VISAKHAPATNAM: Noted writer R.K. Narayan, combining in himself the best values of the East and the West, wrote without pontificating on the affairs of the world and one has to read between the lines to understand him, I.V. Chalapathi Rao, Editor of Triveni, a literary magazine, and an eminent educationist, has said.

Delivering the keynote address at the inaugural of a two-day seminar on R.K. Narayan, organised by the English Department of Andhra University here on Friday, he said experiences of a writer and his suppressed personality reflected in his works.

Individual works

Elaborating on individual works of R.K. Narayan, Prof. Chalapathi Rao said Bachelor of Arts dealt with youth's obsession with love. English Teacher, with all its humour and irony, had an undercurrent of sadness about the death of his wife. Astrological beliefs and spiritual experiences that were personal also found place in the book. Waiting for Mahatma was a nationalist book while Dark Room and Grandmother's Tale dealt with ill-treatment of women by men. Tiger for Malgudi focused on the culture of consumerism deviating from the culture of the land. The autobiographical My Days revealed several facets. He described Narayan as a realised man when he died at the ripe age of 94.

Prof. Chalapathi Rao who earlier unveiled a model of Malgudi made by students complimented it saying it reflected every aspect of life as described by Narayan.

T. Viswanatha Rao, Chairman, PG Board of Studies, AUMSN PG Centre Kakinada, described Narayan as a great writer.with sense of humour. Profound philosophy of life was distilled into works and behind the veneer of humour was profundity and a sense of equanimity. J.V. Prabhakara Rao, Principal of AU College of Arts and Commerce, said Narayan was one of the troika of Indian writing in English. with Mulk Raj Anand and Raja Rao being the other two. He was a remarkable novelist, short story and non-fiction writer. B. Parvathi, Head of the Department of English and seminar Director, C. Sasikala, honorary librarian of V.S. Krishna Government College, C. Ratnam, professor of Anthropology Department, R.Yathiraj Kumar, a retired professor of Anthropology, and V.C. Sudhir of the Department of English, spoke.

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