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Compilation of Bharati’s writings in The Hindu released

Special Correspondent

“A remarkable chapter in political and literary history of India”

— Photo: K. Pichumani

VALUABLE COLLECTION: N. Ram, Editor-in-Chief, The Hindu, releasing a collection of poet Subramania Bharati’s letters published in The Hindu at a function in Chennai on Saturday. The first copy being received by Professor P. Madhivanan. (From left) writer Asokamithran, publisher Urvasi Putalia, editor of the book Venkatachalapathy and art critic Sadanand Menon are in the picture.

CHENNAI: Bharati Karuvoolam: Hindu Nalithalil Bharatiyin Eluthukal, a collection of poet Subramania Bharati’s 16 letters to the Editor, two open letters and two articles, published in The Hindu was released on Saturday by Kalachuvadu Pathipagam.

The letters were written between 1904 and 1916. A.R. Venkatachalapathy, Professor, Madras Institute of Development Studies, has compiled and edited the book.

N. Ram, Editor-in-Chief, The Hindu, who released the book, said Bharati’s writing in the newspaper were a remarkable chapter in the political and literary history of India. “Bharati’s engagement with politics is a notable and moving chapter in the 20th century.” He stressed the need for a good biography of the poet with an emphasis on the intellectual Bharati.

Bharati had three passions: freedom movement, social reforms and emancipation of women. “But we have to read them in the context of the time in which Bharati lived,” Mr Ram said.

Quoting Rajani Palme Dutt, leader of the Communist Party of Great Britain, that the Indian freedom movement witnessed a co-existence between political radicalism and social conservatism, Mr. Ram said it was unusual in the case of Bharati that he was equally committed to political radicalism and social reforms. Bharati’s yet another passion was Dalit liberation.

Mr. Ram said that though it was known to Bharati scholars that he could write well in English, his writings in The Hindu revealed it was not terribly old fashioned English. “It is a lovely discovery,” he said, lauding Prof. Venkatachalapathy’s work.

“Bharati was in full flow engaging himself with his time, doing what he could in terms of writing in English.”

Making a comparison between Indian Thought Publication, launched only to publish R.K. Narayan’s works and Kalachuvadu meant to publish the works of Tamil writer Sundararamasamy, Mr. Ram lauded the Tamil publication for having diverged to encompass a range of writers and voices.

Urvasi Butalia, editor of Zubaan, a feminist publishing house, explained the difficulties in sustaining the alternative and independent publications. “As you grow, you tend to become part of the mainstream,” she said.

Explaining how the letters to editor column served as a “bypass route” for those who, otherwise, had no power to articulate their views in a news paper, art critic Sadanand Menon recalled how the residue of alternative groups such Indian People’s Theatre Association created a big impact.

He explained how a one-line poster “Rajan Evide” questioning the disappearance of an engineering college student in Kerala created a wave.

Earlier, theatre person Shanmugaraja read out the first editorial of the Kalachuvadu, written by Sundararamasamy.

The former editor of the magazine, Aravindan, traced the history of the magazine, which has completed 20 years.

Writer Ashokamitran gave away the prizes of Kalachuvadu trust to the winners of poetry and short story competitions.

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