In the throes of change
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Some interesting reads in Kannada
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Ee Tanakada Kathegalu
By Abdul Rasheed,
Abhinava, Rs. 150
The 19 stories contained in the slim volume presents a unique combination of literary creativity and a sensitive perception of human travails. They are rooted in a tiny bi-lingual community eking out a living amidst the verdant greens of coffee plantations in Coorg district of southern Karnataka. Rasheed, a poet with a lyrical bent of mind had his early days in Lankesh Patrike. He is conversant with literature at large and not shackled by the compulsions of literary movements prevalent during his youth. On the contrary, the vibrant cultural atmosphere of Maharaja's college at Mysore that fostered important writers such as Devanura Mahadeva, Alanahalli Srikrishna and Ramu has played a crucial role in his genesis. The youthful, leftist protagonists of some of his stories are actively involved in the struggles hoisted by the oppressed masses.
It is unfair to categorise these stories based on their geographical locale, religious affiliation and culture specific dialect even though they have assimilated all of them in a fruitful manner. However, the creative metamorphosis lends a universal appeal and relevance to them. The thematic and stylistic variations of these stories are concealed in a host of significant details. The stories structured alternatively as first person and third person narratives, constitute a continuum, where in the protagonist undergoes a transformation from a young boy to a callow youth and then on to an adult exposed to the irresolvable miseries of life. The characters that inhabit the stories practice the Islamic faith in a non-zealous way blending seamlessly with other communities. The rich cultural tapestry of that religion is skilfully interwoven with details from the natural surroundings, even as the exploitative tendencies of the authorities form a considerable component of his writing. However, the stories are always focused on the individual psyche and do not indulge in intellectual debates even though they are not devoid of such pre-occupations. This is what makes Rasheed different from many of his contemporaries who are either submerged in post-modernist angst delineating the quandaries of an alienated individual or indulge in a loud rhetoric. Sexual awakening coupled with emotional upheavals is what constitutes his writing. The complexities of the adult world as perceived by a young mind are more awe-inspiring.
Rasheed has cultivated a style, which acts as an inhibitor to the hurried reading habits of the modern times. His sentences are long and complex demanding a scrutiny. They are punctuated by vivid images drawing our attention to their inherent beauty and the artistic way in which they are moulded. Many details culled from the life processes of a hitherto closed community add to the process of slow assimilation. It is also possible to create a network of these stories, with the protagonist and his parents as key characters. The bonding achieved by them with their surroundings, the flora, fauna and the human beings is so intense that they unravel a whole universe. External influences manifest in enduring symbols like a helicopter, pesticides and an old man who advocates organic farming. These images succeed in recording the ravages of globalisation and environmental pollution. Men and women cocooned in a loneliness that is relieved neither by the society nor by their faith, haunt our minds by their perseverance in waging a lost battle.
Abdul Rasheed brings forth the unique joy of perpetuating a world of experiences and emotions by encoding them in a linguistic web. The pleasant pain of this act of creation runs through the stories as an under current however moribund the experiential content may be. Probably this explains the apologetic tone adopted by the author in his introductory remarks. An air of playfulness that suffuses remarkable stories such as Haalu Kudida Huduga and Moosa Moiliyaarara Muddina Magalu, Helipattar Emba Dushta Jantu enlivens the mood and tenor of the stories. One should notice the gradual change in the writer's worldview from undying optimism to frustration.
It is not possible to communicate the wonderful experience of reading this book through these critical remarks. Abdul Rasheed has endeared himself to the Kannada literary audience by his portrayal of a community caught in the throes of change as also the inexplicable miseries of human existence.
H.S. Raghavendra Rao
The poet of a million minds
Nenepu Tereva Kavimana
By Pablo Neruda,
Translated by Nayana Kashyap,
Moulya Prakashana, Rs. 95
"Even though the life of a poet is short, the expanse of his life is immense," says people's poet Pablo Neruda. That is because he simultaneously lives the lives of millions of people. A poet's life is hence a sum total of the life of humanity, says Neruda. Neruda, the Nobel laureate lived not only the life of his beloved country, Chile, but also the life of all the oppressed in the world during his lifetime. Not much of this great poet has been translated to Kannada except for some by Nisar Ahmed, Tejaswini Niranajana and Banjagere Jayaprakash in the '90s.
This void is partially fulfilled by Nayana Kashyap by translating Neruda's autobiography, though in an abridged form, titled Nenapu Tereva Kavimana.
The translation is full of life and reflects the commitment of the translator. Equally interesting is its publisher, Moulya Prakashana, which comprises a group of teachers and students from Karkala, culturally and politically committed.
This is really a glowing tribute to the great poet who inspired millions of people all over the world.
Neruda's love for life and dream of socialism reverberates through out the book.
But one is left with a sense of incompleteness and dissatisfaction, probablybecause Neruda is lost partially in abridging the original.
Shivasundar
Leafing Through is a fortnightly column that reviews books. Send in books and responses to Leafing Through, Friday Review, The Hindu, 19&21, Bhagwan Mahaveer Road, Bangalore 560001 or email karfriday@thehindu.co.in
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