This was waiting to happen.
Prof U R Ananthamurthy has declared he will not take part in literary functions in future.
The decision came in the wake of strong criticism for his reaction on S L Bhyrappa’s controversial novel Aavarana that appeared in a section of the media. Prof Ananthamurthy said he was “misquoted” and in the wake of strong criticism of his comments, decided not to take part in any literary functions.
Not Ananthamurthy’s decision but his criticism of S L Bhyrappa.
This episode is a good jolt to shake off my sloth and post a review of S L Bhyrappa’s (latest) Aavarana. Ever since Vamsha Vruksha propelled him to literary fame, every new Bhyrappa book is eagerly awaited by thousands of Kannada readers. Aavarana broke new ground purely in terms of its commercial success when it was published in February this year. It clocked three successive reprints in about two weeks, an astounding record in the small market for Kannada novels.
That however, is not Anantha Murthy’s ire. And neither is his tirade against Bhyrappa recent. It is about three decades young.
Aavarana alternates between contemporary, and Aurangzeb’s India. Its technique is similar to the familiar play-in-a-play in dramatics. The protagonist is a Hindu lady who converts to Islam post-marriage. She visits her father’s house upon his death, and discovers his seemingly-sudden interest in studying Islam and its various encounters with India. Up to that point, she is a progressive feminist, schooled in the JNU version of the history of India. Her studies lead her to question the history she was schooled in. Among other characters in the book is Professor Shastri, who hails from the same village and is her long-time mentor. He distinguishes himself by his staunch commitment to Leftism, fierce intellect, wiliness, intimacy with politicians, and a capacity to generate limitless funds.
Professor Shastri resembles U R Anantha Murthy in real life–complete with the Socialist beard.
Anantha Murthy is no stranger to my blog. Anantha Murthy is vocally clear about his Communist sympathies. His Beijing Diary (?) records eyewitness events–in Kannada–during his stay at Beijing when the Tiananmen Square massacre happened. That travelogue has not a single word of reproof against the Chinese government’s savagery. Anantha Murthy’s fame as a wire-puller is legendary. From securing appointments to Vice Chancellorships to chairmanships of various cultural boards to bagging the Jnanapith to obtaining free land doled out by the government, he has done it all. Interestingly, when he secured prime land in Dollars Colony when J.H. Patel was heading Karnataka, fellow-travellers like G.K. Govinda Rao yelled murder. Murthy it seems, is skillful in spotting well-ahead, which way the road bends. From a revolution-monging Communist, he has been spotted recently with Dalit/backward class leaders like Mallikarjun Kharge.
Anantha Murthy’s fame as a littérateur rests on just Samskara. A survey of his entire literary corpus yields mediocre harvest. His non-fiction is varied, insightful and at times, original. In his heydays, he dominated the entire Kannada Navya literary movement with Gopala Krishna Adiga, a phenomenon that S L Bhyrappa records in his autobiography, Bhitti. The Navya movement in one massive surge, uprooted the likes of DVG, Masti, Bendre, and others who drew from ancient Indian philosophy and values. It imposed a confused melange of existentialism, socialism, communism and other intellectual diseases that plagued the West at that time. It sought to introduce alien experiences in Kannada literature. It sought to prop up its popularity using spurious devices like publishing only favourable literary reviews. Rebellion naturally followed. More outspoken writers like P. Lankesh walked out on the Adiga-Ananthamurthy clique and started the parallel Dalit/Bandaya literary movement. The Navya movement for what it is worth died soon.
S L Bhyrappa was the lone dissenter belonging to no camp. A Phd in Philosophy, he sought to find his roots in ancient Indian philosophy. His doctoral dissertation entitled Satya Mattu Soundarya (Truth and Beauty) explores complex relationships between truth, ethics, beauty, art, existence, and philosophy. Bhyrappa’s celebrated novels are founded on a strong Hindu philosophical base. The author was inspired by Ananda Coomaraswamy, Swami Vivekananda, Sri Ramakrishna, Mahatma Gandhi, the Upanishads, Mahabharata and Bhagavad Gita in his formative years. A few literary critics focus on the Rasa element present in his works. When Vamsha Vruksha heralded his arrival on the Kannada literary stage, expected reactions erupted. The progressives called it colourful names: reaffirming Brahminical tyranny, retrograde, regressive, and backward. But the novel was wildly successful among critics and laymen alike. It earned Bhyrappa the permanent loyalty of a large base of devoted readers, something Anantha Murthy was unable to manage despite critics’ encomiums.
As a curious coincidence, Vamsha Vruksha and Samskara were published at around the same time. The former examines changing values and mores at the threshold of an era from the perspective of a devout Sanatani (the protagonist of Vamsha Vruksha). Samskara seeks to show the futility of upholding traditional Indian values in the face of an undefined–at best, a crudely defined–modernism. Further coincidence: Bhyrappa’s Daatu and Murthy’s Bharatipura were published at around the same time. Read Daatu if you want to understand caste in India. Bhyrappa won the Sahitya Akademi for the work. Bharatipura however, is a mere cut-and-paste job. Its overt anti-Brahminism is based on flimsy grounds. In a critique titled, Anantha Murthy’s Literary Integrity (rough translation), Bhyrappa provides a firm rebuttal to Bharatipura.
Bhyrappa details the inner workings of the Kannada literary world in his autobiography, Bhitti. In the book, he provides evidence to back his claims for how Anantha Murthy tried to sabotage his novels, most notably his magnum opus, Parva. A frequent tactic that Anantha Murthy employed in order to discredit Bhyrappa’s novels was to term them “popular novels” as opposed to “books with literary merit.” In Murthy’s view, literary classics were those that the critics whetted their approval on. This tactic was convenient because the Kannada literary world then, was in the firm grip of the Navya writers. The theory of literary criticism ever since Independence has steadily accelerated towards the Western model. Too few critics today know–or even care to learn–about Indian literary theories of Rasa, Dhwani, Bhava and so on. The dichotomy of “literary value” vs “popular novels” is both contrived and false. “Literary worth” is not the monopoly of a gifted few. A true classic has universal appeal that is at the same time timeless. Most epics belong to this category. Bhyrappa’s Parva and Tanthu embody this epic element in them. At best, Anantha Murthy’s attacks are cheap efforts to dissuade the public from reading Bhyrappa’s books. On that count, Murthy’s much-praised Samskara rests on dishonest premises as Bhyrappa notes in Bhitti. Murthy characterizes the protagonist, Praneshacharya as a Brahmin scholar who had mastered Hindu Dharmashastras for 12 years in Kashi. Yet, he marries a diseased woman on the premise of finding fulfillment by serving her. She is unable to have sex with Praneshacharya, effectively ending his lineage. However, one of the fundamental goals of marriage, according to Hindu Dharmashastras is to perpetuate one’s genealogy. If the wife is unable to conceive at all, the husband can marry again for the express purpose of having children but he should treat the first wife with due honour and respect. Anantha Murthy’s Praneshacharya essentially seeks salvation through suffering, a purely Christian concept. Bhyrappa questions Murthy’s integrity in mischaracterizing a whole system of philosophy and value system. In addition, we could accept Murthy’s premise if Praneshacharya was an unlearned Priest but not when he is explicitly described as a scholar in Dharmashastras. But then, Praneshacharya’s characterization makes sense if you remember that Murthy wrote his books for the Western audience.
Given this record, Murthy shines more splendidly as a lobbyist and politician than as a litterateur. All lobbyists and politicians are fine specimens to caricature. Neither has Bhyrappa caricatured him in Aavarana alone. Anantha Murthy briefly figures as Hari Shankar Prasad in Tantu. However, he is both easily identifiable, and more prominent in Aavarana than in Tantu.
Because Aavarana uncovers the gory extent of Aurangzeb’s–and Islamic–brutality, it has delivered a blow where it hurts the most: to Aurangzeb, the darling of the secularists. Understandably, Aavarana opened to stoic silence from the secularists’ quarter followed by few opposing murmurs. Local Kannada rags called it the “textbook of the Saffronites,” “dangerous,” “divisive,” “communal” and the rest. No “noted” writer wrote anything about it. Till a book release function where Anantha Murthy spoke about Aavaranada Anaavarana (The unravelling of Aavarana) for its “critical analysis” of Aavarana.
“Bhyrappa does not know either Hindu religion or the art of story-telling. He is only a debater,” says Anantha Murthy. “He does not go beyond his opinions. He constructs the plot and selects characters only to suit his opinions and end up as a debater, rather than a creative writer.”
The skies opened up instantly. Vijaya Karnataka reports (free subscription to access the link; the report is in Kannada) that it received more than 2000 responses condemning Anantha Murthy’s “insolence.”
This grand drama ended predictably. Anantha Murthy claimed:
…he was “misquoted” and in the wake of strong criticism of his comments, decided not to take part in any literary functions.
He said, “This will be my last literary function. Henceforth, I will confine my interaction regarding literature with my close associates. However, he said he will continue to participate in political debates.
Standard secularist response. When cornered…
Crossposted on Desicritics.
Tags: Books, Commentary, History, Indian Politics, Literature, Pseudo Secularism Hall of Shame, Society & Culture, War on Communism, Weblogs
simply superb
Having moved to B’lore in recent past,I find the secular mullahs like Murhty,Karnad etc issuing fatwas regularly to the Bangaloreans.One example was the B’lore graduates elections(?) where these creatures were royally ignored by the people and BJP won handsomely.Coming back to B’lore,it’s quiet strange to find so many muslims trying to real muslims by dressing up in pathan suits,skull caps etc.
Sandeep. This is blogging at its best..honestly, you rock.
What do you know? See how little is written on genuine scholarship from India. Samskara is a shine-out Uncle Tom’s Cabin in Kannada. Sadly it wasn’t written by a liberal if patronising master, but written by Uncle Tom himself-i.e., URA! How I wish I knew a little more than the rudiments of Kannada (sign boards and notices) so that I could read this grand debate in the original.
Sandeep
I have been a regular reader of ur weblog for a long time now. Thank you for such articles (the ones on Karnad)..always an eye opener for me!
-Preethi
Brilliant!! Sandeep, in your opinion, is the vernacular literature really keeping alive our heritage? Laymen like me only read English and its despondent of course, filled with “secularists” as it is.
The leftist response is not surprising, it has been a long standing strategy on the part of left to control (in their phraseology) the “production of culture”. A person can be considered a “eminent” artist or scholar only with the consent of the leftists. They feel upset when they loose this control.
Sandeep,
Great critique.
I always imagined that the fight against pseudo-secularists has to come from non-English Indian languages. Ground swell of support to Bhyrappa is good step in the right direction.
Is there an English (or Telugu) translation of Bhyrappa’s Aavarana?
All,
Thanks for the kind words.
Chandra,
At the moment no translation of Aavarna is available.
Sandeep,
That was superb! Wish I could read and understand Kannada. Aavarana sounds a must-read!
Your final observation is bang on dollar. When faced with direct arguments leftists inevitably scamper and resort to esoteric syllogism in their defense. The ensuing hiatus invariably involves severely acerbic circumlocution. Any such sight of leftist petulance is particularly comforting. It is the most significant proof that leftists have lost any significant appetite for serious intellectual criticism which is what that makes it mighty comforting in the first place.
Sandeep,
Thank you so much for such an illuminating post!
Being a person from outside Karnataka, it is fascinating to learn about the internals of its literary world.
Aavarana sounds so readable. I wish there was a translation available.
That was vintage Sandeep. Neat and to the point, yet detailed.
Way to go !
Sandeep,
Excellent article. URA thinks that only critics can judge a novel.(Not all critics, only ones chosen by him who belong to pseudo-secular camp)Kannada readers are the best judge to decide what is good or not. The immense popularity of SLB’s novels show that inspite of all efforts from pseudo-secularist squad people have rejected their ideas and accepted the truth as it is.
Last week I finished reading ‘Aavarana’. It took me a day to finish it. Yesterday I read ‘Aavarana anaavara’.
Inspite of loads of bibliographies and proofs provided by SLB, I felt somewhere that the writer was intentionally giving some of his strong opinions to the treatment. Especially with the Prof. Shastri and his band of Socialists. I thought why did Bhyrappa picturise them as people without conscience? I thought it would have been better if he had potrayed them as strong believers of their phylosophies. But after reading the book ‘Aavarana Anaavarana’ I realised they are bound to be the way SLB imagined - people without conscience and one who always draw the political game out of these topics.
The motto of Bhyrappa’s novel is; We should never suppress truth (mainly historical ones). We should not distort historical truths for the sake of political survival or to appease a community. He says that We should not blame a community for the mistakes done in the history. But he also says if that community glorifies the kings who have done mistakes then they are also responsible for the mistakes done by these kings.
FOR SLB HISTORY IS THE WAY TO SEARCH TRUTH
‘Aavarana anaavarana’ has a different outlook. He thinks history should bind people. If certain things hurt people, it should be kept in dark. By telling this he unknowingly agrees to SLB’s point that historical things are getting distorted to impress a community.
[...] Sunday Slug Fest: Anantha Murthy and Bhyrappa [...]
“But after reading the book ‘Aavarana Anaavarana’ I realised they are bound to be the way SLB imagined - people without conscience and one who always draw the political game out of these topics.”
I don’t know my Kannada well enough and I haven’t read either of the works. But I can relate to this point. A truthful and accurate portrayal of a leftwing “academic” or “intellectual” in a work of literature cannot be done anyway but by showing him to lack “conscience”, as you put it. And doing so would mean showing the person as being committed to his philosphy, NOT as violating it! For the fact is, leftwingers do believe that duplicity, deceit, double standards and hypocrisy are legitimate strategies in the advancement of the Great Cause. They are NOT in any moral dilemma on this issue. Ends justify the means. Right since the times of Lenin, virtues like honesty, integrity, respect for truth etc were derided as bourgeois values. That does not mean that a leftwinger is necessarily a dishonest creature in a non-political context. You may lend him money without reservations. But as a political animal though, he has no qualms about using any dirty trick in the book to subdue his (”class”) enemies.
[...] Aavarana has understandably outraged intellectuals/progressives/secularists/writers in Karnataka. I’ve written about Professor Shastri in my earlier post so I don’t need to cover that again. S.L Bhyrappa contends that it is dishonest to conceal historical facts on the (flimsy) excuse of promoting communal harmony/secularism. Aavarna raises the important question of Hinduism vis-a-vis Islam and Christianity. Hindus have admitted to several social evils and set themselves on corrective action–Mahatma Gandhi’s emancipation of Harijans, etc. The West rejected Christianity as a guide/means to rule the state, embraced democracy, etc. Why don’t we see a similar introspection among the Muslims? [...]
Great critique sandeep.You rock!
[...] O privire asupra literaturii indiene - Anantha Murthy si Bhyrappa Noul roman al lui SL Bhyrappa, “Aavarana”, a fost asteptat cu mare nerabdare, asa cum e fiecare noua carte a lui, ce a urmat publicarii binecunoscutei Vamsha Vruksha, dupa cum suntem informati de link. Si Aavarana e intr-adevar un mare succes, fiind retiparita de trei ori in doar doua saptamani, fapt neobisnuit pentru o piata nu tocmai bogata in romane. “Aavarana” alterneaza intre prezentarea unei Indii de azi si a Indiei lui Aurangzeb, tehnica similara faimoaselor piesa-in-piesa din dramaturgie. Protagonista, o femeie hindusa, se converteste la Islam dupa ce fusese crescuta in spirit feminist progresiv, si dupa ce, murind tatal sau, se apuca sa cerceteze imprejurarile in care acesta a devenit aparent brusc interesat de Islam si de legaturile cu India. Studiile sale o aduc in pragul unor intrebari cu privire la propria ei educatie. Mentorul ei este Profesorul Shastri, pornind din acelasi sat cu eroina, avand orientari de stanga, un spirit puternic, cu multa vointa, aflat in bune relatii cu politicienii si avand capacitatea de a dobandi fonduri nelimitate. El aminteste de Anantha Murthy din viata reala, inclusiv purtand acea barba tipic socialista. Anantha Murthy e pe de alta parte un Comunist convins. Participand in Beijing la represiunea de catre guvern a miscarii populare din Piata Tiananmen, el scrie un jurnal de calatorie in care povesteste faptele, si in insemnari nu apare nici macar un cuvant prin care acesta sa dezaprobe masacrul. A fost pe rand, vice cancelar si apoi presedinte in mai multe organizatii culturale, si chiar pentru guvern, obtinand pamant pe gratis. Intr-un cuvant, e un oportunist, care stie bine in ce parte se va inclina balanta. Faima lui literara sta doar in Samskara. Restul scrierilor sunt mediocre. Non-fictiunea e destul de profunda si din cand in cand originala. In urma cu ceva vreme, era figura dominanta a miscarii literare Navya, fapt notat de Bhyrappa in biografia sa, miscare bazata pe idei din existentialism, socialism, comunism si altele. Pe de alta parte, Bhyrappa n-a apartinut nici unei miscari. Doctor in filosofie, si-a cautat radacinile in vechea filosofie indiana. teza sa de doctorat Adevar si Frumusete dezbatea relatiile intre adevar, frumusete, arta, etica, existenta si filosofie. Romanele sale sunt profund filosofice, inspirate fiind de Ananda Coomaraswamy, Swami Vivekananda, Sri Ramakrishna, Mahatma Gandhi, Upanishade. Ele au fost numite ca sustinatoare a tiraniei brahmanilor, retrograde, regresive, de carte progresisti, dar au avut mare succes, si i-au asigurat scriitorului un public loial, asa cum Anantha Murthy n-a fost capabil sa isi formeze. In biografia sa, Bhyrappa arata printre altele cum Anantha Murthy a incercat sa ii saboteze romanele, mai ales “Parva”, numindu-le romane populare, termen ce se opune celui de valoare literara. termenii insa nu sunt chiar opusi, un adevarat clasic al literaturii e si foarte popular si e nelimitat in timp. Asa sunt romanele lui Bhyrappa, pe care Murthy le discrediteaza pentru ca publicul sa nu le mai citeasca. Mai departe in biografie, Bhyrappa arata faptul ca eroul celui mai aclamat roman al lui Murthy e un intelept hindus care se insoara cu o femeie bolnava pentru a-si gasi implinirea in servirea ei, dar ea nu ii poate oferi mostenitori, ceea ce insa se opune conceptiei si credintei eroului romanului. Daca nu poate avea mostenitori, barbatul se poate insura din nou pentru a avea copii, dar va continua sa isi onoreze prima sotie. Eroul din roman cauta salvarea prin suferinta, insa, ceea ce e o conceptie crestina, nu hindusa. Astfel incat Bhyrappa pune la indoiala un intreg sistem filosofic al lui Murthy. Eroul ar fi putut fi un preot nescolit, dar nu e; este un invatat Dharmashastras. Mai departe insa, stim ca Murthy si-a scris cartea pentru publicul din Occident. Murthy e deci un politician stralucit dar nu o valoare literara. Si fiind politician, e un subiect pentru caricaturi. Fapt poe care-l realizeaza Bhyrappa in “Aavarana”. “Aavarana” prezinta fata sangeroasa a Islamului si a Aurangzebului. Si a devenit tinta criticilor lui Murthy, care spune despre autorul in discutie ca “nu cunoste deloc conceptele hinduse si nici arta povestitului, fiind doar un om ce isi expune opiniile, nu merge dincolo de ele, nu e creativ”. Acest atac la adresa lui Bhyrappa a fost condamnat insa la randul sau, astfel ca Murthy a declarat ca a fost gresit citat si ca se va abtine in viitor de la a face critica literara. Un raspuns tipic dat de un om cu conceptii invechite. Cand e prins in coltul propriilor sale conceptii.. [...]
Sandeep,
Just now I finished reading “Aavarana”.
This is one of the best I have read.
I then started looking for info about “Aavarana” on internet.
I found your review and this post.
You have done a terrific review, great job.
I am seeing Shastris all around, at different levels, fooling the world and themselves
-M
[...] Sigh. The usual suspects. Anantha Murthy and Girish Karnad. You don’t even need to ask why they are opposing this "unholy alliance." [...]
Dear Sandeep,
Why you guys are writing so many things against me?
What I said about SL Bhyrappa is because of pure professional jealousy and nothing more.
I havent written much like SL Bhyrappa but still I have got (a)Jyanapeetha award. ( and all those TA/DA , top posts , freeland etc etc) Tell me what SL Bhyrappa has got?
East Or Best Prof. Shastry a.k.a. Prof U R Ananthamurthy is the best.
Prof. Shastry a.k.a. Prof U R Ananthamurthy
Sandeep, Any English translation of these books by Bhyrappa?
Sandeep,
The title “Ananthana Avaantara” would have been most suitable for this article.
Kashinath
I just read the book & was happy to learn some real history of India instead of cooked up history we were fed before. I don’t understand why there should be any controversy about between Hindus & Muslims if they learn the facts. learning the truth should create more harmony between them for the following reasons.
1. The current Muslims in India are the once whose ancestors suffered in the hands of the invaders more than the current Hindus ancestors.
2. If the facts are covered by lies, it is bound to cause more damage to the society as it already done by British rulers in India. It is like ash covered fire. when it is covered with ash we may step on it & get burnt. After the ash blows away & we can see the fire no sane person is going step on it to get burnt. As Indians we all should have the right to know our true history & acknowledge it weather it is pleasing to us or not. Only if we except the truth, we can give our next generation solid foundation.