Knit India Through Literature Volume IV - The North - Hindi

By Sivasankari

‘Knit India Through Literature...' is a mega literary project, first of its kind in Indian literature, is the result of the penance-yagna done for 16 years by Sivasankari, noted Tamil writer.

'Knit India Through Literature' has inolved intense sourcing, research and translation of literature from 18 Indian languages. The project she says aims to introduce Indians to other Indians through literature and culture and help knit them together.

The interviews of stalwart writers from all 18 languages approved by the eighth schedule of Indian Constitution, accompanied by a creative work of the respective writer are published with her travelogues of different regions, along with an indepth article by a scholar on the cultural and literary heritage of each of the language, in four volumes - South, East, West and North respectively.

Her travelogues, her interviews and the overview of each literature she has sought, all reveal one important unity... the concern our writers and poets express in their works for the problems that beset our country today. Through her project Sivasankari feels writers can make an invaluable contribution with their writings to change the thinking of the people and help eliminate those problems.

In this volume she deals with Hindi one of the languages spoken in northern region of India.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pustaka Digital Media
• Release date: Jun 15, 2024
• ISBN: 6580501810983

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Knit India Through Literature Volume IV - The North – Hindi

Author:

Sivasankari

For more books

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Table of Contents

Foreword

Preface- I

Preface – II

Preface – III

Preface - IV

But for whom this project would not been possible...

Travelling Through the Hindi Belt

Nirmal Verma

The Visitor

Krishna Sobti

The Encircling Clouds

Ashok Vajpeyi

Poems

Kamleshwar

Not by Flesh Alone

Mridula Garg

The Tree of The Century

MohanDass Nemishray

The Shrunken Man

Modern Hindi Literature

Vision of Indian Literature

award from

The Tamil Literary Garden, Canada

Foreword

As the last volume of her Magnum Opus ‘Knit India Through Literature’ nears publication, Sivasankari is bound to feel overwhelmed by the sense of fulfilment. One can easily gauge how excruciating the task was. Sixteen years, a tapa, of her creative life, has been spent in mapping multilingual literary India. By taking this project to its logical conclusion, she has substantiated Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan’s assertion that though we write in many languages our literature is one.

I had earlier read the first three volumes and now am privileged to go through the fourth one, even before it has gone to press. The reading has helped me to learn immensely about the other languages and their literatures. As Sivasankari herself put it, her work introduced me to other fellow countrymen like never before. It is said that Mahatma Gandhi, in order to understand the people of his country, undertook a tour of entire India before plunging into the nationalist movement. Sivasankari’s travels across the length and breadth of the country and the interviews with some of the celebrated creative minds assumes similar significance, as they not only project the glorious literary scenario prevailing in India but also throw light on the shortcomings and the problems faced by literature in India.

I have known Sivasankari much before she embarked on this ambitious project. I knew her as an eminent fiction writer. But these four volumes have revealed to me the other facets of her creativity. The brilliant account of her travels through various terrains is so amazing that I am sure, if compiled, the travelogue can be termed as ‘Another Discovery of India.’ If the Discovery of India has introduced the history and culture of India in its entirety, Sivasankari’s work is a discovery of literary India that thus far was unexplored so exhaustively.

The account of her travel experiences is vivid and descriptions absorbing. She so vivifies her journeys and sojourns as to give the reader a feeling of travelling and meeting people along with her. Laced with anecdotes, folktales and historical sagas, the travelogues are very informative. She has not missed to mention the architectural genius of Robert Lutyens who built the modern city of New Delhi or Le Corbusier, the Swiss architect who designed the planned city of Chandigarh and the marvel of 1,500 – year - old iron pillar near Qutub Minar built by Chandragupta that has not caught any rust so far. She has also enlightened her readers by going to the roots of the names of places, rivers or monuments. How did the Urdu language get its name? From what was the name Kashmir derived? How Bhopal is a derivative of Bhojpal, the kingdom of Raja Bhoj. And Punjab is the Land of Five Rivers. Etymology somehow makes reading remarkably interesting.

Folklore is a record of the socio - cultural history of the people of a region. The selected anecdotes she came across during her travels have been presented in a gripping manner. We are familiar with the legend of Parshurama who created the Gomant - Bhumi (Goa) or the coastal Kerala by reclaiming land from the sea. But here is a totally different story behind the formation of the valley of Kashmir. Jalod Bowa, a demon who hid in a hill - side lake tortured the people living on the slopes of the hills. Kashyap, a sage, carved a hole to the hill in a manner that caused the water of the lake to be drained out. The demon was exposed and then vanquished. The valley created by the drained-out lake was allowed to be inhabited by the people living on the slopes and came to be known as Kashmir, after the sage Kashyap. Similarly, the story of King Avanti Verma who streamlined the waters of river Vishishtha to overcome the fury of the floods remind us of Bhagirath who relocated the course of the River Ganges.

Yes! The Qutub area of New Delhi adorns the look of a grazing place for cattle and goats. Why? It is because of the curse of the Saint Nizam – ud - din who was stopped by the emperor Tughlak from constructing a mosque in that area. Yet another tale tells about the barbaric Hun king, Mahir Gul, who drew sadistic pleasure in pushing a hundred elephants off a cliff just because their death cries sounded like music to his ears. The tragic story of Mummal and Mahendra as told in Rajasthan is a heart - rendering one. Princess Mummal of Jaisalmer fell in love with Prince Mahendra of Sindh. Mahendra’s father was against the union. The day Mahendra was to go to meet Mummal, the king drove nails into the shoes of the camel he was riding. Meanwhile, Mummal’s sister, eager to catch a sight of the prince, accompanied Mummal dressed up as a male drummer. As the time of meeting approached, Mummal started dancing to the tune of her sister’s drumbeats. Mahendra’s arrival was delayed as his camel could not keep up the pace. Tired, both the sisters fell asleep. Mahendra, enraged by the sight of his love sleeping in the embrace of a male drummer, returned to Sindh never to meet her again. The sad episode has found place in Rajasthani folklore.

The account is replete with attention - grabbing information. The only temple of Lord Brahma is in Pushkar because his wife Saraswati, furious over Brahma’s infidelity, cursed him that there would be no temple of Brahma anywhere in the world other than in Pushkar. Kwaja Moin – ud - din Chisti, the famous saint had travelled from Persia to Ajmer in 1192. Sivasankari goes on to describe some strange sights too. While in Bikaner, she visits the Karni Matha temple where, apart from the presiding deity, thousands of rats that are considered as divine, live freely climbing all over the idol, sipping milk in the plates and eating the sweets offered by the devotees.

Sivasankari’s travel writings are not mere objective narratives. She is very much subjective in her approach. She opens up her mind to share her personal experiences with the readers. How for example, one feels scared at Manikarnika Ghat of Kasi - Benaras where bodies are being cremated twenty - four hours a day. The sight leads her to confirm her belief that ‘the death is the absolute and ultimate truth... the essence of life.’ The view of Patna, where the ugly appearance of the large scale unfinished houses, believed to have left half-finished to avoid the taxes, leaves a bitter taste in one’s mouth. The appalling state of the city of Gaya shocks her. And the plight of 2000 - odd widows dumped in Brindavan Ashram stings her creative mind prompting her to make a decision to write on this subject at a later date. There is a brighter side to it too when she joyfully describes the pleasant ritual of aarati offered to the River Ganga at the Dasaswamedha Ghat at Kasi. During a boat ride in the serene waters of the Ganga, she has a feeling of being on a time machine... transported several years back in time.

The vivid memories that came back to her of her earlier visits also make interesting reading. Her two visits to Kashmir so different from each other, to Rajpath in Delhi that reminds her of her first visit to Delhi as a student where she represented the State Natioanl Cadet Corps in the Republic Day Parade; to Lucknow where a film was shot on her novel; to Jamshedpur where she was invited to lecture on the evils of drug abuse; to Rashtrapati Bhavan where she met the President, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and most importantly the warm reception she received when she interviewed the then Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi at the South Block.

The lucid descriptions of places like Pushkar, Sanchi, Kasi, Ladakh are greatly absorbing As I read them I myself revisited many places like Shimla, Kulu - Manali, Sanchi, Agra, etc., and developed an urge to visit those I have missed. Sivasankari’s compassionate appeal to writers to visit the places like Delhi, Kasi, Ladakh amply proves her faith in sharing.

***

Sivasankari is a literary activist. And she is an adventurer. She believes in first - hand experience of every slice of life, not missing any novelty. I may share some advice she once gave to me. On one of her visits to Goa she wanted to visit Caravels, the off - shore casino of Goa. She wanted some details from me. When I told her that I have not visited the casino nor can I afford to visit it, she promptly told me, Damodar, you are a writer. You must experience the night life aboard the casino, just once. You may find the cost exorbitant. But it is an investment. Yes! I changed my attitude since then.

Each language has its own historical past and geographical present. My own language Konkani has a history that created the geography of Konkani. The exodus of the people from in and around Goa in the 13th century threatened by the invasion of Alla – ud - din Khilji and later in the 16th and 17th centuries to escape the conversions and soon thereafter to flee from the clutches of the ecclesiastical law of Inquisition. The consequence is the present diaspora of Konkanis settled in Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra. This also posed a threat to the language. As I go through the Knit India Through Literature I find similarities in the languages like Sindhi, Kashmiri or Nepali. Even languages like Punjabi and Urdu have suffered the pangs of history. The silver lining to this dark cloud is the strong desire to develop the languages and scale new heights in literature.

As the project comes to an end, Sivasankari will have covered eighteen languages and nearly a hundred and odd writers. The range of writers and their works is as extensive as their geographical distances, their background of histories, and the social diversities. She has so brilliantly presented us the prevailing sensibilities not sparing the Women or Dalit susceptibilities. The life of Dalits of India is full of deprivation and segregation, of rejection and rebuff, of pain and agony. It has been a life that has no signpost. As I read Mohandass Nemishray’s outburst I felt guilty for the wrongdoings of our forefathers. I am glad that the Dalit voice of dissent and protest against the injustice is finding an expression in literature today and more importantly, that it is taken very seriously. Nemishray’s concern for his community is admirable. Asserting their right to equality he says, Reservations must continue until all attain equality. He himself has refused to avail of the reservations for himself, his wife or his three children, so that more deserving Dalits may get the benefit.

The most loud and clear is the Kashmiri resentment over their language and their land. It is sad that the land where Sufism progressed is now getting an image of a terrorist state, just because of the few playing spoilsports. The interview of Naseem Shafai is very touching, emotionally depicting the sensibility of Kashmiri women. The poet aptly describes the woes of Kashmiri women in the following words. Imagine a mother’s state of mind when, of her six sons, three are good, two non - committal and one bad... we are in the same frame of mind. Kashmir has never in its history sported any fundamentalism. Women were never discriminated against. Yashomati, a Kashmiri ruler, is considered to be the first empress of the world. It is also astonishing to know that sex education was imparted to women in the olden day Kashmir. The poet saint Shaikh – u - Alam, also known as Shaikh Nuruddin Noorani, is adored by all Kashmiris and is called as Nundh Rishi.

***

In the course of my reading this volume, many unexpected facts have been revealed to me for the first time. That the enunciator of Gayatri Mantra was Vishwamitra, or that the 4th century sage, Bharat Muni, the founder of Natyashastra, lived in Kashmir or that Ram Kumar Verma, the famous painter is the brother of Nirmal Verma was not known to me so far. That the first woman in India to obtain a pilot’s license was a Muslim or that one of the twelve Jyotirlingams of Kasi Vishwanath is open to all the entrants irrespective of caste, creed or religion is something amazing. That the Sikhs known to be more progressive than many, still observe the caste discriminations to the extent they have separate gurudwaras for the so - called low caste Sikhs. And that the Benaras Hindu University begins its convention by facing towards Kashmir and bowing to it respectfully in recognition of Kashmir’s contribution to Sanskrit.

We all are proud of Sanskrit, which has gifted us with marvelous classics. But I am surprised by the overwhelming enthusiasm expressed by the Sanskrit scholars in sharp contrast with the Kashmiri resentment. The Sanskrit writers are hopeful of soon regaining its past glory. The strong belief of the Sanskrit scholars that Bharat Desh and the Deva Bhasha of the ancient times had spread over vast distances. Dr. Thiagarajan contends that Kapilaranya mentioned in Ramayana is none other than California of today. Furthermore, the Yuga - Mahayuga calculations are mind - boggling. The scholars understandably felt offended when told that their language was often referred to as dead language. Yet, I found it difficult to believe that an estimated fifty lakh people in India SPEAK Sanskrit, though we are all unanimous that Sanskrit must be preserved and allowed to grow at all cost.

The fourth volume covers five languages: Hindi, Kashmiri, Punjabi, Sanskrit and Urdu. Each language has issues that trouble the creative writers. Punjabi, Urdu and Kashmiri have faced politicisation of the highest degree. The British policy of ‘divide and rule’ is now history. The Sikh Punjabis were told that they should follow their Gurmukhi and the Muslim Punjabis were told to follow the Perso - Arabic script for Punjabi, while Hindus were coerced to adopt Devanagari and declare their mother tongue as Hindi when the spoken language of the territory was Punjabi. It is a known fact that the language belongs to the soil. The language spoken in Tamilnadu is Tamil and the one in Bengal is Bengali by default. How can religious affiliations decide the language? In Goa too, there were politicians who tried to divide the people, contending that the language of the Christians is Konkani and that of Hindus, Marathi, when cent percent of the people spoke only Konkani. How can Urdu be an Islamic language or Punjabi belong only to the Sikhs? This is stark communalisation of languages. Why were the Urdu - speaking students denied the option of Urdu as even the third language? Prof. Gopi Chand Narang attributes the rise in Madarsas to this denial. Why should elementary education in Kashmiri be denied to the Kashmiris? Why should Urdu be branded as the language of Pakistan when it has flourished in our country? Why should Gurmukhi be called a Sikh script just because it is the script of Adi - Granth? Such fallacies help the process of extinction of languages. What is most disturbing is that even today our educationists and the policy makers are not waking up to the call of globalisation.

The script imbroglio has haunted many languages, particularly those who were late in gaining the official recognition. Kashmiris and Sindhi are at the worst receiving end, with my own language not lagging too far behind. The Kashmiri pandits use Devanagari, while the Muslims write in Persio - Arabic script. It is fair enough that the Kashmiris have settled with the Persio - Arabic script, as they are familiar with the script of their official language, Urdu. We must bear in mind that no language can afford multiple scripts. It creates divisions, reduces the readership and confuses the speakers who prefer to shy away from the language, thus hampering its growth. The fear of extinction looms large as expressed by the Kashmiri writer, Rattan Lal Shant, who says, They do not evince much interest in learning Kashmiri. Reality is such that those languages (Urdu, Hindi and English) are more useful to them in getting job opportunities and migrating to other states and foreign countries. Well, this is not only true of the developing and the marginalised languages but also true of the developed ones that face the brunt of globalisation which is set to pounce upon the regional languages. The Malayalam speakers may be the first to react to this process. They have started the Save Malayalam movement to check the trend of switching over to the English medium primary schools.

Hindi is our national language. With the kind of official patronage, she is getting, Hindi is bound to flourish. The late Kamleshwar said, ‘The Hindi language has the potential to bring about a change, not just in literature but across the country as well.’ I remember when I was helping Kamleshwar for his Shikhar Kosh anthology, in one of my letters, I wrote to him apologetically asking to be excused for mistakes if any. He wrote back stating that it is the Hindi writings of the non - Hindi people that will enrich Hindi. The readership of Hindi may be the largest in India. Yet, Ashok Vajpeyi goes on record that ‘the scenario in Hindi is very depressing.’ The books of poetry do not sell though fiction sells well. No attempt is made to attract the youth towards poetry, he feels. This may be the case of ‘ye dil mange more.’

Urdu and Hindi are siblings, believes Prof. Narang. Hindi has a popular patronage, firstly, because of the enormity of the Hindi belt and secondly because it serves as a language of communication. Urdu has a glorious past. There is no argument that close interaction between Hindi and Urdu is complimentary to each other. Urdu is an extremely standardised language that prefers to remain consistent with its rich tradition. This puritan approach of the old guard has maintained a guarded distance from being influenced by other languages. On the other hand, the Hindi movies in particular and the mass media in general have made such excessive use of the Urdu idiom and expressions that people have taken it for granted as Hindi. As a consequence, it is Hindi that stands to benefit the most.

I remember having heard late Sardar Jafri saying that Urdu and Hindi have hardly any difference. ‘You write in Persio - Arabic and it is Urdu, you write in Devanagari and you call it Hindi!’ Both these languages have a common base. Yet we have to agree with the scholars that they have their own identities. Similar is the case of Punjabi visa - vis Urdu and Hindi together.

The economics of writing also need to be considered. The scenario for the regional languages is far from encouraging. Except for the writers of great stature like M.T. Vasudevan Nair or Sunil Gangopadhyay, it is difficult for the writers to live off their writings. Unless writing becomes a commercial proposition you cannot expect sustained efforts from the writers. The dwindling reading habits due to aggressive mass media is also a matter of anxiety. Ashok Vajpeyi expresses such concern even over the Hindi belt. ‘Hindi society is not a book - loving society unfortu – nately’ he says. Balraj Komal, ‘a poet of intimate experiences of life’, presents a gloomy picture of the writers not getting paid by the few magazines that are struggling to survive. They get paid only when they are translated, he says. Punjabi’s problem is different. All the Punjabis speak Panjabi at home. But many creative writers prefer to write in either Hindi or Urdu besides English. The plight of Kashmiri is understandable. There are other languages too facing similar problems. However, unless there is political will it is difficult to catch up with the front ranking languages. Only popular support can influence the political bosses and precisely this is not happening.

***

The Knit India project provides us with an opportunity to know the glorious past of our heritage and varied problems faced by us today. In her endeavor Sivasankari has showcased the entire literary culture of India. Manners and means, cuisines and customs, landscapes and lifestyles give rise to a variety of cultural habitats that are vividly evident in her work. All the languages and the literatures represented here provide a wide spectrum of opinions and comments, views and voices, the cumulative effect of which is incredible. The reading gives you a feeling of being on a literary pilgrimage where you meet the sages, rishis and sadhakas. The discourses are like taking a holy dip into the vastness of creativity. It also reaffirms our belief that spiritual India is unparalleled.

The research and the homework she has done before interviewing the writers is amazingly in - depth. The nonagenarian writer Kartar Singh Duggal was so impressed by her pointed questions that he instantaneously complimented her with Wah Re Wah!

Interviewing requires a skill and Sivasankari has it in abundance. Her provocative queries have succeeded in eliciting the required information. At times she has made the reticent writers, like the late Nirmal Verma, known as ‘man of few words’, to talk at length. Her interviews with Krishna Sobti, Gopi Chand Narang or Joginder Paul have been excellent explorations of the ingenious minds.

There has been occasional contradictory, yet scholarly proclamations. For example, the octogenarian Urdu writer Joginder Paul, while countering the criticism that Premchand never bothered about the language and its grammar, says, You don’t write language. You write literature... creative experience is the essence of literature. Whereas the veteran Hindi writer, Krishna Sobti, who is known for her eloquent language, maintains that language is power. It is for the writer to mix the different elements of linguistic weave.

The wizardry of the creative personalities has been aptly put forth. As a short story writer myself I instantly identified with Nirmal Verma’s articulation that a short story is born out of a desire to expand on a poem and express it in the narrative prose of the novel. The noted Urdu poet and a film maker, Gulzar, is a voracious reader. He believes that in order to understand your language, you need to read the literature of other languages as well. The more you read and internalize, the more your literary horizon expands, says Gulzar. Literature and knowledge are the two sides of the same coin of creativity. Octogenarian writer Joginder Paul wants a healthy environment everywhere - at home, in colleges and the society, so that when all come together it leads to growth in knowledge. Some have expressed their apprehensions over the under - indulgence of the youth in literature. Is it to be attributed to the lack of interest? The concern expressed by many veterans over the apathy displayed by the youth is grave. As the famous Urdu Critic and the then President of Sahitya Akademi, Gopi Chand Narang says, A living language is like a growing organism... The young people simply need to be more aware of their lingual roots and take pride in their heritage. Veteran Punjabi writer, Kartar Singh Duggal, expresses faith in the younger generation. He thinks that constructive efforts are required to augment interest in language and literature.

Literature is the voice of the soul of humanity. It is interface of culture which also serves as guardian of human values, says Gopi Chand Narang. Certainly young people are interested in language, he further states, The younger people presently are using a mixed idiom blending languages and evolving a raw code for communication.

When a language is not prepared enough to express the actual and real world that has a brighter as well as darker side to it, new phrases have to be found. The Kashmiri scholar, Rahman Rahi feels that the ‘new creative sensibility’ is an answer to it. The mixed code language has become the order of the day. The FM and the TV channels widely use this mixture as if it is difficult to express sticking to your own language. A conscious effort is needed to adopt this new creative sensibility in order to understand and capture new ideas and expressions in one’s language.

It is said that a writer makes the reader aware of his moral failure thus forcing him to be self - critical Sivasankari’s Knit India Through Literature is bound to help the writers’ community to be self - critical. It is a contemporary history of the pan - Indian literature, the most authentic map of literary India. The ambitious project has taken the most creative years of her life. She has worked with a missionary zeal. It is a paradox that Sivasankari who herself is a creative writer had to put on hold, writing fiction, in order to give undivided attention to the fieldwork of this literary project expected to go a long way to inspire the writers.

***

There is a lacuma that needs to be mentioned. There are many more languages which He left out of this project. When Sivasankari planned the project there were eighteen Languages recognised by the Constitution of India. However, more languages have later found their way in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. Besides, Dogri and Rajasthani are the literary languages recognised by Sahitya Akademi. And what about the Indian English? In view of this, expectation of another volume is not inappropriate! Also I may say that since evolution is a continuous process the new patterns and trends will evolve in Indian literature over the years. My humble suggestion is that a project of this kind be taken up every twelve to fifteen years.

This volume gave me an opportunity to meet afresh some of my old acquaintances in reading. I also recollected a few of my friends who are no more. Kamleshwar and Nirmal Verma came alive as I browsed through their interviews. Sivasankari has immortalised them, I may say.

I am short of words to thank Sivasankari for entrusting me with the foreword to this prestigious volume. I was reluctant initially to accept the offer. But she was insistent. I didn’t have the courage to let down her confidence in me. I agreed. I now most humbly submit, I feel honoured.

As I conclude, I cannot avoid mentioning my distress that the national media has not taken due cognizance of Sivasankari’s magnanimous work. Even the literary circles nation - wide have failed to give the necessary encouragement, I feel. This can be done away with, by following what Gulzar has wished. After the fourth volume of Knit India Through Literature is published, all the four volumes must be made available to the public at all the libraries of the country. I may further add that, in view of the increasing curiosity among the foreigners to know India, the works should be publicized and made available worldwide.

Damodar Mauzo

Goa

August 2008.

Preface- I

(Volume I - The South)

As a young girl, I had often heard my mother narrate this little tale:

Once upon a time there was a kind - hearted girl who lived in a small village. The girl was a poor orphan, but she always wanted to help people around her. While saying her prayers one night, she wished for a money - bearing tree that would allow her to help a lot more people. When she woke up the next morning, she found a huge tree near her little. Instead of fruits, the tree bore gold coins. Passers - by wondered who had sown the seed from which the tree had sprouted. The girl had no answer to the question, but she continued to pluck the coins and distribute them to people around. As a result, poverty was removed from her land.

Thinking back on this story, I feel that the latter half of it in particular describes my own situation quite accurately.

I do not know who sowed in me the seed that has today grown into the Knit India Through Literature project. But, blessed with the right type of soil, water and fertilizer, the seed has grown into a huge tree that abounds with fragrant flowers and luscious fruit. Yet, I do not want to enjoy them all by myself, but I would rather share this bounty with my countrymen.

Even as I sit down with pen in hand to write this preface, I beget memories of bygone times. About ten years ago I was in Mysore, to participate in a literary meet that attempted