REVIEWS
Profiles: By
G. Venkatachalam. (Nalanda Publications, Bombay, Price Rs. 8-4-0)
Who
can resist G. Venkatachalam’s racy style and interesting personal notes of men
and things? Perhaps, in nothing else does the show so much proficiency as in
writing of the impressions he had formed of men and women of importance in this
widely travelled world of his.
His
easy familiarity with such great exemplars of intellectual power and humanity
as Tagore and Gandhi, his engaging asides about Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, J.
Krishnamurti or Sri Aurobindo, his fresh information about Sir J. C. Bose or
Sri Jinarajadasa, his convincing pictures of R. K. Shanmukham Chetty, Sir C. P.
or Mirza Ismail, his pleasant recollections of the spiritual atmosphere about
Bhagavan Ramana, his artistic reactions to Poet Vallathol, Dilip Kumar Roy, or
the much-less-publicised Vilithikulam Swami, have all their peculiar genre of
‘colour-notes in an artist’s sketch book,’ as he himself describes them.
His
‘fragrant memories’ of some of our prominent women-artistes like M. S.
Subbalakshmi and Lalita Venkatram reappear in Part II of this volume without
any new additions either in their manner or matter. A few pages towards the end
are devoted to men and women belonging to other countries like China, Japan and
Ceylon, where the author made abiding contacts with persons of political and
social standing.
Indeed,
the author takes one smoothly over a number of pages without tiring the reader
in the least. The variety of individuals he speaks about, with personal warmth
and understanding, provoke from us not a little of admiration for his great
good luck in not only come across some of the best specimens of humanity but in
having the gift to leave such delicious impressions of them in print.
Sometimes–only
occasionally–there comes upon us a feeling that Venkatachalam requires deeper
understanding of what he speaks of, especially when he comments on an artiste
like Balasaraswathi as having become ‘a memory’ now. He is not conversant with
what has happened in the intervening years to the artiste of whom he speaks
with such inaccuracy. Perhaps, never before has Balasaraswathi shown such
amplitude of power to expound a great art like Bharatha Natya as now. Still one
closes a book of this kind with renewed enthusiasm for the author’s unabating
interest in the artistes’ lives even more than in their respective arts.
Conversations of
Gandhiji: By Chandra Sankar Shukla (Vora & Co., Ltd.,
3, Round Building, Kalbadevi Road, Bombay-2. Price. Rs. 3/-)
To be able to listen to Gandhiji’s conversation was a privilege which only a few could enjoy, although there is perhaps no Indian in cent times who did not hear him speak in public. The book under review is a record of Gandhiji’s talks, mostly in English, with visitors, Indian and non-Indian, in the year 1933-34 during which the Father of the Nation waged a war against the curse of untouchability, gaining increasing public support wherever he went. Out of the 57 talks reported herein, more than half centre round the Harijan problem. The Indian public is now fairly familiar with the arguments of Gandhiji against the untouchability evil. But what strikes the general reader of the book is the personality of the departed leader as revealed through his talks, always sweetly reasonable and serene, ready to understand the other man’s point of view, and listen patiently to what he has got to say. He talks best who knows how to listen, and Gandhiji is no exception to the rule.
Particularly
interesting in the light of subsequent developments is the conversation on
2-5-’34 at Ranchi between Gandhiji on the one hand and a group of leaders like
Dr. Ansari, C. R., Babu Rajendra Prasad, Sarojini Naidu, Dr. B. C. Roy, Asaf
Ali etc., on the question of the ‘Suspension of Civil Disobedience’ which
Gandhiji described as mere ‘restriction’. It shows his spirit of accommodation
to the united wish of the leaders. His exposition of the philosophy of fasting
in his talk with the journalists at Karachi on 11-7-’34 is still fresh and
contains a reference to Kasturba (p. 128) of whom he says “It has been my real
good fortune that in all such matters she never worried me, never argued with
me, and has allowed me to have my own way, although she has felt the
distress….She is one of the bravest women I have ever met.”
Incidentally,
Gandhiji’s spoken English, it may be said, reveals the man–candid, truthful,
and always to the point.
A Surrvey of Indian
Constitutionalism: By P. Rajeswara Rao (Eluru, W. Godavari,
Pp. 304. Price Rs. 6-12)
This
book, by a rising Advocate, gives a bird’s-eye view of the history of
constitutionalism in India from the days of Mohenjadaro to the present day. The
author has given a clear and lucid account of the growth of democratic
institutions and popular power during the Hindu, Muhammadan and British periods
in the history of India. The author has rapidly traced the political
developments in India since the second World War and has given a general sketch
of the Constitution of the Indian Republic. The chapter on the ‘Future of
Constitutionalism’ contains many commendable suggestions.
The
author has developed the thesis that on the whole, the political philosophy and
constitutional tradition (in India) are broadly based on democratic foundation”,
a thesis which tickles the patriotic sentiments of the readers. But the
application of such political terms as ‘federal government’ and ‘party system’
which have a special political connotation today, in describing the kingdoms of
the days of the Mahabharata, makes us doubt the validity of the author’s thesis
until further light is thrown on the ancient polity.
Some
of the observations made by the author are noticeable. The author has struck
the right note in saying that, “disintegration of the State (Hyderabad) and its
merger with the adjoining Provinces seems to be inevitable.” The monograph, not
being obsessed by any party considerations, contains references to certain hard
realities in the present stage of India’s constitutional progress. One cannot
but agree with the author when he says that “it is an enigma that India with a
Socialist Prime Minister and former President of the Civil Liberties Union
tends to show signs of becoming a Police State”.
The
reader will, however, be disappointed when the author merely echoes the
sentiments of Pandit Nehru that the immediate formation of Linguistic Provinces
is undesirable, a view that contravenes the independent and democratic tone of
the thesis. The reader further doubts the wisdom of certain of the suggestions
made by the author. One is surprised to note that a staunch upholder of
democracy encroaches on the freedom of dress and suggests that minorities like
the Muslims in India, must give up their dress and ‘adopt the regional dress’
to win the goodwill of the Hindus.
The
author is guided more by democratic theory than by democratic practice in
making certain observations. It is stated that it is unjust to merge some
States in the Provinces without consulting the people of the States. But on
administrative and other grounds it will not be feasible for the Government to
permit petty States to remain independent if the people of those States
perchance wish to be so. On practical considerations one is also led to feel
that the author has done scant justice in remarking that the present National
Government is ‘incomplete’ as it does not consist of such stalwarts as Dr. M.
R. Jayakar, Sir C. P. Ramaswami Aiyar and Mr. V. D. Savakar, for a government
is not a committee of elder statesmen but a body which has to carry on the
administration.
It
will, however, be of immense use as a book for non-detailed study to the
general reader for an understanding of the evolution of constitutionalism in
India, a subject which every citizen of the country needs to know.
Troubled Waters: By
John O’Hind. (Illustrated by Nagendra Parmar, Delhi Press, New Delhi, Pp. 178.
Price Rs. 4/-)
Professedly
the first attempt at a full length novel by one who has made his mark as a
popular writer of historical short stories, the book reveals considerable
powers of historical imagination and sustained narrative.
The
author deserves to be congratulated on the choice of a crucial period in the
history of India and a theme of peculiar interest to us at present for
treatment in his novel. The events are placed in the interregnum between the
fall of the Mughal Empire and the rise of the British power, marked by utter
chaos and lawlessness on land and sea, relieved only by the short-lived gleam
of hope of consolidation of the national resources and energy under the
leadership of the Marathas; and the story deals directly with the degeneration
of the Maratha naval principality of the Angres on the West Coast into a
stronghold of piracy.
The
attention of the reader is secured and held in grip without any flagging of
interest by the careful interweaving of the main story of romantic love and
adventure of Nawab Khan, the nephew of a poor Jagirdar of Shahipore, and
Ayesha, the fair daughter of a rich banker of Surat, with the story of mystery
and revenge of the Man with the Mask and the detective story of the
irrepressible English spy Balrney Evans. But the element of coincidence is so
striking and so frequently thrust upon our attention that the possibility of
illusion of a distinct atmosphere of the olden times is considerably hampered
and often there is only a sense of artificiality and unreality.
Even
so with the characterization. The types of character introduced are various and
interesting and presented in bold relief, but they are drawn only in bare
outline and lack vitality and individuality except Blarney Evans, Butcher, De
Castro and the Man with the mask. The fine possibilities of many other
characters are not fully realised as in the case of Ayesha, Omrah Ali, Ganguram
and Swamy who remain shadowy on account of lack of sufficient sympathy, or an
ambiguous attitude on the part of the author towards them, Neither Tulaji
Angre, the chief historical figure, nor Nawab Khan, the hero, leaves upon the
mind of the reader a distinct impression.
The
chief merit of the book is in the racy style and the wonderful ease with which
the English language is used to deal with the situations and sentiments of an
Indian theme. It can be safely recommended as excellent reading material in the
form of an interesting story to Indian College students of the English
language. This long story falls short of the stature of a novel, perhaps on
account of the hurry and anxiety of the author to pack too many interesting
elements in a short compass.
The
illustrations are copious and the printing and the get-up very attractive.
The Viswa Bharati
Quarterly: Editor, Kshitis Roy. Vol. XV, Part
II, Feb. April, 1950.
Founded
by Rabindranath Tagore and nurtured under his protecting wings in its early
career, the Viswa Bharati holds a place of honour among the few journals
of Renascent India devoted to the cause of culture.
The
current number opens with a rendering into English verse (by Lotika Ghose) of
Tagore’s famous Varsha Sesh and a delightful skit ‘The Surat Adventure
of Nil Lohit’ by Pramatha Chaudhari. Three very valuable contributions to
literary criticism of three different kinds follow: “The German Lauguage Today”
by Inge Haag, an instructive history of the German Language during the last
three decades of tremendous political stress accounting for the alarming signs
of deterioration which it exhibits today; “In defence of Thomas Mann” by Alex
Aronson, an interpretation of the message running through the entire creative
effort of the great German author with special reference to his latest novel Doctor
Faustus; “What is Criticism” by Julien Benda, an examination of the popular
tendencies and misconceptions in modern criticism, concluding with the
definition ‘Criticism is Judgment’.
The
number closes with two articles of particular interest to the Indian reader–a
discussion of the Source of Sovereign in an independent country by P. S. Naidu
with particular reference to our new Constitution; and “Asceticism in Tagore’s
Aesthetics” by Jiban Chaudhury, a brief but clear exposition of Tagore’s
aesthetic philosophy which is essentially Vedantic and based on the ‘ascetic
ideal of beauty’ and reviews of numerous and various kinds of books, a normal
feature. The Editor is to be Complimented on the very high standard of the
journal, so consistently maintained.