BOOK REVIEWS
ENGLISH
THE FUNCTION OF ‘ENIGMA’ IN ARUN JOSHI’ - A CRITICAL STUDY by
Dr. Ch. A. Rajendra Prasad, Published by: Amulya Publishers, Narasapur 534 275
PAGES: 137 ; Price: Rs.95/
The author, Dr.
Rajendra Prasad, after a brilliant career in the Andhra University, from where
he obtained his M.A. degree and also his Ph.D., had worked as the Head of the
Post Graduate Department of English at Sri. Y.N. College, Narsapur, Andhra
Pradesh. Just at present, he is Professor of English in the University of
Eritrea on the African shore of the Red Sea.
The book has a very
appreciative foreword by Prof. G.S. Balarama Gupta, Professor in the Department
of English in Gulbarga University and Editor of Journal of Indian writing in
English.
The book is a change
from the usual appreciation of Arun Joshi’s works. Dr. Rajendra Prasad stresses
on the “textual strategy” of Arun Joshi-the Enigma-by means of which the
novelist projects and realises his vision of the alienated man in his works.
The “Enigma” of Arun
Joshi has been defined by the author as “The ambivalent position of every
novelist creating an illusion of reality from an imagined reality”.
The author has
labelled Arun Joshi as a past master of psychological probing-along with Kamala
Markandeya and Anita Desai. But Joshi’s focus is on the inner emotional ethos
of man rather than on the external, social or moral environment.
The author gives a
brief critical assessment of four novels of Arun Joshi - The Foreigner, The Strange Case of Billy Biswas, The Apprentice and The
Last Labyrinth, where his central characters reflect his conviction that
every man has a duty and a responsibility to chalk out his own destiny.
Through all these
reviews, the author traces the paradigm of enigmas through which Arun Joshi
“Communicates the music of ideas that gave meaning to the destinies of his
heroes”, and also “The values that transformed the destinies of the heroes and
shed light on the various philosophic queries that had been baffling him”.
Dr. Rajendra Prasad
shows real maturity and sophistication in both in his methodology and
evaluation - as attested by Prof. Balaram Gupta.
The book is extremely
readable though the language tends to be a little heavy here and there. But the
subject may warrant it.
The print is easy on
the eye-an essential feature if any book has to be read.
A little more care
could have been devoted to the correction of the proofs.
On the whole, the book
is an invaluable addition to all Collectors of the work of modern Indian
English Novelists.
-V. PADMAVATHY
DHARMA - THE BEDROCK OF INDIAN CULTURE by D. Panduranga Rao, Published by Dharmajyoti Publications. Copies can
be had from D. Naga Kumari, H.No. 19-48/2, Goutham Nagar, Malkajgiri, Hyderabad
- 500047, pp. XVI + 184 price Rs.60/-.
‘Dharma- The Bedrock
of Indian Culture’ by Sri. D. Panduranga Rao brings out significance of Dharma
which stands for, in a truly scientific spirit and with penetrating mind devoid
of malice or prejudice. He says that we have to dive deep into scriptures of
this ancient land to hold the pearls of wisdom that could be of immense help in
spreading happiness, love and harmony in our present day society.
The book contains nine
chapters from an erudite scholar with profound spiritual slant and massive
learning. It covers all the aspects of India’s genius, her culture, philosophy,
religion and her contribution to world thought.
We are living in a
rapidly changing world. Science and its marvellous achievements have shaken our
old faiths and a new way has been opened to modern man. Civilization has
advanced far. Man has conquered distance and the craze for further discoveries
leads man to restless life. As the eminent scientist Hackeal writes, every
effort of genuine science makes for a knowledge of truth.
Sri Panduranga Rao has
rightly stressed that India’s rishies regarded religion as a science. Our
culture is based upon divine love and religion.
In the chapter
‘God-And His Workship in Indian tradition Sri Panduranga Rao explains the
significance of temple workshop. Construction of temples making the idols and
their installations are done according to Agama Sastras which are a science by
themselves. The author gives a detailed account of various aspects of workship.
He wishes that the
temple should again become an active centre where all human creativity in art,
music, dance etc., with spiritual orientation and the festivities contributing
to the promotion of unity among all people in service of the almighty. There
should be minimal interference of the government in the administration of the temples.
Sri Rao upholds the
system of Varnashrama Dharma. He says, ‘the root principle of Varna Dharma is
the merging of individualism (as different from individuality) with its
concomitant notions of exclusiveness, egoism etc., into the active universal
whole and to bring into existence a complete form of perfect communal life.
The author observes
the Varnasrama Dharma as Vedic Communism. He stresses the need for underlining
the importance of Brahmin as one devoted to the quest for truth. He expresses
his anguish at the present condition of Brahmins and exhorts them to follow
their holy traditions of Japas and sacrifice.
The author says that
Religion and Caste whose ideals are spiritual have now become instruments for
political manoeuvering and manipulations and to divide people and dismember the
nation.
Sri Panduranga Rao
leads the readers gently from worlds to thoughts and then on to contemplation.
The work is a splendid service to the cause of sanatana dharma. This is a book
to be savoured and not swallowed. There is no doubt that this well written
volume will find a coveted place in the shelves of Dharma. The entire subject
is in a language easily comprehensible to the readers. Sri Panduranga Rao
deserves all praise for his splendid work.
The printing and get
up is attractive and without any printers devils.
The price of the book
is quite reasonable for its size.
- J. HANUMATH SASTRY
MAHATMA GANDHI’S LEADERSHIP AND QUIT INDIA MOVEMENT IN COASTAL ANDHRA. by
Prof. Ch. M. Naidu.
It is a laudable
attempt to study India’s Freedom Movement at the micro level, the period of
study restricted to the Quit India movement of 1942 and the area chosen for
study being the coastal Andhra districts then forming part of the erstwhile
Madras Presidency. The book is research-oriented with copious references to
source material, particularly the verbatim reports of the thrilling events in
the local vernacular press besides the day to day reports of the people’s
agitation.
The Quit India Movement was the outcome of
Sir Stafford Cripps Mission in April, 1942 which ended in failure leaving a
pall of gloom in people’s mind and strengthening their resolve to seek new ways
to win full political freedom. Japan after swallowing South-east Asiatic
countries during the. Second World War started knocking directly at the
eastern-gateways of India by subjecting to aerial bombardment the port towns of
Calcutta, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada and Madras. The darkened political horizons
provided a singular opportunity to Gandhiji to organise what he claimed as the
biggest non-violent struggle ever contemplated by him. In his peroration to the
A.I.C.C. delegates assembled in Bombay on 7th August, 1942, Gandhiji amidst
thunderous applause said, “I must not suppress the voice within me. Call it
conscience call it anything you like, call it the promptings of my basic
nature. I don’t mind how you describe it, but there is something there... That
choice tells me that I have to fight against the whole world ... “Still
Gandhiji kept the gateway to negotiation open by stating in his speech thus:
“Only the glow of freedom now can release the energy and enthusiasm of millions
of people which transform immediately the nature of war” thereby almost hinting
that free India would side Allied Powers in the war against Germany and Japan.
But no Britisher at that time at Delhi or London level were willing to take the
hint and start negotiations with Gandhiji, The British totally underestimated
Gandhiji’s mass appeal and even thought him to be a rebel and a saboteur. The
author is correct in writing thus: “The Viceroy Lord Linlithgow could not
understand why they (the people) revered him (Gandhiji) so
overwhelmingly....perhaps the Viceroy being a thorough westerner, did not have
proper conception of Hindu ethos and Gandhiji’s extraordinary skill in
blending religion and politics and the way in which they respected him as a
demi-god”. The author rightly commented that it was the Viceroy who provoked
the movement by imprisoning the Mahatma.
The author went on to
describe the role of M.A. Jinnah the Muslim League leader who proved to be a
stumbling block to Gandhiji in many ways particularly by trying to give a twist
to the movement by asking the British “Divide and Quit”. He also explained how
inspite of serious political differences in the approach to the problem of
liberating India between Gandhiji and Subhas Chandra Bose, the latter by
organising Azad Hind Fauj had indirectly influenced Gandhiji’s mind and Bose
himself claimed that Quit India Movement was ‘the war front from within the
country’ and ‘non-violent Gorilla War’. The author also drew attention to the
Two Nation Theory advocated by M.A. Jinnah not having much impact on the
coastal Andhra Muslims who participated in the Quit India Movement in fairly
large numbers.
The author referred to
the Twelve Point Programme; the Manifesto issued by Gandhiji for people to
follow in case a crisis was precipitated by the arrest of leaders and stated
that everyone was free to go to the fullest length and Ahimsa to precipitate
deadlocks by strikes and other non-violent means and incited them to action
with his new slogan ‘do or die’. But the manifesto no where suggested any
destructive activity like sabotage and all appeals for strikes and other forms
of agitation were meant to be organised within the parameters of nonviolence
set by him.
The author went at
length into the genesis of the ‘Andhra Circular’ and other prohibited literature printed locally which however did
incite people to violence. The movement was marked by spontaneity with new
leadership coming everywhere to the forefront when all the accredited leaders
were kept under arrest and the author went into many details giving their names
and their activities and the large scale destruction caused to government
property, particularly by attacks on railway, telegraph and telephone lines,
railway station, police stations, post offices and other government offices.
The movement was at its peak during August and September, 1942 though in some
areas it went on till January, 1943. The author gave full details of the punitive
action taken by the government by way
of arrest of thousands of persons, imposing collective fines in areas where
sabotage or destruction of property took place apart from lathi-charge or
shooting or firing on the crowds, till finally the movement petered out.
The author did well in
bringing out the book synchronizing it with the Golden Jubilee year of Indian
independence. The book appears to have been written in great a hurry as
language mistakes have crept in. Altogether it presents a vivid portrayal of an
absorbingly interesting saga of coastal Andhra people’s role in India’s freedom
struggle.
- R.
SURYANARAYANAMURTHY
TELUGU
VAISAKHA SAMUDRAM by Dr. D. Subba Rao, Pages: 51 (Kavita in Telugu)
This slim volume of
Telugu kavitas deals with a variety of topics - nature, human nature,
philosophy and ideas of freedom and environmental study. We find delightful
description of things and events like rural life and the village fair.
Comparisons of natural beauty mostly had their basis in human experience in
real life.
The poems reveal a sensitive heart which responds like a seismograph to the slightest tremors and vibrations of life. The impressions of his mind recollected in tranquility have been recorded with fidelity. Some of the poetic pieces like ‘Tatwamasi’ are characterised by search for truth and spiritual hankerings arising from a meditative mind.
Simple language and
suggestive phrases make the book readable. The publication carries appreciative
comments from eminent writers like Justice Sri Avula Sambasiva Rao, Sri Sada
Siva and Dr. V. V. L. Narasimha Rao.
-I. V. CHALAPATI RAO