight which developed into a most destructive war. It was fought between the Kauravs and Pandavs who were really a branch of the Kaurav family of Hastinapur. The Kauravs and the Pandavs fought over who should inherit the kingdom, and enlisted the support of many other royal families. Krishna ( a god descended on earth, another form of Ram) and some family elders tried to negotiate for peace. But Duryodhan, the eldest of the Kaurav branch was not ready to yield. Yudhisthir, the eldest of the Pandav branch was a most peace-loving person, but his wife Draupadi and his brothers Bheem and Arjun were all for war. The dry plains of Kurukshetra became muddy with blood. Many magical weapons lit up the sky and shook the earth. The Pandavs won and around their victory (jaya), a long tale named Jaya came to be woven by traveling minstrels. This tale became richer and longer with time, as vast (maha) as India (Bharata) itself. The Jaya became the Mahabharata. Throughout this vast work, values such as courage, respect, righteousness and peace are highlighted. Apart from the central story of the Pandavs and the Kauravs, there are innumerable other stories, each likely to fascinate a global readership. The Puranas ( literally, old or ancient) are basically eighteen , although there are many lesser works claiming to be Puranas. Evolving between 3000 to 1000 AD, the Puranas are bursting full of colourful stories about deities, demons, men, spirits, animals and birds all imbued with magic powers. The first ever piece of work to be composed specifically for young people was the Panchatantra. Vishnu Sharma, a learned scholar , did it for the purpose of putting some diplomatic sense into the heads of three mischievous princes. Vishnu Sharma put all his tenets (tantra) learning and wisdom into five (pancha) groups of stories about birds and animals, and narrated them to the three princes, transforming them completely. Lively yet full of wisdom, the Panchatantra stories spread to other countries as well and have been translated and trans-created in a variety of ways. Kathasaritsagar (Ocean of Stories) is a vast collection of stories by Somdeva , a writer of the 11th century. It is enlivened by gods, demons, spirits, human beings, birds and animals. Kings and queens, princes and princesses (like Sahasranika, Udayana , Mrigavati and Patali) figure in them as do common people ( like Bhojika, Shubhadatta). The characters face curious and sometimes dangerous situations which draw out their bravery and resourcefulness. Other works in this category are stories from the Vetalapanchavimshati , still quite popular, is an – century collection of intriguing stories told by a spirit or ghost to a king. The Jatakas ( Chadok in Thai) are famous all over South Asia. Composed around the 4th century, they are the earliest Buddhist literature ( all that I have mentioned so far was Hindu ). They are stories about the previous lives of the Buddha, in both human

2 and animal forms. They too feature royalty as well as common folks, businessmen as well as monks, and underscore the values of compassion and peace. It is these Let us note here that most of the above literature were originally in the oral tradition, although they came to be written down in Sanskrit and regional languages derived from Sanskrit. The entire epic of the Mahabharata was in the form of a narration. Even now, the epics and the Puranas used to be read out aloud and acted out as plays or musicals, in both households and village gatherings. This oral narration was usually accompanied by scroll-paintings and other visual equipment. Jataka stories were frescoed in the walls of the Ajanta and Ellora caves, and carved out in stupas like the one in Sanchi. These are probably among the earliest comic strips or graphic novels in the world.

This first category is thus mythological, with a strong value base. Spiritual persuasions of India figure in most of them, endowing them with a magical charm. Humans pray to gods and get fantastic boons, with delightful as well as disastrous consequences. Demons and sky-spirits people the world along with birds and animals. First, they can always be adapted to synchronize with the contemporary world. Besides, their charm is really timeless, and even without adaptation, will surely enthrall today’s young.

Section 3 Modern Pre-Independence Literature

By mid-19th century, printed books had made their appearance in India, and in several regions, notably ( inclusive of present ), there were several children’s books which have a potential for the world market today. Trailokyanath Mukhopadhyaya’s Kankaboti ( published late 19th century)is a tale of two teenagers victimized by reactionary forces resisting British modernization. The boy is socially boycotted and girl develops brain fever leading to the most delightfully fantastic dreams involving ghosts, demons tigers, elephants and even mosquitoes. At the end of the dream and the fever, the two young things are united in marriage. His Muktamala ( published at the turn of the century) is similarly delightful but purposive. Rajarshi ( written in late 19th century)by addresses the issue of animal sacrifice as a ritual of worship, a custom prevalent in large parts of India. The novel is set in Tripura, a north-eastern province of India. The sight of the blood of the sacrificed animals pains two small children, and sets the King of Tripura thinking about the cruelty of the ritual. He bans it and many people react adversely. Set in Mughal times, the novel is intertwined is the issue of succession to the throne of Tripura, as well as the Mughal Empire, where brothers fight brothers for the throne. `Guptadhan’ by Tagore ( written between 1914 and 1917) is a mystery story involving decoding of a secret message and finding lost treasure. But what makes it great literature is that once the protagonist finds the treasure in a deep underground well, he realizes how meaningless it is, and how the real treasure is in the green gold in the form of crops and plants. By early 20th century there had also begun the re-telling of stories about the Indian heritage, delicately purposed to revive nationalist pride. In Rajkahini, Abanindranath Tagore retold the heroic tales of the feudal lords of Rajasthan. In Nalak, he tells the story of Buddha through a kid named Nalak who had

3 left home to become a disciple of the Buddha.In Thakurmar Jhuli , Dakshinaranjan Mitramajumdar brought together stories that grandmothers used to tell the children to make them go to sleep, invoking images of kings, demons, brave princes and talking birds and animals. In Kerala in 1909, Kottarthil Sankuni brought together in 1909 a collection of century-old legends, the Aitihyamala(Itihyamala), peopled with magicians, landlords, courtiers, ayurvedic doctors, elephant-keepers and yakshis ( she-demons). Stalwarts writers like Prem Chand, Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyaya wrote mainly for adults, but some of their work has been adapted for the young. Bibhuti Bhushan Bandopadhyaya’s (The Song of the Road,1929) has been immortalized as a film by . But a few other novelettes of Bibhuti Bhushan Bandopadhyaya are also likely to find interest with the young readers today all across the world, e.g., Chander Pahar ( The Mountain of the Moon, 1937) , an adventure story set in the heart of . Mishmider Kabach, Maraner Danka Baje and Heera Manik Jvale( Jewels Sparkle) too are tales of adventure and treasure hunt. The last is even set in a South-East Asian location – could be even the Angkor Vat! Behind the adventure and treasure hunt is a deeper message for the youth : get out of the confines of your village or town and into the wide world of challenges; prove that Indians- even rural lads from India – can conquer the mysteries of the vast unknown. Other examples of this genre are Jakher Dhan ( The Yaksha’s Treasure,1930) and its sequel Abar Jakher Dhan (1933) by Hemendra Kumar Roy. This category contains less of magic and is more down-to-earth. But they address issues relevant to the leas developed countries breaking out of colonial shackles. They show how the youth from obscure corners of a country can meet the challenges from any part of the world. They carry a message of encouragement to the young. Most South Asian countries have similar background, and although the children of today have no direct memories of those times, they will surely recognize and respond to the common elements. By then the use of Sanskrit had become a thing of the past. Literature of this category is languages like Bengali, Hindi Tamil, that is, local languages derived from Sanskrit. The oral tradition was dying out. Illustrations were usually black-and-while, sometimes in half-tones. Such literature may have become dated in terms of technical or practical details. But that makes them even more valuable because they would provide the youth of today what the youth of yesterday had to make do with. No mobikes or mobiles, but they too had their adventure. Besides, these stories can be adapted to modern times, and given the veneer of the twenty-first century, keeping the core plots or themes unaffected. In most of these cases, there are likely to be no copyright problems because a hundred years have passed since their publication. Section 4

Modern Post-Independence

After independence, the upward trend in vernacular writing and publishing continued, accompanied with a parallel trend in illustration and designing, both in black-and-white and full colour. Translations and adaptations too became more easily available. In addition, there began a trend of Indian writing in English. This was in keeping with a general trend, but for children’s literature in English, the pioneer was Ruskin Bond who has been writing since the 1950s.His stories and novelettes for

4 children are more than 30 in number, and his Blue Umbrella is especially popular. Bond writes about everyday experiences of ordinary folk, and sets them mostly in the Himalayan foothills. A deep appreciation of nature and a sense of peace pervade his work.

A remarkable feature of the post-Independence period was the growth of detective fiction, science fiction, fantasy and stories about strange or inexplicable phenomena. Since the 1960s, Satyajit Ray has been the pioneer in this field, with his stories of the young detective Feluda , the space-traveling scientist Shonku, the flesh-eating plant Septopus and many other unforgettable figures. Others like Sunil Gangopadhyaya and Shirshendu Mukhopadhaya too have added to the stock of these detective-cum- adventure stories. Later, since the mid-1990s, Subhadra Sengupta has added a new dimension to these by placing them in the past, specifically, the Mughal period in Indian history. In addition, since the late 1970s, there has developed literature addressed to contemporary issues and themes, interspersed with perennial ideals and values. These are likely to have a great appeal for international readers. I offer a few examples. Arup K.Dutta’s Kaziranga Trail is on the theme of wildlife preservation. The doom on the rhinoceros of north-east India are likely to have an appeal to the children of South Asia. S.O.S. From Muniya by Nilima Sinha is about deprived children of central India, who are sometimes treated as bonded labour even after its legal abolition. Kusum, by Dipavali Debroy, that is, myself, also deals with the treatment of child labour, especially, the girl-child. In several short stories and novels, authors Deepa Aggarwal, Devika Rangachari have treated the problems of nuclear families, broken homes, adoption, and the treatment of family elders. Disabilities and diseases too have been dealt with. I AM SONA by Manorama Jafa is a brilliant example, where teenager Sona is shocked to learn, through a blood test taken at school, that she is HIV Positive. With her mother and school teachers to inform and advise her, the spirited girl faces , and even joins the worldwide fight against HIV/AIDS , participating in an AIDS Awareness March. South Africa, South East Asia. India and in fact most parts of the world are under the threat of AIDS. This book, and others of its kind, thus need to be written, translated and perhaps adapted to fit various localities and communities. Its core value is of undeniable relevance to the world, and yes, the world market. An international conference in 2012 organized in by the Association of Writers and Illustrators (AWIC) and convened by Dr Ira Saxena, a trained psychologist as well as a noted writer, studied the therapeutic value The book Lighthouse in the Storm, released on the occasion, contains stories about how books can help in traumatic situations caused, for example, by accidents natural and man-made, family problems, war , terrorist attacks. Similar stories would be of immense applicability and appeal in South Asian countries, which, like India , are quite vulnerable to such factors. Thus our third category (Modern Post Independence) contains literature woven around contemporary issues that are also universal, and identifiable by the young of several nations. As such, international publishers are most likely to have a large and growing market for this third category. Copyright may pose a problem here because the authors in many cases are still there with us, and even when they are not ( e.g., Satyajit Ray and Sunil Gangopadhyaya),

5 they are not deceased long enough for there to be no copyright. But this may be worked out with their legal heirs. Besides, the point is not duplication of existing works but their trans-creation, adaptation, extension and innovation. In venturing along those lines, the Intellectual Property Rights may be respected yet bypassed. In the context of the first category (Traditional-cum-Ancient), the oral-cum-visual tradition had been mentioned. In respect of the third category ( Modern Post- Independence), we find a resurfacing of the visual tradition , in the form of comic strips and graphic novels. Some, like the prolific Amar Chitra Katha( Immortal Picture Tales) series pioneered by Anant Pai in 1967, are a rendering of traditional tales, which is being continued innovatively by publishers like Campfire. Indrajal Comics and Diamond Comics however provide a blend of everyday situation and magic, action and fantasy. Detective works ( e.g., Satyajit Ray’s Feluda stories) too have been converted recently into graphic form. Comics and graphic novels have a language of their own and can cater to a vast international market. There is a basic similarity of dress, surroundings and situations among most South Asian countries that is lacking between them and advanced western countries of Europe and the U.S.A. So comics and graphics set in one Asian country may need less re-designing to be adapted to another Asian country This will mean less cost, and thus more profits for publishers. Animation and Digitalization are part of the publishing scene now. Indian literature (especially, though not exclusively) of the first and third categories provide most promising material for application of such modern technology. Of course, digital rights management should be given every care. The same goes for e-books and other evolving forms of publication.

Section 5 Emerging Conclusions

From this survey, it is clear that children’s literature in India, ranging from Ancient to Modern times, fulfill all the three requirements mentioned at the start of this paper. They have d. lots of action , often set in exotic places e. use of supernatural or magical power f. certain perennial values and /or contemporary issues. So South Asian authors and publishers have a lot to gain if they can come together in terms of exchange of themes as well as collaboration, co-publishing and even joint efforts at marketing and sales. A healthy discussion among the countries should yield results that are culturally beneficial as well as economically advantageous. United, they have a better chance against the usual Western publications flooding the market. Efforts to use Indian literature in International Publishing would involve greater role of translators, editors, artists and designers, as well as technological personnel in the area of printing, digital or otherwise. It is the translators and trans-creators who will enable the books of one language and/or country to reach the wider, outer world. Their emolument and recognition should be commensurate. Editors too should be chosen carefully, and be better rewarded and recognized. In the appropriate presentation of Indian literature to the rest of the world, they have a big role to play. (This point has been made by Amita Baviskar in the seminar on `Social Sciences and Humanities Publishing Today: Crossroads or New Vistas?’, organized by The Tesjeshwar Singh Memorial Trust and the India International Centre, Delhi, on 22

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March, 2013). Illustrators and Designers too have a most responsible role to play. It is they who can convey the authentic details and therefore the right flavour. In the process of translation and adaptation, new works of literature too may be created , e.g., those set in , say, Singapore or Bali by involving one or more Indian character, and vice versa. Another possibility is of that of co-publishing. India has the wherewithal to publish children’s books from India and other South Asian countries in large numbers and at low cost, for simultaneous release and distribution throughout the world. Anand Bhushan, a former President of the Federation of Indian Publishers (FIP), has argued for liberal translation and publishing subsidies from the government of the countries entering into co-publishing. He has pointed out that India has already done so with Korea and Japan. Surely, this is a hopeful sign for the future.

I therefore conclude by reaffirming my basic contention: In this era of globalization, Indian literature has a vast potential for international publishing, especially South East Asian publishing. There are vast grounds across the globe that are simply thirsting for good books, old and new. South Asia must get together and plant its own seeds and saplings for the world to harvest and draw its nourishment from.

Reference :

 Children’s Literature in India, Children’s Book Trust, New Delhi, 1999  Writer and Illustrator, Journal of the Indian Section of IBBY, Vol. 31, Nos 3&4 and Vol. 32, No1, Special Issue on International Conference On Book Therapy – Reading is Healing  ` Children’s Book Publishing: A New Dimension’, Anand Bhushan, Writer and Illustrator, Journal of the Indian Section of IBBY, Vol.27, No.4, Special issue on Indo-Russian Seminar on Cross Cultural Flow of Children’s Books

Submitted by

Dipavali Debroy Life member and EC member, AWIC

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