Literature And The Government - Mahesh Nayak
The modern education system which has expanded like a mammoth after the two World wars has tarnished the style of reading and appreciating the beauty of any literary works for that matter. The way academia teaches Philosophy, linguistics, Language, Literature, Economics, History, Sociology, Political Science, and other humanities courses, is benefiting the government and some other political parties more than the individual who is assiduous in academia. It is not surprising to know how academia was once controlled by Nehru and the government after the Independence and how he used humanities for his political activities. Two worlds wars did influence in introducing new education system by the government led by Nehru. Initially, he targeted the academics where he could bring up progressives and intellectuals for his credulous political moves. It is horrible that academics did not have the freedom to teach their own, but academia had to obey the government! Congress instituted different academics to nurture and develop literacy and other arts. The central Sahitya Academy was the brainchild of Nehru whose writings appeared to be astounding and indisputable after the independence.

It is not surprising how academia began to flourish with writers who not only awarded and appreciated for selling their writings to the government but also paid very well. Any awards given to writers in academia is always prestigious, but the awards Congress gave for the political purpose many times was controversial. It might be the right way if talent is properly recognised and awards given, but it becomes a political question that awards given to academia for its single domain which crafts the new criticism. It is very difficult to appreciate any piece of literary works which was only written for the political purpose, nor this kinds of writing have any values. So, Nehru could buy intellectuals and intelligence together. It is very difficult to say anything to the contrary as we have shining examples such as many poets and writers took their writings to the king. For example, we have in Kannada, Pampa and Ranna. Even though many have come and said that King was pleased with those writers, but still the truth is ancient literature which flourished under the Royal patronage did not enjoy the freedom of speech at all.
The question that one can ask that can Pampa be a slave to King though that king doesn’t even merit consideration. We have many pretty such cases till how writers have sold their writings to a particular party, the party which not only kills the demands of society but also writers will. It all started after the independence where soon after the new government was framed. Both the government patronage and opposition are very dangerous to academies, but a writer can lose his creativity because of the government and its perpetual need for creative writers. Creative writings were merely subjugated to politics. Many young writers took oaths to build new narratives suggested by the government rather than build their way of critical thinking and writing. One can know that how French Revolution had the benevolence of such interesting writers who had shone with their assiduous skills.
It is no exaggeration to say that the minds of our great poets and writer were almost like this. During ancient periods, writers went to Kings to ask for shelter but not get used to their writings. But some writers are said to have written with their freedom of speech and individual intentions. We know, many progressives in academia till now, how progressive write without having any intentions of writings, they write only for the sake of writing. You can easily analyse such kinds of works that glorify only government, Nehru was very clever in buying intellectuals in the 1940 and 1950s, put the foundation to critical thought. During that decades, he diluted the entire Hindu elite and Hindu society. The aftermath of Partition which affected many lives and his dangerous politics come to mind easily.
If the government starts buying academies then it is that writers alone should be blamed for joining hands with it, nor it creates any art. Congress practised buying progressives in academia because there is a hidden truth that government is always afraid of what that literature reveals, thus no politicians will let a writer remain neutral. Writers should never be forced by politics. After the sudden rise of the modern age, many young writers were imprisoned for speaking against the British government and many writers in India had to face this danger as the British government sent them to prison realising the irony of writings. If the British government realised that the irony of writing in India would make them run away from the county, then it is that writing taste must be appreciated.
After realising the power of creative writing in India, the British left but Nehru whose writings was indisputable assimilated Western ideas into Indian creative thought. Nowadays you can see how Professors and young writers in academia write without having any irony and taste but glorifying one government and state. Writing should not be having any prejudices because the world has always hated Intelligence. Nowadays it is difficult to survive being a polymath but we can survive if the culture and government survive, I mean good governance which helps to save democracy and tradition together, but now creativity must be so squeamish that it will always affect the culture and tradition of India. Academia has been living with the past glory of Nehru agendas with different genres, now it seems as though it can be changed and built with new creative writings. If academics having the same style of writings and creativity, then neither academy grows nor that state. Nehru was very clever in dealing with poverty. He never understood the poverty that was seen on the ground but academia seemed to him a big domain to develop. He found India being poor in literature and ideological domain rather than solving the issues on the ground. He might have taken good decisions in terms of building secular fabric in India but when it comes to academia he diluted the ancient and such precious texts of India. Once, there was a man who had studied Sanskrit thoroughly and he had wished to teach Sanskrit in Humanities. He was not only provided salary but also was diluted to teach Sanskrit in a way that could malign the texts which were in written Sanskrit. He, being despair about his life which led to extreme poverty and being allured after the sudden rise of western education, had to abandon his traditional teaching of Sanskrit. Not only Sanskrit but many courses were taught in the eye of the West.
Progressive and Young writers should never be under any government. It is the original taste of writings that should be appreciated always. Writings that government keeps publishing can never be literature at all. It is the responsibility of the department to take care of the welfare of the culture of that land this is being done in a manner in which it thinks it’s best. But no government can create a culture in the land. Along with the department, the Sahity academic which is being controlled by the government should include the traditional writings of India and our writers should understand that whoever writes poetry, short story and fiction can never become literature, it is only writing that is written for the sake of writing. Now, the Left has been strong and they write to win awards from the government, while the right is neither allowed in academia which has cultural and traditional values nor it is granted. Left has always created angry in humanities if in such situations they also get awards and later another situation adds on. Then one has to struggle to procure such awards and many who have been on the right side will struggle to conquer the awards by the government which is reluctant to support Right. As academia is always built by man, prejudices grow.
But the irony is that any decision taken by the government regarding writings, how could that be literature!? If the Academy belongs to the government, how could that decision taken by the government, be of academia. ? How those writings can be literature which does not enjoy the freedom of speech? Many questions will have to be asked to progressives who boast about freedom of speech. One can guess that award given to writers is because of the talent or of the buying intelligence to fight with culture and tradition. There are hundreds and hundreds of incidents that occurred in our religion that many who could have been on our side but due to their materialistic life, they ventured to go with left narratives which were patronised by the government.
There is one more danger in today’s writings that there is a huge literature being published under the name ” Democratic writings” which is more dangerous now. There are a plethora of writings in Academy being published as popular literature but is purely in an agreement to debunk religious tests and traditional thoughts. Unlike West, writing is still not a profession in India opposition parties will play a role in the academy to buy more progressive. It will be better if it becomes one! Writing should always be individualistic and no government should harper on writers. Till academia with having Western ideologies, keeps disputing Indian philosophy and traditional knowledge, but one should know that it all starts with Academy and any government which appreciates it’s country traditional thought should first promote new texts and should change the academia and should build a healthy Humanities in universities, if not, our Culture will have no life, nor will the government have any spirit.
Bio:
Makesh Nayak M, who is currently teaching English in Mysore has written many critical essays on New literature in English. He is always awarded as the best literary critic of contemporary Indian culture and literature. He is performing the domains of philosophy and literature and along with translating works of Kannada novels into English. Mahesh is well versed in Vedanta philosophy and he also writes how western education has diluted the native’s culture and tradition. Literature for him, is not one own but it is the taste of the writers, and literature is always the compunction of the society. No doubt Mahesh is in for the front in this expertise.
Mahesh now lives in a village, in Karnataka, Nanjangudu Tq and Mysore district. He hails from a poor family and more religious. His father is a farmer and his mother is a housewife, he has one elder sister and elder brother. He is young in the family entertain us through is creative writing and his knowledge of Indian philosophy and culture is always adorable.
Professor Mahesh
Reader in commonwealth literature.
Reader in commonwealth literature.
