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Of the little people
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The book release function of Akshaya Kumar Mohanty's maiden work saw the coming together of some of the leading lights of the city's literary world.
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The literati are all ears.
IN OUR days of religious bigotry and language fanaticism, it was heartening to see a city based publishing house recently bring together a multilingual audience on a single platform. On March 27, Anuraag Publishers organised an impressive book release function at the NTR auditorium, Telugu University, Nampally.
Largely attended by some of the leading luminaries of the city's literary and cultural world including some of the most distinguished Telugu authors and activists, the programme affirmed the syncretic character of Hyderabad and the role its cultural elite continue to play in forging creative alliances between Telugu and other Indian languages/literatures. There is absolutely no doubt that the latter flourished thanks to the congenial atmosphere of Hyderabad.
In undertaking as a maiden effort the work of a promising Oriya author from a neighbouring state, Anuraag Publishers testified to the traditional bonds that exist between Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. And in responding so warmly in such large numbers, the audience made a fine gesture that left a deep impression on the linguistic minorities of the city.
The author of the book, Akshaya Kumar Mohanty is an Oriya creative writer, who retired recently after a long and fruitful career with Doordarshan, New Delhi. Modest, soft spoken and endowed with a rare sensibility, he has several plays, television scripts, non-fictional works and novels to his credit. Many of these works were published in Orissa and have been translated into other languages.
The stories themselves deal with a variety of themes -- life of the royalty, of courtesans, of middle class men and women, of bureaucrats, singers and commoners. In all these however, the author chooses to focus on the voices and selves that are neglected by history and establishment values. In Mohanty's world, it is the powerless and the dispossessed that redeem the narrative situations.
In his opening "Confession," Mohanty says, "all the stories are reminiscences of events two decades or more old. And the purpose was nothing specific, except writing for the sake of writing." This disclaimer and denial of a larger objective, characteristic of seasoned writers may initially throw off discerning readers from the scent of greater truths underlying the body of fiction. The events around which the tales are woven have been given, by Mohanty's own admission, a fictional veneer.
Most of the stories in the collection capture a mood or a situation that is held up for closer narrative serenity. The title tale The Midnight Story is about the encounter between the young court poet Swetakanta and the princess Nabaneeta.
The destined meeting between the poet and the princess does not lead to the proverbial union despite Nabaneeta's offer. Only the feet of the princess are kissed in the dark. Swetakanta is true to his code of conduct by sending the princess back undefiled with the secure knowledge that he had been able to "harness his feelings and instincts."
Similarly, the story Tale of Night Futile deals with the story of king Shankhadwaja of the kingdom of Avanti and Madhuchhanda, the leading dancer of the king's entertainment chamber. The growing attraction between the young prince Chandra Chandran and Madhuchhanda enacted in the royal bower of bliss does not find her sanction for an act of consummation. Here too Madhuchhanda is true to the dharma of the courtesan and her mother Chandrakala's service to the elder king. The cherished union between the two lovers must await another day when the prince grows older and ascends the throne. "In the bower of passion flowers, a love bird took shelter and let out subdued notes at the agony of imminent separation from night."
There are stories within stories too. Another tale Chanda Kaberi plays upon the name "Kaberi" which is disapproved by the character bearing his name.
The relationship between Kaberi and her elder tutor Jagabandhu Das has a parallel with another tale involving another pair -- Chhanda and Jagat Babu. There could be various endings to this tale. The story itself is left somewhat open-ended in the sense of metafiction.
The writer Akshaye Kumar Mohanty addresses the gathering
In the same manner, The Story Incomplete is a poignant account of a child victim Sharadi who is exploited by a greedy and lustful sahib and left with an illegitimate baby, with the chowkidar Mahakud. She is discovered by Anupam, a government official and his wife Anuva whose barren material life is redeemed by the sudden discovery of the victim.
The couple cares for Sharadi. Unfortunately she meets with an accident. Does she succumb? Or does she survive?
Here again the ending is deliberatively inconclusive. Anupam and indirectly the narrator seem to relish their speculation: "Isn't there a third possibility besides these two?" he asks.
Mohanty's stories are marked by a sense of empathy and pathos about human conditions.
City-based academic, Shamima Patel, anchored the function. Dr. C.Narayana Reddy, eminent poet and MP was the chief guest.
He released the book and presented the first copy to a disabled child. The Centre for the Disabled and the Aged of the Anuraag Human services care for such children.
Dr. Reddy highlighted the literary and cultural ties between Andhra and Orissa and underlined the poetical aspects of Mohanty's stories. PRK Shree, PSN Murty and Dr. Ashok Tripathy, all eminent litterateurs, underscored the literary merits of the book and the author's handling of the short story from.
Professor VS Prasad, Vice Chancellor, Dr. B.R.Ambedkar Open University looked at the stories from the social scientific angle. According to him, the tales reveal a great deal of truth about the individual and social behaviour.
The Chairman and office bearer of the Kalinga Cultural Trust as well as the various units of the Anuraag Trust felicitated Mohanty. In his turn, Mr. Mohanty expressed deep gratitude for the honour bestowed upon him. The programme was accompanied by an exhibition of arts and crafts of the Anuraag Human Services. It was an evening to remember.
SACHIDANANDA MOHANTY
(The writer is a professor of English at the University of Hyderabad).
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