English (Hons.) e- Study Material For Part-III Students Paper-VII Dr. Uday Pratap Singh HOD, English MP College, Mohania, Kaimur Plans For Departure (Novel) By Nayantara Sahgal Q- Discuss ‘Nayantara Sahgal as a novelist’ with special reference to the novel, “Plans For Departure”. OR Write a critical appreciation of the novel ‘Plans for Departure’. OR Sketch the character of ‘Anna Hansen’. Ans- Nayantara Sahgal is a distinguished Indian novelist in English. Her novels reveal her deep and abiding concern with contemporary social and political changes in India. She is essentially a writer who enriches humanistic values. She is having an art of presenting the political condition in creative art. She gives a vivid picture of an India-still in transition and passing through the birth pangs of a new socio-political order. Born in 1927, Nayantara Sahgal is the second daughter of Ranjit Sitaram Pandit and Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit. Her childhood was spent at Anand Bhavan Which was renamed Swaraj Bhavan sometime before 1930. Her beloved uncle Mamu (Jawaharlal Nehru), her father Papu and Gandhiji, Bapu exerted immense influence on the young and serious girl’s conscience. Her early years were associated with the great political drama of the freedom struggle -an event that deeply affected her life and writings. After 1954, Sahgal has established herself among the remarkable group of woman writers like Kamala Markandaya, Anita Desai and Ruth Pawar Jhabwala. Her important novels are as follows:- 1- A Time to Be Happy (1958) 2- Storm in Chandigarh (1969) 3- A situation in New Delhi (1977) 4- Rich Like us (1985) 5- Plans for Departure (1986) 6- Mistaken Identity (1988) It is a remarkable fact that Mrs Sahgal won the common wealth prize in 1986 for her literary masterpiece ‘Plans for Departure’. She was awarded ‘Sahitya Akademi’ in 1986 for ‘ Rich Like Us’. ‘Plans for Departure’ is both a love story and mystery. Its plot is set in a sub-continent which is poised for revolution and a world on the edge of war. It re-enacts the drama of socio-cultural change in the Raj in the late 19th and early 20th century. The main theme of the novel relates to the transition from the late Victorian period to the Georgian period of British Indian History. It also highlights the transformation of Indian national movement into irresistible non-violent forces. It has been held by several critics as a great novel of ‘ideas’. The story of ‘Plans for Departure’ is based on love. In the novel, we find the great scientist Nitin Basu spending the summer of 1914 at a remote hill-station named Himapur in the Himalayas. Miss Anna Hansen, a Denish woman is hired as the secretary of the scientist. She is tall, fair and unconventional lady who has come to India to enjoy a year of travel before marriage to an English deplomate Nicholas. The aim of travelling India is to discover her own identity. She regards her journey to India as a quest------“not just the silly wonders I am after. But what other way can I break out and be me” (Plans for Departure, 62). Though she loves Nicholas, she is unable to submit to power relationship. Actually, Anna faces identity crisis which is the tragedy of women in male-dominated society. She left Nicholas behind when she feels he may create hindrance in her path to self-realization. During her stay in Himapur, she gets acquainted to Henry Brewster the D.M. and develops an intellectual rapport with him. Then she develops a personal intrest in Brewster but very soon she leaves him because he had killed his wife Stella for whom he gave up his dreams of a new political life in England. She also takes keen interest in Indian struggle for independence. Tilak wins her appreciation. On the other hand she is full of sympathy for the defiant freedom fighter Khudiram. Besides the story of Miss Anna Hansen, Prof. Nitin Basu and Henry Browster, there are other characters who belong to European community. Marlowe Craft, a missionary is determined to build a Christ’s Church in the hills. His foolish wife Lulu is the main obstacle to his Christian Mission. Henry Browster, an enigmatic figure represents the emperial authority. The India’s growing political unrest, some horrible murders in a forest glade and Austria’s declaration of war or Surbia lead her to reconsider her future. She is also tormented by many unanswered questions. Finally, she makes her plan for departure. Mrs Shagal has given a brilliant picture of the heroine’s departure as a great tragedy of Himapur. Aptly titled ‘Plans for Departure’, the novel skillfully weaves into its narrative fabrics many kind of departure. There is Stilla’s departure from her adoring husband. Lulu’s departure from her bullying husband; A reformed Hindu and British stooge, Nitin, finally makes his departure from the Raj after Amritsar incident in 1919. The conquerors of India departs from imperial domains and Europe departs from its own civilization in the mud and carnage of the self-inflicted destruction of World War-I. ‘Plans for Departure’ is a very popular novel. Most of Nayantara Sahgal’s characters belongs to the affluent upper class of society. She sticks strickly to the people she knows intimately such as journalists, ambassadors, ministers, Vice- Chancellor and professors. Her novel concerns with the dilect of the high life in cosmopolitan cities. She does not try to write about the caste or religion-ridden middle class or the poor Indian villagers. Thus, The gentle humour and exquisite observation suit her artistic purpose. .