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Some interesting reads in Kannada
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Hindu Mandiragalu hagu Aurangazebana Aadeshagalu
By Dr. B.N. Pandey,
Lohia Prakashana, Rs. 30
History has always been the main forte of communal propaganda. While objective historiography is utopia, the developments in other branches of archaeological sciences have been increasingly reducing the subjectivity in the historical conclusions. While carbon dating, inscriptions, old scripts etc, are increasing the material basis of historiography, history remains a story of the past reconstructed by the present for the contemporary political and cultural agendas.
Writing Indian history is closely related with the project of reconstructing and rebuilding the Indian present. The colonial historiography which had a explicit agenda of marinating this vast country under the British crown by dividing the people based on religion, used the same strategy of divide and rule even in its rewriting of Indian history.
The overtly communal division of Indian past into Ancient, Medieval or Muslim, and Modern are nothing but ploys of the colonial rulers. The colonial presentation of Indian medieval history as the onslaught of Muslim rulers on the hapless Hindu masses has been the hallmark of colonial conspiracy to perpetuate never-ending animosity between the Hindus and the Muslims. The Hindutva forces have comfortably but paradoxically employed the same agenda to flare up the Hindu angst of deprivation against Muslims. In this background, Hindu Mandiragalu Hagu Aurangajebana Adeshagalu, a small book in Kannada, a translation of the work of Dr. B.N. Pandey translated by Hasan Nayeem Surakoda is a welcome addition to the most-needed secular defence of the secular India. Even though a small book of 35 pages, it makes a broad statement about the baselessness and willfully wrong conclusions that the communal historians forge to pursue. To reinforce his argument, he cited the example of the Mughal King Aurangzeb, who was demonised. To substantiate his argument Mr. Pandey, a Gandhian, freedom fighter, historian and ex-govenor of Orissa, examines many available inscriptions and court orders and grants given by king Aurngazeb to many Hindu temples and the priests in North India. All the quoted grant orders conclusively prove that the Mughal king was neither biased towards the Hindu community nor was he pampered by the Muslim community.
Another important anecdote narrated in the book, not as a main text, exposes the bias of the communal historians. This is regarding author's encounter with Prof. Hariprasad of Calcutta University, about the veracity of his claims that 3,000 Brahmins committed suicide protesting Tipu Sultan's order to convert to Islam. When Dr. Pandey enquires him about the source of that information, Prof. Prasad cites Mysore Gazetteer as the source. But the author relentlessly pursues the matter with Prof. Shreekantayya of Mysore University about the said source and seeks further information about Tipu's religious intolerance. But Prof. Shreekantayya categorically rejects any such documentation in any Gazetteer and provides him with lots of original sources describing Tipu as a great Dharma Sahishnu (religious tolerant). When Dr. Pandey takes up the case with Prof. Prasad citing the sources provided by Prof. Shreekantayya, Prof. Prasad honestly admits that he is unaware of the sources.
The book is refreshing in its approach and also helps a better understanding of the muddled Indian history. The translation is Kannada friendly and the price is buyer friendly.
SHIVASUNDAR
Maatu-Ka(vi)the,
By H. Dundiraj
Ankita, Rs. 95
Maatu-Ka(vi)the is a collection of 45 articles by H. Dundiraj, the master of "hanigavana," which were published over a period of one-and-a-half years starting from 2004 in a leading Kannada daily.
In these articles, Dundiraj deals with varied subjects such as love, marital life, politics, places, personalities, changing lifestyles and values and commonplace incidents. Each of the articles is interspersed with four to five of his hanigavanas, a unique poetic genre in Kannada.
Though Dundiraj wrote the hanigavanas used in these articles over a period of two decades, he interweaves them into the articles in such a way that they do not appear as isolated pieces. Instead, they are in complete coherence with the central theme of the articles. It is this artistic knitting of the prose and poetry that makes "Maatu-Ka(vi)the," a unique literary work. His prose, like his hanigavana, is witty, humorous and full of pun.
The poetic elements stand out even in the prose, probably because Dundiraj is basically a poet.
Dundiraj lampoons the political system in articles such as "Vajpayee Maajiyagalau Karnagale Kaaranave?", "Rajakeeya Andhre Kuberana Khajane Key Ya?" and "Nayakare, Nayakare Votu Beka?" He portrays the veteran Kannada writer Shivaram Karanth in the article "Thaka Tahi Kuniyuva Karantharu Tharu Alla Lathe" in an unusual light. The articles on varied subjects are full of life and entertaining.
K.V. SUBRAMANYA
Leafing Through is a fortnightly Kannada reviews column. You can send in books and responses to Friday Review, The Hindu, 19&21, Bhagwan Mahaveer Road, Bangalore 560001
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