Book Review: THE(In)eligible Bachelors
Author: Ruchita Mishra
Format: Paperback/literary fiction, Language: English
Pages: 242, Price: RS.195, Publishers: RUPA&Co/2011
Personally, I always believe satire as profound form of expression inside the literary ambit. Here a writer needs not only to unwrap his or her ideas but also have to advance before the readers with intertwining own life experiences. So, a satirical fiction shows the inner world of a writer, though magnitude of sharing varies with the relative temptations of a wordsmith. The debutant writer Ruchita Mishra’s THE (In) eligible Bachelors could be classic pick in this regard. Still in het twenties and already have made an impressive journey in both the academic and professional domain, narrates the challenges of her generation with representative authenticity.
Ruchita has simply relied on flowing expression, so leaves no chances for her readers to grapple with the odd frills in understanding either the plot or its development. Second most striking thing with this novel is its beautiful characters, all are meticulously felt and their presence seems inevitable like the real life story. Further, they all lives their part aptly throughout the book and allow a chance of lively debate on new age marriage which is now either being determined by the arranged or adventurous romances. Case of middle class, particularly those aspiring to be in the high sphere of hierarchy are consistently deconstructing the age old values…shockingly, these deviations are again being hatches by previous generations of generation next. In the wake of reform, many new tendencies have been escalating in the institution of family where the choices are increasingly decided by the pre-imagined lust that badly haunting the self of educated girls like never before. Surprisingly, mothers are no longer exudes the virtuousness; however she still think best for her child but without compromising the shine of material side. On this front, protagonist Kasturi Shukla, with a magical combine of tech/management skill sets represents the oppressed human resources, and her mother commands like a CEO, who values the things by a buzz materialistic principle, Return on Investment {ROI}or venture and nothing beyond that!
THE (In)eligible Bachelors practically deals with the complexity of life and its two primary stages-love and marriage. Love of Kasturi resembles a sort of assertness from her natural boisterousness against the mechanized sentimental shackles around her, which approaches her through artificially arranged family affairs with prospect of getting settled with a man having arithmetically best salary slip. That starts with her innocent falling in romance…she tempted for boss Rajeev Sir, who characterize himself fit for temporary overtures with newly found love. But dualism of Rajeev falls suddenly, and so trembles the fake notion their working relationship which grew in the course of juggling two difficult choices.
Kasturi, who is still left a human, naturally takes it as betrayal, found solace only in recluse until the antecedents truly narrated by her close affiliates, Ananya, Varu and once a rejected potential life partner, Pita ji {Coded humourously}. Moreover, two accidents draw the principal character, Kasturi more close to her ethical part, where she finds matches with Dr. Poorva, who performs like a true man in blood and flesh and selfless lover. Once sidelined owing to confusions, his action outwitted all the fake circumstances and gives deserving Kasturi another life, without any hitches. End of novel justifies the happenings around us in present time…peoples are betrayed but life never stops in going on…this emanates the approaching dialectism, anyway, it’s wisdom that finally determines the course!
There are no definite criteria to judge a piece of literature albeit few fundamental qualities as benchmark shall be acknowledged by all including the purists who mostly think in their own terms. These qualities, this novel offers:- uniformity in flair, persistence of plot with lucid narration and most notably its lively characters who never falls short in giving momentum to the whole theme of novel. Ruchita Mishra has entered the literary arena with a purposeful book, and her presence here will sure be energizing the wave of Indian English writing. She can be seen as a welcome continuance of new literary generation that felt and used the inferences out of surroundings, which gives story essential neutrality and also let a chance to proceed in seemingly natural way.
In Indian English writing by women’s, many big names are floating-both in the past and present. If Anita Desai and others led the way, Arundhati Roy, Jaishree Mishra, Radhika Jha and others hold that literary tradition; certainly Ruchita Mishra, Nayana Currimbhoy {Miss Timmins School for Girls} and many writers of this generation will take it to more advanced stage. In contemporary context, discipline of Social Sciences is lacking to address the new set of challenges emerging through the global merger of markets/greed and also to a large extant of culture as well. Particularly, a nation like India, which has mix fortune while converging with the tantrums of globalization unusually caught with the new formation/deformation in socio-economic life. THE (In}eligible Bachelors addressed a solid issue and succeeded too far, yet many grave problems of excessive market orientation are standing with urgency to get looked upon. That will be needed fair efforts in literary writing, hope Ruchita and other committed writers will explore other areas of life that is waiting for makeover!
Atul Kumar Thakur
September 12, 2011, Monday, New Delhi
Email: summertickets@gmail.com
Showing posts with label Indian Literature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Indian Literature. Show all posts
Monday, September 12, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
The World of Yatri
Baidyanath Mishra , who with his independent and resilient intellect came to known as “Yatri”, “Nagarjun” and most remarkably as peoples’ poet/Jankavi ,naturally left overarching effects on the modern Maithili and Indian literature. As per existing custom in Mithila, he was born at his maternal place {Village Satlakha, Madhubani} on June 30, 1911. But alas, only at the young age of three, he lost mother and consequently the attention of father, who was by nature a wanderer and free from holding the worldly obligations. Such familiar stiffness made him untimely matured towards the worldly affairs.
Although defying all odds, young Baidyanath started learning through traditional Sanskrit/Maithili education in his maternal village and later moved to Kashi in the quest of knowledge. He was a great informal learner, that adaptability might be shaped with the chronic adverseness he faced but finally that established him as an avid scholar of Maithili, Sanskrit, Hindi, Bangla, Pali, Prakrit. Further in his formative years, he established very intimate ties with the natural impulses that kept him highly sensible throughout his literary voyage. Probably, with feeble familiar back up, he sensed the importance of travelling and relentless learning albeit that didn’t deter him to be in functional material fray. So, he married to Aprajita Devi, who played atleast half role in making of this poet; with amazing determination and sacrifices, she brought up her six child and allowed freedom to “Yatri” for continuing with the humane aspirations, that proved catalyst in his literary productions.
Except of short overtures in family, 1930’s onward “Yatri” became completely align with writing and traveling, and rest is history before us about his broader perspectives and its literary expression. Primarily and even ultimately, he was closer to instinct rather following mechanical cognition order, which he demonstrated by remaining at ease and keeping himself away from the institutional engagements, except a short stint as teacher in Saharanpur {UP}in very early phase of transition. Here, he was closer to Tagore; both emphatically valued the natural human instinct in place of surpassable artificial affiliations. The basic difference between these two great poets were of not world views but of approaches-Tagore with his aristocratic background was obviously an elitist unlike the “Yatri” whose background and construction of psyche both were akin to people-centric and based on the social realities.
If culturally, Mithila was closer to Bengal, then on socio-economic counts, there used to exist a huge drift…lack of urbanization and western temptations were among the foremost reasons of reality check. Although, he was too a keen naturalist like Tagore but again the differences were on the institutional levels. If Tagore had vision for an institution like Shantiniketan and later institutionalizing his own works too; “Yatri”, on the other hand had incessant devoid for such possibilities. A stout reason was ofcourse the aloofness of Mithila from outside world unlike Bengal during the British colonialism and in post-colonial years. “Yatri” missed a dynamic Mithila, and this region an enlighted mediation from him that could have made a huge difference on socio-cultural fabric in this region. But in absence, things of importance met to lackluster treatment at large and Maithili way of life never impacted the national mainline as it should have. Though with his unique standing against the unfortunate social stigmas, he heralded a revolutionary wave of progressivism inside and outside of the Mithila and established himself as first Maithil on national and international literary arena.
Meanwhile, in the course of experiments with the knowledge, this freethinker came under the Buddhist influence-though it was short lived as he couldn’t suppress his embedded Maithili progressivism albeit before that he travelled across the Tibbat, Central Asia and Srilanka (Kelania). Even after, he left the Buddhist commune, his cult name “Nagarjun” followed him forever-it reminds another contemporary literary figure and also a Buddhist, Rahul Sankritayan. In late 1930’s, he again entwined with a new ideology-Communism, though it remained his part of vision throughout the remaining life. He was a progressive minded, both in life and writing-he understood the Communism through direct experiences in U.S.S.R, and kept alive that touch within or outside the purview of Indian Communist Parties. What he did best with ideology, he supported it as movement rather a means of party blocks that happened in India post 1962.
“Yatri” had struggled against the authoritative extreme, equally during the independence struggle against British and in post-independent India with authoritarianism of political classes…he spent time in Jail (1939-42) and again in 1975-77 during emergency. Like a true maverick, he remained attracted with the peoples’ causes, for their upliftment, he struggled with the eminent peasant leader, Swami Sahjanand Saraswati (Founder, Kisan Sabha) during colonial period and later under the socialist movements including in JP Movement. “Yatri” was among the finest part of Bengali Hungry Generation Poets, there could be no doubt, why he is regarded only next to Tulsidas in India through his stellar convictions for mass folks.
Away from Geographical boundaries, his literary expression has closeness with high universality but whenever, he touched the themes of Mithila, a unique and very close affinity came out there. He had in mind the prevailing realities of Maithili socio-economic scene and its challenges for an equitable and just society. It was a positive co-incidence that some of iconic names in Maithili literature-Harimohan Jha, Phanishwar Nath “Renu”, Rajkamal Chaudhary, Lalit, Dhumketu and in politics-Bhogendra Jha, Chaturanan Mishra, Suryanarayan Singh, Shivchandra Jha, Lalit Narayan Mishra were his contemporaries – theirs collaboration made huge impacts on the socio-cultural atmosphere in Mithila.
With broadness of canvasses and amazing hold over translation skills, his work hardly leaves any technical dialectism between Maithili-Hindi; most of his work is available in both the language. As a poet, he could visualize beauty in oddness and grief in lavishness-so, writing on jackfruit or icefall at hill stations; both were very kin to him. His collection of poetries-“Patrahin Nagna Gaachh”, “Yugdhara”, “Satrange Pankhon Wali”, “Taalab ki Machhliyan”, “Khichhri Viplab Dekha Hamne”, “Hajaro-Hajaro Banhon Wali”, “Purani Juliyon ka Koras”, “Tume Kaha Tha”, “Aakhir Aisa Kya Kah Diya Maine”, “Es Gubbare ki Chhaya Me”, “Ye Danturit Mushkaan”, “Main Military ka Budhha Ghora”, “Baadal ko Ghirte Dekha Hai”, “Paka Hai ye Kathal” introduces to his wider reach among the common folks and intricacies of humanity. He was never been a subversive preacher despite having genuine anger against the social and political system, instead his progressive stand enabled him to be a rational novelist, in this role; he forwardly acted as social change agent.
His novels-“Ratinath ki Chachi”, “Balchanma”, “Baba Batesar Nath”, “Nai Puadh or Nav Turia”, “Barun ke Bete”, “Dukhmochan”, “Ugratara”, “Jamania ka Baba”, “Kumbhi Paak”, “Paaro”, “Aasman me Chand Taare” exudes the diversity of Maithili as well as Indian villages under the new compelling challenges. With great exposure to the outside world, his memoirs, travelogue and even hundreds of published letters gives delight and zest to readers while exploring his writings. His collection of essays, “Annan Hinam Kriyanam”, work on culture “Desh Dashkam aa Krishak Deshkam/’, his travelogue “Baadlo ko Ghirte Dhekha Hai”, satire “Mantra Kavita” and “Aao Rani Han Dhoenge Palki” and many Bangla poetries introduces to his broader grasp with amazing expressions over the range of themes.
He had a unique credit of making a generation of writers/critics in both the Maithili and Hindi-fortunately that worked out well for him and overall literary scene. Like Renu, he never had to face the reckless wrath of preoccupied critics…foremost among them, even Namwar Singh couldn’t maintained his line of regionalism with him. Despite all wandering and fame, he remained essentially a non-possessive man attached to his route…his village Tarauni, nearest railway station, Tarsarai Muriya (East Central Railway, near the erstwhile princely town Darbhanga ) remained closest to his heart&soul. In 1998, he left the world from Khajasarai (Darbhanga) after streamlining his prolific literary works. On his birth centenary, my fond remembrance for this great literary figure, who was and still is a most loving BABA for many generations.
Atul Kumar Thakur
Thursday, April 29th 2011, New Delhi
Mail: summertickets@gmail.com
Although defying all odds, young Baidyanath started learning through traditional Sanskrit/Maithili education in his maternal village and later moved to Kashi in the quest of knowledge. He was a great informal learner, that adaptability might be shaped with the chronic adverseness he faced but finally that established him as an avid scholar of Maithili, Sanskrit, Hindi, Bangla, Pali, Prakrit. Further in his formative years, he established very intimate ties with the natural impulses that kept him highly sensible throughout his literary voyage. Probably, with feeble familiar back up, he sensed the importance of travelling and relentless learning albeit that didn’t deter him to be in functional material fray. So, he married to Aprajita Devi, who played atleast half role in making of this poet; with amazing determination and sacrifices, she brought up her six child and allowed freedom to “Yatri” for continuing with the humane aspirations, that proved catalyst in his literary productions.
Except of short overtures in family, 1930’s onward “Yatri” became completely align with writing and traveling, and rest is history before us about his broader perspectives and its literary expression. Primarily and even ultimately, he was closer to instinct rather following mechanical cognition order, which he demonstrated by remaining at ease and keeping himself away from the institutional engagements, except a short stint as teacher in Saharanpur {UP}in very early phase of transition. Here, he was closer to Tagore; both emphatically valued the natural human instinct in place of surpassable artificial affiliations. The basic difference between these two great poets were of not world views but of approaches-Tagore with his aristocratic background was obviously an elitist unlike the “Yatri” whose background and construction of psyche both were akin to people-centric and based on the social realities.
If culturally, Mithila was closer to Bengal, then on socio-economic counts, there used to exist a huge drift…lack of urbanization and western temptations were among the foremost reasons of reality check. Although, he was too a keen naturalist like Tagore but again the differences were on the institutional levels. If Tagore had vision for an institution like Shantiniketan and later institutionalizing his own works too; “Yatri”, on the other hand had incessant devoid for such possibilities. A stout reason was ofcourse the aloofness of Mithila from outside world unlike Bengal during the British colonialism and in post-colonial years. “Yatri” missed a dynamic Mithila, and this region an enlighted mediation from him that could have made a huge difference on socio-cultural fabric in this region. But in absence, things of importance met to lackluster treatment at large and Maithili way of life never impacted the national mainline as it should have. Though with his unique standing against the unfortunate social stigmas, he heralded a revolutionary wave of progressivism inside and outside of the Mithila and established himself as first Maithil on national and international literary arena.
Meanwhile, in the course of experiments with the knowledge, this freethinker came under the Buddhist influence-though it was short lived as he couldn’t suppress his embedded Maithili progressivism albeit before that he travelled across the Tibbat, Central Asia and Srilanka (Kelania). Even after, he left the Buddhist commune, his cult name “Nagarjun” followed him forever-it reminds another contemporary literary figure and also a Buddhist, Rahul Sankritayan. In late 1930’s, he again entwined with a new ideology-Communism, though it remained his part of vision throughout the remaining life. He was a progressive minded, both in life and writing-he understood the Communism through direct experiences in U.S.S.R, and kept alive that touch within or outside the purview of Indian Communist Parties. What he did best with ideology, he supported it as movement rather a means of party blocks that happened in India post 1962.
“Yatri” had struggled against the authoritative extreme, equally during the independence struggle against British and in post-independent India with authoritarianism of political classes…he spent time in Jail (1939-42) and again in 1975-77 during emergency. Like a true maverick, he remained attracted with the peoples’ causes, for their upliftment, he struggled with the eminent peasant leader, Swami Sahjanand Saraswati (Founder, Kisan Sabha) during colonial period and later under the socialist movements including in JP Movement. “Yatri” was among the finest part of Bengali Hungry Generation Poets, there could be no doubt, why he is regarded only next to Tulsidas in India through his stellar convictions for mass folks.
Away from Geographical boundaries, his literary expression has closeness with high universality but whenever, he touched the themes of Mithila, a unique and very close affinity came out there. He had in mind the prevailing realities of Maithili socio-economic scene and its challenges for an equitable and just society. It was a positive co-incidence that some of iconic names in Maithili literature-Harimohan Jha, Phanishwar Nath “Renu”, Rajkamal Chaudhary, Lalit, Dhumketu and in politics-Bhogendra Jha, Chaturanan Mishra, Suryanarayan Singh, Shivchandra Jha, Lalit Narayan Mishra were his contemporaries – theirs collaboration made huge impacts on the socio-cultural atmosphere in Mithila.
With broadness of canvasses and amazing hold over translation skills, his work hardly leaves any technical dialectism between Maithili-Hindi; most of his work is available in both the language. As a poet, he could visualize beauty in oddness and grief in lavishness-so, writing on jackfruit or icefall at hill stations; both were very kin to him. His collection of poetries-“Patrahin Nagna Gaachh”, “Yugdhara”, “Satrange Pankhon Wali”, “Taalab ki Machhliyan”, “Khichhri Viplab Dekha Hamne”, “Hajaro-Hajaro Banhon Wali”, “Purani Juliyon ka Koras”, “Tume Kaha Tha”, “Aakhir Aisa Kya Kah Diya Maine”, “Es Gubbare ki Chhaya Me”, “Ye Danturit Mushkaan”, “Main Military ka Budhha Ghora”, “Baadal ko Ghirte Dekha Hai”, “Paka Hai ye Kathal” introduces to his wider reach among the common folks and intricacies of humanity. He was never been a subversive preacher despite having genuine anger against the social and political system, instead his progressive stand enabled him to be a rational novelist, in this role; he forwardly acted as social change agent.
His novels-“Ratinath ki Chachi”, “Balchanma”, “Baba Batesar Nath”, “Nai Puadh or Nav Turia”, “Barun ke Bete”, “Dukhmochan”, “Ugratara”, “Jamania ka Baba”, “Kumbhi Paak”, “Paaro”, “Aasman me Chand Taare” exudes the diversity of Maithili as well as Indian villages under the new compelling challenges. With great exposure to the outside world, his memoirs, travelogue and even hundreds of published letters gives delight and zest to readers while exploring his writings. His collection of essays, “Annan Hinam Kriyanam”, work on culture “Desh Dashkam aa Krishak Deshkam/’, his travelogue “Baadlo ko Ghirte Dhekha Hai”, satire “Mantra Kavita” and “Aao Rani Han Dhoenge Palki” and many Bangla poetries introduces to his broader grasp with amazing expressions over the range of themes.
He had a unique credit of making a generation of writers/critics in both the Maithili and Hindi-fortunately that worked out well for him and overall literary scene. Like Renu, he never had to face the reckless wrath of preoccupied critics…foremost among them, even Namwar Singh couldn’t maintained his line of regionalism with him. Despite all wandering and fame, he remained essentially a non-possessive man attached to his route…his village Tarauni, nearest railway station, Tarsarai Muriya (East Central Railway, near the erstwhile princely town Darbhanga ) remained closest to his heart&soul. In 1998, he left the world from Khajasarai (Darbhanga) after streamlining his prolific literary works. On his birth centenary, my fond remembrance for this great literary figure, who was and still is a most loving BABA for many generations.
Atul Kumar Thakur
Thursday, April 29th 2011, New Delhi
Mail: summertickets@gmail.com
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Wild Dream called Commonwealth Literature!
Without any pre-occupation R.K.Narayan, Mulk Raj Anand and Raja Rao could be easily conferred the rank of early legions in Indian English literary writing albeit before these three committed man, Bankim Chandra Chaterjee’s “The Rajmohan’s Wife” too must be counted for being the first English novel produced by any India during the hay days of British Colonialism. It’s quite intriguing that Raja Rao never remained as much popular as rest of both prolific contemporary and Nirad.C.Chadhury; because in my perspectives, he was less than a product of English enlightment and never said like Mulk Raj Anand that “India could be a laboratory of Commonwealth literature” or giving considerable credit to Graham Green for Mentoring in his literary accession in western world like R.K.Narayan.
Those were the days of imperialism or transition for many countries as a free state but without having own representation of theirs nativity in Standard English writing. Indeed time really moved up over the years and a burgeoning balance from erstwhile colonies like India wouldn’t remain any longer a matter of amazement as the western world used to have earlier with temples, elephant, snake charmers and numerous other symbolism of aboriginal culture. No doubt, English writing in India is passing through high creative assertion with profound regional characteristics and intricacies of modern India is very much different from the imaginative shackle of Commonwealth literature.
Its not that, new generation of modern Indian English writer haven’t inherited the world views of theirs predecessor but theirs cosmic concern are the outcome of idealism that Indian democracy has embodied them in last six decades. Undoubtedly, with great focus on original identity and it’s entwining to a long stretch of history, Indian writing overall have formed a unique blend of wisdom and much needed sensibility.
The first sensation in English writing from India at international juncture, Salman Rushdie had once written a fabulous essay “Commonwealth literature doesn’t exist” with appropriate convictions as British writing is not a part of it, so it creating a sense of paradoxical hierarchies. Much before the landmark work over British colonialism “The Sea of Poppies” {which was beaten by a light and subversively mild novel “The White Tiger” by Arvind Adiga in the race of Booker prize}, Amitav Ghosh had denied to accept the Commonwealth Prize in nineties.
It was a great resistance from a post-colonial writer who gone through the surfaces of India’s historical realities…naturally, persons like him or any free thinker could be much happier if the attention would have come from an association like “Free State Union” or organization with similar spirits though different in nomenclature. Here argument could be prolonged, why these two illustrious expatriate writer rejecting the trap of Commonwealth literature? Did timely revelation made them conscious about the futility of this institution or Britain as shrewd conservator losing its hold from rapidly growing free states that better be leave to enthusiasts of literature and history.
Footprints of British engagement were always bounded with the drain of resources from its colony…no matter, what have changed over the years, but temptations remained same. In recently held Commonwealth Game in Delhi, we spent around $17billion-money that that were scrimped from essential areas; fourteen days long lavish party ended with stellar performance of Indian players but paradoxically disastrous by the organizers of game. They through there sordid handling of resources created new heights of corruption in India whose memories would remain vivid as a legacy of our colonial past and demeaning our own accomplishments in last six decades or time before the British intrusion. During the extravaganza, I entertained an invitation from Sahitya Akademi for a Seminar on Commonwealth literature in Delhi though remained stunned to see the thin appearances of Commonwealth sort of identity flashing there. Foreign speakers delivered their cold observation in good old gesture of passivity albeit some speakers from India drawn timid mood on different themes but alas! I couldn’t hear a single strong voice in favour of post-colonial writing that should have the basis of theirs historical inquisitions regarding colonialism.
Indeed it’s a matter of grave concern that such gathering now turning as an arena of swapation and disbursement of stodgy and saturated ideas…good Indian style of hunting and gathering swiftly being evaporated from our collective action. We Indians have great record in forgetting our own high shot achievements…in the same Mandi House region of Central Delhi at Indian Council of World Affairs premises, we as a young independent nation hosted the first Asian Relations Conference in 1947. Despite having dualism of inheritance, we couldn’t simply deny those early initiatives that used to symbolize our aspirations in a new world…in the time being; our fore-fathers lost the hold on priority that deterred us from remaining the most profound voice among the nations with exploitative colonial track record.
Even joining the Commonwealth in early fifties was neither pragmatic nor essential for India when our alternative world vision started fetching the heeds of newly independent nations. In present context, we shouldn’t be envious with Nelson Mandela’s decision to be part of Commonwealth after spending almost entire life fighting against its inherent evils and inclusion of trivial nations like Peru and Mozambique in this nostalgic colonial association despite never having link with the British colony. Choices may be beautiful or absurd without getting even a chunk of interferences from universalism, so let it be but we must mind our new standing at international arena. So, why not we should reckon our entire history in better way and move out to the world with our complete heritage instead to dwelling with any specific timeframe spasmed through the greedfull British colonialism whose last symbolic reminiscence being carries out with the brand “Commonwealth”.
We have reason to dissociate with such asymmetric institution with having havocking impressions of oppression…as world’s most vibrant democracy; we must stop here and with looking ahead for brighter pastures of forming at least one Association of Freedom. I am really proud upon Amitav Ghosh, when he keeps repeating that inclusion of “desi” word would remain an important form of expression, irrespective of what other think over it through their biased prism. We have registered a tremendous growth in every area including in literature during the last six decades and ofcourse as a citizen of vibrant nation, we could remain an universal entity too even without entangling with artificial and biased structure like “Commonwealth” which exactly resembling the “rejected manuscript”…a sensible humor not the wild one!
Atul Kumar Thakur
October22, 2010, Thursday
New Delhi
atul_mdb@rediffmaail.com
Those were the days of imperialism or transition for many countries as a free state but without having own representation of theirs nativity in Standard English writing. Indeed time really moved up over the years and a burgeoning balance from erstwhile colonies like India wouldn’t remain any longer a matter of amazement as the western world used to have earlier with temples, elephant, snake charmers and numerous other symbolism of aboriginal culture. No doubt, English writing in India is passing through high creative assertion with profound regional characteristics and intricacies of modern India is very much different from the imaginative shackle of Commonwealth literature.
Its not that, new generation of modern Indian English writer haven’t inherited the world views of theirs predecessor but theirs cosmic concern are the outcome of idealism that Indian democracy has embodied them in last six decades. Undoubtedly, with great focus on original identity and it’s entwining to a long stretch of history, Indian writing overall have formed a unique blend of wisdom and much needed sensibility.
The first sensation in English writing from India at international juncture, Salman Rushdie had once written a fabulous essay “Commonwealth literature doesn’t exist” with appropriate convictions as British writing is not a part of it, so it creating a sense of paradoxical hierarchies. Much before the landmark work over British colonialism “The Sea of Poppies” {which was beaten by a light and subversively mild novel “The White Tiger” by Arvind Adiga in the race of Booker prize}, Amitav Ghosh had denied to accept the Commonwealth Prize in nineties.
It was a great resistance from a post-colonial writer who gone through the surfaces of India’s historical realities…naturally, persons like him or any free thinker could be much happier if the attention would have come from an association like “Free State Union” or organization with similar spirits though different in nomenclature. Here argument could be prolonged, why these two illustrious expatriate writer rejecting the trap of Commonwealth literature? Did timely revelation made them conscious about the futility of this institution or Britain as shrewd conservator losing its hold from rapidly growing free states that better be leave to enthusiasts of literature and history.
Footprints of British engagement were always bounded with the drain of resources from its colony…no matter, what have changed over the years, but temptations remained same. In recently held Commonwealth Game in Delhi, we spent around $17billion-money that that were scrimped from essential areas; fourteen days long lavish party ended with stellar performance of Indian players but paradoxically disastrous by the organizers of game. They through there sordid handling of resources created new heights of corruption in India whose memories would remain vivid as a legacy of our colonial past and demeaning our own accomplishments in last six decades or time before the British intrusion. During the extravaganza, I entertained an invitation from Sahitya Akademi for a Seminar on Commonwealth literature in Delhi though remained stunned to see the thin appearances of Commonwealth sort of identity flashing there. Foreign speakers delivered their cold observation in good old gesture of passivity albeit some speakers from India drawn timid mood on different themes but alas! I couldn’t hear a single strong voice in favour of post-colonial writing that should have the basis of theirs historical inquisitions regarding colonialism.
Indeed it’s a matter of grave concern that such gathering now turning as an arena of swapation and disbursement of stodgy and saturated ideas…good Indian style of hunting and gathering swiftly being evaporated from our collective action. We Indians have great record in forgetting our own high shot achievements…in the same Mandi House region of Central Delhi at Indian Council of World Affairs premises, we as a young independent nation hosted the first Asian Relations Conference in 1947. Despite having dualism of inheritance, we couldn’t simply deny those early initiatives that used to symbolize our aspirations in a new world…in the time being; our fore-fathers lost the hold on priority that deterred us from remaining the most profound voice among the nations with exploitative colonial track record.
Even joining the Commonwealth in early fifties was neither pragmatic nor essential for India when our alternative world vision started fetching the heeds of newly independent nations. In present context, we shouldn’t be envious with Nelson Mandela’s decision to be part of Commonwealth after spending almost entire life fighting against its inherent evils and inclusion of trivial nations like Peru and Mozambique in this nostalgic colonial association despite never having link with the British colony. Choices may be beautiful or absurd without getting even a chunk of interferences from universalism, so let it be but we must mind our new standing at international arena. So, why not we should reckon our entire history in better way and move out to the world with our complete heritage instead to dwelling with any specific timeframe spasmed through the greedfull British colonialism whose last symbolic reminiscence being carries out with the brand “Commonwealth”.
We have reason to dissociate with such asymmetric institution with having havocking impressions of oppression…as world’s most vibrant democracy; we must stop here and with looking ahead for brighter pastures of forming at least one Association of Freedom. I am really proud upon Amitav Ghosh, when he keeps repeating that inclusion of “desi” word would remain an important form of expression, irrespective of what other think over it through their biased prism. We have registered a tremendous growth in every area including in literature during the last six decades and ofcourse as a citizen of vibrant nation, we could remain an universal entity too even without entangling with artificial and biased structure like “Commonwealth” which exactly resembling the “rejected manuscript”…a sensible humor not the wild one!
Atul Kumar Thakur
October22, 2010, Thursday
New Delhi
atul_mdb@rediffmaail.com
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Lalit: Man of Change in Maithili Literature
Lalit, like his name came out with novelty in Maithili literary scene in 1950’s through his sensible mass concern. Officially, Lalitesh Mishra or affectionately “Bachha” was born on April6, 1932 in a village of scholars, “Chanpura” that despite falling in the catchments region of Adhwara river group has unique distinction of intellectual contribution. Geographically it is situated in the western side of Benipatti Sub-division (Madhubani district), which once known as “Masco of Mithila” for strong communist base and extensive land reform. Father Chandrasekhar Mishra was a teacher and an avid learner who left deep influence over his son for the quest of knowledge.
After his initial education from village and Darbhanga, he moved to prestigious Vidyasagar College of Calcutta University in pursuits of higher education in 1949 albeit he could not accommodate himself with the life of Calcutta and returned to home. Next year, he chosen Arts for B.A in Chandradhari Mithila College {Darbhanga, then under Bihar University}, here he intertwined to literature with sturdy enrapture and published his first story in Maithili, “Kabula” {Vaidehi, 1950}. This phase was of solemn importance for his creative genesis though he was carrying deep responsibilities for his family as hailing from a humble background made it imperative for him to dwell early with the material life.
Further, in 1953, under unavoidable compulsions, he joined M.L.Akedemi School {Laheriyasarai} as a Science teacher…in the same year; he married with Moti Mishra in village Bhoj Paraul. Despite forging of all bonds, he kept aspiring for a better life, which he attained eventually in 1957, by qualifying for Deputy-Collectorship. At least for a decade, he kept himself committed for the literary productions but after the surmounting of administrative burden, and stout spiritual leaning grossly diverted his attention from the world of words. Leading Maithili literaturer, Taranand Viyogi cited his deep spiritual inclination as major hindrance for slowing down on literary front; for him, it was not pleasant to observe such transition from a man of high potential.
Moreover, on family front too, he remained very much consumed but never on the cost of his people centric commitments. He had a son, Padmakar Mishra and seven daughters-all were groomed in finest humanist family environment; Lalit was a natural austere with ultimate human concern and even his acts in practical affairs used to resemble it. On March22, 1972, his father passed away and six years later, he revered from his loving mother on October15, 1978; certainly, these setbacks had affected his sensitive mind.
Despite sporadic contribution, his works have substantial worth in reckoning the Maithili literature from the angle of change. Without ever ingrouping, he truly appeared like a mast for the transient Maithili literature-his inception of story writing marked the end of fabrication and upheaveling of modern ideas in the forefront of literary writing.
There are many hurdles to delve deeper about the works of Lalit, majors among them are lacking of proper documentation and non-availability of older issues of contemporary Maithili magazines where he had written initially. In his total forty-seven published stories, only twelve could be assembled in his lone story collection (Pratinidhi Kahani, Maithili Art Press, Navkiran Prakashan, Calcutta, 1964). Among his two novels, only “Prithviputra” was published from Maithili Academy (1984), before that it was appeared serially in a prominent contemporary Magazine, “Mithila Mihir” (from 10/05/1960-5/7/1964).
Apart from that, about a dozen of his essays transfixed the enthusiasts of his generation and added new paradigm within existing literary space. Lucidness of social analysis drew him closer to Anton Chekhov and Guy De Maupassant-his remarkable stories depicts the sound socio-cultural intricacies within even the humble canvass. Without making his narration complex, he had vision to entangle with very serious existential issues.
In “Pratinidhi”, antagonisms of political stands have beautifully coincided with the changing social and ethical morals; “Kanchaniya” explored the many facades of survival issues. In “Do Chitra”, he minutely focused on the contemporary Maithil rural society under the wave of radicalism but not without acknowledging the stout social bonds that ultimately holds the life at equilibrium among feudal and have-nots. “Overload” presents a Sub Inspector’s introspection and dilemmas of family life through his revealing soul; fluctuations are quite noticeable from the inescapable familiar duties to spellbounding realities of life.
“Udaan” poignantly highlights the issues of void obligations of middle class and its unusual intellectualism; “Prasnachinha” led to different terrain, with high moral stands he tried to show the persistence of quest for philanthropism despite stucking through adverseness from many sides. “Ek-Prisht” is a home tutor’s tell that frequently unleashes the crisis of value in education, “Ramjani” revolves around the life of Tonga pullers with intricate angles of religion, labourers fraternity, presence of change and ultimately through attitude shaping. “Mukti” is persuasively the most acclaimed story of Lalit-this story marked the shift in Maithili literature towards a new dynamicism, and changing realities.
Choice of independence from crumbling conjugal life earmarked the bigger picture of women’s empowerment here. “Ladai Par” visualised the scene of a humble rural family while departing their lone young scion for warfront-no moral dilemmas, only some genuine affinity and insecurity placed in this story. “Nav-Puran” dealt with the life of automobile community and their plights in day-to-day affair…this is unusual in its own sort.
Lalit had ingenuity for tracing and being back on key issues of his time though he had tenuous hold on his life like every mortal. Merely at the age of fifty-one, he passed away on April14, 1983 by battling with Lyver Syrosis in Betia district. Weekly Mithila Mihir’s (29th May 1983) Lalit special had awoken the sleeping consine of entire Maithil society for the illustrating works of this great man. Lalit was second traumatic casualty in the Maithili literature after the untimely demise of Rajkamal Chaudhary-departures of both badly shocked the pace of literary development for a long time.
They both were remained very closer and heralded a new chapter in literature-Lalit has translated Rajkamal’s epic story “Phulparas Wali” into Maithili and later written “Mukti” which stands opposite and more radical then the women protagonist of Rajkamal who shows stout moral imperative in her action. Lalit remained humble in his relationship with old friends and literary companions of his time, he on several occasion stressed that Rajkamal‘s “Kankavati” as last word of modern Hindi poetry.
PRITHVIPUTRA-His Master Piece:-
“Prithviputra” appeared first in Mithila Mihir in 1965 and stormed the literary world with its underneath subjectivism. Though the works were quite analomous from Lalit as he had already crossed a long stretch convincing peoples towards new way of approaches to see the social change in new light. Not for a while, Lalit let him frittered away in his convictions, instead he chosen ubiquitous way of reawakening amidst a tense plot of land conflict. He largely succeeded to oversight the frills in the delineation of characters demeanour; infusion of progressive perspectives is the soul of this novel, which keep it vibrant until the end.
The plots were woven in Farbisganj (Kosi belt)-novel starts with the impact of social changes on the conventional social system, immediately after the independence of India. Consequences of land reform widely taken place in entire theme, Dusadhtoli (lower caste abode) in village Baburbanna too seemed transient through these changes and escalation of violence following the nasty tracts of diminishing feudals. Once notified criminal though a changed man now, Bishekhi’s family-his wife, Genma (elder son), Sarupa (younger and radical son), Bijli (daughter), and Beni (daughter-in-law) are the catalysts of the theme-side characters, like Kalpnath Mishra (Bijli’s lover) and Hiralal (Bijli’s estranged husband, a railway Patman)too accounts for a lot of micro and macro coherence in the events.
Genma’s death while struggling for his land and Contractor Durjodhan Singh‘s murder in course of his wrong doing weaves the novel in very intricate manners. “Prithviputra” manifests the arrival of new age in modern India; though it’s based upon the circumstances of Mithila but its crux is universally relevant. Noted literaturer, Bibhuti Anand who has written a monograph on Lalit (Sahitya Academy, 2004) also emphasizes about his second novel (Karmanya Wadhikareste, unpublished), whose publication would indeed make fresh impacts in revisiting his works in new light.
Today Lalit’s contribution is largely unknown among the young generation of Mithila and outside of it…proper documentation and translation of his works in other Indian languages would give a new lease to his prolific conceptions. Those initiatives must be start now as any delay may permanently fixed Maithili literary enthusiasts into “Principled forgetter”…a dooming zone where creative things ceases to exists!
Atul Kumar Thakur
July 29th2010, Thursday, New Delhi
After his initial education from village and Darbhanga, he moved to prestigious Vidyasagar College of Calcutta University in pursuits of higher education in 1949 albeit he could not accommodate himself with the life of Calcutta and returned to home. Next year, he chosen Arts for B.A in Chandradhari Mithila College {Darbhanga, then under Bihar University}, here he intertwined to literature with sturdy enrapture and published his first story in Maithili, “Kabula” {Vaidehi, 1950}. This phase was of solemn importance for his creative genesis though he was carrying deep responsibilities for his family as hailing from a humble background made it imperative for him to dwell early with the material life.
Further, in 1953, under unavoidable compulsions, he joined M.L.Akedemi School {Laheriyasarai} as a Science teacher…in the same year; he married with Moti Mishra in village Bhoj Paraul. Despite forging of all bonds, he kept aspiring for a better life, which he attained eventually in 1957, by qualifying for Deputy-Collectorship. At least for a decade, he kept himself committed for the literary productions but after the surmounting of administrative burden, and stout spiritual leaning grossly diverted his attention from the world of words. Leading Maithili literaturer, Taranand Viyogi cited his deep spiritual inclination as major hindrance for slowing down on literary front; for him, it was not pleasant to observe such transition from a man of high potential.
Moreover, on family front too, he remained very much consumed but never on the cost of his people centric commitments. He had a son, Padmakar Mishra and seven daughters-all were groomed in finest humanist family environment; Lalit was a natural austere with ultimate human concern and even his acts in practical affairs used to resemble it. On March22, 1972, his father passed away and six years later, he revered from his loving mother on October15, 1978; certainly, these setbacks had affected his sensitive mind.
Despite sporadic contribution, his works have substantial worth in reckoning the Maithili literature from the angle of change. Without ever ingrouping, he truly appeared like a mast for the transient Maithili literature-his inception of story writing marked the end of fabrication and upheaveling of modern ideas in the forefront of literary writing.
There are many hurdles to delve deeper about the works of Lalit, majors among them are lacking of proper documentation and non-availability of older issues of contemporary Maithili magazines where he had written initially. In his total forty-seven published stories, only twelve could be assembled in his lone story collection (Pratinidhi Kahani, Maithili Art Press, Navkiran Prakashan, Calcutta, 1964). Among his two novels, only “Prithviputra” was published from Maithili Academy (1984), before that it was appeared serially in a prominent contemporary Magazine, “Mithila Mihir” (from 10/05/1960-5/7/1964).
Apart from that, about a dozen of his essays transfixed the enthusiasts of his generation and added new paradigm within existing literary space. Lucidness of social analysis drew him closer to Anton Chekhov and Guy De Maupassant-his remarkable stories depicts the sound socio-cultural intricacies within even the humble canvass. Without making his narration complex, he had vision to entangle with very serious existential issues.
In “Pratinidhi”, antagonisms of political stands have beautifully coincided with the changing social and ethical morals; “Kanchaniya” explored the many facades of survival issues. In “Do Chitra”, he minutely focused on the contemporary Maithil rural society under the wave of radicalism but not without acknowledging the stout social bonds that ultimately holds the life at equilibrium among feudal and have-nots. “Overload” presents a Sub Inspector’s introspection and dilemmas of family life through his revealing soul; fluctuations are quite noticeable from the inescapable familiar duties to spellbounding realities of life.
“Udaan” poignantly highlights the issues of void obligations of middle class and its unusual intellectualism; “Prasnachinha” led to different terrain, with high moral stands he tried to show the persistence of quest for philanthropism despite stucking through adverseness from many sides. “Ek-Prisht” is a home tutor’s tell that frequently unleashes the crisis of value in education, “Ramjani” revolves around the life of Tonga pullers with intricate angles of religion, labourers fraternity, presence of change and ultimately through attitude shaping. “Mukti” is persuasively the most acclaimed story of Lalit-this story marked the shift in Maithili literature towards a new dynamicism, and changing realities.
Choice of independence from crumbling conjugal life earmarked the bigger picture of women’s empowerment here. “Ladai Par” visualised the scene of a humble rural family while departing their lone young scion for warfront-no moral dilemmas, only some genuine affinity and insecurity placed in this story. “Nav-Puran” dealt with the life of automobile community and their plights in day-to-day affair…this is unusual in its own sort.
Lalit had ingenuity for tracing and being back on key issues of his time though he had tenuous hold on his life like every mortal. Merely at the age of fifty-one, he passed away on April14, 1983 by battling with Lyver Syrosis in Betia district. Weekly Mithila Mihir’s (29th May 1983) Lalit special had awoken the sleeping consine of entire Maithil society for the illustrating works of this great man. Lalit was second traumatic casualty in the Maithili literature after the untimely demise of Rajkamal Chaudhary-departures of both badly shocked the pace of literary development for a long time.
They both were remained very closer and heralded a new chapter in literature-Lalit has translated Rajkamal’s epic story “Phulparas Wali” into Maithili and later written “Mukti” which stands opposite and more radical then the women protagonist of Rajkamal who shows stout moral imperative in her action. Lalit remained humble in his relationship with old friends and literary companions of his time, he on several occasion stressed that Rajkamal‘s “Kankavati” as last word of modern Hindi poetry.
PRITHVIPUTRA-His Master Piece:-
“Prithviputra” appeared first in Mithila Mihir in 1965 and stormed the literary world with its underneath subjectivism. Though the works were quite analomous from Lalit as he had already crossed a long stretch convincing peoples towards new way of approaches to see the social change in new light. Not for a while, Lalit let him frittered away in his convictions, instead he chosen ubiquitous way of reawakening amidst a tense plot of land conflict. He largely succeeded to oversight the frills in the delineation of characters demeanour; infusion of progressive perspectives is the soul of this novel, which keep it vibrant until the end.
The plots were woven in Farbisganj (Kosi belt)-novel starts with the impact of social changes on the conventional social system, immediately after the independence of India. Consequences of land reform widely taken place in entire theme, Dusadhtoli (lower caste abode) in village Baburbanna too seemed transient through these changes and escalation of violence following the nasty tracts of diminishing feudals. Once notified criminal though a changed man now, Bishekhi’s family-his wife, Genma (elder son), Sarupa (younger and radical son), Bijli (daughter), and Beni (daughter-in-law) are the catalysts of the theme-side characters, like Kalpnath Mishra (Bijli’s lover) and Hiralal (Bijli’s estranged husband, a railway Patman)too accounts for a lot of micro and macro coherence in the events.
Genma’s death while struggling for his land and Contractor Durjodhan Singh‘s murder in course of his wrong doing weaves the novel in very intricate manners. “Prithviputra” manifests the arrival of new age in modern India; though it’s based upon the circumstances of Mithila but its crux is universally relevant. Noted literaturer, Bibhuti Anand who has written a monograph on Lalit (Sahitya Academy, 2004) also emphasizes about his second novel (Karmanya Wadhikareste, unpublished), whose publication would indeed make fresh impacts in revisiting his works in new light.
Today Lalit’s contribution is largely unknown among the young generation of Mithila and outside of it…proper documentation and translation of his works in other Indian languages would give a new lease to his prolific conceptions. Those initiatives must be start now as any delay may permanently fixed Maithili literary enthusiasts into “Principled forgetter”…a dooming zone where creative things ceases to exists!
Atul Kumar Thakur
July 29th2010, Thursday, New Delhi
Friday, November 13, 2009
Phanishwar Nath Renu in Retrospect
Aurahi Hingana, a small village of North Bihar (Mithila region) is situated just two Kilometer south west away from historic Simraha railway station (Araria district). It’s imperative here to illuminate that these subtle geographical locality once used to be the locus of great literaturer Phanishwar Nath Renu’s panoramic communion with nature- simply far from an opulent surroundings. Indeed his intermittent communion in such sedate environment was quite conducive for him as that richness of nature has been enabling him to conceal from skirmish city life of Patna, besides emanating great literary stuffs of Hindi, Maithili and Bangla from those sojourn.
Undoubtedly, this towering giant of Hindi literature mostly derived his laconic art of expression from this milieu, by which his classic characters and meticulously woven plots carried a top sensible belongingness with the rural plights. Apparently, stupendous sensitization of sprawling landscape and folk culture with insertion of his own lucid cosmic views presents a very ruminate view of Koshi’s catchments areas and of actual persisting hurdles. That seems very close to socio-economic inquiry and somehow different from passive literary interaction. Renu has credit to award the literary world with numbers of novels, stories and poems, memoir, satire, reports, travelogue etc.
Amazingly they all quintessentially possess the worth of being sacrosanct to the sensible literary enthusiasts. Like his diversely rich works, Renu’s life was full with adventure. After his initial schooling at parental house, he flew to neighboring Nepal where fortunately he found acquaintances with famous Koirala family of Biratnagar. Henceforth, he kept performing the duty of aide to Koirala’s and remained very close to them, meanwhile he also succeeded in his academics and finally accomplished his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from prestigious Banaras Hindu University. Indeed Koirala’s were the factor behind his staying in the city of Kashi as they have proper establishment in the city of light (Kashi).
The timeframe of late 1940’s was entirely transitory in nature for Nepalese politics as the tussle between De facto rulers Rana’s and Dejure contender Shah dynasty grew sharper. Essentially being the scion of Nepalese politics, Koirala’s had to play some crucial roles in political transformation and further bonding of new ties with India. Being a close aide of Koirala’s, Renu actively participated in those movements and later produced a very comprehensible report on that era named as “Nepali Kranti Ki Katha (Tells of Nepalese Revolution)” which is a crucial document of that landmark era in Nepal. In later phase Renu primarily concentrated on his own milieu and tried to decipher the ruination of Kosi belt.
His magnum opus work in Hindi “Maila Aanchal” is also regarded as top notch literary creation in any Indian language. The novel very aptly elucidates the contemporary realities of Indian village scene at the threshold of independence. Undoubtedly “Maila Aanchal” is a rare piece of literature entrusted with superb delineations of rural wisdom along with the fine fusion of dynamic universal changes that was ready to shift the prevailing idleness of the dogmas in compatibility with the new future of democratic India. From the post-colonial perspectives, this book has immense worth in reckoning the late colonial framework of eastern regions which was over burdened with the segregative policies being carried over native Indians under the guise of Indigo farming, exploitative revenue collection, terror policing etc.
Renu was closely concerned with the endemic diseases like Malaria which was caused by the water logging of Kosi river; being benign, Renu had approached with superb humane concern to judge those plights with completely repudiating any discrimination to even the colonial officials. Mary (Later Mary Gunj was commemorated on her memory), wife of an English official who died from Malaria in absence of proper medicine drew same grief as those for thousands of unprivileged local victims. Renu had eloquently elucidated the challenges of post independent India through his another epic novel in Hindi “Parti Parikatha”; in which he painstakingly tried to show the Nehruvian vision of development in early planning years with adequately acknowledging the pertinent issues like, land reform, abolition of Zamindari, villages self rule (Gram Swarajya), socialization of institutions.
Moreover he visualized a new emerging democratic India with socio-economic change as priority in the growth agenda; indeed Renu in that period had shown overt differences from his earlier radical ideological stand albeit he remained firm as a believer in socialistic form of development. Strikingly, Renu was equally gifted in storey telling and poetry where he equally became successful in forming close bond with the concerned themes. His superb storytelling reached to zenith in works like, “Rinjal Dhan Jal”, “Aadim Ratri Ki Mahak”, “Panch Light”, “Wighthan ke Chhanh”, “Mare Gaye Gulfam or Teesri Kasam” etc. These stories are vigorously moves around the contemporary dynamicism of Terain region of Mithila.
For a short stint, he was also in Bombay to try his destiny in cinema script writing; he penned some scripts and more remarkably cinematised his own lively story “Mare Gaye Gulfam” for a great Hindi cinema “Teesri Kasam (Cast- Raj Kapoor, Wahida Rahman, Iftikar etc)” in mid sixties. Teesri Ksam was directed by Raj Kapoor and produced by Shailendra but unfortunatelly it could not fetch the early commercial succes although in second release “Teesri Kasam” proved remarkable success. Alas! Shailendra couldn’t see the success of his dream project as he failed to sustain the initial shock of failure; probably very few cinemas in modern time have been woven in such lucid intricacies of rural folk life and at best with the greater revelations of humanism over the blind materialism.
By record, it’s true that except two short stories and some memoirs, he directly never contributed anything more in the literary collection of his mother tongue-Maithili. Although through a close inquiry of his work, it becomes seemingly clear that they basically inspired and originated from his Maithili speaking rural locale of Purnia district, eastern Bihar. Renu was a lively humane being like his literary productions exudes. Few months back, I was going through an old issue (Late eighties) of “Hans (leading literary magazine in Hindi)” from my own collection which was consisted with some rare photographs of Renu with Baidya Nath Mishra”Yatri” (Nagarjun for Hindi speaking world) in a rainy season in his lush green paddy field in Aurahi Hingana. Those beautiful photographs shows the frequent visits of celebrated figures during Renu’s staying in village and moreover his universalism under close association of local aesthetic inferences.
Photographs were undated although aesthetically depicts his close communion with natural landscape of his village; Renu often used to said that, my staying in village energies me for creative works and enabling me to produce my literary works in the city of Patna. Indeed he had led most eloquent voice for villages after the great Hindi literaturer Premchand in the literature of any Indian languages; even in modest appraisal, he was a man of deeds who devoted his entire life raising awareness for the afflicted plights of the rural hinterland. His sudden and premature demise was extremely elegiac for entire literary world as his many promising works remained uncompleted...that void is still continue and unlikely to be over. It’s daunting for me to cover the life and works of Renu in a single article; hope I would be able to produce something more on his works and life in future.
Atul Kumar Thakur
November13th2009, New Delhi
Undoubtedly, this towering giant of Hindi literature mostly derived his laconic art of expression from this milieu, by which his classic characters and meticulously woven plots carried a top sensible belongingness with the rural plights. Apparently, stupendous sensitization of sprawling landscape and folk culture with insertion of his own lucid cosmic views presents a very ruminate view of Koshi’s catchments areas and of actual persisting hurdles. That seems very close to socio-economic inquiry and somehow different from passive literary interaction. Renu has credit to award the literary world with numbers of novels, stories and poems, memoir, satire, reports, travelogue etc.
Amazingly they all quintessentially possess the worth of being sacrosanct to the sensible literary enthusiasts. Like his diversely rich works, Renu’s life was full with adventure. After his initial schooling at parental house, he flew to neighboring Nepal where fortunately he found acquaintances with famous Koirala family of Biratnagar. Henceforth, he kept performing the duty of aide to Koirala’s and remained very close to them, meanwhile he also succeeded in his academics and finally accomplished his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from prestigious Banaras Hindu University. Indeed Koirala’s were the factor behind his staying in the city of Kashi as they have proper establishment in the city of light (Kashi).
The timeframe of late 1940’s was entirely transitory in nature for Nepalese politics as the tussle between De facto rulers Rana’s and Dejure contender Shah dynasty grew sharper. Essentially being the scion of Nepalese politics, Koirala’s had to play some crucial roles in political transformation and further bonding of new ties with India. Being a close aide of Koirala’s, Renu actively participated in those movements and later produced a very comprehensible report on that era named as “Nepali Kranti Ki Katha (Tells of Nepalese Revolution)” which is a crucial document of that landmark era in Nepal. In later phase Renu primarily concentrated on his own milieu and tried to decipher the ruination of Kosi belt.
His magnum opus work in Hindi “Maila Aanchal” is also regarded as top notch literary creation in any Indian language. The novel very aptly elucidates the contemporary realities of Indian village scene at the threshold of independence. Undoubtedly “Maila Aanchal” is a rare piece of literature entrusted with superb delineations of rural wisdom along with the fine fusion of dynamic universal changes that was ready to shift the prevailing idleness of the dogmas in compatibility with the new future of democratic India. From the post-colonial perspectives, this book has immense worth in reckoning the late colonial framework of eastern regions which was over burdened with the segregative policies being carried over native Indians under the guise of Indigo farming, exploitative revenue collection, terror policing etc.
Renu was closely concerned with the endemic diseases like Malaria which was caused by the water logging of Kosi river; being benign, Renu had approached with superb humane concern to judge those plights with completely repudiating any discrimination to even the colonial officials. Mary (Later Mary Gunj was commemorated on her memory), wife of an English official who died from Malaria in absence of proper medicine drew same grief as those for thousands of unprivileged local victims. Renu had eloquently elucidated the challenges of post independent India through his another epic novel in Hindi “Parti Parikatha”; in which he painstakingly tried to show the Nehruvian vision of development in early planning years with adequately acknowledging the pertinent issues like, land reform, abolition of Zamindari, villages self rule (Gram Swarajya), socialization of institutions.
Moreover he visualized a new emerging democratic India with socio-economic change as priority in the growth agenda; indeed Renu in that period had shown overt differences from his earlier radical ideological stand albeit he remained firm as a believer in socialistic form of development. Strikingly, Renu was equally gifted in storey telling and poetry where he equally became successful in forming close bond with the concerned themes. His superb storytelling reached to zenith in works like, “Rinjal Dhan Jal”, “Aadim Ratri Ki Mahak”, “Panch Light”, “Wighthan ke Chhanh”, “Mare Gaye Gulfam or Teesri Kasam” etc. These stories are vigorously moves around the contemporary dynamicism of Terain region of Mithila.
For a short stint, he was also in Bombay to try his destiny in cinema script writing; he penned some scripts and more remarkably cinematised his own lively story “Mare Gaye Gulfam” for a great Hindi cinema “Teesri Kasam (Cast- Raj Kapoor, Wahida Rahman, Iftikar etc)” in mid sixties. Teesri Ksam was directed by Raj Kapoor and produced by Shailendra but unfortunatelly it could not fetch the early commercial succes although in second release “Teesri Kasam” proved remarkable success. Alas! Shailendra couldn’t see the success of his dream project as he failed to sustain the initial shock of failure; probably very few cinemas in modern time have been woven in such lucid intricacies of rural folk life and at best with the greater revelations of humanism over the blind materialism.
By record, it’s true that except two short stories and some memoirs, he directly never contributed anything more in the literary collection of his mother tongue-Maithili. Although through a close inquiry of his work, it becomes seemingly clear that they basically inspired and originated from his Maithili speaking rural locale of Purnia district, eastern Bihar. Renu was a lively humane being like his literary productions exudes. Few months back, I was going through an old issue (Late eighties) of “Hans (leading literary magazine in Hindi)” from my own collection which was consisted with some rare photographs of Renu with Baidya Nath Mishra”Yatri” (Nagarjun for Hindi speaking world) in a rainy season in his lush green paddy field in Aurahi Hingana. Those beautiful photographs shows the frequent visits of celebrated figures during Renu’s staying in village and moreover his universalism under close association of local aesthetic inferences.
Photographs were undated although aesthetically depicts his close communion with natural landscape of his village; Renu often used to said that, my staying in village energies me for creative works and enabling me to produce my literary works in the city of Patna. Indeed he had led most eloquent voice for villages after the great Hindi literaturer Premchand in the literature of any Indian languages; even in modest appraisal, he was a man of deeds who devoted his entire life raising awareness for the afflicted plights of the rural hinterland. His sudden and premature demise was extremely elegiac for entire literary world as his many promising works remained uncompleted...that void is still continue and unlikely to be over. It’s daunting for me to cover the life and works of Renu in a single article; hope I would be able to produce something more on his works and life in future.
Atul Kumar Thakur
November13th2009, New Delhi
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Geniusity of Rajkamal Chaudhary
Maithili language and literature has been culminating through a long walk in history until it started to find a new genre of literature in mid part of last century. Uprightly that could be memorized as next golden phase after the great Jyotireshwar Thakur-Vidyapati age; the factor of overlooking some more remarkable phase of achievements are the exuberant manifestations from that new literary generation which was unlikely to preceded in near past.
Looking back to that generation and recalling giants like Baidyanath Mishra”Yatri” (Nagarjun), Harimohan Jha, Lalit, Dhumketu, Fanishwar Nath”Renu”could be very solacing for literary enthusiasts which would be grew more exulting by shout of praise for foremost among them, Rajkamal Chaudhary. He was a stock genius who accepted niche role to beguiling Maithili literature to a new posture which was dragging previously and largely failing to extrapolate the numerous unconventional approaching problems from changing social dynamics. Rajkamal Chaudhary was a doyen of Maithili literature and even one among Indian literature albeit if the barrier of language could be bursted, then of course his work is worth of universal claim with myriad of universal concern it entrusted.
Rajkamal Chaudhary undoubtedly has most prolific presence in the sunnyside of Maithili literature along with quite symmetric resemblances from his name. His family members deserves utmost credit for tracing the jewels like quality in an infantile and naming such meticulously as Rajkamal, Manindra, Phulbabu (Traditional Maithili call name for loving one)much before his attainment to scholarship and fame. As par with contemporary trend Rajkamal Chaudhary was also born at his maternal place in Rampur haveli in east Mithila (North Bihar) on 13th December 1929; although his ancestral village was Mahishi in Saharsa district that is world famed for its scholastic tradition. Rajkamal’s early childhood was spent in his village but later he moved with his father, who was a Sanskrit teacher in middle Bihar’s town Gaya; he passed matriculation with high distinction from there.
Further phase of his life was full with experiments and wandering albeit finally he passed B.Com from prestigious Patna University; meanwhile he also married with Sashikanta Chaudhary in Chanpura village (In present Madhubani district) .Through his sharp instinct and voracious learning, he proceeded much above from his academic and professional achievements since he never conquered a suitable institutional position for himself. Reasons might be his immaterial nature and particularly his short life span that led to fiendish eventuality. However that couldn’t extrude Rajkamal to write a new chapter in literary history and force to expurgate the existing maladies in Maithil society with superb universal connotations.
In his literary voyage, he was a man of letters with amazing farsightedness; hence he aspired and succeeds in three major domain of literary expressions like, novel, story and poetry. Comparatively prose was his major thirst, despite this he penned numbers of poetry in both Maithili and Hindi language albeit many of them failed to appear in physical shape. In spite of concealment, we are presently capable to clasp his six collection of poems, namely as Kankavati, Audit Report, Mukti Prasang, Vichitra, Sargandha and Macchli Jall and many more may be in future if proper strive would be made to retrieve it. Rajkamal was a promising creationist who barely allowed any frills to enter in his literary productions; likewise his poetry reveals it and its epithet which consisting utmost sensuality with diverse humane plights sounds in immaculate manner.
It would be quite imperative here to recall that Rajkamal Chaudhary had conceived the conceited view about his Maithil identity and he never stepped down to derive metaphors for his creative vision from his native milieu. There were many reasons to postulate such affection for strife ridden Mithila through expounding the contemporary harsh realities in its territory and even in entire country. That was the phase of chaos at many fronts like, political, social, economical, ethical etc... Disillusionment was quite rampant from newly earned democracy which started to gloom and force an entire young generation especially of its intelligentsias towards unrest. Quite naturally Rajkamal was too much integrated with that intellectual class who used to keep eagle watch on worldwide movements and persuade to modify the faulty axioms.
Rajkamal had unbeaten the criticism for his daring and unconventional stand throughout in his life time that indeed seemed awes trucking. He was an astute visionary in Indian literary community who pronounced inner contradiction of humane mind as catalyst for all external complexities of social relationships; further he emphasize on western way of psychoanalysis and enviously drew inferences from Sigmund Freud to unleash the hidden as well as rudimentary conceived sinful relationships. At both personnel and creative level he has been up fronting with elegiac concern for harsh realities besides enjoined with intention to solve the persisting maladies; further he kept his vehement opposition to the nexus of its causes like, feudalism, poverty, floods, sinful eliticism, improper matrimony, male chauvinism, jealousness, personifications etc.
He poignantly followed and tried to curb its ramifications through his novels in Hindi; “Machhli Mari Hui” and “Taash Ke Pattoon Ka Sahar” are foremost among them, which try to contempt on fabrication of immoralities and illicit relationships within the elitist circle. Both his novels were instinctively close to Aldus Huxley’s “Brave new World” and George Orwell’s “Nineteen Eighty Four”, hence at first moment, that couldn’t desirably vindicate albeit it remains open for ”re-reading” as Jacques Derida suggest to find new meaning out of every fresh reading exercise. His rest novels in Hindi (“Nadi Bahti Thi”, “Sahar Tha Sahar Nahi Tha”, “Agni snan”, “Aadikatha”, “Bis Ranion ke Bioscope”, “Dehgatha( Suno Brijrani), “Ek Anar Ek Bimar” are also similarly resembled the concerns. “Andolan” was his lone novel in Maithili that was based on Maithili’s language movement in the city of Calcutta; it also marked his own involvement in the movement to raise the concern for Mithila region.
He was among the finest story teller of his generation and an iconic figure for succeeding literary generations. It is truly amazing to see the huge number of stories in both Maithili and Hindi; he managed apart from many plays and hundreds of essays in such short span of time. His commitment was worth of extolation since his literary deliberations never extricated from its goal and proceeded in felicitous manner; indeed he had importunate response for fetishism in action and thought. Some Maithili stories of Rajkamal Chaudhary are very essential to capitulate the deeper understanding of his works.
His first published story “Aprajita (Vaidehi, October1954)”, presents subtle account of perennial natural tragedy of Mithila (floods) and its repercussions on human lives through a desperate train journey; “Andhakar (Vaidehi/ May1953)”, tells on contradictory relationship under the shadow of religion, partition and sin.“Phulparaswali (Vaidehi/August1955) could be remembered as his magnum opus which illuminates the moral strength of Maithil women in even distressed phage. Rajkamal reached to his zenith through depicting Rickshaw puller protagonist, Shadashiv as his cousin and woven a very meticulous set of relationships among them with centralizing the presence of Phulparaswali, symbolizes Mithila’s ethical virtue. “Lalka pag (Vaidehi / Katha Visheshank1955), which also had its dramatic revelation, reveals untold moral victory of first wife over heart wrenching male chauvinism ended with one sided sacrifice of Mithila’s women.
“Kirtaniya (Vadehi/January1956)”, sketches the life of beggars; “Kopad (Vaidehi/May1956)”,ended with progressive ideas of inter caste marriage; “Damyantiharan (Vaidehi/July1956),” comes with a story of conditionally deprived family indulged in flesh trade for survival which strike with similar delineation of east Bengal’s refugees plights in Ritwik Ghatak’s cinema like “Bari Theke Paliye”. “Channar Das (Vaidehi/September1956)”,told the incarnation of a beggar’s pair for new life out from their existing profession; “Kiranmayee(Rachna Sangrah/1956-First all India Maithili literary conference)”, narrates the premature widowhood, sacrifice and many empathies for their plight but inability to materialize in absence of proper resources.
“Satti Dhanukain (Pallavi/May1957)”, depicts the betrayal of husband with a commuted wife; “Kharid- Bikri (Pallav/June1957)”, raised the concern for immorality of perception with a wretched women affected by the partitions. “Babu Sahebak Tik (Vaidehi/July1957)”, witnessed the metamorphosis of a falling feudal amidst the market pressure and leverages of city life; “Sahastra-Menka( Mithila Darshan/Visheshank1957)”,reveals the ill social treatment with helpless widows and wretched of Mithila.“Mugdha-Vimugdha( Pallav/March1958)”,lights on debacle of unmatched marriage,” Mallhak Tol: Ek Chitra(Vaidehi/August1958)”,concerned with the plight of Mallah(fishermen) community who possess an ingredient place in Mithila’s fish crazy society, in very short space he became successful to capture their actual reality. “Yatrak Aant (Mithial Darshan1958)”, leads to a scenario of impoverished socio-economic structure of Calcutta in which a helpless parent caught in severe daily struggle to save their ill son and dignity of daughter in law.
“Kamalmukhi Kaniyan(Kathaparag collection1958)”,candidly attacks on pseudo perception of dominant male community over the decent albeit feeble Maithil women’s, it’s a forward attack on male chauvinism. “Aakash-Ganga(Mithila Darshan/Visheshank1959)”,is an account of a falling feudal father and his relationship with estranged daughter who gone away for a matrimonial ties against of his wishes, story concludes with his proactive and judicious move which also marks the inception of flexibility in feudal structure. “Kadambari Upkatha (Vaidehi/March1960)”, has frank bearing of humanity by a childless widow who crossed all the artificial boundaries of caste, opportunism, jealousness etc; “Panidubbi(Mithila Mihir/10th May1964)”,reflects the inner state of a newly wedded women during her first journey on steamer, she simply lost in her circle of belongingness that recalls the closed nature of contemporary Maithil feminism.
“Surma Sagun Bichare Na(Mithila Mihir/9th May1965)”,is moving around the infatuation for bereaved wife that seems like a dutiful sacrifice and also transcend his honest deeds in all relationships; “Ghari(Mithial Mihir/30th January1966)”,tells the romance in inter religious web which eventually conclude with the interference of domestic compulsions. ”Maach (Mithila Mihir/30th January1966)”, is a spectacular delineation of craze for auspicious fish among Maithil’s,this story is loaded with heavy symbolism and sophisticated representation of Maithil life philosophy before a cross cultural debate.”Sanjhak Gaach(Mithila Mihir/13th March1966)”,has stuffed with the gloomy inferences from its protagonist who caught in wrenched contradiction about his prospective role with belongingness, accidental death of his sister in law leads to an in-depth synthesis of someone’s helplessness.
“Samudra(Mithila Mihir/11th September 1966), presents confrontation of female protagonist with the wider concern for her existential being…it’s a saga of unmatched matrimony;”Param Priya Nirmohi Balam Hammar Pranpati(Mithila Mihir/30th October1966)”,is consists with a marathon letter of newly wedded wife to her husband about their expectation and mixed fortune ended through overt numerous account. It was characteristics of Rajkamal Chaudhary to present a serious theme in satirical way… indeed he was an accomplished user of satire. ”Kichho Alikhit Patra(Maithili Darshan)”,written with the pseudo name of Anamica Chaudhary in extraordinary and candid craft to expose the plights of subjugated women’s of Mithila,it’s an ultimate height of fiction.”Gamme Rati Rati Me Gam (Bharti Mandan)”, virtually breaking the illusion from villages, he found same sinful habitual practices in villages as they frequent in urban spaces. ”Bahindai,Aspatal,Bangam Aa Kono Ekta Sapna(Mithila Mihir/30th April1967)”,narrates the story of Bahindai,a young widow faces a new proposal of material life but remained undetermined…an another jolt on unmatched matrimony that create such plot.
”Ekta Champakali Ekta Vishdhar(Mithila Mihir/15th June1975)”,appeared posthumously which reached behind the real cause of improper marriages…involvement of lust remains the utmost cause of females misfortune in Mithila. Somehow list became longer but his contribution is so sacrosanct that it’s very difficult to leave one piece of literature for another. In his very short life span, he did exemplary job through his creative means to express his deep concern with desperate elements of Maithil society. Indeed his initiative was epoch making especially the manners in which he visualized the complex cognition of human mind and their ambiguous outcomes like, improper marriages, sinful relationships etc. His concern was broad, so he canvassed them in same dedication with punishing hardship on personnel front albeit nature shaped its cruel verdict for this epoch maker. Its eventuality was his untimely departure from this mortal world on 7th June1967 at Rajendra surgical ward, Patna Medical College and Hospital. Rajkamal or Phool Babu too loved among his folks, his premature demise with combating deadly disease left deep strain among entire literary circle in Mithila and even in whole country. But even after four decades he is yet to have the place he deserves …his contribution is great and comparable to the great works of Premchand, Muktibodh, Sharat Chand Chattopadhyaya, Moppsant (Spainish), Loo Soon (Chinese); his work is highly eligible for exposition before the larger masses, which would be the real homage for him.
Baidyanath Mishra”Yatri”(Nagarjun),was dejected through passing of his loving successor Rajkamal, commemorated a poem in his fond memory that best reflects the contention of void after Rajkamal’s missing from scene…crux is, there could be and was only one Phool Babu in Mithila, we may have to wait for generation to fill his position. Those who acquainted him personally, still recalls his generosity and involvement in community life…indeed he was intended to lift rural life out of chaos; so, despite possessing elite qualities he chosen to represent bottom of pyramids. His works more than introductions reveals his geniusity much better.
Atul Kumar Thakur
Email: summertickets@gmail.com
4th October2009, New Delhi
Looking back to that generation and recalling giants like Baidyanath Mishra”Yatri” (Nagarjun), Harimohan Jha, Lalit, Dhumketu, Fanishwar Nath”Renu”could be very solacing for literary enthusiasts which would be grew more exulting by shout of praise for foremost among them, Rajkamal Chaudhary. He was a stock genius who accepted niche role to beguiling Maithili literature to a new posture which was dragging previously and largely failing to extrapolate the numerous unconventional approaching problems from changing social dynamics. Rajkamal Chaudhary was a doyen of Maithili literature and even one among Indian literature albeit if the barrier of language could be bursted, then of course his work is worth of universal claim with myriad of universal concern it entrusted.
Rajkamal Chaudhary undoubtedly has most prolific presence in the sunnyside of Maithili literature along with quite symmetric resemblances from his name. His family members deserves utmost credit for tracing the jewels like quality in an infantile and naming such meticulously as Rajkamal, Manindra, Phulbabu (Traditional Maithili call name for loving one)much before his attainment to scholarship and fame. As par with contemporary trend Rajkamal Chaudhary was also born at his maternal place in Rampur haveli in east Mithila (North Bihar) on 13th December 1929; although his ancestral village was Mahishi in Saharsa district that is world famed for its scholastic tradition. Rajkamal’s early childhood was spent in his village but later he moved with his father, who was a Sanskrit teacher in middle Bihar’s town Gaya; he passed matriculation with high distinction from there.
Further phase of his life was full with experiments and wandering albeit finally he passed B.Com from prestigious Patna University; meanwhile he also married with Sashikanta Chaudhary in Chanpura village (In present Madhubani district) .Through his sharp instinct and voracious learning, he proceeded much above from his academic and professional achievements since he never conquered a suitable institutional position for himself. Reasons might be his immaterial nature and particularly his short life span that led to fiendish eventuality. However that couldn’t extrude Rajkamal to write a new chapter in literary history and force to expurgate the existing maladies in Maithil society with superb universal connotations.
In his literary voyage, he was a man of letters with amazing farsightedness; hence he aspired and succeeds in three major domain of literary expressions like, novel, story and poetry. Comparatively prose was his major thirst, despite this he penned numbers of poetry in both Maithili and Hindi language albeit many of them failed to appear in physical shape. In spite of concealment, we are presently capable to clasp his six collection of poems, namely as Kankavati, Audit Report, Mukti Prasang, Vichitra, Sargandha and Macchli Jall and many more may be in future if proper strive would be made to retrieve it. Rajkamal was a promising creationist who barely allowed any frills to enter in his literary productions; likewise his poetry reveals it and its epithet which consisting utmost sensuality with diverse humane plights sounds in immaculate manner.
It would be quite imperative here to recall that Rajkamal Chaudhary had conceived the conceited view about his Maithil identity and he never stepped down to derive metaphors for his creative vision from his native milieu. There were many reasons to postulate such affection for strife ridden Mithila through expounding the contemporary harsh realities in its territory and even in entire country. That was the phase of chaos at many fronts like, political, social, economical, ethical etc... Disillusionment was quite rampant from newly earned democracy which started to gloom and force an entire young generation especially of its intelligentsias towards unrest. Quite naturally Rajkamal was too much integrated with that intellectual class who used to keep eagle watch on worldwide movements and persuade to modify the faulty axioms.
Rajkamal had unbeaten the criticism for his daring and unconventional stand throughout in his life time that indeed seemed awes trucking. He was an astute visionary in Indian literary community who pronounced inner contradiction of humane mind as catalyst for all external complexities of social relationships; further he emphasize on western way of psychoanalysis and enviously drew inferences from Sigmund Freud to unleash the hidden as well as rudimentary conceived sinful relationships. At both personnel and creative level he has been up fronting with elegiac concern for harsh realities besides enjoined with intention to solve the persisting maladies; further he kept his vehement opposition to the nexus of its causes like, feudalism, poverty, floods, sinful eliticism, improper matrimony, male chauvinism, jealousness, personifications etc.
He poignantly followed and tried to curb its ramifications through his novels in Hindi; “Machhli Mari Hui” and “Taash Ke Pattoon Ka Sahar” are foremost among them, which try to contempt on fabrication of immoralities and illicit relationships within the elitist circle. Both his novels were instinctively close to Aldus Huxley’s “Brave new World” and George Orwell’s “Nineteen Eighty Four”, hence at first moment, that couldn’t desirably vindicate albeit it remains open for ”re-reading” as Jacques Derida suggest to find new meaning out of every fresh reading exercise. His rest novels in Hindi (“Nadi Bahti Thi”, “Sahar Tha Sahar Nahi Tha”, “Agni snan”, “Aadikatha”, “Bis Ranion ke Bioscope”, “Dehgatha( Suno Brijrani), “Ek Anar Ek Bimar” are also similarly resembled the concerns. “Andolan” was his lone novel in Maithili that was based on Maithili’s language movement in the city of Calcutta; it also marked his own involvement in the movement to raise the concern for Mithila region.
He was among the finest story teller of his generation and an iconic figure for succeeding literary generations. It is truly amazing to see the huge number of stories in both Maithili and Hindi; he managed apart from many plays and hundreds of essays in such short span of time. His commitment was worth of extolation since his literary deliberations never extricated from its goal and proceeded in felicitous manner; indeed he had importunate response for fetishism in action and thought. Some Maithili stories of Rajkamal Chaudhary are very essential to capitulate the deeper understanding of his works.
His first published story “Aprajita (Vaidehi, October1954)”, presents subtle account of perennial natural tragedy of Mithila (floods) and its repercussions on human lives through a desperate train journey; “Andhakar (Vaidehi/ May1953)”, tells on contradictory relationship under the shadow of religion, partition and sin.“Phulparaswali (Vaidehi/August1955) could be remembered as his magnum opus which illuminates the moral strength of Maithil women in even distressed phage. Rajkamal reached to his zenith through depicting Rickshaw puller protagonist, Shadashiv as his cousin and woven a very meticulous set of relationships among them with centralizing the presence of Phulparaswali, symbolizes Mithila’s ethical virtue. “Lalka pag (Vaidehi / Katha Visheshank1955), which also had its dramatic revelation, reveals untold moral victory of first wife over heart wrenching male chauvinism ended with one sided sacrifice of Mithila’s women.
“Kirtaniya (Vadehi/January1956)”, sketches the life of beggars; “Kopad (Vaidehi/May1956)”,ended with progressive ideas of inter caste marriage; “Damyantiharan (Vaidehi/July1956),” comes with a story of conditionally deprived family indulged in flesh trade for survival which strike with similar delineation of east Bengal’s refugees plights in Ritwik Ghatak’s cinema like “Bari Theke Paliye”. “Channar Das (Vaidehi/September1956)”,told the incarnation of a beggar’s pair for new life out from their existing profession; “Kiranmayee(Rachna Sangrah/1956-First all India Maithili literary conference)”, narrates the premature widowhood, sacrifice and many empathies for their plight but inability to materialize in absence of proper resources.
“Satti Dhanukain (Pallavi/May1957)”, depicts the betrayal of husband with a commuted wife; “Kharid- Bikri (Pallav/June1957)”, raised the concern for immorality of perception with a wretched women affected by the partitions. “Babu Sahebak Tik (Vaidehi/July1957)”, witnessed the metamorphosis of a falling feudal amidst the market pressure and leverages of city life; “Sahastra-Menka( Mithila Darshan/Visheshank1957)”,reveals the ill social treatment with helpless widows and wretched of Mithila.“Mugdha-Vimugdha( Pallav/March1958)”,lights on debacle of unmatched marriage,” Mallhak Tol: Ek Chitra(Vaidehi/August1958)”,concerned with the plight of Mallah(fishermen) community who possess an ingredient place in Mithila’s fish crazy society, in very short space he became successful to capture their actual reality. “Yatrak Aant (Mithial Darshan1958)”, leads to a scenario of impoverished socio-economic structure of Calcutta in which a helpless parent caught in severe daily struggle to save their ill son and dignity of daughter in law.
“Kamalmukhi Kaniyan(Kathaparag collection1958)”,candidly attacks on pseudo perception of dominant male community over the decent albeit feeble Maithil women’s, it’s a forward attack on male chauvinism. “Aakash-Ganga(Mithila Darshan/Visheshank1959)”,is an account of a falling feudal father and his relationship with estranged daughter who gone away for a matrimonial ties against of his wishes, story concludes with his proactive and judicious move which also marks the inception of flexibility in feudal structure. “Kadambari Upkatha (Vaidehi/March1960)”, has frank bearing of humanity by a childless widow who crossed all the artificial boundaries of caste, opportunism, jealousness etc; “Panidubbi(Mithila Mihir/10th May1964)”,reflects the inner state of a newly wedded women during her first journey on steamer, she simply lost in her circle of belongingness that recalls the closed nature of contemporary Maithil feminism.
“Surma Sagun Bichare Na(Mithila Mihir/9th May1965)”,is moving around the infatuation for bereaved wife that seems like a dutiful sacrifice and also transcend his honest deeds in all relationships; “Ghari(Mithial Mihir/30th January1966)”,tells the romance in inter religious web which eventually conclude with the interference of domestic compulsions. ”Maach (Mithila Mihir/30th January1966)”, is a spectacular delineation of craze for auspicious fish among Maithil’s,this story is loaded with heavy symbolism and sophisticated representation of Maithil life philosophy before a cross cultural debate.”Sanjhak Gaach(Mithila Mihir/13th March1966)”,has stuffed with the gloomy inferences from its protagonist who caught in wrenched contradiction about his prospective role with belongingness, accidental death of his sister in law leads to an in-depth synthesis of someone’s helplessness.
“Samudra(Mithila Mihir/11th September 1966), presents confrontation of female protagonist with the wider concern for her existential being…it’s a saga of unmatched matrimony;”Param Priya Nirmohi Balam Hammar Pranpati(Mithila Mihir/30th October1966)”,is consists with a marathon letter of newly wedded wife to her husband about their expectation and mixed fortune ended through overt numerous account. It was characteristics of Rajkamal Chaudhary to present a serious theme in satirical way… indeed he was an accomplished user of satire. ”Kichho Alikhit Patra(Maithili Darshan)”,written with the pseudo name of Anamica Chaudhary in extraordinary and candid craft to expose the plights of subjugated women’s of Mithila,it’s an ultimate height of fiction.”Gamme Rati Rati Me Gam (Bharti Mandan)”, virtually breaking the illusion from villages, he found same sinful habitual practices in villages as they frequent in urban spaces. ”Bahindai,Aspatal,Bangam Aa Kono Ekta Sapna(Mithila Mihir/30th April1967)”,narrates the story of Bahindai,a young widow faces a new proposal of material life but remained undetermined…an another jolt on unmatched matrimony that create such plot.
”Ekta Champakali Ekta Vishdhar(Mithila Mihir/15th June1975)”,appeared posthumously which reached behind the real cause of improper marriages…involvement of lust remains the utmost cause of females misfortune in Mithila. Somehow list became longer but his contribution is so sacrosanct that it’s very difficult to leave one piece of literature for another. In his very short life span, he did exemplary job through his creative means to express his deep concern with desperate elements of Maithil society. Indeed his initiative was epoch making especially the manners in which he visualized the complex cognition of human mind and their ambiguous outcomes like, improper marriages, sinful relationships etc. His concern was broad, so he canvassed them in same dedication with punishing hardship on personnel front albeit nature shaped its cruel verdict for this epoch maker. Its eventuality was his untimely departure from this mortal world on 7th June1967 at Rajendra surgical ward, Patna Medical College and Hospital. Rajkamal or Phool Babu too loved among his folks, his premature demise with combating deadly disease left deep strain among entire literary circle in Mithila and even in whole country. But even after four decades he is yet to have the place he deserves …his contribution is great and comparable to the great works of Premchand, Muktibodh, Sharat Chand Chattopadhyaya, Moppsant (Spainish), Loo Soon (Chinese); his work is highly eligible for exposition before the larger masses, which would be the real homage for him.
Baidyanath Mishra”Yatri”(Nagarjun),was dejected through passing of his loving successor Rajkamal, commemorated a poem in his fond memory that best reflects the contention of void after Rajkamal’s missing from scene…crux is, there could be and was only one Phool Babu in Mithila, we may have to wait for generation to fill his position. Those who acquainted him personally, still recalls his generosity and involvement in community life…indeed he was intended to lift rural life out of chaos; so, despite possessing elite qualities he chosen to represent bottom of pyramids. His works more than introductions reveals his geniusity much better.
Atul Kumar Thakur
Email: summertickets@gmail.com
4th October2009, New Delhi
Friday, April 3, 2009
Dhumketu : An Unexposed Giant of Maithili Literature
Life: -
On 25th January 1932,Bholanath Jha ”Dhumketu” was born in an elite family of village Koilakh; then this village was the part of Raj Darbhanga. His forefathers were the resident of Ujjan village, but due to a matrimonial tie in the family of eminent scholar Umapati Upadhayaya, they were inhabited in Koilakh.Being born in an influential family, he got comfortable upbringing, but never distracted through the feudal manners. Although that phase of his village life provided him chances to enter in the arena of letters and traditional knowledge.
Due to feudal leaning of his family he used to have chances to visit and spent times at various Zamindari of Mithilanchal, but all such experiences could not altered his revolutionary and defying attitude towards the spoiling feudal order.
Indeed, he was a man of uncompromising nature….he kept it throughout his life. His transformation from Bholanath Jha to Dhumketu was an initiation of his revolutionary journey and his consistent switching in his material life. That even later caused for his pauper material condition and premature death, which remained the ultimate revelation of his struggle. Despite his nurtured family belongings, he was not a man of destiny. When he reached the age of institutional learning, he could not get proper backing from his conflict ridden family.
He earned his education through hard means .He got first class in his Matriculation exam in 1949, in 1951 he earned second class in his intermediate exam from Madhubani; this falling academic performance was caused by his active involvement in progressive activism and extremely resonant association with local communist leaders.
He further proceeded to prestigious Patna University for pursuing his higher studies, where he qualified B.A (1953) and M.A (1955) in Economics. After completion of his studies, he started working in Aryavarta press in Patna where he kept working from 1955 to 1957.But he found the stint unsatisfactory because it was not justifiable to his intellect.
So, finally he got away from his short tenure in Journalism and moved to a new voyage in academics. He joined R.R Campus (Janakpur, Nepal) as a lecturer of Economics in 1957, and kept working for a considerable phase, which ended in only in 1973. Meanwhile he got struck through a major blow with the untimely demise of his wife in 1965; in 1968 he remarried.
Like Rajkamal Chaudhary, he was also a man of contradiction, which is evident from his family life and creative productions where a lot of gap could be found between his revolutionary belief and its pragmatic action.
Though he spent a remarkable time of his academic working life in Nepal, but after the break of his stint in Janakpur (Nepal) due to his resistance against the discriminatory Panchayati System introduced in Nepal; he moved to his native place in Madhubani where he did two remarkable work by founding the two colleges in nearby areas, despite this he remained unmindful for a stable career.
In 1980, he moved again to Tribhuvan University (Kathmandu, Nepal) as an Associate Professor of Economics where he continued working till 1984 .He again got back to his home in 1984 because of personnel reasons, afterwards kept himself aloof from any institutional profile until 1997, when he again joined Tribhuvan University as Professor Emeritus where he keep working until close to his death on 6th August year 2000.
Once he quoted saying of famous philosopher T.S Elliot about the life”Where is the life, we are lost in living”, absolutely he refrained himself from absorbing in narrow aims of pleasure instead he lived in universal frame and remained a universal seekers for understanding the true meaning of life. Undoubtedly he was an alluring adventurist.
Literary Journey: -
Dhumketu was a gifted story teller; he was endowed with the great lingual skills with his wide range of studies in different languages including the world classics and humanities, which immensely contributed the development of Maithili language. Since initiation, he was oriented towards prose. His first published story in Maithili was Didi(sister,1952),which got high acclaim in literary circles that further encouraged him for more literary productions. Though he was inclined towards the prose but later he had also found taste to pen some great poetry in Maithili like “Dak Peen (Postmen, 1956)” and “Ek Ber Pher Rajdhani Main (Once again in the capital, 1977); which deserves better attention.
Dhumketu had enormous impact of Freudian Psychology like his contemporary great writer Rajkamal Chaudhary; they had many similarities in their ideology. Both defied the orthodox patterns of Maithil society and tried to penetrate in very complex corner of human mind.
Dhumketu believed story as a struggle between ID and EGO, so inner conflicts of mind canopied every theme of his literary stuffs. Once he wrote that I have no commitment to languages or literature only I am committed for peoples; who are real cause of my creative engagement. He remained a people’s oriented writer throughout his life.
He has written two memoirs in fond memory of his contemporary Rajkamal Chaudhary. First,”Vishwasht Avishwashniya (Confident Incredulous) and second, Suryapatan (Sunset).-both were published in Mithila Mihir just after the premature demise of his contemporary friend. Even his two obscure articles posses all the qualities to be called a master craft.
It was quite unfortunate for a great writer like him to see only one published collection of stories (Agurban, 1980) in his life time, even though he masterly written more than forty stories, two novels and dozens of poems besides some memoir, travelogues and articles .One among his novel “Sannipat” serially published in an obscure magazine,”Bharti Mandan”, and his second novel “Mor Par (On Turning, year2000) could be published only after his death.
Two more works of him was published posthumously “Udyast (collection of stories2002-03) and second one was “Nav Kavitak Navinta (Novelity of New Poems); though it could be a matter of solace for him but definitely he deserved more credit for his lifelong contribution in literature.
For proper evaluation of his Maithili stories, we will have to back for a while to see his work in a new light. Because like Baidyanath Mishra” Yatri (Nagarjun, popularly known in Hindi literary world) and Rajkamal Chaudhary, he had also shown immense effort to cultivate the old orthodox plot of Maithili Society. His every work has binding with the lower strata of society and their daily struggle for existence besides this he also exposed the pseudo moral constraint of authoritative class.
His three stories, “Manukhak Devta (Men’s God), Kulta (Characterless) and “Bihairi (Storms) are genuinely deserves to be ties with ‘Yatri’s Paro (A short novel) and Rajkamal Chaudhary’s ”Sugna Sagun Bichare”.
A very minute depiction of relationships which is often crossed the socially approved threshold are unique characteristics of these stories. Dhumketu made utmost efforts to unleash the ugly orthodox norms of Maithil society, sometime even he sounded overtly too much vocal and impatient about the existing deformities.
Two other less known story “Hamara Aaur (We People)”and “Shivir (Camp)” present a very candid delineation of deteriorating morale.
There is a wide range of diversity in his creative plot, which being unleashed from reading his some more stories. Like, “Dansh” presents a very complex relationship in a long span of time frame from Childhood to Young hood within a set of desire between its male and female protagonist.
“Sanbandh Bodh” and “Manukhak Devta” presents two very different and unusual attitudes towards relationship; “Sambandh Bodh” visualises lost relationship to an extreme level. On the other end”Manukhak Devta (Mens God)” narrates an awkward relationship between a maritally disturbed daughter and an aged widower father.
The story constructed around the very close social fabrics but demonstrate very hard and unpleasant transaction of conditions; this is an extremely serious work of Dhumketu, by which he tried to assault on the discriminatory matrimonial structure of Mithila. It’s ended with many question marks on social institutions. His, another story “Pita” focused a very alluring relationship between father and son, in which father ethically superseded and formatted a fine balance in family order.
In my views three of his stories deserve lot of accolades for its relentless sensible pursuits of throughout the theme. First,” Bauasin (Daughter in law)” shows an acute picture of falling feudal structure in which its lone survivor represents a metaphor of its demise. Second “Vightan (Separation)”lucidly visualises the child psychology and its articulation on religious occasions, which ended with the honest confessions from its every prime characters.
Third,”Udyast” establishes a micro observation of disabled and downtrodden people’s life, which are generally overlooked from social inclusion. Indeed, Dhumketu proved his commitment towards people’s aspirations, which assisted him to broaden his horizons and set out his desired creative world.
Dhumketu, reached to the zenith of his creativity by writing most comprehensive and detailed novel in Maithili language “Mor Par (On Turning, year 2000)” which is based on time frame between 1945-1970, though also consists some pictures of 1942 movements as well.
The novel emerges from the transformational phase of independence and in later course with the development of happenings; it raises questions on relevance of Indian Independence. Like all the previous works, Dhumketu reset the landscape of falling feudal order in which he analyzed the post independent rural India through creating a family construct inside.
The protagonists ‘Sadashiv Jha (Sada Bhai)’and Guna, illustrates a complex set of relationship between them. Guna being the cousin, daughter of Daijee and widow of fellow comrade Dukhran; impulses Sada Bhai to share in her misfortune and tries best for her emancipation, but as the novel ended with the suicide of Guna, his efforts turn into void. Before such outcome, Dhumketu very carefully dealt the class separation rather relying on cast or religious parameter in Zamindari of Lal Bachha and his successor Bhaiya Jee.
Yashodar, father of sada presents typical position of a close confident under the limit of relationship, a class divides frequently occurs during entire novel. On the other hand, second mother of Sadasiv represents unique woman character of Maithili society, because of her ethical and affectionate character and with no worldly lust.
Dhoomketu also successfully had shown the contradictory characters of revolutionary by comparing Suri Bhai and Dukhran. Breakthrough of opportunities and defeat of sacrifice superbly produced by comparing these two phase of communist movement. Indeed, his novel “Mor Par”is a masterpiece in Maithili language, which authoritatively characterised the subtle incidents of contemporary Maithili society in a very responsive manners.
No doubts he heightened the limit of literature in judging the social and individual ills. Dhumketu, like his name secured his position in Maithili literature and awoken the mass people for their upliftment from impractical social and moral constraints. He dreamt for a tolerant and egalitarian society, for which he remained incessantly aspired throughout his life. A man can only perform his duty; it is up to successive generation how they rate the works done in back…literary contribution of Dhumketu deserves a fresh look from literary commoners and luminaries!
Atul Kumar Thakur
New Delhi, April 3rd, 2009
On 25th January 1932,Bholanath Jha ”Dhumketu” was born in an elite family of village Koilakh; then this village was the part of Raj Darbhanga. His forefathers were the resident of Ujjan village, but due to a matrimonial tie in the family of eminent scholar Umapati Upadhayaya, they were inhabited in Koilakh.Being born in an influential family, he got comfortable upbringing, but never distracted through the feudal manners. Although that phase of his village life provided him chances to enter in the arena of letters and traditional knowledge.
Due to feudal leaning of his family he used to have chances to visit and spent times at various Zamindari of Mithilanchal, but all such experiences could not altered his revolutionary and defying attitude towards the spoiling feudal order.
Indeed, he was a man of uncompromising nature….he kept it throughout his life. His transformation from Bholanath Jha to Dhumketu was an initiation of his revolutionary journey and his consistent switching in his material life. That even later caused for his pauper material condition and premature death, which remained the ultimate revelation of his struggle. Despite his nurtured family belongings, he was not a man of destiny. When he reached the age of institutional learning, he could not get proper backing from his conflict ridden family.
He earned his education through hard means .He got first class in his Matriculation exam in 1949, in 1951 he earned second class in his intermediate exam from Madhubani; this falling academic performance was caused by his active involvement in progressive activism and extremely resonant association with local communist leaders.
He further proceeded to prestigious Patna University for pursuing his higher studies, where he qualified B.A (1953) and M.A (1955) in Economics. After completion of his studies, he started working in Aryavarta press in Patna where he kept working from 1955 to 1957.But he found the stint unsatisfactory because it was not justifiable to his intellect.
So, finally he got away from his short tenure in Journalism and moved to a new voyage in academics. He joined R.R Campus (Janakpur, Nepal) as a lecturer of Economics in 1957, and kept working for a considerable phase, which ended in only in 1973. Meanwhile he got struck through a major blow with the untimely demise of his wife in 1965; in 1968 he remarried.
Like Rajkamal Chaudhary, he was also a man of contradiction, which is evident from his family life and creative productions where a lot of gap could be found between his revolutionary belief and its pragmatic action.
Though he spent a remarkable time of his academic working life in Nepal, but after the break of his stint in Janakpur (Nepal) due to his resistance against the discriminatory Panchayati System introduced in Nepal; he moved to his native place in Madhubani where he did two remarkable work by founding the two colleges in nearby areas, despite this he remained unmindful for a stable career.
In 1980, he moved again to Tribhuvan University (Kathmandu, Nepal) as an Associate Professor of Economics where he continued working till 1984 .He again got back to his home in 1984 because of personnel reasons, afterwards kept himself aloof from any institutional profile until 1997, when he again joined Tribhuvan University as Professor Emeritus where he keep working until close to his death on 6th August year 2000.
Once he quoted saying of famous philosopher T.S Elliot about the life”Where is the life, we are lost in living”, absolutely he refrained himself from absorbing in narrow aims of pleasure instead he lived in universal frame and remained a universal seekers for understanding the true meaning of life. Undoubtedly he was an alluring adventurist.
Literary Journey: -
Dhumketu was a gifted story teller; he was endowed with the great lingual skills with his wide range of studies in different languages including the world classics and humanities, which immensely contributed the development of Maithili language. Since initiation, he was oriented towards prose. His first published story in Maithili was Didi(sister,1952),which got high acclaim in literary circles that further encouraged him for more literary productions. Though he was inclined towards the prose but later he had also found taste to pen some great poetry in Maithili like “Dak Peen (Postmen, 1956)” and “Ek Ber Pher Rajdhani Main (Once again in the capital, 1977); which deserves better attention.
Dhumketu had enormous impact of Freudian Psychology like his contemporary great writer Rajkamal Chaudhary; they had many similarities in their ideology. Both defied the orthodox patterns of Maithil society and tried to penetrate in very complex corner of human mind.
Dhumketu believed story as a struggle between ID and EGO, so inner conflicts of mind canopied every theme of his literary stuffs. Once he wrote that I have no commitment to languages or literature only I am committed for peoples; who are real cause of my creative engagement. He remained a people’s oriented writer throughout his life.
He has written two memoirs in fond memory of his contemporary Rajkamal Chaudhary. First,”Vishwasht Avishwashniya (Confident Incredulous) and second, Suryapatan (Sunset).-both were published in Mithila Mihir just after the premature demise of his contemporary friend. Even his two obscure articles posses all the qualities to be called a master craft.
It was quite unfortunate for a great writer like him to see only one published collection of stories (Agurban, 1980) in his life time, even though he masterly written more than forty stories, two novels and dozens of poems besides some memoir, travelogues and articles .One among his novel “Sannipat” serially published in an obscure magazine,”Bharti Mandan”, and his second novel “Mor Par (On Turning, year2000) could be published only after his death.
Two more works of him was published posthumously “Udyast (collection of stories2002-03) and second one was “Nav Kavitak Navinta (Novelity of New Poems); though it could be a matter of solace for him but definitely he deserved more credit for his lifelong contribution in literature.
For proper evaluation of his Maithili stories, we will have to back for a while to see his work in a new light. Because like Baidyanath Mishra” Yatri (Nagarjun, popularly known in Hindi literary world) and Rajkamal Chaudhary, he had also shown immense effort to cultivate the old orthodox plot of Maithili Society. His every work has binding with the lower strata of society and their daily struggle for existence besides this he also exposed the pseudo moral constraint of authoritative class.
His three stories, “Manukhak Devta (Men’s God), Kulta (Characterless) and “Bihairi (Storms) are genuinely deserves to be ties with ‘Yatri’s Paro (A short novel) and Rajkamal Chaudhary’s ”Sugna Sagun Bichare”.
A very minute depiction of relationships which is often crossed the socially approved threshold are unique characteristics of these stories. Dhumketu made utmost efforts to unleash the ugly orthodox norms of Maithil society, sometime even he sounded overtly too much vocal and impatient about the existing deformities.
Two other less known story “Hamara Aaur (We People)”and “Shivir (Camp)” present a very candid delineation of deteriorating morale.
There is a wide range of diversity in his creative plot, which being unleashed from reading his some more stories. Like, “Dansh” presents a very complex relationship in a long span of time frame from Childhood to Young hood within a set of desire between its male and female protagonist.
“Sanbandh Bodh” and “Manukhak Devta” presents two very different and unusual attitudes towards relationship; “Sambandh Bodh” visualises lost relationship to an extreme level. On the other end”Manukhak Devta (Mens God)” narrates an awkward relationship between a maritally disturbed daughter and an aged widower father.
The story constructed around the very close social fabrics but demonstrate very hard and unpleasant transaction of conditions; this is an extremely serious work of Dhumketu, by which he tried to assault on the discriminatory matrimonial structure of Mithila. It’s ended with many question marks on social institutions. His, another story “Pita” focused a very alluring relationship between father and son, in which father ethically superseded and formatted a fine balance in family order.
In my views three of his stories deserve lot of accolades for its relentless sensible pursuits of throughout the theme. First,” Bauasin (Daughter in law)” shows an acute picture of falling feudal structure in which its lone survivor represents a metaphor of its demise. Second “Vightan (Separation)”lucidly visualises the child psychology and its articulation on religious occasions, which ended with the honest confessions from its every prime characters.
Third,”Udyast” establishes a micro observation of disabled and downtrodden people’s life, which are generally overlooked from social inclusion. Indeed, Dhumketu proved his commitment towards people’s aspirations, which assisted him to broaden his horizons and set out his desired creative world.
Dhumketu, reached to the zenith of his creativity by writing most comprehensive and detailed novel in Maithili language “Mor Par (On Turning, year 2000)” which is based on time frame between 1945-1970, though also consists some pictures of 1942 movements as well.
The novel emerges from the transformational phase of independence and in later course with the development of happenings; it raises questions on relevance of Indian Independence. Like all the previous works, Dhumketu reset the landscape of falling feudal order in which he analyzed the post independent rural India through creating a family construct inside.
The protagonists ‘Sadashiv Jha (Sada Bhai)’and Guna, illustrates a complex set of relationship between them. Guna being the cousin, daughter of Daijee and widow of fellow comrade Dukhran; impulses Sada Bhai to share in her misfortune and tries best for her emancipation, but as the novel ended with the suicide of Guna, his efforts turn into void. Before such outcome, Dhumketu very carefully dealt the class separation rather relying on cast or religious parameter in Zamindari of Lal Bachha and his successor Bhaiya Jee.
Yashodar, father of sada presents typical position of a close confident under the limit of relationship, a class divides frequently occurs during entire novel. On the other hand, second mother of Sadasiv represents unique woman character of Maithili society, because of her ethical and affectionate character and with no worldly lust.
Dhoomketu also successfully had shown the contradictory characters of revolutionary by comparing Suri Bhai and Dukhran. Breakthrough of opportunities and defeat of sacrifice superbly produced by comparing these two phase of communist movement. Indeed, his novel “Mor Par”is a masterpiece in Maithili language, which authoritatively characterised the subtle incidents of contemporary Maithili society in a very responsive manners.
No doubts he heightened the limit of literature in judging the social and individual ills. Dhumketu, like his name secured his position in Maithili literature and awoken the mass people for their upliftment from impractical social and moral constraints. He dreamt for a tolerant and egalitarian society, for which he remained incessantly aspired throughout his life. A man can only perform his duty; it is up to successive generation how they rate the works done in back…literary contribution of Dhumketu deserves a fresh look from literary commoners and luminaries!
Atul Kumar Thakur
New Delhi, April 3rd, 2009
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