OUR WORDS AND HEARTS ARE COMMON
(A study in Commonwealth
Literature: Indian Perspective)
M. Ranjan Chandra Mohan Rao
“At the
centre of literary creation, we have now, not Europe and America but the nations
of Latin America, Africa and Asia”, says Namwar Singh, one of the most radical
and innovative literary critics living in India.
It is
true, the hegemony of America and Europe, in World literature came to an end
with the end of colonial era in many parts of the world. The countries which were under the helm of
imperialism are now producing the most innovative, radical and
thought-provoking literature. It is the
social conditions and movements of these countries that have become the
inspiration for the commonwealth literature or third world literature, when the
progress in First World Literature came to a standstill with ‘stream of
consciousness’ and the Second World Literature could not produce much
qualitative literature after the Russian Revolution. Of course, it would also influence at random the writers of First
and Second World Literatures.
Third
World Literature emerged as powerful by being influenced by the factors which
are common to most of the countries in post-colonial era. For example, after the Industrial
Revolution, society needed more man power and raw material for rapid
production. With this, the colonies
expanded. For large scale production,
huge amount of capital was needed and this made the common man to abandon his
enterprise and become a labourer. The
agriculture too was affected on which most of the Third World Countries
depended. And as a result of this, the
joint family system was broken, simultaneously the capital with all its
complexities, started crystallising the individual. This led to the confusion in consciousness.
Examples can be given in this regard for the
mal-development of social relations (i) from a Kenyan Novel ‘DEVIL ON THE
CROSS’, Written by Ngungi Wa Thiong in which unwarranted and ugly developments
of the capital which grossly affected the human life can be seen (ii) from a
Telugu Novel ‘VEIYEPADAGALU’ by Vishwanatha Satyanarayana, in which the
breakdown of the feudal system and its values are lamented (iii) from a Kannada Novel ‘MARALI MANNIGE’,
by Sivaram Karanth, in which the alienation of human life from the traditional
agriculture and the country side, is well depicted. Thus, the deteriorating social relations due to the exploitation
of new conquests of the capital could sharpen the purpose of literature.
Secondly the foreign ruler introduced the
laws which were beneficial to him only, in many ways. Though he began to do something in a country, the native people
of that country realized that it was only another infrastructure for better
exploitation. It made them feel
gruesome and fight for their rights.
This enriched the content of Third World Literature.
When the
freedom struggles began, people were caught in a spell of nationalism. The
fight against the colonial rule for their freedom resulted in the
multi-dimensional scope, for the emergence of powerful literature.
The rulers
were very successful in selecting what was potentially mischievous to distract
people from their struggle for freedom.
Coming to the post-colonial era, the ruling class which emerged on the
heels of the colonial rulers, had the colonial legacy manifested in their rule
and started suppressing any kind of upsurge against the establishments. And this complexity is very much being
reflected in the Third World Literature.
In a piece
of poetry written by Pitika Ntuli, the poet portrays the fearful intensity of
the colonial suppression.
“I was scared:
by day I guard my tongue
by night my dreams.”
The writer
skillfully shows the situation of South African common man who is betwixt the
apartheid and the colonial repressions.
In the
post colonial era, it is watch every where. A Telugu poet, Shiva Sagar in his
poem ‘ALALU’ (Waves), laments the conditions of a free thinker and an
intellectual in the state of suppression and the watch.
“Watch on the waves
Watch on the dreams dreamt by waves
Watch on the tuneful melody of a breezy sitar
That shows affection on wages”
(-Translated
by J.C.)
Post-colonial
era could not make the natives in South African and Latin American Countries,
feel at ease. The colonial era which ended could not stop the feeling of
“Apartheid” in these countries. In the
post-colonial era, the section which emerged as the most powerful began to
dangle the sword of dominance over the natives, leading the blacks to struggle
against the Apartheid.
In
countries like India, where the complexities are more, the suppression is in
the form of upper castes crushing the lower-caste people to the depths of
degradation. This became a vital aspect
in the production of post colonial literature. ‘Dalit Literature’ can be
mentioned in this context. The racial
discrimination has its ugly marks well reflected in Third World
literature. A poem, “PIGEONS AT THE
OPPENHEIMER PARK”, written by Oswald Joseph Mtshali. A South African Poet, reflects the conditions of blacks under the
minority rule.
I wonder why these pigeons in the
oppenhemier park
Are never arrested and prosecuted for
trespassing
On private property and charged with
public indecency.
Everyday I see these insolent birds
perched
On “Whites only” benches, defying all
authority.
Don’t they know of the separate
Amenities Act?
Impact of Russian Revolution is that it
generated confidence and a tremendous feeling among the people that socialism
was no more an utopia but a social reality which can be achieved by the
scientific means. It also provided a genuine hope that there would be a relief
from exploitation of the ruling classes with a struggle against them. This revolution had shown ways for the
intellectuals in the Third World to educate the masses. They could use literature in supplementary
form of propaganda for their purpose.
The woes and problems of the society began to be viewed with a new
approach.
Apart from
class-consciousness, there emerged another consciousness on the subject of
women’s liberty and the movements for women’s emancipation started. A woman poet, Vesna Krampotic, addresses the
child in her womb and assures her that,
“No other love will ever
Permeate the whole of you
Nor will you share your blood
With anyone as with me”.
But
considering the geographical length of our country, our contribution to Third
World Literature is meagre. This is
because, English was considered to be the colonial language and was not
heartily accepted by Indian people since decades. Even for those who are proficient in the English language, the
scenario of our social conditions is not familiar to them because of their
urban, upper middle class and aristocratic environments. The Literature in
various regions, has been coming in regional languages. While academicians in other Third World
Countries are trying to glorify their tradition and national importance through
translations from the native languages, the scenario in India, in this regard
is almost bleak. We could have seen in
Third World Scenario, a Bibhuthi Bhushan Bhandopadhya, a Mahaswetha Devi, a
Nanak Singh, a Pannallal Patel, a Shivaram Karanth, a Subramanya Bharathi, a
Shivashankar Pillai, a Sri Sri, a Gurajada, or a Siva Sagar, whose impact on
Indian literature is considerable.
It might
sound strange but true that till now no unified approach has been made to
understand the Third world Literature. No
serious and objective contribution is made in Indian Writing in English and the
English reader is not aware of the great literatures and movements which are
taking place in various regions in the country.
However,
what is vividly noticed is, there is a note of common domestic symphony and the
voice victim sector in the same in the third world literature. Therefore our
words and hearts are common.