Maha kavya evam Lok Kavya

"Maha Kavya Evam Lok Kavya" - a literary event devoted to the Mahabharata and to the folk traditions of Himachal and Haryana, was held today by the Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi.

The key speaker was Dr Jesse Knutson from the US who is presently on an extended academic visit to India. He is a scholar of Sanskrit literature at the University of California, Berkley. Knutson made an enthralling presentation on the "Mahabharata", focusing on the inbuilt contradictions and antinomies of the text. Taking up the mahakavya from three different angles -- dharma, kaal, and yoga, he highlighted the complexities of the text and stressed that the Mahabharata is not just an Indian epic, it belongs to the tradition of world literature and may be regarded as a global text as it cuts across geographical boundaries. The talk generated a lot of interest and several noted scholars from the audience engaged in an animated conversation with Knutson. Chairing the session was Prof Surinder Sharma, a well-known and versatile figure in literary circles.

There were two other speakers, Prof Meenakshi Paul from Shimla who spoke on the folk traditions of Himachal, and Dr Karan Singh from Haryana who made a presentation on the folk songs of Haryana. Both these speakers have been engaged in primary research at the grassroots level and they shared their findings with an enthralled audience. Drs Mukta and Chander Trikha chaired the two sessions. Taking part in the discussion were Prof Ramesh Kuntal Megh, Dr Kalia 'Humdum', Prof Vikram Viveki, Mrs Jasbir Kaur, Lalita Jagmohan, and others. Madhav Kaushik, Secretary of CSA, steered the discussion deftly through various important issues.

Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi is thus engaged in bringing literature to the people through various speakers from within and outside the city. it has made a difference to the literary and cultural life of the people by holding programmes at regular intervals. The Chairperson, Prof Manju Jaidka, announced forthcoming activities: on 13th August a Mushaira will be held, on 3rd Sept a Hasya Kavi sammelan. On a smaller scale, a goshti will be organized on 20th August. Details will be posted on the CSA Face Book and Blog. Interested people may thus keep track.

Photographs are available on this link: https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/reorder?uname=sahitakad2008&aid=5635117706054969249

Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi

GN DEVY

Prof G.N. Devy is quite an institution. With his quiet demeanor and low-profile but high intellectualism he makes an impact every time he addresses an audience. This evening's talk on "Aphasia and Amnesia: Contemporary Creative Expression in India" was no exception!

Prof Devy is a renowned activist campaigning for the preservation and revitalization of threatened languages and human rights activism for indigenous peoples (known as adivasis) and nomadic communities in India. He has been working in this field for the last two decades and more. His talk was focused on the so-called tribal languages of India. However, he clarified right in the beginning that languages cannot be tribal and that there is a political agenda behind labeling them thus.

Devy is concerned with the rapidly disappearing dialects of India. Less than half a century ago, it was recorded that there were more than 1600 languages spoken but within the span of ten years the number dropped to 109. This happened not because people stopped speaking the language but because politically it was not feasible to count them all as separate languages. This is what has happened throughout history. Under the colonial rule many of our languages were silenced: they were subjected to 'aphasia'. Later, under the colonizers, amnesia set in and our own languages were forgotten. This was an unfortunate development. Dialects, according to Devy, should be encouraged if we want our languages to continue growing in a healthy manner.

Prior to his talk Prof Devy interacted with local writers and discussed the various dialects of the Punjab, Puadhi, Malwi, etc. Manmohan Daon, Nirupama Dutt, Prem Vij, Anirudh Joshi,Madhav Kaushik and others well-known litterateurs discussed several language-related issues with him.

It was, indeed, a pleasure listening to Prof Devy who exemplifies in himself what a true scholar should be. He is low-profile, humble and down-to-earth. He has travelled the world over, been the recipient of coveted awards, but his hallmark is his humility. He reminds us that one need not use a high flown language, jargonized vocabulary or obtuse logic to make a mark. A genuine scholar can reach out to his audience without any such humbug. Like Prof Devy, he makes a difference, is understood and appreciated.