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Home , Makarand Paranjape, Meenakshi Mukherjee

BOOK REVIEW

• • by , • Indian Institute of Advanced Study Towards a Poetics of The Indian Novel in English ,2000,pp. 143, Rs.200. • •

"Those, who like reading plays and critical intervention lies in the fact that discussed later on in this eassy.I would, novels, should contemplate as to why and long after the publication of Meenakshi however, start with the "Introduction" with what expectations they read them. Mukherjee's two important books and the last chapter, "Towards a Poetics If they are entertained by reading the (which were also an attempt to theorise of the Indian English Novel" which form wonderful incidents rendered therein, I the Indian English novel), namely The the nucleus of his critical enterprise. want to ask them if there is any incident Twice Born Fiction (1971)and Realism and Makarand's aim is 'to propose both a more wonderful than the whole process of creation by God in any kind of Reality: The Novel and Society in typology and a method of evaluation', literature? .. Sahitya (literature) can't (1985),his is the hitherto most sustained as the blurb has it, in order to provide a exist without dharma (truth), because critical discourse on the poetics (that is, reasonably good idea of what to 'expect Sahitya is rooted in truth. Truth is nature scope and significance) of the when we pick up an lE novel' (Intro.Ll). dharma. If there is a kind of literature Indian English novel. Critics like K.R.S. He self-consciously employs the which originates from and is full of Iyengar, CD. Narasimhaiah and M.K. structuralist method to interrogate and adharma (untruth), it will only please an Naik have written excellent critical explore the idea of the lE novel, which immoral or perverted reader." surveys of the lE novel; but the project yields, in spite of its inherent dangers of -Bankim Chandra (173-74) of writing a well-argued theory of large generalisations and explanations, "... true creation is the realisation of Indian English novel remains ignored 'not just epistemic but aesthetic rewards' truth through the translation of it into our and incomplete. Here, I must mention (lntro.11). True, indeed. Even the most own symbols." -R.N. Tagore (21) the seminal significance of Prof. Kapil orthodox post-structuralists have to use "... (True) art is that which leads a Kapoor's essay, "Theory of The Novel: a discursive 'structure' in order to man one step forward on the path of The Indian View" (80-96) which also dismantle an already existing structure. morality and gives him elevated views. traces the evolution of prose narratives By poetics Makarand implies the If it degrades him ethically, it is not art, in Indian tradition and suggests detailed "different and related perspectives" on but only obsenity." -M.K. Gandhi (225) typologies of the Indian novel. Maka- the lE novel, which might constitute a rand expands the scope of Prof. 'theory of lE novel' (Intro.ll). It is "The' greatness' of literature cannot be determined only by literary standards; Kapoor's discourse by offering a theory neither normative nor prescriptive in though we must remember that whether that takes care of the 'poetics' as well as intent or execution, as the term 'poetics' it is literature or not can be determined the 'politics' of the lE novel. Hence, the seems to connote. His main concern is only by the literary standards." added importance of Makarand's title 'the identity of the lE novel' (Intro.12) - T.S. Eliot (97) that may help a discerning reader to and its interconnec-tions with language, properly evaluate and situate such (old class, caste, political affiliations, and To begin an analysis of Makarand and new) practitioners of the lE fiction formal orientations. The final essay, Paranjape's latest book, Towards a Poetics as , Anand, R.K. Narayan, from which the book under review gets of the Indian English Novel, with the views Salman Rushdie, , its title, focuses on the relevance of of four eminent writers/thinkers of the , Anita Oesai, purusharthas in defining our narrative twentieth century on the meaning and , , Amit traditions and using them as aesthetic, value of literature may seem to be a Chaudhary, ,and others who instead of ethical categories. In short, critical non-starter. The spiritual imper- have made itbig in the west, in the broad Makarand wants to tell us how best we ative that underlies Makarands dis- framework of Indian civilization. can use our shared dharmic context in the course is that a poetics of Indian Makarand divides his book in five construction of an indigenous theory of (English) novel should be grounded in tightly written chapters apart from an the lE novel. His discursive framework the 'civilizational or spiritual imaginary' "Introduction". The first four chapters, is precisely neo-Gandhian and he is, (that is the 'sanatan or eternal' dharma) namely "The Ideology of Form: The perhaps, the first critic in Indian of Indian society. This is what connects Novel Across Cultures", "Inside and metropolitan academy to have him to a tradition of modern writers/ Outside the Whale: Politicsand the New advocated the application of a Gandhian thinkers like Bankim, Tagore, Auro- English Novel", "The Caste of Indian perspective to the interpret-ation of lE bindo, Gandhi, T.S. Eliot and Milan English Novel", and "The Anglo-Indian novel. In his "Introduction", he lays bare Kundera, to name only a few, who link as Indo- Anglian: Ideology, Politics and his critical politics: literature with truth (satya) or spiritu- Cross-Cultural Representation" deal ality. Having said that, let me hasten to extensively with the cultural politics of If we were to use a Gandhian add that the significance of Makarand's the Indian English novel which will be perspective for example, we would

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immediately see that for a reductive utterances, that Makarand 1995).The Indian critics, by and large, contemporary text to be dharmic, it seems to be concerned more with the accepted the western parameters of should be aligned to the interests of civilizational politics (or poetics) of the 'novel' as the defining marks of the lE the people of this country; it should, Indian novel, than with the poetics ofthe novel. Makarand foregrounds the in fact, make the life of the poorest of lE novel only. Where and what is the hitherto unchallenged critical amnesia our poor slightly better. That is, after harm, he seems to counter-question about the Indian narrative tradition all, the implication of the Gandhian Frederic Jameson, if most of the third- which ought to have been the originary talisman. (Intro. 17) world narratives turn out to be the source of the theory of the Indian national allegories? The tone and tenor (English)novel. After making allowance This is no innocent aesthetics; its of his discourse is quite critical and for 's two brilliant deconstructive potential may undercut interrogative of the claims and critical interventions (Twice-Born Fiction the many-uncritically-accepted myths contentions of the lE literature - which and Realism and Reality), he laments the about the aesthetic as well as the cultural enables him to say with certitude that fact that all Indian critics consider the significance of the post-Rushdie lE the book may invite his colleagues' novel as an imported genre whose origin novel(ists). Thus, Makarand's neo- wrath and dismay. Buthe doesn't glorify is traced to the "colonialistic invention Gandhian theory and praxis may set a the bhasa writers at the expense of the lE of prose in Indian languages, to the wild cat among the pigeons of Indian novelists. The sensibility, according to translation of the Bible into these English Academy; it offers a sound him, is more important than the : languages, to the spread of print- discursive template for a much-needed medium. And it is an open question technology, and the rise of anew, re-construction of Indian theory of whether the bhasa writers always literate, English middle-class" (79-80). narratology. One hopes (as well as fears) portray the Indian sensibility more Makarand takes a cue from Bhal- that the kind of socio-civilizational successfully and meaningfully, though chandra Nemade's influential essay, critique of the lE novel he builds up,in they have "greater scope and capacity "Marathi Kadambari: Prerana va his book may trigger off a radical re- to represent our experience" (Intro.19) Swarupa" to underline the need to assessment of some of the acclaimed than the lE writers do. The whole regard the Indian novel" as an indige- writers of the lE fiction. The spurious agenda is to interrogate what kind of nous outcrop, a native response to reputations, advertised, hyped-up and place lE writers occupy in the Indian changing economic, social, and cultural manipulated through the masterful "cultural spectrum" even if that means forces" (80). It is worthwhile to quote manoeuvres of market forces and the "bringing lE literature down a few Nemade here: native-peddlers of the west-sponsored notches from its surplus elitism and The novel is not an entirely English theory, would fall apart if one were to putting it in its 'proper' place" (Intro.20). form: its origin too is not English. If agree with what Makarand says: It is with these expectations and one were to search its origin, one anxieties that we open the last chapter, In other words, the values that the would have to move from country to "Towards a Poeticsof the Indian English text espouses should interrogate the country and refer to various writers Novel" which remains the tour de force dominant ideology and work for a and works like Decameron, Bendelioe, of the book as it is radically bold and more equitable distribu tion ofpower, the Panchatantra, and so on. Max surely subversive in nature. Etymol- wealth, and well-being .... If the Mueller has established through ogically, 'novel' comes from Latin Indian nation itselfisbelieved to have Baghdad and Constantinople, to all 'novus' which, as Makarand aptly tells been founded upon similar, of Europe .... It may then be possible us, is quite close to Sanskrit 'navas'. egalitarian premises, then a modem to realize that though the novel as a Even the Sanskkrit word 'naval' has the literary text ought to assist in the form of literature came to India same meaning as its English equivalent incomplete and unfinished project of through our contact with the English, 'novel' (new). Largely because of the nation-building .... Yet it is equally it is not entirely new in India as a form consequence of Empire-building, the obvious that such a perspective must of writing (cited by Makarand on p. notion of eighteenth century realistic be applied in the broadest possible 81). manner. ... Indeed, we must allow narrative as 'novel proper' got uncritical for artistic excellenceeven when such acceptance and recognition in the Hence, the case for locating the a dharmic project is (seemingly) colonised parts of the world. The modem Indian novel in our civilization- absent in a text. Artistic freedom, devaluation of realism in the contemp- ally-loaded native narrative tradition. then, is sacrosanct, provid-ed that a orary European fiction made V.S. Makarand reserves a sound verbal text subscribes to the overall Naipaul pronounce the death of the drubbing for the tribe of "free-floating, civilizational aims of a nation. In case novel in this manner: "... the best fiction deracinated, nation-less intellectuals" it doesn't, the text will not survive." was written between 1830's and 1895 for whom the very existence of such an (Intro.17-18) ... the novel has been dead for nearly a essentialistic thing as "India or Indian hundred years now" (quoted in the Civilization" may be a myth; but a car, It is in these prophetic, yet seemingly Literary Supplement ofthe Hindu,S May a house, a British Council or Fulbright

SUMMERHILL: HAS REVIEW 0 19 0 Winter 2000 BOOK REVIEW fellowship, and so on, will remain very national acclaim only after its recogni- by nationalism is largely 'kriti' type (e.g. real and tangible" (82). In the second tion abroad. Similarly, the gramina or the Kanthapura, Untouchable, Coolie, The part of the chapter, "The Novel in Indian rural (the subaltern) as refleted in Sword and the Sickle, Kandan the Patriot, Civilization", he traces the origin of the Untouchable and Kanthapura was first Waiting for Mahatma, etc.) Similarly, Indian narrative tradition to the first recognized at the global level, and most of the postmodernistie lE fiction chapter of Bharata's Natyashastra in subsequently, at the national level. In the may be called 'riti' or 'pratikriti' type which he makes Brahma say "I shall fourth section of the essay, Makarand which foregrounds verbal and stylistic make a fifth Veda on Natya with the deals with the cultural politics of Indian gimmicry. All the social problem novels, semi-historical tales (itihasa), which will English Literature highlighting the including those written by women conduce to duty (dharma), wealth (artha) inadequacy of English in expressing the novelists, may be included in the 'kriti ... will give guidance to the people of subtleties of the Indian sensibilities. This or action-oriented' category. It is the future as well in all their actions ... explains the absence of any dalit or folk interesting to note that the famous " (cited by Makarand on p. 83).To put it literature in the lE literature. The Indian poet-aesthete, Bhoj in his simply, all narratives must, directly or geography of the Indian English novel, Sringaraprakasha, suggests at least 24 indirectly, explore, expound and uphold because of its urban, elitist-middle class- categories of 'katha'. Prof. Kapil Kapoor dharma in the tradition of Indian location, is quite limited. He also points also offers very useful typologies of narratology. The four cardinal principles out the unfortunate trend in the 'katha' (90). He suggests five sub- (purusharthas) of existence, that is, contemporary criticism of the lE novel divisions of katha-i. Parikatha (i.e. dharma (duty), artha (wealth), kama which regards the lE literature as the string of anecdotes related to one (desire), and moksha(liberation) are the literature of migrancy and hybridity, a theme), ii. Sakalakatha (i.e.multi-theme civilizational coordinates of the Indian "strange and perverse cultural product illustrative stories), iii. Upkatha or narrative tradition. The Ramayana, the which is always between two cultural Upakhyana (i.e. sub-narrative), iv. Mahabharaia, Manimekhalai, Silapaddi- systems, belonging to neither" (94). Khandakatha or re-writen story, v. karam, Kathasaritsagar (ocean of stories), These writers live in the metropolitan Brihatkatha or complex and total Brihatkatha and the Panchatantra-all West but write about India almost com- narrative. Makarand also divides the point up to the prominence of dharma pulsively and regularly (like Rushdie, evolution of the lE novel into four in the Indian tradition. Here, the word Naipaul, Bharati Mukherjee, Rohinton historical periods-i. The Colonial dharma connotes eternal dharma, which Mistry, Jhabvala, AmitChaudhary, and Beginnings: 1835-1900, ii. The is common to all the religious traditions others), fostering a kind of orientalism Nationalist era: 1900-1950, iii. The of the world--Hinduism,Buddhism, propelled by the "power and might of Modernist Interlude: 1950-1980, iv. [ainism, Islam, Sikhism, Christianity and Euro-American media and publishing Postmodernism: 1980 onwards. In the Zoroastrianism. The Significance of conglomerates" (94). The national seventh part of his essay, he focuses on dharma has been re-emphasized culture as it is represented in the lE the achievement of the lE novel, and through the Bhakti saint-poets and the novel, is "usually an inferior and colon- attempts to prove, by using the dharma- sacrifices of such modern thinkers/ ized culture" (95). That is why oriented poetics, that Raja Rao, of all the activists as Rammohan Roy, Rama- Makarand calls it 'sub-imperial' as it existing lE novelists comes closest to be krishna Paramhansa, Sri Aurobindo, derives its recognition from the called a great novelist. No doubt, his Vivekananda, Gandhi and Tagore. All international imperial order, and yet claims about Raja Rao's greatness as a the narratives (old or new) produced in never attains a status of equality or novelist may well be contested; but they Indian society are consciously or dignity in that order. He concludes this emerge convincingly from a practical unconsciously grounded in the dharma- part by defining "the dharma of an lE application of the proposed poetics to purushartha axis. novelist as the will and ability to resist Rao's works. In the third part of the essay, the values of western modernity and to In the first chapter, "The Ideology of Makarand suggests the three workable demonstrate the continuing relevance of Form: The Novel Across Cultures", types of the IE novel, that is, the the cardinal principles of Indian Makarand contests the notion that the imperial, the sub-imperial, and the civilization" (96). Third World novel is, indeed, different subaltern, depending on the nature of In the fifth section, Makarand from the Western novel. He questions relationship between the leoal, the suggests three aesthetic categories, 'kriti, the very logic of sociological determin- national and the global, or the tension pratikriti and riti', of the lEnovel. 'Kriti', ism implicit in the Marxist base- between the marg and the desi, or the as Nemade defines it, is "employed to superstructure model of criticism which great traditions and the little traditions. indicate action and pratikriti to indicate renders a novel as a product of certain These terms, as he rightly argues, are at illusion or image", whereas "riti" is used socio-economic conditions. In his view, once aesthetic and political. The to "denote design - consciousness, and "the novel is not just acted upon, but in typologies may conflict or overlap as the a formalistic, entertaining, affected and trun acts upon society itself" (13). The examples of Gitanjali and Pather Panchali non-realistic aestheticism" (97). Going difference is more strategic than real and suggest. In both the cases, the local won by this typology, the lE fiction, inspired is invoked only to escape "universal-

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ization and subordination" or to "create a culture. Is there a real India? It is more Premchand who has this to offer on the an alternative space from which to useful to highlight the unreal images of meaning of literature: function ... " (34).The second chapter, India in the IE novel, which, as Maka- Literature which does not stimulate "Inside and Outside the Whale", rand tells us, exhibits the two syndr- our good taste, does not satisfy us analyzes the ideological trajectory of the omes, the NRI and the RNI (resident morally and spiritually, does not pro- IE political novel of the 80's and 90's by non-Indians), Thus, he critiques the duce in us strength and activity, does offering different readings of two textual politics of such writers as not awaken our love of beauty-which important writers, George Orwell and Rohinton Mistry, Firdaus Kanga, does not produce in us genuine determ- Salman Rushdie. Upamanyu Chatterjee, Salman Rushdie, ination and real strength to overcome The third chapter, "The Caste of the and Nayantara Sahgal. difficulties-is useless for us today. It Indian English Novel" lays bare, as All in all, Makarand Paranjapes does not deserve to be called Makarand himself says, the "pseudo- book, as I presume, is provocative 'literature'. (13) sociology" of the lE novel. He also enough to elicit sharp reactions from WORKSCITED examines how and with what politico- inside and outside the Academy. It cultural inputs the lE novel depicts really goes to his credit that he has Bankim Chandra, Bankim Chandra Pratinidhi caste. He also makes a caste-profile of produced a 'poetics' of the Indian Nibandha, ed A.S. Bhattacharya, New : the leading IE novelists and suggests English novel to fill in a long-standing National Book Trust, 1995. T.5. Eliot, "Religion and Literature" in Selected that the IE novel, under various liberal critical gap. He has made a significant Prose of T.S. Eliot, ed. Frank Kermode, influences, is de-brahmanising itself. contribution to the project of construct- London: Faber and Faber, 1975. The next chapter, "Anglo-Indian as ing an alternative, indigenous literary Prem Chand, "The Aim of Literature" in Indo-Anglian: Ideology, Politics and theory. His book is even more subver- Sahitya Ka Uddeshya, Allahabad, 1967. Cross-Cultural Representation" is about sively critical and radical in approach R.N. Tagore, Creative Unity, Madras, "writing versus being written". Maka- than Ganesh Devy's After Amnesia Macrnillan, 1979, First pub. 1992. rand's argument is that in the "fictional (1992).What is even more surprising is M.K. Gandhi, cited in The Diary of Mahadev Desai, , Navjivan, 1932. territory that is India, the Indo-Anglians the fact that while self-consciously Kapil Kapoor, "Theory of the Novel" in Indian have gradually edged out the Anglo- writing a poetics of Indian Englishnovel, Response to Literary Theories, ed. RS. Pathak, Indians-a proposition which is in Makarand seems to have prepared the : Creative Books, 1996. keeping with the process of decoloni- first draft of the poetics of the Indian SUOHIR KUMAR zation. This essay also addresses the novel-quite unselfconsciously. Isn't is Reader in English, Panjab University issue of the authentic representation of Makarand in good company of Chandigarh • • A National Agenda For Education • by Kireet [oshi • Chairman, JCPR, New Delhi • The book under review A National agenda conversant with the current problems of changes to be brought in the present for Education is published by The education and the deficiencies of the system of education. The topics discus- Mother's Institute of Research, Preet present system of education because of sed in the book are: The National Vihar, Delhi, which is devoted to his assignments in the Ministry of Agenda for Education; Comments on educational research. In response to the Education, Govt. of India, and U.G.c. the National Agenda; Objectives of felt need for reforming and revolution- and his close association with Sri Education and Promotion of Excellence; ising education in our country this Aurobindo International Institute for Primary Education; School Education; institute had constituted a few working .Educational Research as its founder. Contents of Education for Character groups under the Chairmanship of KireetJoshi deserves congratulations Development; Higher Education; KireetJoshi,compiler of this book. Kireet and accolades for doing a yeoman's job Higher Education in Humanities and Joshi is an eminent educationist, having in bringing out this book, which can Social Sciences; and Teacher Education. a very bright academic career and a vast serve as a guide for those who are The appendix dwells on Teaching of experience of varied nature, especially engaged or might be engaged in Sanskrit. It is a commendable exercise in the field of education. At present he suggesting ways and means to improve in highlighting the significant aspects of is Honorary president of the Dharam the existing (not very satisfactory), education which need immediate Hinduja International Centre of India conditions in our schools and colleges. attention of the educationists and the Research. He is also Hony. Chairman of This book contains selected papers government to make education more the Value Education Centre, the Indian prepared by the working groups beneficial to the educands and thereby Council of Philosophical Research and referred to above. These papers air the improve the tone of the Nation. of the Auroville Foundation. He is national thinking on the necessary From time to time, since the British

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