Reviews

 

ENGLISH

On Education: by Mulk Raj Anand. (Published by Hind Kitabs Ltd., Bombay, 1947. Pp. 59; Price Re. 1/6/-)

This essay on educational reconstruction in India by the famous Indian novelist and writer is an appeal to the ‘under forties’ to re-think our problems free from the incubus of ‘tired old half-dead men’, ‘fossilised minds bred In a feudal-cum-servile colonial structure of society’ and ‘power-crazed politicians of New Delhi’. The style is, therefore, indignant and emphatic and, at times, even one-sided and incoherent. After a rapid survey of various schemes of ‘national education’ adumbrated in India in the last half-century, the author launches upon a criticism of the Wardha Scheme and its ‘inner reasons’. According to him, it destroys the basic assumption of learning by doing; it tries to realise an utopian Ram-raj; it aims at the production of good little village morons; the authoritarian religion which Gandhiji exalts, and the doctrine of sexual control which he preaches, ignore the deeper creative urges of man; it seeks to build an India living in complete isolation from a militarized world; the scheme does, not give any chance whatever to the development of human personality; Gandhiji’s mechanical idealism will only amass a nation of ‘dead souls’. This is, indeed, an omnibus and rather purblind accusation, and Mr. Mulk Raj Anand has followed it up, not by a detailed scheme of his own for national education, but a plea for the introduction of art in primary schools (vide Sections VI and VII of the Basic Education Curriculum, prepared by the Zakir Hussain Committee) and a note on Child Art by Sri Pulin Bihari Dutt!

N. Kasturi

The Ayah and Other Stories: by Gertrude Murray. (Published by Hind Kitabs Ltd., Bombay, 1947. Pp 136; Price Rs. 2/-)

This collection contains eight stories of which three are on facets of Indian life, but all deal with the elemental pangs of the human soul, traced deftly and delicately, in a sisterly mood of sympathy. Each story has a distinct individuality and, though ‘The Quest of the Modern Girl’ is definitely below the level of the rest, it is difficult to decide which among the others should have the honour of the title role. ‘The Ayah’ is a vivid and poignant picture of silent suffering, but ‘Cowards die many times’ surpasses it in portraiture. The deserter from wedlock fleeing from the death-bed of his woman, pursued by the sharp piercing cry of his child, is an unforgettable cad. The tragedy of the half-wit Jacques with his ‘perpetually far-away look’ and his infatuation for the Waxen Lady Berengere, the regaining by the Christian widow of all her old interest in living, the strange fascination of Anna for the ruddy male which leapt over political frontiers, and the silly escapade of a frustration-ridden Balkan typist with an Eastern Prince, are all related by the authoress with inimitable skill and brevity. This brevity, it must be mentioned, has marred the excellence of the last story in the book, ‘Shadow and Substance’ which centres round the conversion of ‘The Blonde Lily’ of Hollywood. A few more paragraphs to elaborate the subtlety with which Svensen, the idealist author, aroused the sincerity of the butterfly would have given the reader greater satisfaction. But, reviewers, I forget, have no right to dictate.

N. Kasturi

India of My Dreams: by M. K. Gandhi (compiled by R. K. Prabhu; with a Foreword by Dr. Rajendra Prasad. Publishers: Hind Kitabs Ltd., Bombay, 1947. Price Rs. 2/-)

This will serve the purpose of an authentic hand-book of Gandhiji’s principles and plans for the reconstruction of India’s national life, set down in the Mahatma’s own words. In the words of Dr. Rajendra Prasad: “It places before the readers not only those basic and fundamental principles but also indicates how we can help to fulfil them through our freedom by establishing a polity and social life, and through the instrumentality of a constitution and the dedication of the human material which this vast country will now throw up, to work without any external fetters or internal inhibitions.” While there is no doubt about the homage universally paid to Gandhiji as the ‘Father of the Nation’ and the ‘Liberator of India’, and the reverence and adoration showered upon him on account of his moral and spiritual eminence, his ideas regarding the reconstruction of India’s social, economic and political life–his views, for instance, on Khadder and village industries, basic education, and national language and script, do not command equally spontaneous acceptance and are often looked upon as ‘fads’. It is fashionable, sometimes, to speak of him as a matchless social reformer, and a powerful moral force–but an idealist, not to be taken seriously in regard to details of practical politics. Such mental reservation has usually characterised the approach of many Indian intellectuals to Gandhiji’s economic precepts. Now that freedom is won and the re-ordering of Indian economic and political life is imminent and has to be immediately undertaken by the leaders of the country, with the intelligent co-operation of a free people, Gandhian ideology awaits to be put to a practical test. Many items of Gandhiji’s Constructive Programme have already begun to be implemented by most of the Provincial Governments, but there are still other items remaining to be tackled in the light of Gandhiji’s teachings, These relate chiefly to the decentralisation of industry and the revival of will republics, which would indeed ultimately result in a revolutionary change of Indian national life. In spite of the fact that Gandhiji’s writings have enjoyed great publicity, there is nevertheless need for a reiteration of the principles and the arguments that have motivated the heroic work of Gandhiji and his faithful band of workers during the last 25 years. The assiduity and the devotion of the compiler have enabled him to present in a compact form the shape of things to come, such as Gandhiji would desire to see established in the country.

The Publishers and the compiler deserve all praise for this timely publication, and one hopes that editions of this excellent brochure would be made available in all the Indian languages as well, to serve more fully and effectively the purpose they have in view.

K.S.G.

An Artist’s Miscellany: by ‘Kumara Guru’ (R. Venkateswara & Co., Madras, price Rs. 3/-)

The book is a collection of 24 essays written by the author, a retired Government Official–in whose blood, we are told, “run three currents of intellect: mathematics, music and chemistry”–at various times, and contributed to various journals, or delivered as discourses before Youngmen’s Associations. These writings of a typical English-educated, South Indian intellectual of the later Victorian period, cover a wide field,–English literature, particularly such as College text-books provide for the painstaking student whose interest in them survives the examination, Sociology and Aesthetic criticism. The autobiographical and the psycho-analytical strain often running through these essays is sometimes too obtrusive and tends occasionally to make the writing somewhat boring and morbid. There is often a lot of pointless piffle as, for instance, when in the essay with the imposing title ‘Mathematics and the way of life’ the author writes of the different units of weight and measurement current in different parts of India! Music and musical criticism, however, appear to be Kumara Guru’s forte, and the essays dealing with Thyagaraja, Dikshitar and South Indian Music (about a third of the book) show a firmer tread and make more interesting reading.

K. S. G.

Freedom Come: By Harindranath Chattopadhyaya. Decorations by K. K. Hebbar–(15thAugust 1947. Nalanda Publications, Bombay.)

Harindranath’s work usually glows with genuine inspiration and the fervour and daring idealism of youth. But in this song, where the Poet greets the dawn of Indian Freedom, one notes with regret a certain flatness, and a lack of fire, only occasionally relieved by flashes of impassioned poetry. Though Harindranath is not here in his ‘form’ he gives noble expression to the hope that although our freedom has been won at tremendous cost–breaking up the unity of our Motherland so dear to us and causing heartbreak and suffering to the millions–we will ultimately come together as brothers re-uniting after a brief separation, and realise this unity in terms of the happiness and prosperity of the common masses. All this joyous celebration will be worth while if we pledge that

‘Not one stomach shall starve or sense despair,
And not one body go unclothed and bare’

There is also a moving tribute to the life and work of Gandhiji–

‘A lonely wanderer now across the country,
Footsore, flesh-weary, a spirit as yet unbroken.’

H. G. S.

Sudden Prospect and other Poems: by Gopal N. Nilaver. (Hosali Press, Bangalore, Price Rs. 3/-)

Here is a collection of about 70 poems written in various moods. Most of them are short ones–and are in the nature of poetic exercises by one who is sensitive to the beauty of the earth and thrills to the joys and sorrows of human life. There is no message, no ‘ism’, no pose or crusading passion such as modern poets who leap into print usually exhibit, to catch the attention of a wearied world. For, according to the writer, the Poet’s mission is that

He cares not who hears, he must bring
The Promethean fire to earth, though he burn his wings!’

‘Let us not forget that each human fear
Can be weighed against a crumbling empire’s fear
And is more worthy the chronicle, more dear’,

says the poet in another poem.

The writer has experimented with different kinds of verse-patterns, and commands a diction adequate for his purposes. We trust the author will attempt bigger things.

K. S. G.

TELUGU-HINDUSTANI

Hindustani Sikshak: by M. Hanumantha Rao. (Hindi Pracharak, Narasaraopet, Guntur Dt. Price: Re 1/-)

This is a Hindi- Telugu Primer compiled by an experienced Hindi teacher. The Telugu script is used throughout in addition to the Nagari script. The conjugations of verbs under different tenses, the derivations of nouns with their different case-endings, the formation of prepositional and post-positional phrases, the pronoun forms which are a peculiarity of the language and require to be mastered at the early stages,–all these are presented and drilled in graded lessons. The exposition of grammatical rules, usually the headache of the young, is almost eliminated–and the aim throughout is practical, so as to provide a working knowledge by riveting attention on the characteristic phrase and sentence patterns in Hindi. The range of vocabulary covered by the book is fairly wide and adequate for ordinary practical purposes. The author deserves to be congratulated on bringing out such a useful publication.

 

K. S. G.