Mulk Raj Anand (1905-2004)
The literature of early Indian English novel is identified especially with the trinity of Mulk Raj Anand, R.K. Narayan and Raja Rao.
They all began writing in the thirties of the 20th century.
Out of which Mulk Raj Anand is the object of our consideration.
He was born in 1905 in Peshawar, now in Pakistan to a Kshatriyas family.
His father was Lal Chand , a Silversmith turned sepoy who had left his hereditary occupation to attend school. Later he learnt English, took a British military examination and served in cantonments as a head clerk.
He was highly ambitious of his son, both in education and economic status.
From his father, Anand inherited the artisan's industry and minute attention to detail. Also the revolutionary temperament.
Anand's mother was a religious lady with a knack for storytelling.
Anand attended Khalsa College, Amritsar after completing his matriculation.
Later, graduated from Punjab University with honours in English.
He also received a scholarship for research in philosophy in London where he started creative writing.
In 1928, he was awarded a Ph.D by London University.
He was also associated with the literary periodical The Criterion of T.S Eliot.
Works:
He enjoyed the status of being a pioneer novelist of Indian English with a corpus of fiction in bulk nd of quality. Also, continued to write at the age of 96.
Novels dealt mainly with the pestering social issues such as doomed life of downtrodden and oppressed. A vigorous champion of the oppressed and downtrodden.
This is very much pronounced in his early novels like Untouchable (1935) and Coolie (1936).
Untouchable (1935) :
Quintessential Anand since most of his characteristic concerns and fundamental issues of life is projected.
Main theme the untouchability as an err in Hindu society.
Written more than 70 short stories and his Morning Face (1968) received the Sahitya Akademi Award for 1971.
Awards :
International Peace Prize (1952) for promoting peace among the nation through his literary works.
The Padma Bhushan (1967) for distinguished service to art and literature.
Termed as a "Propaganda writer"
Untouchable: The Struggle of Publication
It was written over a long weekend in Dublin, 1930. Initially it was named as Bakha.
Anand took inspiration from on of the Gandhiji's story published in Young India about a sweeper boy Uka.
Anand grant permission to meet Gandhiji to show him his draft. Upon reading his draft Gandhij suggested him to write a straightforward pamphlet about Harijans and cut it short to hundred pages. Anand was also invited for a three week stay at the Shabarmati Ashram.
There he act on Gandhiji's advice and trimmed the 250 paged novel into 150.
Initially it was difficult to find a publisher for the book for its depiction of squalor and dirt of India which was very unlike to the traditional books of that time.
By 1934, the novel was rejected by as many as 19 publishers which made Anand so disheartened that he contemplated suicide.
However, it was on the recommendation of British poet Oswell Blakeston, Wishart Books agreed to publish it on the condition that E.M. Froster should write a preface to protect it against being called dirty.
To this Froster quickly agrees and the book first published on 1st of May, 1935 to mixed responses. However, it quickly established itself in terms of popularity that remains unrivalled for a work of fiction by an Indian author.
Comments
Post a Comment