Packing in a gamut of emotions
The Kannada literary world has been polarised on various issues in 2015. The writer has also been forced to take on the role of the activist. With all this, there has also been a huge spurt in creative writing and the Kannada literary world has shown an increasing inclination towards the literary market, writes Praveen Shivashankar
As we take the leap into 2016, the tradition of revisiting the happenings in various fields has become the hallmark of ushering in the New Year! Kannada Literature in the past year received extensive coverage for various reasons. Here we bring to you eminent authors, critics, poets and editors who shared with The Hindu, their perspectives of what they felt was noteworthy, a memorable work they read, what excited them the most and also, the events that disappointed them the most in the year 2015.
Professor H.S. Raghavendra Rao - Critic, writer, and translator: In 2015, as always, literary works were relegated to the background and external realities that are crucial to literature occupied a lot of space in public debates as well as the media. The changing socio-cultural and artistic expressions along with the administration of related organizations have unleashed fundamentalist voices. While the brutal assassination of Prof. Kalburgi became the focal point leading to a confrontation with dissenting forces, in the aftermath of growing intolerance of the majority, the polarization acquired political hues and was exploited by interested parties.
While the process of literary creation has continued, superficial notions about the ‘political correctness’ of literature and the precedence of content over the nuances of the media have resulted in a confusion in evolving writers. Good works have emerged whenever the writers have succeeded in synthesizing their creativity and the demands of the reading public. Some writers have tried to challenge the readers by complex works that demand close reading.
Novels by Yogappanavar, Vivek Shanbhag, Chandrashekhara Kambar and Boluvar Mohammed Kunhi deserve involved reading. The collection of poems by S. Manjunatha and the collection of essays by K. Satyanarayana and S. Divakar are absorbing. A scholarly work on Bharatha’s ‘Natyashastra’ by B.N. Sumitra Bai deserves a special mention.
The fact the Akademi award for this year was conferred on K.V. Tirumalesh, one of our enduring writers and scholars, made me happy and excited.
Prathibha Nandakumar - renowned poet: I can unequivocally state that the year 2015 is one of the golden periods of Kannada literature. There have, of course, been deeply disturbing incidents such as the murder of M.M. Kalburgi, and the personalized attacks that the literary community itself has started to indulge in. But, I see a tremendous surge in the creation of Kannada literary forms on various platforms – be it on Facebook or blogs. The most delightful aspect for me is that people from all walks of life and backgrounds are now coming forward to write in Kannada. We have amazing creative works flowing from people who work in factories, who work in coffee shops, who are software engineers or technicians. People with varied sexual orientations are now writing about their lives and utilizing creative avenues to express their challenges and aspirations. There is no need for someone else to be narrating their stories, as they are capable of saying it themselves. They are deconstructing and redefining the literary styles breaking away from established norms. The established writers must encourage these budding writers and guide them suitably instead of criticizing and curbing their creativity.
While it is disheartening to see the degradation of debate and healthy discussions in Karnataka, I do hope that in the New Year, out of this chaos, there will be sensible creations in the world of Kannada literature.
D. S. Nagabhushan -- critic & editor of Hosa Manushya: The highlight of the year 2015 for me was the silence that the literary community displayed when Veerappa Moily’s “Sri Ramayana Mahaanweshanam” received the ‘Saraswati Samman’ award. I was relieved that despite the political assaults it was dealt with, the Kannada literary world had not lost its literary sensibilities. I was also very happy when writer Devanur Mahadeva called upon the leftist writers to introspect on how their divisive communicative skills have alienated them from the people. We’ll however have to wait and watch if it takes effect.
Of course, it was disappointing to see how a cultural protest against the assassination of Kalburgi was politically exploited and soon degenerated into a virtual bifurcation of the literary world into leftist-rightist writers.
Apart from few other works, the Kannada translation of Azgar Wajahat’s Hindi play, Gandhi@Godse.com titled “Gandhige Saavilla” by Hasan Nayeem Surkod is a very significant work. I believe this is one of the most comprehensive and best plays that has come to Kannada literature.
S. Manjunath, poet: As in the past few years, this year also, an uplifting fact about Kannada literature has been the involvement of young writers and especially an upsurge in the number of female writers. Writers belonging to various communities who were hitherto small in number are increasing their presence and through them there is a new form of Kannada literature that is developing. The progress of any literary format does not happen as much by acceding or idolizing the classic formats as it does by challenging the established norms. The generations of writers we are now seeing are progressive in that sense. Nevertheless this is a double-edged sword. In a bid to establish itself, this form of literary expression has become competitive and aggressive. This aggression has unfortunately taken over even some of the well-established writers. Literature, in the present, is being portrayed as an activism rather than means of broadening the horizons of one’s intellect. It has stopped the pursuit of collective humanistic wisdom and denigrated to groupism.
This is not the age of metaphors, but of theory. For a metaphor to take shape, there is need for silence, a quietude. Nobody seems to have the patience for it. Literature is now tailored to market demands – a consumable. Amidst the vanishing solitude and detachment pre-requisite for the creation of literature, it is heartening that we do see some instances of literary gems appearing, even though they do not get the requisite acclaim.
Dr. H.N. Muralidhara -- professor and writer: For me, the hallmark of the year 2015, as far as Kannada literature is concerned, has been the fact that writers have started to explore different avenues for their creative expression. As a reader, I would say that it is no more about classifying a work as good or bad. Such classifications have become redundant. There are newer forms through which writers are expressing their thoughts and feelings. There is a new wave of creativity that is on the rise in Kannada literature.
Among the works that I read in this year, Lakshmish Tolpadi’s “Ananda Lahari”, a philosophical exposition of Shankaracharya’s Soundarya Lahari stood out. I was touched by its deep philosophy and insight and would certainly recommend it to anyone interested in this field.
What was saddening was to see the literary world itself polarized and divided. Even intellectuals gave up the focus on the principles or contents of discussion and resorted to personalized criticisms and character assassinations.
Lakshmish Tolpadi – writer and philosopher: In the past year, I was really happy to feel a sense of new life in Kannada literature. I believe there are two categories of writers – those who try to write something that they believe will be pleasing to the readers in a manner that they believe will attract them. The other category of writers, however small in number, are those who experience what they want to express. For instance, they don’t merely write about pain, they experience pain and then express it! There have been such writers on the rise in Kannada literature.
I would strongly recommend people to read “Preetiyembudu Chandrana Daye” by S.F. Yogappanavar and also S. Manjunath’s anthology – “Bogase Jala Ondu Beejakkaagi”. You’ll notice that Manjunath’s style is devoid of any pretension and glamour. It is pristine and pure poetry steeped in simplicity.
The disappointments in the literary world are already known. But what deeply shook me was the plight of farmers and the increase in their suicides. The apathy of the government, its cosmetic remedies hold a mirror to our poor quality of empathy.
