An alternative whose time has come

The launch of Gramaalok and Sabuj Sahitya is destined to produce a nuanced narrative of self-exploration which is hardly showcased by the profit and sponsorship conscious organisers of literary festivals.

February 03, 2017 06:40 pm | Updated 06:40 pm IST

A book by Kalindi Charan Panigarhi

A book by Kalindi Charan Panigarhi

Does unprecedented galore of literary festivals articulate an intense feeling for cultivating a vibrant reading culture in an era of digital literacy? Can they be reckoned as proxy for universities and other public spaces which not very long ago were used for frank discussions on unsavoury truths? Is the very existence of intellectual conclave being used as a subterfuge by big corporate houses to further their commercial interests in a world fast turning into an ultra-modern global megalopolis? The answer is a definite ‘yes’ and it prompts the parliament of Indian authors “ Sahitya Akademi” to provide an avant-grade congregation. Recently Indian Academy of Letters launched a new literary co-action called Graamalok featuring both authors and readers to thwart the attempts of manipulating literature for making big bugs that has almost become a norm. It is an alternative narrative meant for creating a taste for literature in the remote areas of the country which are conveniently ignored by the organisers.

At a time when even rural population has abandoned reading for titillating entertainment provided by new information technology, the academy tries to affirm cultural diversity of India by harping on a co-owned creative space unfailingly created by literature. How literature caters to regional cultural aspirations and aesthetic sensibilities, and saves man from being servile or opportunistic, it is what the academy intend to showcase by using literature as repository of human possibilities.

Spelling out the creative dimension of a new literary venture, Gramaalok, Dr. K. Sreenivasa Rao, said that it is not just a meet of authors of a particular region it is programme that encourage writers to stay at rural places for having much- needed and mutually beneficial interaction with the widest possible audience. The audience gets a chance to understand the dynamics of ever changing human relations which is vividly portrayed by the authors. Even in an era when people seek entertainment through their mobiles, literature acquaints with the centrality of adhering to the permanent human values of all times. Literature gets frazzled nerves soothed, and this what we urgently require, soft-spoken and a bit shy secretary of Sahitya Academy Dr. Rao aptly observes .

In order to remind the people of the intellectual legacy of Gandhiji, beyond policies and cleanliness, the programme drew its sustenance from his insistence on salvaging the fortunes of villagers. The inaugural function was held in the Vidya Vikas Grameen Vidyalaya, Chapalgaon, district Solapur and eminent Marathi writer Dr. Arjun Vhatkar recited his short story ‘Tumban’. The story poignantly tells the story of a youth who left his village to earn a lucrative livelihood but migration took a heavy toll on him as he has nothing and a growing sense of anxiety and alienation overwhelms him. He flounders at all level and then he realises the significance of cultural trappings. The frequent use of local dialects makes the story memorable and dialogues wrapped in palliatives indicate a sense of sublimity.

The academy got a small sleepy village Chapalogaon transformed into a vibrant habitus of literary connoisseurs comprising authors, poets, teacher and students for a while. Besides short story, two poets Hema Kiran Patki and Indrajeet Ghule presented their poems. Unlike literary festivals that are usually held in big cities and sprawling lawns and glittering stages are used for initiating a dialogue, the academy got the authors stayed at natural settings at a time when people prefer talk at each other rather than talking to each other. It is not that only creative writers interacted with the audience. Dr. Rajashekhar Shinde, eminent critic spoke to the audience directly. Cultural diversity always triggers creativity and authors always reject the single narrative of identity, he told the audience. It is not the only alternative narrative, some young Odiya writers started a literary movement ‘Sabuj Sahitya’ (Green literature) that put emphasis on the portrayal of untainted youthful exuberance and preservation of cultural values and environmental ambience being washed away in the unrelenting tide of a violence, mistrust and bigotry. A prominent Odia writer Kalindi Charan Panigarhi’s book ‘Born of the soil (Niyogi Books; translated by Bikram Das) encapsulate all that is needed to build a co-owned space.

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