National award-winning writer Mr. Parthasarathy does not need much of an introduction to Thamizh readers. He has more than 35 novels, plays, novelettes, short story collections and essay collections to his credit, including ‘Kurudhippunal’ (Sahitya Academy Award), ‘Sudhandhira Bhoomi’ and ‘Aurangazeb’ (Thamizh Nadu Arasu Awards), ‘Vedhapurathu ViyabarigaL’ (Bharathiya Basha Parishath Award), ‘Yesuvin ThozhargaL’ (Rangammaall Memorial Award), ‘Akaasath Thaamarai’ (Ananthaachaari Arakkattallai Award), ‘Maaya Maan Vaettai’ and others. His novelette "Uchi Veyyil" was made into the award-winning movie "Marupakkam", and the novel "Venthu Thanindha Kadugall" into a Doordharshan tele-serial. Several of his novels and plays have been translated into other Indian languages. He serves on the editorial advisory board of the Kanaiyazhi literary magazine and is a regular contributor of thinkpieces to that magazine.

During his recent visit to the U.S., I got an opportunity to chat with him about his contributions to modern Thamizh fiction/literature as well as other related issues. I did not go in with a prepared set of questions, in the interests of preserving a natural flow. I found Mr. Parthasarathy to be a stimulating conversationalist, with a relaxed, informal communication style, clear thinking, sincere beliefs and a pragmatic approach to issues, all liberally sprinkled with a subtle sense of humor and irony: not unlike his literary creations.

My sincere thanks to Mr. Parthasarathy for his gracious permission to share this informal interview with our Forum Hub friends, to hub friend Mr. Ramji Ramachandran for making this dialog possible, and to the Forum Hub maintainers.

Here is the Forum Hub Exclusive with Writer Indira Parthasarathy……..

IP: Born and brought up in Kumbakonam. Did my B.A. in Thamizh there. Got my M.A. in Thamizh from Annamalai University. Also hold a Ph. D. from Delhi University; my doctoral research focused on "Vaishnavism in Thamizh between 7^th and 9^th Centuries". Taught in Delhi University from 1963-88; spent five of those years as a visiting professor in Warsaw University, Poland. In 1988, I was invited by the then Vice-Chancellor of Pondicherry University to found the Department of Performing Arts. When my wife passed away in 1992, I came to Chennai. Have three children. I’m currently visiting my son here in the U.S.

IP: I loved my years in Delhi. At that time ‘Kanaiyazhi’ magazine was run from Delhi; possibly the first time a Thamizh magazine was run from outside Thamizh Nadu. ‘Kanaiyazhi’ was owned & edited by Mr. Kasturirangan who was also a correspondent for ‘The New York Times’ at that time. Thi. Janakiraman, who was also my school teacher, and I had a second connection through that magazine. Writers Ka. Naa. Subramaniam, Athavan, Sujatha and Vaasanthi were in Delhi too, besides Thi. Janakiraman. We all used to get together and have literary discussions every month. I am very happy to have been part of it. At that time I had a distant outsider’s view of Chennai, and everything seemed fine. Once I was in Chennai itself, I felt a small degree of alienation; there is definitely less creative freedom in the Chennai environment. There seems to be a hierarchical system which is non-existent in Delhi. Even though ‘suyamariyaadhai iyakkam’ started in Thamizh Nadu, human dignity seems to have less of a premium in Thamizh Nadu. I think it is basically because of an intrinsic, rigid caste system that existed in the Thamizh society, which the British were able to exploit by dividing the people broadly into Brahmins and non-Brahmins. In the North, the British reinforced the Hindu-Muslim division…all for their own purposes, very clever of them!

IP: ‘aham brahmaasmi’ or personal salvation is the philosophy that rules at all levels in India. Lot of paradoxes…we say it’s a collectivistic culture, but has a lot of individual focus, but no respect for individual rights. Seems like a functioning or non-functioning anarchy depending on how you view it. Life is quite unpredictable and, therefore, quite exciting in India. US seems to have a step-by-step, formulaic, simple thinking, and the resulting order, and, therefore, predictability. Very interesting to observe such differences.

IP: I wrote my very first story "manidha iyandhiram" in 1962/63. This and the next five stories were published by ‘Anandha Vikatan’ as "muthirai kadhaigal". This was the same time period when Writer Jayakanthan’s short stories also appeared in ‘Anandha Vikatan’ as "muthirai kadhaigal". This gave me a lot of confidence in my ability to write, and I knew then I was going to be a writer. "Thandhira Bhoomi", which appeared in Na. Parthasarathy’s ‘Dheepam’ magazine, earned me the credentials as a serious writer. "Kurudhippunal" and "Sudhandhira Bhoomi" both appeared as serials in ‘Kanaiyazhi’, and "Vendhu Thanindha Kadugall" in Kalki. The very first novel I wrote was "Kalavellam". It was written during my student days but got published much later. It is a romance novel..very different from the rest of my works.

IP: (Laughs) To perfect the language as an academic and to be a modern creative writer in the same language were seen as contradiction in terms. I think both the academic pundits and the journalists didn’t know what to make of me, and both sides viewed me with suspicion. I wonder whether I have ever been totally accepted by either world. (Laughs again.)

IP: My writing is a reflection of my responses to a specific event. The expression of some responses may turn out better than others, in retrospect. But all of them have sincerity, because they are my true, genuine reactions at that particular moment when I write. So it will be hard for me to pick a favorite among my own works.

IP: These novels were my responses to real-life events….the righteous indignation and intense emotionality I felt when I became aware of certain occurrences. I need a country to love and critique with a passion, and that country can only be my motherland. So I cannot really isolate politics from writing. Also, several people say they write for their own sake. I personally don’t believe in that. A kite can’t fly without the opposing force of air friction. Similarly, a writer needs his audience. I write to be heard, and view writing as a never-ending "I and Thou" dialog. More than two decades back, 42 Harijans were burnt alive in a village near Thiruvarur, and "Kurudhippunal" was born.

IP: The readers reflected my intense emotions about that incident and received it well. The various communist parties reacted differently. CPI welcomed "kuruthippunal" without any reservations. But CPM in TN felt that the villain should have been portrayed as the total blackguard he was in real life. They felt I diluted his dark character by offering up his impotence as the underlying psychological driver. However, CPM in Kerala accepted the novel which was translated into Malayalam. My perspective is this: the story is based on the real incident, but it is not a documentary. The fictional characters become mine and I have the freedom to shape them as I see fit.

IP: Marx said that the state will wither away at the ultimate point and there will be no hierarchies. But it did not happen in the USSR. It became a tight state with major hierarchical systems, and a red bourgeoisie was created. Marxism, like any code, needs to be re-interpreted with time. For example, Mao spoke of a ‘continuing revolution’. Perhaps, such a silent, ongoing revolution has helped the Chinese now to have both sides of their bread buttered….they can follow communism as an ideology and co-exist with other capitalistic major powers at the same time.

IP: Look at the alliances which are going on right now for the upcoming elections. The most unlikely parties are teaming up together. Would you say any party has any ideological platform? (Laughs)

IP: Those days, when 42 Harijans were burnt, a novel about that could make waves in the readers’ collective conscience. Today, there won’t be much reaction regardless of what you write about. We seem to have become immune to everything as a society.

IP: We have never been one nation anyway, in a political sense. Culturally one unit, yes, but politically, no. So there is no political conscience as such.

IP: I thought you will be quite convinced by now that I am one (laughs). Seriously, I’m not a cynic. I’m not looking for bad aspects in everything like a cynic does. I’m just stating facts as I see them. I hope I haven’t bored you with all this political talk.

IP: Very true. Vimmi walks out on her husband in search of her own identity. Her husband is unable to understand what she is seeking, beyond the social status and security he has provided her with. He is not a villain, just an average husband who is a product of our society. She is liberated, but is not looking for extra-marital sex. The artist male friend doesn’t understand this. He is just an average male who is yet another product of our system. So there is a tragedy in the end. This came out as a serial in Doordharshan two years back. They changed the end to Vimmi going back with her husband in the car. They said that the masses cannot accept a woman staying away from her husband. I am not too happy about my end being changed.

IP: I don’t think it has become a movement. It stays as a rebellion at a very superficial level, and doesn’t seem to be about real issues. Those who say they’re fighting for women’s rights are cheapening the issue by their vulgar behavior. Smoking and drinking don’t constitute liberation, they are just personal habits. Another recent example: Deepa Mehta’s "Fire" has been labeled as a women’s liberation film because there is a lesbian relationship involved. Now, homosexuality is based on several psychological factors for both men and women. The movie makes it sound as if the men were bad, so lesbianism was the answer, so it is about women’s liberation. Am I supposed to accept this as a sound logical argument? You may think I’m being very conservative, but I’m not. What do you think about the women’s liberation issue?

IP: First, these ‘libbers’ should know how to liberate themselves in the true sense. Liberation should come from within, for its own sake; not just to be against someone. A woman should be able to do and live by what she truly believes is right. I think several older women’s attitudes are much more liberated than the younger women of today. I know a woman in Kumbakonam who became a young widow at age 12 during those child-marriage days. When her niece became a young widow, she fought with her conservative family and got the niece remarried. I’m sure several issue-based cases like this exist. But these may not be documented and presented for the world to see.

IP: Actually, I’m known more as a playwright than a novelist in North India. Most of my plays have been translated into Hindi. I feel that Thamizh Nadu has not nurtured theater and cinema as well as it has maintained the more traditional arts such as carnatic music or bharatha natyam. The current state of affairs in theater and movies in TN is something to be embarrassed about.

IP: It is not only in Karnataka that theater flourishes. The Marathi and Bengali theaters are equally strong. May be Thamizh Nadu finds it much easier to maintain the standard of older art forms, and might not have clearly figured out how to maintain new genres like plays and movies in good taste. As a result, we are forced to tolerate mediocre products in these areas more often; there have been a few notable exceptions, of course. I hope the situation improves.

IP: One is titled "Nandhan Kadhai". You can say it is one of the very first ‘dhalith’ stories in Thamizh. It is a revisionist version of the old nandhanar sarithiram. It takes the approach that the easiest way to end opposition is to make him a god and then crucify him. Institutionalizing a man is the best way to finish him. A similar theme runs through my play "Ramanujar" too.

IP: ‘Dhalith’ means ‘the oppressed’ in Marathi. Dhalith literature in Thamizh started in late 70s, thanks to the dhalith movement in Maharashtra. The present dhalith intelligensia is very different from the early Dravidian types who were revelling in their their isolationism and sentimentalism. The current group is rooted very well in the present, while being visionary about the future. The writers are strong thinkers, and are well-versed in literature of past and present. A very welcome trend. There seem to be several subgroups within dhalith literature itself: dealing with aesthetics, counterculture etc. What may appear to be countercultural, anarchist literature is a natural product of the anger resulting from centuries of oppression. I recently read an impactful novel "Karukku" written by Bhama. Portrayal of a dhalith who is also a woman deals with two types of oppression at the same time.

IP: I’ll have to name the more popular writers like Thi. Janakiraman, Athavan and many others…the list will be long. Some of the lesser known writers I like are Ka.Si. Venkataramani, B.S. Ramaiyya and the such. Mauni wrote only a few stories but they were so in-depth that Pudhumaippithan used to call Mauni "thirumoolar". Thi.Janakiraman remains my favorite writer. There is a pleasing aesthetic aspect to his writing….like good music. Pudhumaippithan is undoubtedly the best Thamizh short story writer in the 20^th century. What he wants to say and how he says it are integrated very well. There is a short story by him called "mahamasaanam". It is about a child watching a beggar die on the street; he weaves a story around it and takes it to a universal level. Asokamithran is another excellent writer. I like Sundhara Ramasamy’s earlier works like "Oru Puliyamarathin Kadhai". I feel he is back to his natural form now with his recent "Kuzhandhaikall, penkall, aankall"; I like that novel very much.

I am going to answer a question you haven’t asked yet (Laughs). I don’t differentiate between writers based on their gender. To me a writer is a writer, not a male writer or a female writer. As far as I’m concerned, Virginia Woolf is on par with James Joyce. Some notable writers who happen to be female are Rajam Krishnan, R. Choodamani, Ambai, Vaasanthi and Sivagami. R. Choodamani has not got the recognition she deserves. Ambai is a very sensitive writer.

In my opinion, three people are responsible for Thamizh literary renaissance in this century: U.Ve. Saminathaiyyar for ancient literature, Bharathiyar for a new awakening in poetry, and Puthumaippithan for fiction in terms of format and style.

Kanchana: Any favorites among the younger generation writers?

IP: Jayamohan, the author of "Vishnupuram". It is a miracle that such a book has been even written…intellectual subject and very good, in-depth discussions. This book seems so comprehensive, I wonder if he has anything left to say in his future works. (Laughs)

S. Sankaranarayanan writes very good short stories. Pa. Raghavan is another good short story writer. Era. Murugan is an excellent craftsman of science fiction stories. My most recent discovery is Kanchana Dhamodharan.

IP: Jayakanthan has created several good, impactful stories. He is a self-educated, self-made man. His writings don’t have that same level of sarcastic humor and irony that I like in Puthumaippithan’s writings. But he is easily one of the best writers and deep thinkers of this century.

IP: I got the Sahitya Academy Award in 1977. At that time, I felt bad that my favorite author and teacher, Thi.Janakiraman still had not been recognized by the Academy. In 1978, he was given the Sahitya Academy Award, but it was for a short story collection. Everyone wondered why the Academy honored Janakiraman for those short stories, while his masterpieces like "Mohamull" went without formal recognition. My student Athavan was awarded the Sahitya Academy posthumously, since he died at a very young age of 44. Sometimes, an author may deserve the award based on his/her lifetime body of work, but the award goes to a less deserving work of that author. It seems to be a challenge to give an award to the deserving work of a deserving author at the appropriate time. Since I like my "Kurudhippunal" novel, I am happy about it being one of the award winners among my works.

You observed that ‘Ganaanabeedam’ has been given to a Thamizh work only once. In general, the one who lobbies the most walks away with most of these major awards. Our Thamizh folks live in isolation and don’t have a strong, united lobby as Marathi, Bengali etc. In fact, when Akilan was awarded ‘Gnaanabeedam’, those who complained the most about that choice were Thamizh people, much to the surprise of Mr. Joshi who was in charge of that committee then.

Kanchana: That is an interesting point around Thamizh isolation. Can you elaborate further?

IP: I strongly believe we should split the Thamizh literary works formally into Classical and Modern. Classical Thamizh literature is and should be part of the overall Indian literary tradition, just like the Upanishads, Mahabaratham and Ramayanam. Classical Thamizh works would then belong to the whole nation, not just to Thamizh people. Laying a claim to Classical literary works as belonging to just Thamizh people and revelling in that claim among ourselves lead to total isolationism and meaningless sentimentalism. Such isolationism cuts us off from the mainstream, and is one major reason why we’re not taken seriously when it comes to awards and other issues.

IP: (Laughs) The writer writes and the critic baptizes. Western literature has always been good at such baptisms and labels. You don’t have to look to Latin American literature for magical realism, our own Mahabaratham abounds with it. I believe that any story which is told with a natural flow and minimal affectation is worth reading. If a writer starts out by saying ‘I’m going to sit down and write a post-modernist story today’ or ‘I’m writing a magical realism story today’, then the story is going to end up sounding quite artificial and pretentious.

IP: There are always exceptions to the rule. Some mass magazines have defined their own solid standards and hold on to them. Good writers appear in mass magazines too.

IP: I have strong opinions on the subject. The best writing in any Indian language is better than what is obtained from an Indo-anglican writer. The Indo-anglican writer suffers from the neurosis that (s)he has to explain himself/herself to a non-Indian audience. This results in a loss of intimacy and genuineness, and a certain level of phoniness is inevitable. In fact, if translated into an Indian language, most of these works will be quite flat. R.K. Narayan has come the closest in preserving the Indianness in English writing.

Kanchana: As an established, senior writer, do you have any advice to offer to budding writers such as myself?

IP: I don’t think you need much advice. If you feel you have something to say, write. Best writing does not always equate with complex writing; often, good things come in very simple form. And, writing which comes truly from the heart is the most impactful….as Shakespeare puts it, ‘Be true to thine own self’.

Kanchana Dhamodharan for ‘The Forum Hub’ ( http://www.forumhub.com )

ã Forumhub.com., August 1999. All rights reserved.