Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Friday Review | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

Remarkable self-portrait

Rs. 350.

I am very energetic by nature and tough in spirit,” says Laxmibai Tilak, early on in her autobiography, Sketches from Memory, translated from the celebrated Marathi original Smritichitre. Later, in the most difficult moments of her life, she asserts once again — “I’m very like a rubber ball, bouncing back, again and again.”

Laxmibai’s spirit of confidence, sense of self and strength of will were far ahead of her times. Her memoirs display her phenomenal growth from illiterate child-bride to renowned poet, writer, orator and social revolutionary in women’s education, with a distinct identity that was at the same time entwined with and separate from that of her husband, the celebrated Marathi revolutionary poet and Christian convert, Reverend Narayan Wamanrao Tilak. Yet another in the vast library of Indian literature made accessible to all, Katha presents a commendable translation of the book that was once found in the home of every good Maharashtrian in pre-Independent India.

Sketches From Memory has been translated by Louis Menezes, a Jesuit priest born in Goa and a native of the very Konkan region that Laxmibai hailed from. Not only does the translation retain the flavour and simplicity of the original Ma rathi, it is non-intrusive and brings alive the brilliant narrative.

The memoirs trace the life of Laxmibai (1869-1936) and her transformation from the illiterate, impish prankster Manu Gokhale, daughter of an orthodox Chitpavan Konkanastha Brahmin with a phobia of “pollution” by lower castes and an obsessive fetish for cleanliness. At 11, she becomes Laxmibai Tilak, the bride of the educated 17-year-old groom, Narayan Tilak, who in contrast, is critical of the ills of the caste system and well versed with the virtues of the Bible, owing to the influence of his liberal mother.

Laxmibai’s light, linear narration shows her as a spirited woman with a zest for life. We are privy to her thoughts, her light-hearted approach to life and level headedness in times of excessive sentimentality and hypocrisy. Caught in a vortex of relationships, she holds her own against a wilful and irresponsible husband, an abusive father-in-law and difficult relatives. A true survivor, she puts the post-modern Indian woman, with her persistent saas-bahu problems, to shame. At the same time, she takes difficult times and people in her stride, cherishing warm family ties and good times because “were it not for evil, the worth of goodness would never be known”.

Laxmibai’s memories lead from one relationship and incident to the next in chronological sequence. They are dominated by her interaction with people such as Govindrao Mama and Atyabai, her surrogate parents, elder sister Bhikutai, son Dattu, niece Gharumai, the child-poet Thombre, her many adopted children, family friend and fellow Christian Dr. Hume, among others. The central theme however, remains her marriage to Tilak. A stormy relationship that was as destructive as it was nurturing, Laxmibai was often abandoned and left to her own devices as her husband repeatedly gave away their belongings and simply upped and left to pursue a career in acting or in writing, ultimately seeking succour in religion (while there has been a debate in modern day feminist circles regarding her leniency with her errant husband, it is noteworthy that she does not give up without a fight). Having weathered starvation, pennilessness and the death of their two children, she is finally driven over the edge when he converts to Christianity without her knowledge. Refused permission by her family to live with him for fear of pollution, she goes through the darkest period of her life. It is during this time that she discovers her poetic talent. Having been taught to read and write by Tilak, he is delighted by her new calling. Their communication in these tough times is through poetry and when they are finally reunited five years later, she overcomes the final hurdle in her personal growth. She rids herself of the shackles of caste so deeply ingrained since childhood and converts to Christianity of her free will.

The second half of Laxmibai’s life with Tilak was possibly the most productive. She dedicated herself to the cause of women’s education and the fight against ignorance and corruption, discovered her spontaneity as public speaker, turned businesswoman-investor, published her poems and supported the Christian bhajans written by her husband for Indian Christians. After his death, she added 64 chapters to his ten, of the acclaimed epic Khristayan. Much of her writing was done with a matchstick, to be transcribed later by Thombre. Active until the very end, she fulfilled her promise to her readers, “The day I rest forever, will be the day my pen shall rest too.”

Sketches From Memory is modest in title, as it draws an outstanding self-portrait, turning carbon scribbles into a sociological and literary masterpiece.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail