Kuvempu Kavanagalu: Badukina Samskrutika Charche by N.S. Raghunath
A sudden spate of books on Kuvempu, the iconic Navodaya Kannada writer, has appeared in the past few years. G.S. Amur’s Kuvempu: Yugada Kavi , K.S. Bhagavan’s Kanigale , and Malali Vasanthkumar’s book on Kuvempu’s plays to name some. Most recent on this list is N.S. Raghunath’s Kuvempu Kavanagalu: Badukina Samskrutika Charche .
What makes Raghunath’s book distinct is its markedly different take on Kuvempu’s writing. Raghunath begins by making a bold statement. After all, there are a hundred controversies raging today, especially in the context of Indian literatures in regional languages, about using “Western” critical lens in looking at “Indian” or “indigenous” literary works. While the ideas of what constitutes “Indian” or “indigenous” writing remain rather problematic, it cannot be denied that Indian literatures (both in English and the regional languages) were greatly influenced by the literary movements in the West at least in the past two centuries. Especially in the 60s and onwards, Kannada literary criticism has also drawn majorly upon Euro-American critical ideas and tools. However, the same cannot be said of postmodern criticism’s influence on Kannada literature. While some cultural theories like gender studies or post-colonialism have entered into Kannada literary criticism of late, the linguistic turn in postmodern cultural theory is still to make its presence felt here. It is in this context that Raghunath’s attempt is a new contribution. In stating that he will use the ideas of Roland Barthes, Roman Jacobson, Jacques Derrida, or even Jacques Lacan, Raghunath is stirring the proverbial hornet’s nest. He is stepping right into the heart of those controversies on employing Euro-Western theoretical tools in reading Kannada literature. As a result, Raghunath’s exploratory work becomes daring, defiant, and at the same time, worthy of attention.
It is perhaps the same rebellious streak in Raghunath that draws him to the matters of idealism and revolt in Kuvempu’s writing. While the book focuses mainly on Kuvempu’s poetical works, it also gestures towards his plays and novels to highlight Kuvempu’s commitment to social justice issues. Raghunath demonstrates the manner in which Kuvempu’s writings across these multiple genres provide visibility and voice to the marginalized. Not only do figures from oppressed caste and class locations become central figures in such works (for example, we can think of a range of characters beginning from his jalagara to the loving young couple Aita and Pinchalu in Malegalalli Madumagalu ), they are also given great human dignity. Besides, in questioning such class or caste-based oppression in contemporary society, this stalwart Kannada writer even goes back in time to the hoary Sanskritic tradition and epic literature to recover figures like an Ekalavya or a Shambuka in order to make his readers aware of the long history of social inequality that has unfortunately been a part of this cultural tradition. Kuvempu reworks the plots of these ancient stories and introduces alternate perspectives into them.
In addition, what also grabs Raghunath’s attention is Kuvempu’s relationship with nature. Raghunath traces the influences of the English Romantics on Kuvempu, and predictably zeroes in on Wordsworth as that inspirational figure who shaped Kuvempu’s literary sensibility. However, he also makes an interesting claim that I believe is open to argument. Doing a detailed comparative study of Kuvempu and Wordsworth, he argues that unlike the legendary English Romantic poet, Kuvempu is more receptive to the many faces of nature — its beauty, capacity to nurture creativity and love, and also the violence and destruction that it wreaks on mankind.
Overall, Raghunath’s book makes a nice intervention in pointing out that some movements in contemporary Euro-American cultural theory can be employed gainfully in reading Kannada literature. It rolls literary, linguistic, and social pre-occupations neatly into itself in looking at Kuvempu’s work.
